Opinions: For 1st Time Shotgun Purchase/Use: Mossberg 535 ATS?

**marks** · July 11th, 2010, 04:10 PM

I'm thinking of making my first shotgun purchase. Intended use - not hunting, perhaps trap/skeet and home defense. I've been shooting pistols now for not quite a year, but thought it would be a good idea to get a shotgun. I know virtually nothing (yet) about them, but Mossberg seems to surface often as a recommendation. Any thoughts/suggested alternatives? Thanks!

**jokusfocus** · July 11th, 2010, 06:36 PM

It really depends on what you want to use it for. For home defense, it would definitely do the job. It will also do a decent job for clay target.

Mossbergs are (in my experience) pretty reliable. I have a 500 that has yet to fail me if I do most things right on my end.

But specifically about the 535. My friend uses his Mossy 535 for clay target and does well enough. He really likes it. The added weight over the 500, which I used to use, makes a difference. However, the longer action needed to handle 3 1/2" shells is a little harder to work quickly on doubles. However, after a couple thousand shells, he snapped the fore-end off during skeet and it doesn't like the cheapie federal shells from WalMart, they eject out of the magazine before the elevator comes all the way down. But it would be hard to count that against the gun too much, he really beats that thing up.

Hard to beat the price, and the safety on the top of the tang is a favorite of lefties (I like it too as a right-hander), and the action release location is better in my opinion compared to the 870's.

I'd suggest you go feel a bunch and see what points most naturally for you. Unlike pistols, you don't aim a shotgun, just point. If you look at the 'sights' on a shotgun when shooting at a moving target, you're going to shoot behind it.

Hopefully some of that is useful.

**marks** · July 11th, 2010, 07:53 PM

@jokusfocus: Yes, thank you. All of it was helpful. It sounds like I wouldn't go too far wrong going with it, but I'll definitely "try them on for size", before buying. Thanks again!

**jokusfocus** · July 11th, 2010, 08:04 PM

There are also some good deals on GunBroker if you are patient enough. My friend found a used Beretta 390 for about $300. A new set of springs and a little TLC, and it's running like a champ. However, I am a fan of Beretta shotguns, so I might be biased.

**marks** · July 11th, 2010, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by jokusfocus

There are also some good deals on GunBroker if you are patient enough. My friend found a used Beretta 390 for about $300. A new set of springs and a little TLC, and it's running like a champ. However, I am a fan of Beretta shotguns, so I might be biased.

Looks like $299.99 might not be too bad for the Mossberg at Cabela's (they're not usually cheapest, but that sounds pretty good):

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...233&hasJS=true

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.