Noob To Shotguns... Have a lot of questions

[Water Monkey]

Hey guys. First, great forum you guys got here. I’m a noob when it comes to firearms. Picked myself up a Savage Mark II .22 LR a couple of years ago and now I’m looking to up the power.

Looking for something for home defense and also something I could possibly take hunting (Probably going Turkey hunting this Fall). I’m basically set on getting the Mossy 930 SPX Blackwater. I like the 18.5” barrel as I live in an apartment and it can get tight around corners and as others who have bought this shotgun the price is right and it seems reliability is basically on point. Plus I dig the stock charging handle and less bulky sights.

I’m basically going to upgrade to a Nordic magazine tube extender and a tube clamp right out the gate to have the 8+1 capacity.

Being a noob but I do want to trick out my shotgun a little bit. I’ve been doing a lot of research so I have a bunch of questions:

Shotgun Sling:

Seems to be the easiest option is to get a GG&G front sling attachment and a sling that wraps around the stock of the shotgun. I’ve see a few pics of that set up but I can’t seem to locate that particular sling which wraps around the stock. Any help would be appreciated!

Side Saddle Rail:

I’m probably going to want to get an attachment which can store 6 rounds of ammo on the shotgun. Been looking at side saddle rails and it looks pretty cool.

Do these rails interfere with viewing the sights? Also, I’ve read some installation that interferes with cycling of the rounds. Not sure if the pros out weigh the cons.

Also, what is the easiest to install. I’m not into drilling new holes or grinding down any piece of the shotgun. Not my forte.

My other option would be to have an attachment on the stock which holds ammo but I’m not sure how that would be possible with a sling that wraps around the stock and if this hinders holding the weapon and firing.

Tactical Flashlight:

I’ve seen a few pics on the internet of the gun having a tactical light. Some it seems the light is attached to the picatinny rail (seems the nordic tube clamp can accommodate this). Looking for a basic set up, nothing too fancy if you guys have any ideas for a noob.

Bayonet Set Up:

Seen a few pics of a bayonet set up and it looks pretty bad ass. Wondering what are some options out there (bayonet knife, attachment, and magazine tube). If I decide down the road to add this set up I’m pretty sure the Nordic Mag Tube extender can’t accommodate this set up... correct?


Hunting:

I may decide to take this bad boy hunting in the fall of 2012. Looking at the regular 903 autoloaders it seems a 24” barrel is the norm for hunting. Would I need to purchase a 24” barrel to go hunting with this particular shotgun? I’m not sure the major difference in having an 18.5” barrel as opposed to a 24” barrel and the specific differences in relation to hunting.... again noob here and would be my first time hunting with a firearm.

Maintenance:

With my .22 LR I usually clean it every 1,000 rounds or so. Reading up on shotguns it seems it’s the norm to clean it basically after every use. I know this particular shotgun breaks down fairly easily(I've seen the videos on youtube and here).

Would a bore snake be something I should consider purchasing? I have a Hoppes cleaning kit which includes shotgun brushes so I’m not even sure if a bore snake is necessary.

Also is using Hoppes #9 solvent safe with this gun? And what oil do you guys recommend?

Sorry for the long series of questions for my first post. Like I said I’ve been doing a lot of reading up on this but the information I seem to come in contact with leaves me with questions in certain areas.

My best,

Water Monkey

 

[John A.]

I don't know the specifics of what works with the bayonet lugs, but I'm fairly certain they're regular M9 M16 bayonets.

As for cleaning shotguns, I hate breaking mine down for a full strip and cleaning, so I don't clean my pump guns very often, and certainly not after every use. More like every couple of years.

But I do keep a good coating of oil on the moving parts inside and out.

I'm sure you'll hear a lot of different recommendations for that depending on who you talk to.

