{"id":98439,"date":"2023-12-09T18:33:46","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T00:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=98439"},"modified":"2023-12-09T18:33:46","modified_gmt":"2023-12-10T00:33:46","slug":"98439","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=98439","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

Greatest Defensive Semi-Automatic Shotguns<\/a>
\nWhile many solid options exist for a semi-auto scattergun to fill the home-defense role, here are three of the author\u2019s favorites<\/p>\n

Anytime you read \u201cgreatest,\u201d \u201cbest\u201d or \u201ctop\u201d in a gun article, you can generally assume what follows will be filled with opinion. So, here\u2019s my opinion of what I believe to be the best semi-automatic shotguns ever made for home defense.<\/p>\n

\"Remington
\nRemington VersaMax Competition
\n<\/strong>In 2010, Remington engineered a gas action that is so simple it\u2019s genius. Rather than using a mechanical gas regulator to cycle the action via two ports in the chamber\u2014ports that easily get clogged\u2014Remington added seven ports in the chamber so that the longer the shell, the more ports it covers up, thereby effectively regulating the gas pressure without adding any mechanical parts. I believe it is one of the most reliable and recoil-mitigating pure-gas actions ever invented.<\/p>\n

Around this action Remington designed a gun that has every feature I want in a defensive gun, but none I do not. (To be clear, it made a similar version called the VersaMax Tactical, but I like the nearly identical Competition model slightly more.) The\u00a0Competition<\/a>\u00a0model weighs nearly 8 pounds and has a 22-inch barrel. It comes with an eight-round magazine and a two-round extension, so it holds a total of 11, 12-gauge shells.<\/p>\n

What I like most about it is its rubberized stock that features a super-soft buttpad and a gel-comb insert that does wonders for taming kick. Its receiver features oversize controls (bolt handle, action-release button and safety). Some of Benelli\u2019s design influence is evident in its magazine-cutoff switch, trigger guard style and stock-adjusting shim kit, and I\u2019m glad Remington chose this design to emulate.<\/p>\n

I think it has the best sights of any shotgun on the market: A fiber-optic front bead combined with a shallow, express-style V-notch rear give it the best of both worlds. It is unobtrusive enough that I can hit running targets with it, but accurate enough for slugs at distance.<\/p>\n

In sum, it\u2019s my favorite do-it-all shotgun ever made. It points so well and has such mild recoil, I have actually taken it to the clays range by choice; other than the extended magazine, it fits right in. Its downside? Due to Remington\u2019s recent demise (and reincarnation as Rem Arms), it was discontinued a few years ago. But, you can still find one online for around $1,350. If you don\u2019t have one, I\u2019d buy one now.<\/p>\n

\"Benelli
\nBenelli M3 Tactical
\n<\/strong>Benelli\u2019s defensive dynamo is a top-end, semi-automatic that also comes with an emergency switch. In normal times, when shooting standard or heavy loads, the M3\u2019s inertial, semi-automatic action functions flawlessly. But, when reduced-recoil loads or less-lethal options need to be manually chambered and extracted\u2014or if you failed to clean the gun after a year at sea\u2014the shooter can simply twist a collar mounted under the fore-end cap. This minimal movement unlocks the fore-end and engages the action rods of the pump system, instantly converting the M3 into a pump-action. Returning the control disengages the action bars, locks the fore-end in place and allows the inertia recoil system to function as a semi-automatic. Tell me this isn\u2019t slick.<\/p>\n

It wears a 19.75-inch barrel and features a pistol-grip stock. Unlike most Benelli inertia-action guns, the M3\u2019s recoil-return spring is located ahead of the receiver around the magazine tube, so a spring tube in the buttstock isn\u2019t needed. This allows the stock to be swapped for a folding or collapsing style if the user so chooses.<\/p>\n

This M3 is often forgotten because the M4 won a military contract and became so popular, but I think the M3 might be the greatest combat shotgun ever made. Its downside? Most models I\u2019ve seen at retail don\u2019t come with an extended magazine tube, so you\u2019ll likely have to buy one and install it (not a difficult task). I also don\u2019t love ghost-ring sights, but they can be easily replaced. As for speed and reliability, however, it simply can\u2019t be beaten because it\u2019s both a semi and a pump.<\/p>\n

In my opinion, it doesn\u2019t handle quite as softly or as intuitively as the VersaMax or Beretta\u2019s 1301 (I wouldn\u2019t take this gun to the clays range), mainly because its stock is more of a tactical style, but then again, the VersaMax can\u2019t turn into a pump with a flick of a switch. MSRP for the\u00a0M3 Tactical<\/a>\u00a0is $1,599.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Beretta
\nBeretta 1301 Tactical
\n<\/strong>Beretta\u2019s excellent 1301 BLINK system is an ultra-fast cycling, self-regulating action that is reliable and very good at recoil mitigation. When combined with Beretta\u2019s useful tactical features\u2014such as the seven- round extended magazine, oversize controls and an 18.5-inch barrel, you get a shotgun that\u2019s fit for just about any Special Forces team on the planet. What I like about it most is that Beretta\u2019s tried-and-true stock dimensions, including the important drop-at-comb measurement, tend to fit most people well, thereby mitigating recoil and making the gun easy to shoot intuitively.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 1301, like the VersaMax, is another example of a tactical shotgun I could take to the skeet range and shoot a 24 with. What does this have to do with defensive applications? If you can hit fast and tiny flying targets consistently with a shotgun almost subconsciously, then slow, man-size targets become easy. It\u2019s available with a traditional buttstock or a one that has a pistol grip.<\/p>\n

As for my perceived negatives, I am not a big fan of the ghost-ring sights, but again, I may be in the minority on this point. Additionally, I can easily replace them with a Big Dot from
\nXS Sights.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you asked me what shotgun I like better, the Remington VersaMax or\u00a0Beretta 1301<\/a>, I\u2019d probably go with the Remington for the feel of its rubbery stock, its sights and its larger magazine. Then again, the VersaMax is discontinued, so replacement parts and service for it might be difficult to find. The 1301 from the world\u2019s oldest firearms manufacturer, on the other hand, isn\u2019t going anywhere anytime soon. Pricing on the 1301 starts around $1,700, with options, color variations\u00a0 and configurations adding to the cost.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Greatest Defensive Semi-Automatic Shotguns While many solid options exist for a semi-auto scattergun to fill the home-defense role, here are three of the author\u2019s favorites Anytime you read \u201cgreatest,\u201d \u201cbest\u201d or \u201ctop\u201d in a gun article, you can generally assume what follows will be filled with opinion. So, here\u2019s my opinion of what I believe … Continue reading “”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gun-schtuff"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98440,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98439\/revisions\/98440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}