Universal Shotgun

What gun or guns would you grab if you had to evacuate your home and community on a moment’s notice?

Well, whatever you decide, don’t leave your shot-gun behind. The shotgun is the most versatile firearm system ever developed. It can serve as a shotgun, an accurate big bore rifle, a handgun, and even as a flare gun. It can put food in the pot, and it can secure the lives of you and your family like no other firearm can. It is the ultimate “street stopper.”

Which shotgun to take with you is a more difficult question.

While we love our svelte doubles for target shooting and hunting, they are limited in their firepower, mechan-ically hard to access and work on, inflexible in design, and almost impossible to find parts for.

Well, how about a semiautomatic? They offer lots of firepower. The design is somewhat flexible. Their mechanisms are accessible for maintenance and clean-ing, although they are complex and unique to each maker. They’re also expensive.

No, if push comes to shove, my choice is the pump gun. This good old American design is simple, easy to understand, operate, clean and maintain, very reliable, flexible and offers as much firepower as the magazine will hold. It’s relatively inexpensive and the variety of after-market accessories available for it is mind boggling.

If yours is a Remington 870, Mossberg 500/590/600, or Winchester 1200/1300, you can just about make anything you want out of it. My concept of the all-purpose pump gun for tough times runs something like this.