Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
I love my scatterguns. There is something about a shotgun that strikes a chord with me. There is a certain challenge it takes to be skilled with one, and it requires you to be a constant student. The benefit of the shotgun is the massive amount of power it puts out per trigger pull. A single round of buckshot can throw half a modern 9mm magazine worth of ammunition into a threat. A shotgun by itself is typically ready to rock and roll, but today we are going to discuss some of the best shotgun upgrades out there to take your shotgun beyond plain.
Shotguns tend to be affordable, although when you get into premium-grade semi-autos, they tend to be a little pricier. However, a competent shotgun can be had for less than 500 easily. That leaves plenty of money for the necessary upgrades to get your plain Jane shotgun ready for home defense. The real question is, do you have to upgrade your shotgun?
That’s not an easy question to answer because some upgrades are a must-have, and others are nice to have. There is most certainly a difference. This article will mainly focus on home defense shotguns, and I’ll make to point out the upgrades I think are necessary versus the upgrades that are nice to have. Let’s dig in.
Table of contents
Surefire DSF Forend Light
The most important and must-have accessory or upgrade for your shotgun is a weapon-mounted light. If you are using a pump action shotgun, you know that lights can be tricky to use while trying to utilize the pump action design. The easiest way to have a weapon light that’s easy to use on a pump action shotgun is to make it the pump.
The Surefire DSF forend light replaces the pump on your shotgun entirely. Like all Surefire lights, the DSF is tough as nails and will eat the recoil of your shotgun without complaint. The white light throws out a 600-lumen beam that’s wide and room-filling for close-range engagements. The light has an optional low mode of 200 lumens to save battery.
The controls are ambidextrous and easy to use. Momentary and constant are easy and simple to use while working the shotgun. The light itself is a hefty 17.8 ounces, but it does help reduce muzzle rise and keep the gun on target. The DSF is sadly only produced for the Mossberg 500/590 series and Remington 870 series shotguns.
Surefire Scout Pro 640U
If you’re like me and use something outside of the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 series, you need a different option. I prefer a semi-auto for home defense, and that makes light selection a bit easier. With that in mind, the new Surefire Pro series and its mounting system have made life much easier. You can easily mount the light to your gun in any way you may need to.
The Scout Pro 640U is the classic Surefire Scout with a new mounting system. This makes it easy to mount the light fairly far forward to avoid barrel shadow. You can alternate the angle the light mounts and set it up for either rail or M-LOK. Mix it with any of the many Picatinny or M-LOK mounts, and you can have a lightweight and bright weapon light for home defense.
A thousand lumens and 11,300 candelas set you up quite nicely for home defense. The TIR lens throws the beam widely, with a distinct and focused hot spot. It will make positive identification easy inside the home and for law enforcement outside n both rural and urban areas. The light is tough as nails too, and recoil won’t be a major issue.
Holosun 507C
A red dot isn’t necessary, but I will argue a sighting system you can see in both daylight and under a weapon light is. This can be anything from a good bead to rifle sights or, in this case, a red dot. I prefer the red dot. It works all the time, regardless of lighting conditions, and tends to be as fast as a bead and as accurate as ghost ring sights. I like the 507C for several reasons.
One of the primary reasons is the reticle selection. I like the big 32 MOA circle. I pattern with this reticle, and I know that within 12 yards or so, every pellet from my chosen buckshot load lands inside this circle. That’s perfect for home defense and increases my accountability of pellets substantially. It’s also huge and catches the eye.
Beyond that, it uses the standard RMR mount, has a solar backup, a side-loading battery tray, and easy-to-use controls. I’ve used one for thousands of shotgun rounds through my Benelli M4. It’s taken all that recoil and shook it off without issue.
SEE MORE: The Best Pistol Red Dots Out There
Scalarworks Sync Mount
If you are mounting a red dot, you can use a pic rail, but there are better options. The Scalarworks Sync rail is produced for several shotguns and makes mounting a variety of red dots easy. This includes Benellis, Berettas, Mossbergs, and Remingtons. The Sync mount keeps the optic low on the gun and makes it easy to see naturally with a standard cheek weld.
The optics mount directly to the mount. This eliminates the need for a Picatinny rail adapter, which in turn helps prevent tolerance stacking. This creates a better long-term solution, especially when it comes to dealing with high-recoil firearms.
Vang Comp Shotgun Card
Side saddles are great to have, and I like that we’ve moved away from the polymer and metal side saddles that bolt through the gun for elastic side saddles that attach via Velcro. This helps keep things simple and makes the shotgun card easy to switch when empty. A lot of this is unnecessary for most users, but still nice to have.
The Vang Comp shotgun cards are the best I’ve ever used. They resist bending and are rugged and durable. The elastic loops seem to hold out forever and resist stretching out and limiting retention for quite some time. They are affordable and universal in design. Slap some spare ammo in and forget about it.
Magpul SGA Stock
The Magpul SGA is by far my favorite shotgun stock. Sadly, it’s only produced for the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 series, although Aridus Industries has created a way for it to work on Beretta 1301 shotguns. What’s attractive about the SGA is the adjustable length of pull spacers. You might not need a Magpul SGA, but you will need a proper length of pull. Most shotgun LOPs are too long and make shotguns unwieldy for smaller shooters.
Being able to adjust the LOP allows for greater control over the gun and for recoil-reducing modern shotgun stances. The SGA also offers you great sling points and the ability to add an optional cheek riser. The grip is somewhere between a vertical and traditional grip that allows you to maximize control over your gun.
Federal FliteControl Ammunition
Ammunition isn’t exactly an upgrade, but you should upgrade your shotgun ammo. The Federal FliteControl ammunition is the best defensive ammo on the market for shotguns. It throws an exceptionally tight pattern and is consistent in that pattern. A good tight pattern helps ensure no errant pellets harm anyone else.
The Scattergun
The shotgun is a simple weapon. It’s effective at close range and brutal for home defense. It’s an excellent tool, and most shotguns are dang near ready out of the box. Your gun doesn’t always need to be gussied up, but if it can make you more effective, then why wouldn’t you?
What are your shotgun must-haves?
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Why no MSRPs for any of the accessories?
I have a Surefire light on my 870. Works well and the controls are natural.
The one thing that is missing from this article is the Vang Comp barrel modification. I own four. I love the way they work.
I prefer the Winchester 1300s to the others due to weight and smooth fast cycling.
The Surefire DSF seems to have been discontinued. Few vendors have any left in stock. I suspect the product’s downfall was due to its weight. A long magazine tube stoked full of rounds makes a shotgun front heavy to begin with. Additional weight out front isn’t desirable.