Opinions on Shotshell Carriers.

[YankeeZulu]

Obviously a fairly popular accessory, but are they really worth it? Like most of us, over the years I've put together a few systems, mostly rifles and when I finally finished each project, I realized weight adds up and will commonly bite you in the ass. We're not big "shotgunners" here per se, spending most time by far on rifles & pistols(please don't hate) but we do maintain a certain familiarity on our 870s. As fundamental as they seem, IMO pump actions are not altogether simplistic and can get confusing on the range and in routine use, especially under stress. Additional accoutrements could be counter-productive.

Home defense is our prmary implementation for shotties but we do occasional 2-gun matches and we're planning on progressing into 3-gun this year. I''ve learned via trial and error that the "less is more" approach is often the best policy but these carriers clearly present a certain practicality, whether they actually deliver this or not. As a perpetual student of the gun, feedback from the more experienced 870 sect here is what I seek.

So what are some opinions on these things? Are they really that practical? Are they worth it? Do they effect balance? Pros/cons? Weight? Which ones are best- polymer, aluminum, nylon? Manufacturer? I'm willing to spend the $50+ that some of these retailers are asking, but again… really worth it? I have a Gorilla Box 1/2 full gear and accessories that failed field trials, so no need gathering any more.

Thanks in advance, guys. -YZ

[Zebra62]

I can't make a call for you boldly stating "THIS PRODUCT IS WHAT YOU NEED", but I can tell you what I have on my shotty and why.

On my Remy 870 Tactical I have a 6-round Mesa Tactical side saddle with incorporated rail on the left side of the receiver and a Velcro mounted Condo 6-round carrier on the right side of the stock. This increases my loadout to 18 rounds. +1 if I decide to carry with a round in the chamber, which I do not.

Having 18 rounds on/in my shotty, it does increase the weight quite a bit. Extra weight reduces the felt recoil. Extra weight also makes it a little more difficult to carry.

Having 18 rounds on/in my shotty also gives me a choice of ammo. The ammo I have internal is a candy cane load of 00 and #4 lead. Just my choice. In the left side carrier, I carry 00. In the tear away on the stock I have slugs.

Many critical thinkers will say you only need "X" number of rounds in a home defense situation. My thought on this is that no one ever complained of having too much ammo AFTER protecting their family during a home invasion.

The choice to use a shell carrier and which one to use is your choice. I like the added capacity on mine, but you may not.

FYI, I have a box full of things I tried that did not work also.

[YankeeZulu]

Cool. Someone answered. FWIW- The Mrs commented over the weekend that when she was taking this SG class I sent her to down near Bragg the instructors recommended them as useful. These guys are all SF/Ranger types with crazy experience so their word is trustworthy. I think I'm going to go with a left side 4 shell carrier and a 6 shell for her. I'm running a Police and she's got a sexy little 20 ga Express that we tricked out a bit. I'm still obsessing over weight and her's is feather light as it currently is so the 2 addidtional shells on her's shouldn't break the camel's back. I'm thinking polymer for both. It pushes back on dents, dings, and impacts.

We're goig to hit that class again in NOV. Be her 2nd go-round. Thanks for the input!

[Zebra62]

Cool. Someone answered.

Thanks for the input!

No Sweat, YZ. I have just recently come back to the forum after a long hiatus, and I found it in disarray. Vitali is dodging bullets, many of our long-time members are MIA, and there is span at every turn. Vitali does what he can when he can and there are a few old hardcore members who still pop in from time to time.

Polymer is a good option for an HD or SD shotty. My Tactical is dressed with MagPul stock, forend and angled foregrip. We left my Wife's furniture the OE laminate, although I did have to take a notch out from the rear of the forend to fit around the side saddle. It was a little chunk about 1/4 by 3/8. Back when we did that, MagPul did not offer anything for the 20 gauge, but there were other polymer options. Do some searching to see what you will like better. See what fits you.

I will make a suggestion on the furniture for yours in relation to having a "fighting" shotgun, but it depends on what you are going to do with it. My suggestion is to go with a regular stock instead of something with a pistol grip. That's why I made the suggestion of MagPul. The comb on their stocks are angled pretty far down, but you still have your thumb over the top of the stock. The advantage this gives you is if you need, for whatever reason, to use the stock to cross an intruder's chin, you will not need to reposition you strong hand to do it. Just dislocate his jaw with that big ole chunk of plastic and get back on target. Chamber another round while you're at it.

Having a real pistol grip will give you more control for shooting, but it decreases the usefulness of your fighting shotgun.

I hope you and the Wifey enjoy your class coming up. Learn lots of stuff you can share here.

Peace, Brother.

[YankeeZulu]

Interesting. Seen that crap play out on other forums before.

From what I've seen, the best weapon vs spam on a forum is to invest in better countermeasures. That would mean establishing or expanding a paid membership program to generate the necessary funds. The problem there is that most people are too f-ing cheap to pony up a few bucks a year to sustain that. Just my bird's-eye view.

Thanks again, bud.

[Zebra62]

From what I've seen, the best weapon vs spam on a forum is to invest in better countermeasures. That would mean establishing or expanding a paid membership program to generate the necessary funds. The problem there is that most people are too f-ing cheap to pony up a few bucks a year to sustain that. Just my bird's-eye view.

Copy that. I think Vitaly looked into that early on and decided against it. It is an accountant's nightmare, but may be something we may wish to bring up again when he comes up for air. Even with the benefits it would add for us, some people are, indeed, to f-ing cheap.