A Gun for My Kid(s)

  I’ve been looking for a shotgun for my daughter and son to shoot.  I’ll probably have to buy two.  Reading articles and surfing the web has given me a lot of ides, but no one has recommended the perfect gun for a small kid to learn on.

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Sure they could use the gun Johnny is letting me use, but it’s a beast to shoot if you’re a young gunner.  You also have to learn to safely operate the hammer.  The final drawback is the weight which might help with the kick, but not for long walks in the field.

Johny's Gun.  It was great for us to learn on,
but is it right for my childreb?

Some recommend starting with a .410, but you have to be dead on with this gun.  Johnny has a new one and when we shot trap a few weeks ago, he would hit the targets without breaking them.  We found several targets with a single hole or two holes in the target, but not broken.  For encouragement alone, the gun needs to hit the birds hard enough to make it fall.

Stopping by the gun counters in the big sporting goods stores; I’ve looked at and had Sydnie hold the Remington 11-87 Youth and the Mossberg 500 Super Bantam.  I know several people who learned on the Remington and it’s a gun that will last.  Nothing fancy, just built for young gunners to shoot and shoot.  I haven’t met anyone who has learned on the Mossberg, but the 500 is built cheap and to last as well. Price is a little bit of a concern, and the 11-87 generally costs almost twice as much as the Mossberg.  But with the end of the seasons coming, sales are abundant as the big outdoor retailers start clearing guns off the aisles to make way for fishing.  Still, the Mossberg 500 wins the pricing war.

The Remington Adjustible LOP System

The neat thing about both of these guns is the adjustable stocks.  They both have plates that can be used to change the length of pull in ¼ inch increments.  The Mossberg Length of pull ranges from 12” to 13”.  I can’t find a specification for the Remington, but it must use their standard youth 13” LOP for the max and adjust down to 12” as well.  To compare, the single shot from Johnny has a LOP of 12.5”.  Maybe this adjustable stock system was around when I was young, but I didn’t have that feature.  It sure would have been nice.

Perhaps the largest difference between the two guns is the action.  The Remington 11-87 is a semi, while the Mossberg 500 is a pump.  One big consideration in my selection is recoil, and the gas-operated action of the Remington should reduce recoil considerably.  While the poor boy in me is partial to the pump action in the Mossberg, it’s not going to be my gun.  I’ll say that Remington 11-87 wins here.

The other feature I’m looking for is the weight of the gun.  As they are learning, I don’t want the weight to contribute to fatigue, an unsteady hold, or both.  Spending hours in the field hunting quail can also wear on a youth with a heavy gun.  It’s supposed to be fun for crying out load.  I’d rather not ruin my children for wing shooting by forcing them to tote a heavy gun all day.

The Mossberg 500 Super Bantam,
at 5 1/4 lbs, a Little Lighter

The Remington comes in at 6 ½ lbs.  At 5 ¼ lbs, you would think that the Mossberg definitely wins.  However, one way to reduce recoil is weight, and if the Remington isn’t too heavy, but lowers recoil slightly by the extra 1 ¼ pounds, it may be the best weight.  Then again, I could add weight to the Mossberg magazine and stock to reduce kick.  Round three goes to the Mossberg 500.

With the weight difference, I would assume that the Remington has a longer barrel.  But I’m wrong; the 11-87 has a 21” barrel while the Mossberg barrel starts at 22 inches.  I’m not sure if the barrel length matters too much here for a youth gun, maybe it will help the gun reach a little further, maybe not.  The barrel length may help the gun balance a little better, hopefully we can tell at the counter.

Barrel length is also important for the longevity of the gun.  In really don’t want this purchase to be like their clothes.  That is, I don’t want to have to purchase more and more as they outgrow the latest in a series of guns.  I would rather buy one gun for each.  They can buy more after they get out of my house.  The Mossberg 500 will fit any other 500 barrel.  With the adjustable stock, it should make for a gun that can be used as they grow with just the additional purchase of a longer barrel.  Remington doesn’t include this in their marketing of the 11-87, but I’m guessing that it will do the same. 

The Remington 11-87  With a Little Longer Barrel
Seems to Have Better Reviews

As far as longevity, I’ve read reviews that the 11-87 will shoot thousands of rounds with few problems.  All the reviewers seem to like the 1187.  On the other hand, there are several reviewing the Mossberg 500 who don’t like the look, the ported barrels, or the magazine spring.  However, all of these negative reviews are about aesthetics, not necessarily about how it shoots.  There are a few who say it will shoot thousands, but not enough to give any comfort.  So it’s a big scpre for the Remington 11-87 here.

So far the two guns are about even; with a slight lead by the 11-87 because people claim that it will shoot thousands of rounds without problems.  So what will it take, what’s my decision?  With each being so close, I’m going to let my children decide by the feel, and handling the gun.  While they can’t shoot the guns in the store, they can raise it up, hold it, and mount it.  My guess is that Sydnie will choose the Mossberg because she shoots lefty and the safety is on top.  I’m sure we can order a left hand safety from Remington, but she will not get to try it out.

But we will see.  How about a little help?  Be sure to take the poll to let me know what you think. LOOK TO THE RIGHT FOR THE POLL.

I Sure Hope Sydnie Doesn't Go With the Mossberg in Pink!!