Tips for Buying Your First Shotgun

By GDC Staff

(Photo: Guns.com)
Before buying a shotgun, some argue that you need to plan everything out — what you’ll use it for and how often — while others advise buying the first inexpensive 12-gauge pump-action you see. It’s a shotgun, after all. But Guns.com’s Mark Sims suggests the answer for first-time buyers is a little more flexible.
Sims, Guns.com’s Senior Buyer, has spent his entire career buying and selling firearms. While he loves guns, he really loves shotguns. He’s an avid hunter, shooter and an NRA certified shotgun instructor. If you’re looking for just one gun, he argues that a shotgun has more practical applications than a single rifle or handgun.
“Reasons for buying a gun jump from either recreation to personal protection. A shotgun, however, will work on both sides of the spectrum and a whole lot in between,” Sims said. He explained that there’s a lot of cross over. “A lot of shotgun sports derived from hunting. So, trap shooting basically follows along the lines of pheasant or quail hunting. It’s a natural transition. If you’re a good shot at the range, you’ll be a good shot in the field and vice versa.”
Then, there are also opportunities that come with owning a

Source: Guns.com