My 1st choice to recommend would be this Mossberg 590. It has the capacity and is an Extremely reliable & proven platform. And accessories are plentiful. Such as maybe a youth stock to shorten up the length of pull a little for your GF to help it fit her properly if needed. Sorry about the goats ! Glad your GF is ok. A friend just lost 9 chickens (all of them) to some Racoons. He wasn’t there when it happened and had to watch it happen on a security camera from his phone. Little Rat Bastards!!!!!🤬

 

Sorry for all the edits….. your post caught me just waking up & and my thoughts were a little slow. Need coffee..

 

I like pump action shotguns, and I like Mossbergs.

However, I made the mistake of buying her a pump 20ga in a youth size, and she dislikes the recoil to the point that she doesn't want to practice with it.

Not sure about the pump action vs semi auto. She might prefer the simplicity of running a semi auto.

Is one platform inherently more reliable than the other?

 

Coffee is good. More coffee is better.

 

Semi Autos can be reliable for sure. Especially as you go up in price. I have a Beretta A300 Ultima that has done quite well so far. And I trust it. But I keep my 590 closer. A pump will generally be significantly more reliable in varying conditions. Especially in .410. But recoil is recoil. And with a pump; making sure to not short stroke it in a stressful situation is always a concern. I don’t imagine a pump would kick much more than your SxS. Maybe a little. 590 7-Shot

 

Semi Autos can be reliable for sure. Especially as you go up in price. I have a Beretta A300 Ultima that has done quite well so far. And I trust it. But I keep my 590 closer. A pump will generally be significantly more reliable in varying conditions. But recoil is recoil. And with a pump; making sure to not short stroke it in a situation is always a concern. I don’t imagine a pump would kick much more than your SxS. Maybe a little.

Good to know. And I hear you about short stroking. It's definitely something to consider.

A pump action is going to be less expensive. As for recoil, I'd think the semi auto would have less of a kick than her SxS or a pump.

 

Another vote for the Mossberg pump ! I brought a 500 pump for my DIL in . 410! Recoil isn't an issue as she was in the Army for 20 years! What is an issue is snakes around our place! I have always liked the 410 and know for a fact that many farm houses have one behind the kitchen door! Mostly single barrels though! Personally I have only ever liked one auto loader and that is the A5 Browning!

 

You also have lever actions available. Personally I find these too be the coolest. Yes! The cool factor has caused many many unnecessary buys!

 

Well damn! Im the only one who likes the lever actions!

 

Ha. Levers are definitely a cool option. Had a Winchester 9410 a long time ago. It was beautiful. I remember it being a little clunky to cycle though. Probably smoother options these days

 

This one seems to check quite a few box’s. But is a bit pricy. And only takes 2 1/2” shells. And the short barrel version looks to have a fixed Cyl choke; while the longer one has changeable chokes. Now that I’ve had some coffee, I read a few reviews and they seem to function & cycle quite well. And the Lever action may be a + for eliminating short cycle issues as the lever being up all the way when fully chambered would seem to lessen the chance of a short stroke. And at its weight I bet it’s a soft shooter……🤔

 

 

But I keep coming back to this…. 590 7-Shot. Anyway. Let us know what you end up with.

 

Just found this…… Uhg. 20” with changeable chokes. And Fiber-Optic sights. 5+1. A little bit of rail for a light ect.. 7 1/2 pounds. Oh Man!!

 

Just get a good quality semi auto .410 gauge.

Manipulating a pump or lever action under pressure has caused jams for even experienced men.

Short stroking is real and it is a serious problem.

Nice when all she has to do is pull the trigger for each shot.

Could save a goat.

 

A semiauto shotgun is going to absorb recoil better than a pump or O/U or side by side shotgun. She might be even ok with a semiauto shotgun in 20ga.

For varmits control, have you considered an AR rifle or pistol for her? Another choice could be a Ruger 10/22.

 

A semi auto 20ga is probably worth looking at; she'd need to try one out first, though. Her pump 20ga kicks surprisingly hard, but 20ga offers a wider selection of ammo. And, as you say, the recoil in a semi auto will be lower.

We have ARs, which she also knows how to shoot. However, this would be more for close up work, say 30 yards and under.

 

Got to get a single barrel 410 for my Grand daughter! She's in the process of getting her licence at the moment! I killed a King Brown snake a little while ago! It's bloody early for them to be coming out of hibernation! The survival rate of a king brown bite is very low and they're very aggressive! My daughter in law has a Mossberg 410 pump! My Son carries a Redhawk and is going to load it up with snake shot!

 

https://palmettostatearmory.com/winchester-super-x-pump-defender-18-20ga-5rd-shotgun-512411695.html

https://palmettostatearmory.com/tokarev-usa-tx3-hammer-12-gauge-18-50-pump-action-shotgun-black-21000412.html

https://palmettostatearmory.com/mossberg-500-bantam-slugster-410-bore-20-pump-action-black.html

 

Rang my gun guy today to see what he had in the way of single barrel 410s for my grand daughter and was rewarded with... My son have I got a deal for you!!!! At this point I knew it was what I wanted and that I was going to pay too much for it! ( This is a running gag between us! He always looks after me price wise) His just got a side by side,' Boito' in ! For $200 it's mine and it's at cost ! I asked what condition it's in and apparently it's good to very good 😊 I transferred the funds and have got him to lodge the paperwork!

 

Managed to get down to port Augusta today! The.410 will suit the grand daughter down to the ground! Her licence has just come through and so we changed the paperwork over so she will register it in her name!

 

When I was in high school (a loooogn time ago) I had a 5 shot Mosburg bolt action that i carried to school on the bus and then hunted my way home. It was full choke 3in and accounted for many rabbits and a few ringnecks. It was useful for deer or predators that required slugs also. Don't recall the model? You could probably find one.

 

Sounds like Mossberg's bolt action Goose gun! Except they were offered in 12 guage! Tell me did your 410 have a unbelievably long barrel?

 

Yeah sounds like a adjustable choke! A lot of Mossbergs came with them fitted

 

If a 20ga is too much and a .410 not enough, you might want to look at .28ga. It slots right in the middle of the two.

 

Seems I've started something with.410s around here! My sister has got me to order her a Boito' sxs 410 to replace their old Stevens single barrel!