12g Defensive load recommendations

[Rayd8]

I have a Mossberg 930Spx semiautomatic that ran good back in the day. I’m just pulling it out after a 5 yr hiatus. Anyway, I had picked up some slugs and wanted to try the light recoil loads. Anyone try these? I guess I’m wondering if they’ll cycle the gun.....also what do you recommend? I’ve heard good and bad on federal flight control...

 

[4CERTN]

We are on the same page here. I’ve got a semi (the 1100 in a separate thread) - being my first semi-auto shotgun, I’ve been a little paranoid about what it will cycle. That, coupled with the fact that my go-to range, Hoover Tactical (sidebar - apparently temporarily closed as of this date due to County rules around COVID-19) only allows slugs for shotguns...and I was feeling a bit limited in options.

I had a small stash of slugs from earlier pump-gun experiments of mine and I picked up some Winchester PDX slugs. The Remington cycled them all but packed a fair wallop back to me along the way haha.

I grabbed some Fiocchi-brand low-recoil slugs (from Midway USA, I think, as I believe Target Sports USA was out of them at the time and I couldn’t find any locally)...ah! What a joy! A very noticeable difference in recoil for sure. I found myself wishing I’d brought more slugs to the range the day I tried the Fiocchi slugs. No cycling issues, perfect function.

Now - still sitting on a stash of 00 Buck and birdshot and seeking a venue to check those out in the 1100. I feel like they’d all cycle just fine, but want to sample them all just to confirm.

 

[Rayd8]

I’ll try and do a mini review on these. It might be a little while as I have to hit outdoor range now. I imagine I’ll like low recoil, it just comes down to cycling.

The only sg malfunction I’ve ever had involved a spent shell getting trapped between lifter and bolt/breach.Took me a little while to figure out how to clear. I suspected a short stroke from light bird shot....