Which is better? Knoxx Gen 2 RRS, or Mesa hydraulic buffer?

[TonyBen]

I'm in the process of overhauling my 870. What is the better choice; the Knoxx Gen 2 recoil reducing stock, or the Mesa Tactical M4 buffer tube adapter with the Enidine hydraulic buffer assy?

I like the looks of the Mesa better, but I'm looking for the most recoil reduction so the wifey won't be afraid to shoot it.

Tony.

[Synchronizor]

I haven't used either, but I have tried the Knoxx pistol grip that uses a similar spring-loaded recoil-dampening system. It works very well at making even harsh-recoiling loads comfortable, but I've found that when I don't have a hand on the fore-end, the jerky back-and-forth motion of the gun recoiling against the spring tends to make the action open itself. This isn't a safety risk, but it does often cause no-feeds, and occasionally you get a stove-piped shell that didn't have quite enough momentum to eject itself. Here's a video clip from some of my range testing. It's enough of an issue that I would only recommend that pistol grip for use on a recreational shotgun. With the Knoxx stock, I'd imagine one would be less likely to try to shoot it like a handgun, but it's something to look into & think about.

I will say, if you want real recoil reduction, low-recoil shotshells are extremely effective. There are a number of low-recoil buckshot and slug loads on the market these days, and for practice, 7/8-ounce 12ga target shells aren't tough to find, as 7/8-ounce (or 24 gram) is the standard payload weight used for international clay games. I do a lot of recreational plinking with 3/4-ounce handloads. With low-recoil loads like that, and a recoil pad that's even halfway-decent, pretty much any adult can comfortably shoot a 12ga 870 with a standard fixed stock.

[TonyBen]

Thanks. I'll be using one or the other in conjunction with low recoil shells.

Tony.

[Synchronizor]

In that case, the Knoxx shouldn't give you any issues even if you did shoot it like a handgun, since it takes a certain amount of recoil energy for the spring-action to cause problems.

If you're planning to use low-recoil shells anyway though, I'd give them a try before you change out the stock. You might be surprised at how much of a difference they can make on their own.

[Jamie]

Haven't tried the Mesa, I do have the Gen 2 on my 870, works for me! I've taken an all day class with it, a couple of tac skills days with it, no problems. My wife, (4' 11", 95lbs), likes shooting the shottie every chance she gets.

[Vitaly]

I have been using Knoxx Stock for about one year and was very happy with it. It reduces felt recoil pretty good.