Home defense shottie option

[Bill in Oregon]

I've seen several Youtubes on the Aguila and Federal 12-gauge "minishells" and bought a box of No 4/No1 Buck Aguilas from Academy recently. I also bought the Texas-made OPSol insert for the Mossberg pumps that allows the shorties to feed, and tested them in the Maverick 88 yesterday. Not only did they feed like butter, they put some hurt on the steel plate at 25 yards while being easy enough on the shoulder that I am sure my 110-pound sweetie could run a magazine full in comfort. And speaking of a magazine full, my 88 Security holds 12 of these in the mag tube, plus one in the chamber. Add 10 more in the Esstac card and you have 23 rounds in and on your gun. The shorties come in birdshot, small buckshot and slugs. No, they aren't what an LEO would want in his patrol gun, but for "homework," this civilian is pretty sold.










Here's a Youtube by Mixup889 that explains the shorties and the OPSol insert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnVKCaauKho&t=724s

[jkbrea]

I have a friend that uses them in his Keltec shotgun. One tube is loaded with slugs and the other with buckshot. I think it holds 23 total!

[1894cfan]

Dang, and I have an 870! Well, at least my Mossberg 410 with 18" cyl. bore makes up for it.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Sounds like an effective way to get more capacity in a shotgun.

[GunnyMack]

I wonder if I could persuade my Benelli to function with the short shells, with the extension mag tube I might get a dozen in it!

[Grizz]

seems the after action cleanup could be painful. Grandma's Tea service. The 87" tv. The contemporary painting of Johnny with President Washington, etc.

[GunnyMack]

seems the after action cleanup could be painful. Grandma's Tea service. The 87" tv. The contemporary painting of Johnny with President Washington, etc.

[jeepnik]

I see they have them for 20 ga as well. Sadly my 20's are either semiauto or O/U. Don't really need the smaller shells for recoil reduction, but they would increase magazine capacity. I doubt they would function in a semiauto. And as much as I love my Citori, I doubt that would be a reasonable choice for home defense.

[Ysabel Kid]

I've only ever been able to find the birdshot ones in local stores. I'll have to check out the Academy Sports near me.

So, are these short due to a smaller payload, smaller powder charge, or both?

[Bill in Oregon]

Jay, both. But I just ordered some Federal shorties with 1-ounce slugs. They ought to be interesting. Also thinking about taking my cylinder bore 88 and a box of the #7 1/2 to shoot a round of skeet, along with the little CZ Bobwhite 28.

[Streetstar]

Nice!

I have recently become interested in bringing my short barrel shotguns a little more "up to speed"

Have a Rem 870 and a recently acquired Winchester Defender --- the Defender was bought economically as it has a former owners SSN crudely engraved on the bottom of the receiver and has plastic furniture

I like the look of wood, but am wanting to experiment with a shorter LOP - along the lines of 12" --- shouldn't be much of an issue with the 870 except for re-profiling the little Monte Carlo comb piece a bit when i cut it down, but i don't know how that's going to work with the Winchester --- easiest solution would be to source some wood for it as well but Hogue makes replacement overmolded furniture as well if i just shrugged my soldiers and say - "its already ugly - the Hogue rubber stuff is not going to hurt it too bad "

Those mini shells would seemingly make shooting clay birds for practice with the mean little things a bit easier on the shoulder though