The shotgun is the most versatile firearm most people will ever own — one gun that covers the bedroom door, the duck blind, and the sporting clays course. So when customers ask "which shotgun should I get?" the honest answer starts with what you plan to do with it. Here are the ten moving fastest across both of our counters right now.
The quick answer: Mossberg still owns the defensive pump category, Beretta owns the semi-auto side, and the Maverick 88 remains the most gun anyone can buy for the money.
1. Mossberg 590A1 M-LOK
12 gauge · 18.5" heavy-walled barrel · 6+1 · metal trigger guard and safety
The 590A1 is the mil-spec version of Mossberg's pump gun and the one that gets recommended more than any other defensive shotgun in America. Heavy-walled barrel, metal trigger guard and safety button instead of polymer, and the tang-mounted safety that works the same whether you are right or left handed. The M-LOK forend gives you a place to mount a light without a clamp. If you want one shotgun that runs forever, this is it.
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2. Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol
20 gauge · 19.1" barrel · 7+1 · gas-operated semi-auto · ghost ring sights
The A300 Ultima Patrol did something the semi-auto defensive market needed: it put Beretta's gas system and reliability into a package priced within reach of a working budget. Softer recoil than any pump on this list, faster follow-up shots, an oversized charging handle and bolt release you can find in the dark, and ghost ring sights standard. It has become the default recommendation for anyone who does not want to run a pump under stress. This one is the 20 gauge, which cuts recoil again without giving up anything that matters at across-the-room distance.
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3. Beretta 1301 Tactical
12 gauge · 18.5" barrel · 7+1 · Blink gas system · optics ready
If the A300 is the value semi-auto, the 1301 is the one competition and duty shooters actually run. Beretta's Blink gas system cycles faster than anything else in the category, and the difference is obvious on a timer. Enlarged controls, an optic-ready receiver, and a build quality that justifies the step up. This is the shotgun instructors bring to their own classes.
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4. Mossberg 500 Retrograde
12 gauge · 28" vent-rib barrel · 5+1 · walnut stock and corncob forend
The Mossberg 500 is the most widely owned pump shotgun in America, and the Retrograde is the version people fall for at the counter — walnut furniture and a corncob forend on the same action that has been working since 1961. Dual extractors, twin action bars, and the tang safety. Same gun your father had, and it still does the job. This one wears the 28" vent-rib field barrel — and since 500 barrels swap in about a minute, an 18.5" defensive barrel turns it into two guns.
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5. Winchester SXP Defender
12 gauge · 18" barrel · 5+1 · inertia-assisted pump · chrome-plated chamber
Winchester's rotary bolt and inertia-assisted slide make the SXP the fastest-cycling pump gun on this page — the action practically opens itself under recoil. Add a chrome-plated chamber and bore for corrosion resistance and a price that undercuts most of the field. Underrated, and the people who own one tend to tell everybody about it.
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6. Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical
12 gauge · 18.5" barrel · 7+1 · gas-operated semi-auto · optics ready
Mossberg developed the 940 gas system with competitive shooter Jerry Miculek, and the headline claim is that it runs 1,500 rounds between cleanings — which matters more than it sounds, because dirty gas guns are the ones that quit. The Pro Tactical adds a 7-round tube, an optic-ready receiver, oversized controls, and an adjustable stock. The American answer to the Beretta semi-autos above.
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7. Maverick 88
12 gauge · 18.5" barrel · 5+1 · cross-bolt safety
The Maverick 88 shares the barrel and action design with the Mossberg 500 — barrels interchange between the two — but moves the safety to a cross-bolt behind the trigger and simplifies the furniture. What is left is the cheapest genuinely reliable defensive shotgun on the American market. More first shotguns leave our counter as an 88 than anything else here.
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8. Stevens 320
12 gauge · 18.5" barrel · 5+1 · rotary bolt · bottom eject
Savage's Stevens line exists to compete with the Maverick 88, and the 320 does it with a rotary bolt and bottom ejection that make it fully ambidextrous out of the box. For a left-handed shooter looking at the budget end of the case, this is the obvious answer — and it is a legitimately good shotgun regardless of which hand you shoot from.
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9. Browning Citori 825 Field
12 gauge · 28" barrels · over and under · walnut stock · Invector-DS chokes
Not every shotgun is a defensive tool. The Citori has been the standard American over-and-under for fifty years, and the 825 is its newest generation — a lower profile receiver that drops the barrels closer to your hands, a reworked trigger, and the full-width hinge pin that outlasts the shooter. Upland birds, clays, or a gun you hand to your kid in twenty years.
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10. Smith & Wesson M&P12
12 gauge · 19" barrel · 14 rounds across two tubes · bullpup pump
The bullpup layout puts a 19" barrel inside an overall length shorter than most 18.5" guns, and the twin magazine tubes let you keep two different loads ready and switch between them with a selector. Fourteen rounds on board. It handles differently than anything else on this list — worth putting hands on before you decide, which is exactly what our counter is for.
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Frequently asked questions
Pump or semi-auto for home defense?
Pumps are mechanically simpler, cheaper, and cycle any load you feed them. Semi-autos recoil noticeably less and are faster on follow-up shots, which matters more than most people expect under stress. The A300 Ultima Patrol closed most of the price gap, so the honest answer today is to shoot both and buy the one you run better.
Is 20 gauge enough for home defense?
Yes. Modern 20 gauge defensive loads are entirely adequate at across-the-room distances, and the reduced recoil makes the gun easier to shoot well for smaller-framed shooters. A hit with a 20 beats a miss with a 12 every time.
What barrel length should I look for?
For defensive use, 18 to 20 inches keeps the gun maneuverable indoors. For hunting and clays, 26 to 28 inches gives you the smoother swing you want on moving targets. Both Mossberg and Winchester sell spare barrels, so a single receiver can cover both jobs.
Can I buy one of these online?
Yes — order on our site and pick up at our Marlton or Jersey City locations with no transfer fee, or have it shipped to a licensed dealer near you. See our guide to buying a gun online for the full process.
Shotguns are the hardest firearm to buy sight unseen, because fit is everything. Stop by Urban Tactical Firearms in Marlton or Jersey City and shoulder a few before you commit.