Buying new turkey gun- cant decide

[tbowers]

I had posted about 12 v 20 ga a while back. Im fairly settled on 20ga and running TSS. The main two things I'm looking for in the gun are that its lightweight(sub 6lbs) and short(total length under/around 40"). I'm leaning towards a pump, as I dont see the point in auto for turkeys(reliability mainly) but could potentially be talked into it if there is some really compelling case for it I'm not thinking of. Not interested in a single shot.

Anyway, I was fairly set on getting a cheap Maverick 88 Bantam 20 gauge, adding a kicklite pistol stock and having it camo dipped. That all-in would be around $550 and would be a sweet, short and light gun. I was blessed by my bride with some gun specific money for my birthday recently though, so my budget could go higher. I would like the gun to be camo, but open to getting it dipped. I dont know that I want a pistol grip stock unless the safety is on the trigger guard. To hard to reach the tang safety otherwise. I would run a red dot either with a meadow creek rib mount, or on the receiver if I purchased a Mossberg with the optic cut.

Below are my main contenders currently:

Mossberg 500 Super Bantam- 5.25lbs. Overall Length 39.7". Comes with Red dot. Around $700
Mossberg Eventide Over/Under Turkey- 6.5lbs. Overall length 37.75. $800
Mossberg 500 Turkey- 6.75lbs. Overall length 41.25". $580

Its looking like I'm going to have to 'buy blind' regardless, I called a half dozen gun stores, and big box places like Scheels, Bass Pro, Fleet Farm, etc and nobody has any of these guns in stock.

Are there other guns to consider that would be a good choice that fit my parameters?

[ScottTaulbee]

I have a mossberg 500, bought my son a super bantam for his birthday and had the O/U at one point. I did not like the over under, they're made internationally and the quality of the work on them shows that, and I'll leave it at that. The 2 500's are made in USA. You'll be happy with either and believe it or not, the stock will interchange on both of them so you can buy one and the stock for the other swap them how or when you please. I'm a mossberg fan, the 500 I have my dad bought new from Walmart in 03 or 04. He used it to hunt everything from turkey to dove to squirrel, I shot 4h trap with it growing up, plus turkey, dove, squirrel etc and probably a thousand starlings, I killed 250 in one summer as a kid with it. My dad was getting out of a boat and dropped it in a creek, he fished it out and kept using it. He gave it to me around 2019 or so and when I tell you that gun has had probably 500,000 shells through it I can't be far off. My dad never cleaned it once in all of those years, just a couple drops of 3n1 oil on the slide rails and kept plugging along. When I got it, I replaced the firing pin and spring, it didn't need it but I figured for around 25$ at the time for them, it was worth it for a gun that will probably last past my life time. Before the 500 he used a maverick 88. You can't go wrong with any of them. Except anything mossberg international


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[zelmo1]

Remington makes an 870 combo with a 21" barrel. Buddy just got one and it is really nice. I like the Mossberg SA-20 and the Stoeger 3020, I have had both and they both were great guns. Z

[POKERFACE]

Yes , I am in the same boat . Looking at 20GA pumps also. I am a 870 fan as I have shot a 12 ga Wingmaster for a long time. Looking at new Remington 20GA and Mossberg Super bantam for a lighter weight option . It is good to have so many choices...Joe

[tbowers]

Remington makes an 870 combo with a 21" barrel. Buddy just got one and it is really nice. I like the Mossberg SA-20 and the Stoeger 3020, I have had both and they both were great guns. Z

I like the look of the Mossberg SA series but I just cant get myself to buy a semi auto. I've heard to many stories of the gun going 'click' because the action didnt close all the way. Or needed a follow up shot and it jams. I get some of those are probably due to operator error, dirty gun, etc. I love the pump for the reliability and ability to close the action so quietly if a bird surprises you close before you have it loaded.

[tbowers]

The SA-20 does intrigue me some as its only 6lbs and it has the pistol grip on the tactical version. Crossbolt safety too so little easier to get to w/ that grip. Not sure why they dont equip them with the optic cut though, but could do the rib mount. Its $760 so more expensive then the Super Bantam, and that one comes with the Holson red dot.

