Best Retro Shotguns (2026): Retrograde, 1897, 1887 & More

Nobody needs a rail on every surface to stop a burglar or drop a duck. The best retro shotguns prove that old designs still work. Pump guns, lever guns, and hammered doubles built on patterns from the 1880s through the 1970s will still drop birds, deer, and intruders, and many of them cost less than a new tactical shotgun with a rail on every surface. Some are genuine classics you can still find on the used market, and some are new production guns built to look and feel like the shotguns that served in the trenches, on the frontier, in duck blinds, and in police cruisers across the country.

We updated this guide for 2026 with the retro shotguns our writers have actually shot. That includes Mossberg’s Retrograde series, which pairs old-school wood and metal with modern internals, Century’s imported 1887 lever shotgun and hammered coach gun, a 1907 Winchester 1897 still in service, and the Winchester 1300 Defender. We kept the classics from the original version of this article, including the Model 12, Auto-5, and Stevens 311, in the buyer’s guide.

We ranked these shotguns on Digest testing first and link every review. The Ithaca 37 pick is based on our SHOT Show coverage of Inland’s M37 trench gun rather than a full review. Prices are labeled as MSRP at launch or the price at the time of review. For modern defensive shotguns, see our best home defense shotguns.

Torn between a new reproduction and a real original? Both can be the right answer. The original just comes with more history and, usually, more questions about what the last owner did to it.

Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose The Best Retro Shotguns In 2026

Retro shotguns range from brand-new reproductions to century-old originals. Decide how you will use the gun before you fall for the wood and bluing.

New Production Or Original

New production guns, such as the Mossberg Retrograde series, give you classic looks with modern steel, modern shells, and a warranty. Originals carry history and often cost less than you would expect, but they need careful inspection. Our 1897 reviewer runs low-brass birdshot through his 1907 gun as fast as he can cycle it, but he would be slow to feed it large quantities of buckshot or slugs.

Action Type

Pumps such as the 590A1, 500, 1897, 1300, and Ithaca 37 are the most practical for defense and hunting. Lever shotguns like the 1887 are fun, fast with practice, and popular in cowboy action shooting. Hammered side-by-side coach guns are simple and reliable but give you only two shots. The original Auto-5 used a long-recoil semi-auto action that feels dated but still works.

Shell Length And Chokes

Many retro guns handle only 2 3/4-inch shells, including the Century PW87, and many older guns have fixed chokes. The Retrograde guns are cylinder bore, which is ideal for buckshot and slugs at home-defense distances. If you plan to hunt birds, look for choke tubes or a fixed choke that matches your game.

Sights And Ergonomics

Old-school stocks often have long lengths of pull, around 13.87 inches on the Retrograde guns and 14 inches on the 1300 Defender. Our reviewers found them usable but longer than many modern shooters prefer. Bead sights are fast for birds, while the 590A1 Retrograde’s ghost ring is better for slugs.

Used Classics Worth Finding

The Winchester Model 12 was called the perfect repeater, and more than two million were made with forged and machined parts. The Browning Auto-5, made from 1905 to 1998, was the first mass-produced semi-auto shotgun and served in both World Wars. The Stevens 311 is an affordable box-lock side-by-side that the NYPD issued to detectives. All three are widely available used and still capable. Have any old gun checked by a gunsmith before shooting it.

Legal And Safety Notes

Bayonet lugs, barrel lengths, and magazine capacity can be restricted in some states. Damascus barrels and very old guns may not be safe with modern loads. When in doubt, have a gunsmith inspect the gun and stick to light loads.

Best Retro Shotguns Ranked: 2026 Product Roundup

Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde: Best Overall Retro Shotgun (2026)

Cold War trench gun looks with modern fighting shotgun guts: that combination makes the Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde the best retro shotgun here. It pairs a walnut-stained wood stock and corn cob forend with a parkerized heavy-walled barrel, a ventilated heat shield, a bayonet lug, adjustable ghost ring sights, and the mil-spec upgrades of the 590A1 line. It is a 12-gauge, 20-inch cylinder bore gun with an eight- or nine-shot capacity depending on configuration.

Read our full Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde review here.

Our 2022 reviewer patterned standard nine-pellet 00 buckshot at 5, 10, and 15 yards and kept every pellet on a sheet of paper. The heavy barrel makes the gun front heavy, and he found the 13.87-inch length of pull a bit long. Our 2019 first review called the pump smooth like butter and reported an MSRP of $902 at the time of review.

