Info?: New model Mossberg shotguns

Duc,

I asked you this like 2yrs. ago when it first came out and then you had no feeling as you were not aware/familiar with it since it was brand new to market, but how do you feel about the the FN SLP and FN MkII? I'd very much like to try my hand at 3-Gun with a lean toward 'tactical' and I'm thinking for my purposes of combined HD/Competition that either of these will fit the bill with minor if any modification/customization.

FNH Self-Loading Police (SLP) Shotgun


FN SLP Mark I (Which is basically a Winchester SX2 Practical Mk I only with an 18" rather than 22" barrel)


http://www.fnhusa.com/products/firearms/family.asp?fid=FNF005&gid=FNG002

For home defense conventional wisdom has always been get a pump and make it a Remy 870 or Mossy 500/590 for sake of absolute reliability even when coated in a thick covering of dust and/or rust. My friends IRL have advised same although unlike them I'd be actually trying to take it out and use the thing more often than never to once in a while as they do. Most of them keep a cheap short barreled pump shotty around for nothing more than HD purposes. Thats actually where I got the idea toward a turkey gun from. The camo on the Mossys turn me off but I'd be okay with looking like a dork at a 3-gun match as long as I can be competitive and hit steel. It wouldn't be the first time I've shown up with oddball looking/motif gear toward competition.

Anyway I'm not sold on pump only for HD though as modern day auto shotguns have gotten to be pretty darn good and reliable across a multiple of loadings and ammo today is better than it used to be as well.
I just want to be sure I invest in a product that meets all my needs in preferably a singular tidy and efficient package.

Oh and I've also been thinking about my wife.
Rather than 12 ga. to looking at a lighter recoil easier to manage 10 ga. toward a person who otherwise would never train. That is actually how I wound up looking again at the Mossberg site in looking for their options in 10 ga. and then boom I come across these new product family offerings which I'd not heard of before...not that I have kept a good eye on Mossberg as of late.
Remington has some 10 ga. 870 offerings and they seem to be competitively priced.

I'm just doing homework and thinking outloud toward all potential angles because I just hate to have buyers remorse or to waste coin.

Thanks ahead of time!

- Henry

Sorry...I totally meant 20ga!

I was typing in a hurry while on the phone and rushing to get off so I could get the truck over to the dealership before my father inlaw arrived to pick me up and ride me home.
I just got back...

Yeah FNH makes some very nice stuff and the prices aren't awful (yet) for the quality. I just don't know anyone IRL who has actually owned one although all internet reports and reading via users indicates the SLP is solid.

I've heard same on the internets toward the 930 SPX being an SLP, but it's all been from sources of conjecture as they look similar. The receivers though are not same in style and Mossberg swears in it's marketing that they make it and in the USA. The SLP is based on a Winchester as well but offhand I forget what model.

I'm concerned about pump for HD for the _exact_ same reason you state.
I've short stroked a pump shotgun before and that was from just foolin around not having my ass on the line. Repeatedly.
Also I know from years of paintball competition with a pump marker (WGP based 'Sniper II' for the 'ballers reading) that it takes _lots and lots_ of practice/training to get good with a pump action under fire/stress and even then you will short stroke and pinch a ball/jam the action.
I want low maint. and highest functionality with good to great accuracy, as have been my 1911s.

I'll check into the Tac4 which IIRC is also a new model line for '07.

Thanks!

- Henry

P.S. - Dude sorry about that late PM. I've been so damn busy this summer with work and fielding guests. Over the past 10 wks. we've had guests every week and/or weekend but for three. This week we have a friend arriving from NYC tomorrow to stay through Friday morning and then my sister and her husband fly in from MD Friday night to stay through Tuesday and they are the last scheduled visitors for the summer. Our house has become folks new vacation spot and drop off point. After that I'm off to DC for end of the quarter meetings and to speak at an annual industry conference.
I've been going to shoot during the early Saturday morning, late Saturday night (at close), and/or during the week knocking off for 2 hrs. if I can to shoot and get back before rush hour starts.
Life right now is bananas at my house. :|
Next I'm off to research and review 'sub-compact' grade tractor offerings from Kubota and JD...

I just called my local Dick's and they don't have or carry the 835 Tactical Turkey.
They do though have the thumbhole version on clearance for $349 marked down from $379.

Additionally they have the 535 ATS Turkey Thumbhole which is camo in the same scheme as the 835 as well as available in black.