[Dtrkyman]

You listed two guns well over 6lbs so those are out for me!

I have an older SA20 turkey thug version, has been quite good but I did brake a part and Mossberg wanted the entire gun back to evaluate and I don't think they sell parts anyway!  I found a part online and bought it, I have had it for a good 8 years or so.

Getting pretty hard to find inexpensive guns these days, I am wanting a Rossi Tuffy turkey in 20ga but they are hard to find these days!

Stoeger 3020 has a nice turkey version in bottomland.

I would have to add some length to the stock of a super bantam personally but some guys like the short stock.

[10th Legionaire]

tbowers, I put together an 870 20 gauge last year. I bought the cheapest pre buy out one I could find on gun broker then had the barrel cut to 21" and rethreaded it for Rem Chokes. I the had the barrel and reciever Ceracoted. I bought a plastic youth stock off eBay  and had it dipped. It came in at exactly six pounds. I later added a Meadow Creek mount and Vortex red dot that couldn't have added that much weight.

[Dougas]

I am happy with my SA 20. It cam with a rail on it and cost around $550two years ago. I have always used pumps, so I was leary of a simi auto. Now I really like the simi auto and never had a problem with it.

[tbowers]

You listed two guns well over 6lbs so those are out for me!

I have an older SA20 turkey thug version, has been quite good but I did brake a part and Mossberg wanted the entire gun back to evaluate and I don't think they sell parts anyway!  I found a part online and bought it, I have had it for a good 8 years or so.

Getting pretty hard to find inexpensive guns these days, I am wanting a Rossi Tuffy turkey in 20ga but they are hard to find these days!

Stoeger 3020 has a nice turkey version in bottomland.

I would have to add some length to the stock of a super bantam personally but some guys like the short stock.

Right the regular 500 and Eventide are on the heavier side for me. There arent many turkey guns under 6lbs. That Stoeger lists as 5.4lbs, which is really light. Pretty long at almost 44" though. Its a auto too.

I could order a youth model 870 certainly, I did the math and by the time you buy the gun, have it dipped, add turkey choke and red dot its more then just buying the Super Bantam with the Holson on it.

[tbowers]

I am happy with my SA 20. It cam with a rail on it and cost around $550two years ago. I have always used pumps, so I was leary of a simi auto. Now I really like the simi auto and never had a problem with it.

Right I'm sure most never have issues. Not sure how much of a factor that the SA's are made in Turkey(good omen?? lol) where the 500's are made in the USA

As I think about it more its probably coming down more and more to the Super Bantam 500 or the SA-20. I know if I really wanted to go short and light could do a single shot .410 or something, but I really want a quick follow up if needed...that has saved me in the past.

[joey46]

Take into account on whether or not TSS will be available or priced out of reach. Had been thinking of a 28.  Now on the back burner.

[tbowers]

Take into account on whether or not TSS will be available or priced out of reach. Had been thinking of a 28.  Now on the back burner.

Right I thought about a 28ga as I thought it might shave some weight, but it doesnt. 28ga Ammo availability for me would be 100% online only, where I can easily find 20ga TSS around here.

[zelmo1]

The new SA series have fixed the issues that the earlier models had. My wife's SA-28 spring is as tight as you can get. If you are paying attention, no way you get a "click". The turkey version comes with dead ringer optics that we really like. I did go with a Swampfox Liberty green dot with a meadow creek mount on my SBE3 28 gauge that I really like. I am sure that if you wanted a dot on it, the SA series would be great with one also. Z

[tbowers]

Well I think I'm going to just get the 500 Super Bantam Turkey w/ Holsun. I dont know how it weighs only 5.25lbs when the regular 500 Turkey weighs 6.75lbs- the Bantam has a 2" shorter barrel and slighty shorter stock that would account for some of it.  I'm guessing that 5.25lbs doesnt inlcude the stock spacer or red dot though. I tried to find real world weight of it online but didnt have much luck. Regardless, I would imagine it wont touch 6lbs and at only 38" long it should be perfect for all the brush busting and belly crawling I end up in.