I've been looking into niche shotguns trying to piss off the local fudd gun club members (they complained my friend's shotgun with a 18.5" barrel was "too loud"), and came across the mossberg 395kb (pictured).
It's a smooth bore bolt action with a a detachable magazine, which made me curious: why aren't they more popular? A 395kb is averaging less than $200, and given that bolt actions can be less mechanically complex [cheaper to make] than any other entry level shotgun, and therefore are cheap enough to make a decent my-first-gun, why aren't there any major manufacturers today for one with a barrel designed to shoot buckshot or birdshot?
Probably because most people associate pump actions with shotguns. Bolt actions shotguns might be popular in Australia.
>>27936314
Market demand isn't there
>>27936314
They're kinda slow to use. They're ok though, a pump is better. If you just want something different then it's a fine cheap gun.
>>27936334
They're not really. People either buy double/triple barrels or lever-actions. I've seen one or two people hunt pigs with bolt action shotguns but they're by no means popular.
>>27936314
>they complained my friend's shotgun with a 18.5" barrel was "too loud"
wut
>>27936353
If there was a expertly made bolt action that cost $100 msrp, would there be a demand?
>>27936368
Any well made gun with a $100 msrp will have a demand.
>>27936359
They didn't like his mossberg 500 with a heat shroud, apparently. The shorter barrel had some muzzle blast they didn't take too kindly too apparently
>>27936358
I've seen plenty of bolt actions built for use with slugs, I was just surprised there seems to be no real market for anything else
>>27936377
So basically, as long as it isn't a shitty made hi-point grade bolt action, it could do well?
>>27936314
I've been not so seriously looking for a 395 for a few months. And literally every single one I've seen was missing the magazine, the bolt, or both. And these parts are pretty impossible to find. Every other bolt action shotgun I've seen has been single shot. Things may be different in your area, but based on my statistically useless case study, good luck finding a bolt action repeating shotgun.
>>27936334
adler killed that avenue
>>27936998
and the greens will kill the adler.
I had a Lakefield Mossberg L395K show up in the mail this week - paid $160 for it with shipping across the country. I haven't got to fire it yet but it cycles well and is in great condition. It's mostly old guys who own bolt action shotguns, so most of the used ones I've seen seem to be in relatively good shape. It has an adjustable choke which is kind of cool too.
>>27936368
I'd want a left handed bolt cuz I'm a filthy left handed shooter and detachable mags holding 5-10 rounds.
Bolt shotguns probably didn't take off because their accuracy and low rates of fire were better suited for rifles and not needed for the ranges shotguns excel at. Combat wise pumps are better for fast close battles where keeping your hands on the gun and rapid cycling are vital. These shotgun designs are used for hunting as well, and pump works well enough for that application. Eventually bolt shotguns went by the wayside despite being a strong reliable design.
I've got a JC Higgins 20ga that Sears used to sell 50+ years ago. It delivers slugs accurately at 50 ft with a 28" barrel. It holds 5 shells and has a beautiful wood stock.
I'm assuming for shooting birds and shit you don't want to have to take your cheek off the comb and hand off the s tock to load the next round... I've seen a bunch of old bolt action shotguns at auctions because they aren't that useful. Maybe 410 for shooting rats and stuff...
>>27937559
I've seen over under shotguns specifically modded to only hold one shot, so I was curious why there isn't a market for trap or skeet shooters who only need one excellent shot vs a break open, which can be a weaker design.
Toz-106 best bolt action shotgun
>>27936314
its hard to hunt duck and shoot muh clay pigeons with a bolt shotgun.
but you shoot a durr with it.
thats my guess, bolt shotguns just arent as useful as pump, sxs, or semi auto for fudd activities
>>27936400
not that anon but yes
another thing to keep in mind is
>MSRP
generally higher than street price, which is higher than dealer price, which is higher than production price.
Not to rain on your parade, but your talking about producing a quality gun for about $30 and selling it for $70
if you set the MSRP to $200 it would eventually be sold for about $150. I support your idea wholeheartedly, It's just not 100% realistic.
>>27937576
bingo
>>27937724
many decades have proven the break-open to be plenty robust.
adding a repeater action increases the length of the firearm without any benefit.
alternatively, why arent pump action rifles a thing?
>>27937953
because the mag would get in the way and pointed bullets in a tube mag is dangerous.
I've got a marlin 55 with a 38 inch barrel
>>27937953
They are in nofun countries
>>27937972
Just make it mag fed
>>27937994
the forearm would get in the way of the magzine, like how a pump shotguns forearm blocks the loading gate
>>27937953
They are! In my humble opinion they are criminally underrated.
The Remington 7600 is the only one I know of that's in production at the moment. I've got one in .30-06, its probably my favorite gun.
Browning made one, called (innovatively enough) the Browning Slide-action Rifle, BSR, if I'm not mistaken. It was somewhat akin to their BLR (the Browning Lever-action Rifle, duh). Don't know if its in production.
Savage made a pump rifle in .30-30 back in the day. Forgot the model number. I want one.
I think a couple companies are making reproductions of the old Colt Lighting carbines in various Old West pistol chamberings.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Pump rifles are kinda one of my personal obsessions. Like I said, criminally underrated. I wish they were more popular.
>>27937904
Hot damn a whole 5" maximum in receiver length on a gun that isn't trying to meet a minimum length requirement that doesn't use standard barrels anyway.
>>27937811
And that's precisely why I do that with mine.
>>27938005
So youve never handled one then?
For "sporting purposes" the mag would be short anyway, Spitzers in tube mags are actually fine and those mag fed pump shotgun conversions suck because the mag is thick and in a weird location. Conversions may suck but building on purposely would be bad
>>27937797
I have an idea now.
>Take bolt action shotgat
>Make replica wood like in that photo
>SBS it
>Slap an AK underfolder stock
Profit?
>>27939038
try firing it and enjoy horrible recoil
underfolders suck to beginwith
>>27938991
handling characteristics matter a lot for stuff like skeet shooting
Literally no benefit. A pump is much faster. A double barrel is much faster, neither require you to break your cheek weld for a second shot.
Shotgun cartridges are low pressure so strength is pointless.
Some people use them for deer/turkey hunting where a quick follow up shot isn't as important because they're cheap.
>>27939038
Everything except the profit is fine. That part is unlikely. Would make an okay truck gun, maybe, but would suck to shoot and wouldn't be significantly smaller than a folding 870 or 500.
>>27936314
I have a mossberg .410 that is very similar to the gun in your photo. I occasionally use it as a truck gun for small game when I'm driving logging roads.
It's a bit finicky to load (blind mag) and it's quite a bit slower than a pump.
Overall, tube mags make more sense for shotgun shells. A 6 or 7 round tube mag is pretty streamlined compared to a fat box mag sticking out the bottom, and you can easily insert/remove a dowel to meet regional hunting laws. The barrels on pumps are easy to change, and two piece furniture is more modular (not just for tacticooling, but fit). You can have, in effect, 2 or 3 different guns that you can slap together on one receiver.
