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I'm looking to buy a used general purpose shotgun (HD, clays, birds) in the Houston area. Shotgun must function 100%, cosmetics aren't an issue. FTF only. Let me know what you have and send some pictures. Include your best price.

home defense shotgun and clays/birds are probably different weapons, due to barrel length (HD is shorter generally as it is easier to maneuver with the shorter barrel in a closed environment).
for clays - you want a double barrel with different chokes on each barrel, and automatic change from barrel to barrel without having to rack the slide for ease of hitting the second bird or taking the 2nd shot on a miss.

So really, you probably want 2 different guns.

For a HD shotgun, about $220 brand new at Academy, maybe a bit less, so not sure how much cheaper you will get on a used weapon

Thanks for the quick reply! Well, I guess I want to put more emphasis on the sporting-side of use.

I'm aware of the typical 18" barrels on HD guns, but I think that a 22" or 26" is still as effective to dispatch some BG creeping down the hallway. Prefer single barrel for increased magazine capacity (for HD, IMO), semi-auto or pump.

i have a mossberg 835 ultimag, it shoots 2 3/4, 3 and 3.5 inch shells, has a 24inch ported barrel and have used it for dove, pheasant, quail, duck and skeet. when its not outside hunting it sits in the closet with 3.5'' magnum buckshot in it to make bad guys go away.

with interchangeable chokes i can do what 28" barrel shotguns do and its not much longer than an 18" barrel.

I've got this one in the for sale section:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=46820

Z1166 wrote:Thanks for the quick reply! Well, I guess I want to put more emphasis on the sporting-side of use.

I'm aware of the typical 18" barrels on HD guns, but I think that a 22" or 26" is still as effective to dispatch some BG creeping down the hallway. Prefer single barrel for increased magazine capacity (for HD, IMO), semi-auto or pump.

I while back, I bought a used Stoeger Condor Competition over and under in 12 gauge. The price was irresistible. So the first time I went skeet shooting (first time ever), I bought that gun, and my son brought his Mossberg HD pump gun with the 18" barrel. He couldn't hit a thing with it. As soon as he switched and borrowed my O/U, he started hitting clays.

When I started shopping for my shotgun, I walked into the local gunstore I frequent and asked the guy to recommend to me a good all purpose shotgun that would be good for HD and still useful for skeet/traps/sporting clays. He said that I would not be happy if I tried that avenue. He said, "you're left-handed, right? Check out that one 4th from the end on the used gun rack." It was the Stoeger. It was a left handed model. It fit me perfectly, and it had some upgrades. It was $450.00. I went for a sporting shotgun because I already had HD covered by a plethora of pistols and AR carbines. An HD shotgun would be nice, but I didn't need one.

I bought it and never looked back. Are there better shotguns for shooting clays? Sure there are. But they cost a darn sight more than $450.00. And that gun has more than paid for itself in fun with my family and friends. So I highly recommend that you don't try to conflate Home Defense with sporting purposes. Obviously one can be used for the other, but not nearly as efficiently. I could defend my home with one of my .308 bolt rifles, but it is far from the best choice. OTH, if making tiny little groups on paper at 100 yards or more is your meat, that .308 will work better than a shotgun. And just like a .308 target rifle can also be used fairly efficiently for deer hunting, a good bird gun can probably be used for shooting skeet. If you can only afford ONE shotgun, figure out your priority and buy the gun for that purpose.

Sorry z, didnt mean to mislead you, i got mine from my parents for christmas when i was 15, it will be with me forever, its going on 12 years old. Just trying to help with ideas to narrow down your choice. I attached a stock photo of what mine looks like. Although mines not lefty.

Z1166 wrote:I'm looking to buy a used general purpose shotgun (HD, clays, birds) in the Houston area. Shotgun must function 100%, cosmetics aren't an issue. FTF only. Let me know what you have and send some pictures. Include your best price.

Not sure if you're still looking - but if you are...

I have a Benelli Nova 12 gauge pump that I have been toying with the idea of selling. I won it as a door prize (brand new) at a benefit dinner for Delta Waterfowl a couple of years ago and it has less than 100 rounds through it. It's a great gun, but I don't shoot it as much as I thought I might when I won it. It has a small (2-3 inch?) Delta Waterfowl Logo embossed on one side of the stock. I don't have any pictures now but if you are interested and give me a day or two, I could take some. It would come with three chokes (IC, M, F), wrench, and some paperwork. I'm in Houston as well.

PM me if this sounds like something you'd be interested in.

rusty86 wrote:

Z1166 wrote:I'm looking to buy a used general purpose shotgun (HD, clays, birds) in the Houston area. Shotgun must function 100%, cosmetics aren't an issue. FTF only. Let me know what you have and send some pictures. Include your best price.

Not sure if you're still looking - but if you are...

I have a Benelli Nova 12 gauge pump that I have been toying with the idea of selling. I won it as a door prize (brand new) at a benefit dinner for Delta Waterfowl a couple of years ago and it has less than 100 rounds through it. It's a great gun, but I don't shoot it as much as I thought I might when I won it. It has a small (2-3 inch?) Delta Waterfowl Logo embossed on one side of the stock. I don't have any pictures now but if you are interested and give me a day or two, I could take some. It would come with three chokes (IC, M, F), wrench, and some paperwork. I'm in Houston as well.

PM me if this sounds like something you'd be interested in.

Sorry - forgot to mention: it's the Black synthetic version and will shoot any 2.75", 3", or 3.5" shells. Very versatile and good all-around if this is going to be your only gun.

I've got a 20 year old Winchester 1300 20ga with a 28" barrel you can have for $125.00. It has wood furniture and 3 Winchokes and it hasn't been fired in about 6 years, just takes up room in my safe.