The sales guy said that they don't sell 'tactical' anything type shotguns because of MA laws. They had a Remington 870 Tactical in stock for 6 mos. and when it finally sold it was not reordered because of this, he said.
I'm not aware of a reference in law toward shotgun grips in specific and in a cursory search can't find as much in the MA General Laws nor the 2007 MA fish & wildlife abstract.

Argh....
Maybe I need to go to VT to buy one and then bring it back to MA (?)

- Janq

P.S. - Jeremy that is too tacticool looking in appearance for my intent.
Yes, I know it's effectively the same as the Mossy but I'm trying to follow within a realm of non-sensical attitude and view. :\

Update:

So I knocked off from work early and wen to Dick's to look at their stock...

I saw the 835 Ulti-Mag Thumbhole first and it felt in my hand and to my shoulder to be perfect. It just fit. The safety being up high was fine for me I could reach it with my thumb and over lap it. Engaging/disengaging it while still gripping the arm was not a problem for me. It has an adjustable rear sight on the ventilation rib with a fixed front. Both are fiber optic Tru-Glo knockoffs with the rear being read and the front green.
I liked this gun right off the bat.

Dude then suggested the Benelli Nova which in 24" in Advanced 'Hardwood' camo (same as the Mossburg) is on sale at $249 marked down from $479!!!! The reason being Benelli is dumping this shorter barrel model in lieu of the now $499 26" model.
He said it's a better constructed receiver made of aluminum rather than stamped steel thus being lighter to carry. As well it has a Benelli unique 'shell stop' feature allowing for a round to be chambered manually without having to dump shells from the magazine. This was actually pretty neat and would be handy to have when wishing to switch from one round type to another on the fly with an otherwise loaded magazine.
I didn't though like it's sights which are an inline rear bead and front red fiber optic. This seemd like a totally odd setup for me. He noted that I could add with ease an adjustable rear fiber sight like on the Mossburg for little cost.
Then I went to shoulder it and it didn't feel perfect. It felt off relative to the Mossburg but I couldn't tell where or why. The length of pull on both are the same. Also the balance of the Mossburg felt better for me than the Benelli albeit I am a complete shotgun noob. I don't know dick about buying a shotgun. Oh, and the Benelli is availbkle with an optional mercury based recoil reducer built into the stock.
Speaking of the stock it does not appear to be interchangeable for a pistol grip. It is one piece from stock to the receiver frame. The guy at the store did not know this, amongst a few other things nor the law.

He then suggested Remington because he hunts pheasant and his 870 has always worked well for him. Meh! Great but what about other options? He had no real relevant experience to that end.
We reviewed the Remington options and they all are pretty much more expensive than the Mossburgs or offer less in features for the same price.

I wound up walking out with a Mossburg 'Buyers Guide' which they were giving out on the front counter ans his last copy of the _VERY_ nice and slick and well put together from a marketing stand point BenelliUSA 'Master Catalog'.
This thing is nice as hell detailing out every model they offer and going into great detail toward their features. So much so that now I'm like crap back to square 1, the current Benellis are looking nice as hell and feture laden. The MSRP rates are indicated too which makes the job of eliminating stuff thankfully easy.
The Mossburg guide on the other hand is good too but from a different angle. They feature their product amongst a bunch of ads and articles about the products as used a field. I'm going to scour this tonight cover to cover.

I don't know what to do or think now.
The Benelli is a good price and dude said they had four go on sale and within the last two weeks the other three went quickly. This is the last one.
But the other Benelli products are looking swell and for the price which I was walling to pay to start at $500 and less they have a good sized range of options.

I just don't want buyers remorse. As well I wish I could try before I buy and I wish I could talk to people who actually have used a range of products in the field rather than just buying by name and/or going with Remington because well 33% of everyone else does.

- Janq

Damn it Duc!!!!

I wish you had posted about this a month ago.
That would be damn awesome and I'd love to go and bring the whole family.

But I've got two problems...
I've over extended my away from home privileges thanks to all the various courses and classes I've been taking and then the 3 day all day course at S&W was over the top. Honestly I'm surprised I got away with that for so little resistance, even for me.

Also I've got people coming here this weekend to help me clear and gut to the studs a room and then completely redo it in drywall. We're scheduled to begin work morn to eve Sat with spill over into Sun.

I'm going to forward the flyer to Mrs. Janq and see if I can generate some 'family fun' interest.
The unknown though is how long it might take for the project tomorrow.
I'll call you direct Sat. evening/night if it looks like I can make it.

Damn this would be excellent and useful in more ways than one!

- Janq