SXP Extreme Defender: New Owner Review
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:00 am
Hey all,
New member here. My wife got me a shotgun for our anniversary and I had been kicking around the whether to buy an 870 tactical and mod it out or buy the SXP ED which already had most of what I wanted on it and just purchase a few peripheral mods for it (tac. light, nice looking foregrip possibly quad rail with a fore pistol grip, etc.) When I ran the numbers on the mods for the 870 it seemed like a much more economical buy to get the SXP. So I did. I stripped and cleaned the packing goop off of it and hit the usual oil spots after installing the barrel during the snow storm, wishing it was nicer outside so I could put it through the paces. After a week of 5-20 degree highs I finally broke down, donned the coveralls, and made some noise today.
Magazine Capacity
I was pleasantly surprised that despite the manufacturer's specifications of a 4+1 capacity, I was actually able to load 5+1 using 2 3/4" 00 buckshot rounds, the rounds I would be loading for home defense anyway. I've seen a lot of posts asking about mag extensions, here and elsewhere, so let me hit that briefly. I have done some research just to see if there was anything available for a quick plug and play extension for this weapon. The short answer is no, there isn't. The magazine has to be modified itself to be extended and even then the extension would have to be from a different manufacturer. That being said I'm of the ilk that if you need more than the 5-6 rounds the weapon holds standard to stop a threat, you're probably in need of something besides a shotgun. If you want higher capacity for looks, fun, or you're just too lazy to reload while target practicing then you can certainly spend the cash and time to add a few extra shots, but for practicality sake this weapon is perfect as is from the factory.
Handling
The SXP ED comes with a factory installed ATI buttstock including rear pistol grip, ghost ring sights with the rear sight mounted just behind a picatinny rail, 2 front picatinny rails for lights, etc. just forward of the foregrip, and a composite foregrip.
If I had one gripe about the factory setup of this weapon it would be the factory ATI furniture which is not adjustable. An adapter can be purchased from ATI to make it adjustable, which seems like a way for Win. to sell cool looking shotguns and ATI to make some money on the back end for the adapter kit that honestly should have been factory installed and sold as a package at a slightly higher MSRP, but not full price for a plunger pin, spring, and lever. That being said, I have never shot a 12 gauge shotgun that handles recoil the way this one does and a great percentage of that can be attributed to the ATI recoil pad.
The ghost ring sights made it easy to acquire targets quickly, and let's face it they just look cool. If you're used to shooting iron sights on rifles you will love these.
The gun fired and cycled virtually flawlessly. I was able to empty 6 rounds on target at roughly 35' in just under 6 seconds after only firing 5 previous rounds from it. I say this because the revolving bolt assists in reload time but it does take a bit of getting used to if you're used to a straight rack shotgun. With a little practice I would put the action on this weapon as one of the fastest I've shot in a pump gun. I will note that it did have a bit of a hiccup shooting 2 3/4" 7.5 target load with low brass causing me to double rack between shots, but that very well could have been operator error while I was getting used to the action on the gun. Overall I would say this gun shoots and cycles as well as or better than most, and exceptionally for the price.
Overall I would give the SXP Extreme Defender a 4.5 out of 5 based on looks, price, and how the gun shoots and handles from the factory and a possible full 5/5 with a few minor mods. For first time shotgun purchasers/shooters looking for a reliable home defense weapon, or just a fun gun at the range I would definitely recommend this one. The low recoil (even shooting 00 buckshot) was easily handled by even my mother, who offered to buy ammo the next time I take it out if she can shoot it again, makes it a great home defense weapon for anyone who might pick it up should the need arise. I hope this review has been informative and helpful for anyone thinking about buying the SXP ED. My apologies for the lengthy post!
-Joe
New member here. My wife got me a shotgun for our anniversary and I had been kicking around the whether to buy an 870 tactical and mod it out or buy the SXP ED which already had most of what I wanted on it and just purchase a few peripheral mods for it (tac. light, nice looking foregrip possibly quad rail with a fore pistol grip, etc.) When I ran the numbers on the mods for the 870 it seemed like a much more economical buy to get the SXP. So I did. I stripped and cleaned the packing goop off of it and hit the usual oil spots after installing the barrel during the snow storm, wishing it was nicer outside so I could put it through the paces. After a week of 5-20 degree highs I finally broke down, donned the coveralls, and made some noise today.
Magazine Capacity
I was pleasantly surprised that despite the manufacturer's specifications of a 4+1 capacity, I was actually able to load 5+1 using 2 3/4" 00 buckshot rounds, the rounds I would be loading for home defense anyway. I've seen a lot of posts asking about mag extensions, here and elsewhere, so let me hit that briefly. I have done some research just to see if there was anything available for a quick plug and play extension for this weapon. The short answer is no, there isn't. The magazine has to be modified itself to be extended and even then the extension would have to be from a different manufacturer. That being said I'm of the ilk that if you need more than the 5-6 rounds the weapon holds standard to stop a threat, you're probably in need of something besides a shotgun. If you want higher capacity for looks, fun, or you're just too lazy to reload while target practicing then you can certainly spend the cash and time to add a few extra shots, but for practicality sake this weapon is perfect as is from the factory.
Handling
The SXP ED comes with a factory installed ATI buttstock including rear pistol grip, ghost ring sights with the rear sight mounted just behind a picatinny rail, 2 front picatinny rails for lights, etc. just forward of the foregrip, and a composite foregrip.
If I had one gripe about the factory setup of this weapon it would be the factory ATI furniture which is not adjustable. An adapter can be purchased from ATI to make it adjustable, which seems like a way for Win. to sell cool looking shotguns and ATI to make some money on the back end for the adapter kit that honestly should have been factory installed and sold as a package at a slightly higher MSRP, but not full price for a plunger pin, spring, and lever. That being said, I have never shot a 12 gauge shotgun that handles recoil the way this one does and a great percentage of that can be attributed to the ATI recoil pad.
The ghost ring sights made it easy to acquire targets quickly, and let's face it they just look cool. If you're used to shooting iron sights on rifles you will love these.
The gun fired and cycled virtually flawlessly. I was able to empty 6 rounds on target at roughly 35' in just under 6 seconds after only firing 5 previous rounds from it. I say this because the revolving bolt assists in reload time but it does take a bit of getting used to if you're used to a straight rack shotgun. With a little practice I would put the action on this weapon as one of the fastest I've shot in a pump gun. I will note that it did have a bit of a hiccup shooting 2 3/4" 7.5 target load with low brass causing me to double rack between shots, but that very well could have been operator error while I was getting used to the action on the gun. Overall I would say this gun shoots and cycles as well as or better than most, and exceptionally for the price.
Overall I would give the SXP Extreme Defender a 4.5 out of 5 based on looks, price, and how the gun shoots and handles from the factory and a possible full 5/5 with a few minor mods. For first time shotgun purchasers/shooters looking for a reliable home defense weapon, or just a fun gun at the range I would definitely recommend this one. The low recoil (even shooting 00 buckshot) was easily handled by even my mother, who offered to buy ammo the next time I take it out if she can shoot it again, makes it a great home defense weapon for anyone who might pick it up should the need arise. I hope this review has been informative and helpful for anyone thinking about buying the SXP ED. My apologies for the lengthy post!
-Joe