 

[tcecil88]

The only bayonet attachment that I know of is the S&J Hardware unit that combines a new magazine extension with a bolt-on bayonet lug and a front sling loop. It is a pricey setup, but is all steel and all business.
http://sjhardware.com/store/modules.php?name=catalog&file=product_info&cPath=107_122&products_id=344
I have the Nordic clamp and rail setup on my 930 SPX and I am completely satisfied with it.
A sidesaddle is a good accessory that does not require any grinding or other modifying. They are typically bolt-on or velcroed pieces. I have a Mesa Tactical 6 round sidesaddle. It is a good setup but expensive. A Tacstar sidesaddle is a solid unit, less expensive, and will not in anyway impead the function of the weapon unless it is installed incorrectly.
A Streamlight TLR1 is a great light for HD, small, compact, built tough and relatively inexpensive at around $100 to your door from ebay.
If you want to hunt with your 930 as is, you could certainly deer, bear or hog hunt with it shooting rifled slugs. If you plan to turkey, waterfowl, or small game hunt, I would recommend at least having screw-in choke tubes installed or buy another barrel more suited to that type of hunting. You owe it to the animal you are hunting to take it as quickly and painlessly as possible, and a cylinder bore barrel is not the best choice for that where birds and small game is concerned. Turkey hunting would require at least a full choke, with X-full and XX-full being the best choices.
Be aware that several states have a magazine capacity limit where turkey and waterfowl are concerned.
Enjoy your new 930 and good luck this fall!

 

[Water Monkey]

I don't know the specifics of what works with the bayonet lugs, but I'm fairly certain they're regular M9 M16 bayonets.

As for cleaning shotguns, I hate breaking mine down for a full strip and cleaning, so I don't clean my pump guns very often, and certainly not after every use. More like every couple of years.

But I do keep a good coating of oil on the moving parts inside and out.

I'm sure you'll hear a lot of different recommendations for that depending on who you talk to.

Great thanks for the info

 

[Water Monkey]

The only bayonet attachment that I know of is the S&J Hardware unit that combines a new magazine extension with a bolt-on bayonet lug and a front sling loop. It is a pricey setup, but is all steel and all business.
http://sjhardware.com/store/modules.php?name=catalog&file=product_info&cPath=107_122&products_id=344
I have the Nordic clamp and rail setup on my 930 SPX and I am completely satisfied with it.
A sidesaddle is a good accessory that does not require any grinding or other modifying. They are typically bolt-on or velcroed pieces. I have a Mesa Tactical 6 round sidesaddle. It is a good setup but expensive. A Tacstar sidesaddle is a solid unit, less expensive, and will not in anyway impead the function of the weapon unless it is installed incorrectly.
A Streamlight TLR1 is a great light for HD, small, compact, built tough and relatively inexpensive at around $100 to your door from ebay.
If you want to hunt with your 930 as is, you could certainly deer, bear or hog hunt with it shooting rifled slugs. If you plan to turkey, waterfowl, or small game hunt, I would recommend at least having screw-in choke tubes installed or buy another barrel more suited to that type of hunting. You owe it to the animal you are hunting to take it as quickly and painlessly as possible, and a cylinder bore barrel is not the best choice for that where birds and small game is concerned. Turkey hunting would require at least a full choke, with X-full and XX-full being the best choices.
Be aware that several states have a magazine capacity limit where turkey and waterfowl are concerned.
Enjoy your new 930 and good luck this fall!

Yeah that S&J set up is definitely expensive. That +2 magazine in the S&J description can that be added to my stock magazine or is it a true replacement? If it's a replacement would that make my shotgun 2+1 instead of a 7+1

I'm going to look into the side saddles. I really like the look to them. Thanks for the 2 manufacturers I'll do more research on them.

As far as hunting yes I want to make sure I'm doing everything appropriately which includes using the correct equipment to fell game humanely. I missed that this forum has a hunting section. I think I'll direct my hunting questions in that forum. Thanks for the input in that area!

Water Monkey

 

[tcecil88]

Most welcome.
The S&J Hardware extension takes the place of your Choate extension that is already on the Blackwater SPX. The capacity is the same as the stock extension, 7+1. The Choate extension is made of aluminum and more easily dented/bent and cannot support the mount ring of the bayonet. The S&J is made of steel and the front of the extension is designed to accomodate the bayonet's mount ring and support it during use. The Nordic tube you mentioned will not support a bayonet.