I'm not trying to do a reboot of things already covered, nor am I attempting to discuss the virtue of the shotgun for a primary HD firearm vs a handgun vs a rifle. I also have no interest in gadgets for the purpose of this experiment.
What I do want to get into, and invite others to discuss, is what it takes to make the 835 a legit home defender given the dynamics of this particular firearm. (We may refine this as we go)
I'm thinking a couple different things here;
1. Starting with an existing 835 and selecting modifications to reconfigure to include this role
2. Purchasing an 835 with this purpose as a primary or potential role
I know a couple others have done projects like this already, @LTB45 comes to mind. He also posted and linked an article that describes using a field gun as a donor for an HD firearm project.
But I primarily want to focus on the 835 here as it seems it can be configured to be a beast of a shotgun in any situation by finding good load/choke combinations.
I believe there is a perfectly suitable and effective load for just about every choke. So lets decide on some criteria for the 835 as a home defender and go from there.
My personal criteria;
I like a shorter barrel, the 20" is a good fit to me.
I need to be able to fire a suitable load. We aren't talking about the Crazy Uncle Joe School of Home Defense, load the old double barrel and fire through the door indiscriminately if a threat is perceived.
I have some things in mind I intend to try. There are some rounds I intend to purchase as well as another choke tube or three.
Additionally, I have the space to frame a couple traditional framed walls complete with 2x4s and drywall.
This stuff will of course take some time but it should be a fun fall project.
I know there are other suitable shotguns. But you can't experiment and fine tune them quite like the 835. I know there are other choked barrels. Like field barrels. So I defer to my criteria of a shorter barrel with the understanding that its threaded.
Jump on in and let me know what yall are thinking.
What I do want to get into, and invite others to discuss, is what it takes to make the 835 a legit home defender given the dynamics of this particular firearm. (We may refine this as we go)
I'm thinking a couple different things here;
1. Starting with an existing 835 and selecting modifications to reconfigure to include this role
2. Purchasing an 835 with this purpose as a primary or potential role
I know a couple others have done projects like this already, @LTB45 comes to mind. He also posted and linked an article that describes using a field gun as a donor for an HD firearm project.
But I primarily want to focus on the 835 here as it seems it can be configured to be a beast of a shotgun in any situation by finding good load/choke combinations.
I believe there is a perfectly suitable and effective load for just about every choke. So lets decide on some criteria for the 835 as a home defender and go from there.
My personal criteria;
I like a shorter barrel, the 20" is a good fit to me.
I need to be able to fire a suitable load. We aren't talking about the Crazy Uncle Joe School of Home Defense, load the old double barrel and fire through the door indiscriminately if a threat is perceived.
I have some things in mind I intend to try. There are some rounds I intend to purchase as well as another choke tube or three.
Additionally, I have the space to frame a couple traditional framed walls complete with 2x4s and drywall.
This stuff will of course take some time but it should be a fun fall project.
I know there are other suitable shotguns. But you can't experiment and fine tune them quite like the 835. I know there are other choked barrels. Like field barrels. So I defer to my criteria of a shorter barrel with the understanding that its threaded.
Jump on in and let me know what yall are thinking.