Key Specs

• Gauge: 12, 3 in chamber
• Barrel: 20 in heavy-walled, cylinder bore
• Sights: Ghost ring rear, high-visibility front
• Finish: Parkerized, wood furniture
• Extras: Heat shield, bayonet lug
• MSRP: $902 at the time of review

Pros

• Modern 590A1 reliability
• Trench-gun looks
• Excellent ghost ring sights
• Tight buckshot patterns

Cons

• Front heavy
• Long length of pull
• Priciest new gun here

🛒 Check Current Price for Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde on GunsAmerica

Mossberg 500 Retrograde: Best Value Retro Shotgun (2026)

The Mossberg 500 Retrograde is the light, affordable way to get the Retrograde look. It has a deep blued finish, dark walnut-stained wood with a honeycomb corn cob forend and checkered stock, and a brass bead sight. Our reviewer weighed it at 6.4 pounds on two scales, lighter than Mossberg’s listed weight, with an 18.5-inch barrel, a 39.5-inch overall length, and a 5+1 capacity in 2 3/4- or 3-inch 12 gauge.

Read our full Mossberg 500 Retrograde review here.

He called it light, handy, and reliable and said its short barrel makes it a capable home-defense gun, though the higher-capacity 590 might be a better choice for that role. Our launch coverage listed the Retrograde Persuader at $504 MSRP at launch, with street prices expected to be lower.

Key Specs

• Gauge: 12, 2 3/4 or 3 in
• Barrel: 18.5 in
• Length: 39.5 in
• Weight: 6.4 lb (measured)
• Capacity: 5+1
• Length of pull: 13.87 in
• MSRP: $504 at launch

Pros

• Light and handy
• Gorgeous blued finish
• Affordable
• Proven Mossberg 500 action

Cons

• Lower capacity than the 590A1
• Bead sight only
• Long length of pull

🛒 Check Current Price for Mossberg 500 Retrograde on GunsAmerica

Winchester Model 1897: Best Classic Pump Shotgun (2026)

The Winchester Model 1897 is the original American trench gun and one of John Browning’s most important designs. Winchester made about a million of them between 1897 and 1957, in 12 and 16 gauge, with an external hammer that serves as a manual safety and barrels up to 36 inches. Our reviewer shoots a high-mileage 1897 built in 1907, and it still runs low-brass birdshot as fast as he can work the action.

Read our full Winchester Model 1897 review here.

It takes down into two pieces for compact storage. The trench version added a 20-inch barrel, a ventilated heat shield with a bayonet lug, and sling swivels. He warns to keep your hand clear of the bolt while cycling and to go easy on buckshot and slugs in old guns. The 1897 sold for $25 at launch in 1897. Today you buy it used, so condition drives the price.

Key Specs

• Gauge: 12 or 16 (original production)
• Action: Slide action, external hammer
• Production: 1897 to 1957, about 1 million made
• Takedown: Two-piece
• Trench gun: 20 in barrel, heat shield, bayonet lug

Pros

• Genuine history
• Still functional after a century
• Takedown design
• Fast to cycle

Cons

• Used only; condition varies
• Bolt can scuff your hand
• Go easy on heavy loads in old guns

🛒 Check Current Price for Winchester Model 1897 on GunsAmerica

Winchester 1300 Defender: Best Retro Home Defense Shotgun (2026)

The Winchester 1300 Defender is the retro shotgun our original author said he would trust for home defense, and our full review backs him up. It has an 18.5-inch barrel and a full-length magazine tube holding seven rounds, a small corn cob pump, a 14-inch length of pull, and a bead welded to the barrel.

Read our full Winchester 1300 Defender review here.

Its standout features are a rotating bolt and a speed pump design. After each shot, the action unlocks and nudges the pump slightly rearward, so with practice you can sail through seven rounds with brutal speed. Our reviewer found the action slick and smooth, loading easy, and buckshot hitting where he aimed. Ergonomics are plain, and it is not optics ready. It is out of production, so you buy it used. Our review did not list a price.

Key Specs

• Gauge: 12
• Barrel: 18.5 in
• Capacity: 7 in the magazine
• Action: Rotating bolt, speed pump
• Length of pull: 14 in
• Sights: Bead

Pros

• Extremely fast action
• Seven-round magazine
• Rotating bolt for consistent ejection
• Affordable used

Cons

• Discontinued
• Small pump
• Plain ergonomics, not optics ready

🛒 Check Current Price for Winchester 1300 Defender on GunsAmerica

Century Arms PW87: Best Lever-Action Shotgun (2026)

The Century Arms PW87 brings back the Winchester 1887, John Browning’s lever-action shotgun, at a working-gun price. Our reviewer, a longtime cowboy action shooter, explained that the PW87 is a clone of the Norinco 1887s of the 1980s, probably made on the same tooling. It is a 5+1 12 gauge that handles only standard 2 3/4-inch shells.

