Savage is not the first name in defensive shotgun, but they may have gotten in the last word.
Savage probably isn’t the first manufacturer you think of when you’re thinking of buying a defensive shotgun. Sure, they’re known for making affordably-priced bolt-action rifles which punch way above their weight class and yes, their pistols are pretty nice as well, but shotguns, specifically semi-automatic tactical shotguns with all the bells and whistles you’d want?
Well, yes, actually.
There are certain features which I consider to be “must haves” for a top-flight defensive shotgun, which are rarely found on a hunting or sporting shotgun. Those types of scatterguns are used to blast flying objects out of the sky, be it birds or clays. This means that the gun should be set up for smooth, easy motion as you track your target through the air.
A defensive shotgun, on the other hand, needs to be set up for ground-based targets who will most likely be returning fire at you (something which rarely happens on a sporting clays range). As a result, a defensive shotgun should be set up for consistent, repeatable hits on a target that may or may not be moving. This means that it should have a shorter length of pull (the distance from the back of the buttstock to the trigger) than is found in most sporting or hunting shotguns. This shorter stock allows you to stand square to your target, much like you would with a rifle or a pistol, in order to soak up the recoil and keep the gun on-target.
The Savage Renegauge Security Shotgun Side Angle View
Let’s look at the features of the Renegauge Security, starting from the inside out. The heart of all the Renegauge shotguns is Savage’s D.R.I.V. (Dual Regulating Inline Valve) gas system, which gets rid of excessive exhaust gases before moving the bolt and cycling the action. This system is called other things by other manufacturers, but each has a common goal of increasing the reliability of the shotgun with whatever shells you may decide to use. Also, because the action uses a portion of the stuff getting tossed out of the bore of the gun to work the action and chamber a new round, the recoil on this gun is very easy compared to a pump-action shotgun. As far as reliability goes, I shot 200 or so shells from my leftovers box, you know, the box that gathers up all the rounds left over from other tests, which contained everything from light target loads to full-power slugs, and my test gun handled all of them with ease.
The barrel of the Renegauge Security is 18.5 inches long and has Benelli-style chokes on the front. There is a fiber optic front sight which is protected from damage by a pair of built-in wings, and at the rear, there is a ghost ring sight. The top of the receiver is milled for an optic or an accessory rail. Underneath the barrel at the end of the magazine tube there are short sections of M-Lok slots on either side of the gun, ideal for mounting a light, laser, or other accessory to the gun.
The barrel of the Renegauge Security is 18.5 inches long and has Benelli-style chokes on the front
The Renegauge Security’s magazine capacity is well-suited to its role as a defensive shotgun. The six rounds in the tube and one in the chamber should settle just about any altercation in your favor, and the left side of the receiver is an ideal place to add an external shell holder if more ammo is needed. Speaking of loading ammo into this gun, the shell lifter is shaped for fast, worry-free loading, and the magazine port is oversized for the very same reason.
Things can get a bit weird in the heat of battle, so the controls on the Renegauge are all oversized for ease of use when you absolutely must get it right the first time, every time. The charging handle is large and has aggressive knurling for an easy grip, and the carrier release button is similarly sized. The shotguns in the Renegauge line all use cross-bolt safeties, with buttons that are found on the rear of the trigger guard. I am cross-eye dominant: I’m right-handed, but my left eye is my dominant eye. This means I prefer to shoot long guns left-handed, and cross-bolt safeties like this one are not my preferred option, but I can see how they’d be useful for right-handed shooters.
Comfortable for Left or Right-Handed Shooters
Now we’ve come to where the Renegauge Security really shines: The stock and foregrip. Savage has taken the time to create a stock system that can be customized to fit shooters of almost all shapes and sizes. The length of pull can be adjusted to fit spacers, as can the drop of the buttstock. The comb is also adjustable so you can get a good, consistent cheek weld, and the foregrip which surrounds the magazine tube is textured for a sure, steady grip.
On the range, the D.R.I.V. gas system really helped to soak up the recoil. I use the “push/pull” technique of managing shotgun recoil as taught by Rob Haught of Symtac Consulting. This method uses isometric tension between the firing and support hand to “float” the shotgun off your shoulder, ensuring that the initial recoil impulse will be absorbed by your arms, not transmitted via your shoulder to your entire body.
The shorter stock and secure grip texture of the Renegauge Security made this easy to accomplish, and I found myself getting hit after repeatable hits, with no wear and tear on my shoulder. The larger magazine port and oversized ejection port made reloads easy, a vital requirement in a fighting firearm that only holds six rounds in the magazine.
To test the effectiveness of the chokes, I installed the Improved Cylinder choke on the gun and fired two rounds of Hornady’s excellent 12 gauge defensive buckshot ammo at a target that was seven yards and fifteen yards away. All the pellets from both shots stayed within the confines of a USPSA target at both distances, which gives me confidence that I will have a reduced chance of a stray pellet going somewhere it shouldn’t if I needed to defend hearth and health with this gun. In addition to this, the Hornady round is a full-power defensive load and can beat me up when I shoot it from a pump-action shotgun. With the Renegauge, though, it was easy to keep round after round on-target with no ill effects on my shoulder.
Savage may be the first name you think of when you’re looking for a defensive shotgun, but the features of the Renegauge Security might just convince you to go no further and try it for yourself.
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