June 2026 Recap

On Saturday, June 20, 2026, I taught Defensive Shotgun to three students at Darke County Fish and Game.  All brought a shotgun chambered in 12 gauge.  Guns in attendance were a Vang Comp Remington 870, EAA Churchill, and a Beretta A300.  I demonstrated drills with my LTT Beretta 1301, the shotgun that I have chosen to teach all of the 2026 shotgun classes with.  All ran fine, except for the EAA Churchill.  This is an 870-knockoff made in Turkey.  This shotgun did not want to release the shell in the magazine tube at times, causing the shotgun to chamber thin air instead of the next shell.  The shell stop was the culprit.  It worked, but only when it wanted to.  Because of this, I recommend serious students stay away from purchasing the EAA Churchill.  What I do recommend without reservation, is the Beretta A300.  It ran reliably all day and only had slightly more recoil than my 1301.  When you don’t want to pay the high price of admission for a 1301, the A300 is your answer.  All students earned their certificates, passing the OPOTA Buckshot Qualification on their first attempt. 

Well done, gang.   

Our Three Defensive Shotgun Students pose next to their targets.