Defensive shotgun carry; Home, truck, trail

[Matt]

I bought a Charles Daly 12 gauge non-nfa firearm.
They shoot shotgun shells but are technically not a shotgun.
14 inch barrel, 26 inches overall, birdshead grip.
Like a Mossberg Shockwave.
This one is a 4+1 semi auto.

My philosophy of use for this firearm is close defense in home or vehicle or on a local fishing trail.
I mounted a light on the rail for home use.
And I have a scabbard for truck carry; a DeSantis model.
But what I really needed was a sling mount for carry on fishing excursions when Catamount and Grizzly bear are the main threat, and bad humans a remote but not impossible third.

My Charles Daly Honcho is really a Chiappa.
It came with a forward sling mount on the magazine tube cap.
But nothing to attach between the grip and receiver.
Despite showing a sling mount plate in the instructions, they do not list or sell one.

So I bought a rear sling plate for a Mossberg Shockwave and modified it to fit my Chiappa.
All that was needed was to drill the plate and install a longer grip bolt.

Not rocket science.
But now I have a simple way to carry my Honcho hands free but within easy reach, on the trail.

I bought this firearm for rough service.
So a few scrapes and dings is not going to matter.
Slugs and 00 buckshot are what I will carry.

Some of the trail into Devils canyon requires a repel down cliffs.
For that portion I believe an empty chamber makes sense.
But for the hike and actual fishing portion of the trip; fully loaded with safety on.

I actually lugged my AR down into the canyon once.
It is 1,000 feet elevation drop with repelling and scrambling.
The second time I took my Ruger Redhawk .357 in a chest holster.
My Walther PPK/S or LCP2 ride along as backup… but they fit in a pocket and are neither a hindrance nor in danger of being chewed up by canyon rocks climbing.
My Glock 19 or Walther PPX are nice but suffer the same vulnerability in a chest holster or hip holster when repelling as the Ruger.
That was nice in the river but i was nervous about scratching them up during the accent and decent phases.

Appendix carry would be very uncomfotable and the gun would get sweaty.
OWB holsters expose the gun to getting banged on rocks or falling out.
Chest holsters expose the gun to being drug on canyon rock during the climbing phase.
An AR on a sling was heavy, awkward, and too long.

But a 26" overall length shotgun on the back…?

For my canyon fishing trips in big cat and bear country;
I think I have found a way to bring adequate firepower with minimal impedence to movement, and least risk to assets.

Time will tell.
Only 3 more months of winter.
Those fish are going to taste good!

Don’t worry, I threw that little guy back.
I will take one or two of the medium sized fish for lunch and release the lunkers and little guys back into the river.

[spook (jim)]

@Matt

Some of the trail into Devils canyon requires a repel down cliffs.
For that portion I believe an empty chamber makes sense.

Sissy
.
.
.
I kid, I kid.

In all seriousness, thanks for sharing the details and pics. You have a very useful setup there.

I’m a huge fan of the “not-shotgun” offerings in recent years and yours is another example of how adaptable they are. So I find myself getting into multiples with the Mossberg Shockwave. I mean, they fit anywhere, the price is right (on all brands), and the ones I’ve acquired have proven themselves to have many different / viable use case scenarios.

[Robert]

@Matt

technically not a shotgun

What are they selling them as?

[spook (jim)]

@Robert

What are they selling them as?

“Other”… same as a stripped AR lower.

[Matt]

They are sold as a fire arm.
Otherwise they would be an NFA item.

[Matt]

I think the main point is that it cannot be shouldered and fired.
Were someone to put a stock on it, then it becomes a restricted sawed off shotgun.
Also the over all length of 26 inches.

[rjburk (randall b.)]

You can put a SB Tactical arm brace on a Shockwave and it’s legal.

[ArmedEyeDoc (Doc)]

Will it cycle and shoot the 1 3/4" shells? The shockwave requires an adapter but it increases your capacity.

[Matt]

Interesting.
So you aren’t removing the birds head grip.
Just adding a brace.
Like a pistol brace.

For my purpose, I wouldn’t want any more length than it has.
But it is good to know that it is possible.

[Matt]

My Charles Daly “Honcho” made by Chiappa, has gas pistons for 2 3/4" and 3" shells.
It did not come with an adaptor for mini shells.
I should look into that and see if the mossberg adaptor would fit.
Hickok45 uses mini shells in a Shockwave using an adaptor.

[spook (jim)]

@rjburk

You can put a SB Tactical arm brace on a Shockwave and it’s legal.

Yup, this^^^^ Here’s my Remington TAC-14 with SBM4 brace:

[spook (jim)]

@Matt

Interesting.
So you aren’t removing the birds head grip.
Just adding a brace.
Like a pistol brace.

The birds head is removed. The adapter I used is from Mesa Tactical. The one that came in the SB kit was not to my liking… and it is in fact, for sale in the Classifieds here.

WTS: Mossberg Shotgun Stock Adapter and Pistol Grip

Allows you to add a standard AR buffer tube and pistol grip to a Mossberg 500 or 590 series shotgun. Both items are Ergo brand and new / never used. Came as part of larger kit for the Mossberg Shockwave, but not needed. Links to product info as follows: Ergo Mossberg Stock Adapter: Ergo AR Pistol Grip: Pics of actual items: [image][image][image][image][image][image] $60 shipped (CONUS) [or] $50 face-to-face in the local area surrounding WPAFB, OH Please PM with any questions. Items wil…

[Matt]

I like the looks of it.
Nice work.

[spook (jim)]

Thanks.

I do like the looks of it, but also I’m not really digging the fact it changes the entire characteristic of the firearm. I’ve been having thoughts about going back to the birds head, but been too busy playing with the Shockwave and Minishells to worry about it.

EDIT: I might add that I have a 590A1 Tactical that’s wildly more effective than the modified TAC-14. They’re not the same thing, but at that length adding the brace to the TAC-14 I’d rather just have the A1. Or at least that’s the way I’ve been thinking after shooting the TAC-14 with the brace.

[Matt]

There is a good explanation about the difference in grips by Nutnfancy.
The birdshead grip doesn’t slap the web of the hand the way a pistol grip does using a light, short shotgun.
I chose it mainly for it’s compactness and simplicity for hiking, stowing in the truck, etc.
Can’t imagine carrying the Weatherby over-under 28" barrel down a cliff!
Even my 16" barreled AR was hilariously difficult to take there.
I am hoping this little shotgun is easier, and handy for the task.

[Matt]

The AR ended up in my backpack.
And it was too much hassle to take it in and out between repels.
Once on the canyon floor, it was perfect on a 3 point sling.

Hey, always a good reason to buy another shotgun.

[Matt]

I just remembered the other reason I did not like the AR for the canyon treks.
If I had to shoot during the climbing and hiking phases, it would be outward, away from the canyon wall and into the brush, towards the canyon bottom.
That is where the threat would be.
I’d be much more comfortable with shot, knowing it will lose energy quickly, and be slowed and stopped, than a .223, .357, or even the 380.
All of which are going to travel a long way down the slope if I miss, over penetrate.

[rjburk (randall b.)]

Here is pic of my Shockwave with brace, the only issue I had with the SB Tactical brace was using the slide release, I took my Dremel tool with a burr type bit and opened up the area around slide release so it was easy to use.

[rjburk (randall b.)]

Herters makes a 2 1/4 Home defense buckshot load which cycles fine and allows an extra round, the recoil slightly less and pattern very good out to 25 yards.