Read our full Century Arms PW87 review here.

He had seen an original 1887 fall apart during a match, which is one reason a strong modern reproduction appeals. Lever shotguns are a blast in cowboy action matches, and our reviewer said they are a great way to step into the Old West. The PW87 was $350 at the time of review. Cimarron also introduced a 3-inch 12-gauge 1887 in field and high grades, with a 10-gauge to follow.

Key Specs

• Gauge: 12, 2 3/4 in only
• Action: Lever
• Capacity: 5+1
• Design: Clone of the Norinco 1887
• Price: $350 at the time of review

Pros

• Affordable 1887 reproduction
• Huge fun factor
• Cowboy action legal style
• Sturdier than many originals

Cons

• 2 3/4-inch shells only
• Older review
• Lever shotguns take practice

🛒 Check Current Price for Century PW87 on GunsAmerica

Century Arms JW2000 Coach Gun: Best Budget Coach Gun (2026)

The Century Arms JW2000 is a classic external-hammer, coach-length side-by-side imported for well under the price of most doubles. Our reviewer, who has preferred hammered side-by-sides since the early days of cowboy action shooting, noted that Cimarron had been selling a cleaned-up version of the same gun for a lot more money.

Read our full Century Arms JW2000 review here.

The JW2000 has some ugly markings, and it will not win cowboy matches out of the box, but he said that once loosened up it probably will not be inferior to the more expensive version from a performance standpoint. He also liked it as a trapper’s or guide gun to carry in case game appears. It was under $300 at the time of review.

Key Specs

• Gauge: 12
• Action: Side-by-side, external hammers
• Length: Coach gun
• Price: Under $300 at the time of review

Pros

• Very affordable double
• Simple and reliable
• External hammers
• Handy coach length

Cons

• Rough markings and finish
• Needs breaking in
• Two shots only

🛒 Check Current Price for Century JW2000 coach gun on GunsAmerica

Ithaca Model 37: Best Bottom-Eject Retro Pump (2026)

The Ithaca 37 is one of the longest-running pump shotguns in America and is still made today. It loads and ejects from the bottom, so it is lefty friendly and will not pelt your blind partners with hulls. Its slab sides kept debris out in Vietnam, and police departments including the LAPD and NYPD carried it. Our original author still hunts deer with an Ithaca Deer Slayer.

Read our full Inland Ithaca M37 trench gun coverage (SHOT Show 2016) here.

For trench-gun fans, Inland showed an M37 trench gun built on a newly manufactured Ithaca receiver at SHOT Show 2016, with a 20-inch barrel, a 3-inch 12-gauge chamber, a classic metal heat shield, and a bayonet. Inland said it would not slam fire, though parts for that function would be offered. This pick is based on SHOT Show coverage and our original guide, not a full review.

Key Specs

• Gauge: 12, 3 in (Inland M37)
• Action: Pump, bottom eject
• Barrel: 20 in (Inland M37)
• Extras: Heat shield and bayonet (Inland M37)

Pros

• Bottom ejection is lefty friendly
• Still in production
• Slab sides resist debris
• Proven police and military history

Cons

• No full Digest review
• Inland trench version may be hard to find
• Configurations vary by year

🛒 Check Current Price for Ithaca Model 37 on GunsAmerica

Final Thoughts On The Best Retro Shotguns Of 2026

The best retro shotgun for most buyers is the Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde. It has trench-gun style, a modern mil-spec action, and patterns that kept every pellet on a sheet of paper at 15 yards. The Mossberg 500 Retrograde is the lighter, more affordable alternative. If you want the real thing, an original Winchester 1897 still works a century later, and the Winchester 1300 Defender is the fastest retro pump for home defense. The Century PW87 and JW2000 are the budget cowboy guns, and the Ithaca 37 is the bottom-eject classic that never went out of production.

Want more history? Read our illustrated guide to Winchester pump shotguns and Winchester 1887 vs 1897. For a modern double, see our best over-under shotguns, and for a gun behind the seat, see our top truck guns. Shop retro shotguns on GunsAmerica.com.