Posted on 09/25/2015 8:38:43 AM PDT by rktman
The shotgun has been a ubiquitous home-defense tool for decades. There’s just something about that train-tunnel bore and the unmistakable sound of a pump shotgun being racked that inspires a sense of security. However, more and more, it seems as though the defensive shotgun is losing favor. Between the vast array of quality handguns that allow for protection both inside and outside the home and the AR-platform rifles that are cheaper than ever, endlessly customizeable, and available in nearly every modern caliber under the sun, it becomes harder and harder to justify the harsh recoil and comparatively clunky operation of a shotgun. So, is there really still a place for the defensive shotgun in today’s age of high capacity wonder-pistols and space-age carbines? I think so, and here’s why.
(Excerpt) Read more at luckygunner.com ...
I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
Speaking as a non expert owner of a Savage 350 pump with interchangeable barrels, it is more than just relevant. It’s a damn good show stopper.
AFAIK the military still uses them, as do the police. My daughter was in the top of her class in the academy in the shotgun portion.
Assuming you are 100% accurate with center mass shots with your handgun (unlikely), it’s been shown many times that the bad guy can just keep coming after multiple hits. I’ve not seen one story of a single 00 buckshot hit at 12 feet that didn’t do the job. #4 Buckshot is supposed to be good because the pellets are still substantial and the odds of hitting a vital organ are excellent.
The bad guy may believe that he is not automatically going to die from a handgun (Hollywood culture), but even the dumbest of the dumb knows they are dead in the water when a shotgun is pointing at them.
>> I don’t know about you but ‘racking’ a round is pure Hollywood nonsense
What makes you think it’s to scare the intruder? When I rack mine, I can feel my OWN spine stiffen. Sometimes I even get a little wood. :-)
>> I would rather be that silent dog that has a viscous bite
Then you, my friend, need a semiauto! May I suggest a Mossberg 930SX. (SPX if you like that pistol grip; I don’t care for it.)
Benelli Nova with 3.5” BB rounds in it put out 93 BBs at 1430fps per trigger pull. I’ll stay with that.
>> 93 BBs at 1430fps
“You could put somebody’s eye out!”
I am a cheap SOB, so I have had to add to my arsenal slowly.
Started with a Stoeger 12 gauge shotgun with stock and pistol grip.
Added a Ruger 10/22 Takedown for when we go camping and hiking.
Bought a S&W Governor hand cannon for security at the office. Got the wife a Ruger 38 revolver for herself at the same time.
Got a Hi-Point 45 carbine with laser site for Christmas last year.
I think I pretty much have the bases covered. Maybe a Glock G43 just to round things off.
Of my three working shotguns, one is a fixed-barrel Winchester M97 and my Mouseburger 500 is not arranged for quick replacement, nor do I have a second barrel for it. My 870 is a Special Field model which isn't interchangable with the millions of *ordinary* 870s out there, so that's not a big consideration for me either.
On the other hand, the feature can be handy for maintenance, especially for cleaning the barrel of melted plastic from plastic wads, especially after 100 round-plus range sessions. I've still not worked up a semiauto shotgun in the configuration I want, with the features I want. My next attempt will likely be either a Saiga or a Mossburg semiauto, but we will see.
Just picked up my first shotgun since my dad bought me a single shot CIL when i was 14.
Purchased a Benelli Nova Tactical, very nice little gun.
It's the next best thing to the distinctive *pop!* of a flamethrower ignitor cartridge going to work.
Happilly, there are a LOT of folks prowling around in the dark who haven't got a clue what that sound is, though they're at least generally familiar with the sound of a shotgun getting one run up the pipe. And I just LOVE to surprise such trolls.
“I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.”
Another reason I have a plain wood stocked Winchester pump for home defense. I do not want a prosecuting attorney waving an “evil looking assault weapon” under the jury’s nose. The more it looks like grandpa’s bird gun the better.
Maybe the Judge?
It’ sure is relevant when you are staring down the barrel of one.
45 ACP 500 ft-lb on a good day
12 gauge 3,000 ft-lb
In my home, I like the idea of responding in a manner that will solve the problem, without the level of over-penetration that a rifle (whether .223 or .308) might bring to bear. I like pistols for their maneuverability, but defending your bedroom with a 12 gauge strikes me as the best option in a bad situation.
The dukhai were also not real fond of the Gurkha security folks who liked to carry shotguns, particularly at night. Not only were they real good about letting fly with the shotguns, but afterwards if there was anything left, the guys would take care of it with their knives.
How about we attach an amplifier to the piece to raise the audio up a few db when you rack the slide? LOL!
Concerning self defense? It's hard to beat that ominous "KA CHINK" sound when you pump a round into the cylinder.
In truth, however, my cocked, locked and ready to rock Glock 19 with tac light is my bedside gun.
>> #4 Buckshot is supposed to be good because the pellets are still substantial and the odds of hitting a vital organ are excellent.
In my humble opinion — a round or two of even #7 or #8 *game load* delivered by a 12 ga shotgun across a bedroom or down a hall or up a staircase would work wonders to discourage an intruder. And they’re dirt cheap and readily available, even during ammunition droughts.
No matter how you size it, an ounce or so of lead delivered at 1200fps from twenty feet away makes for a serious impediment to forward progress.
Someone breaking in to your home should never hear the slide being racked. The shotgun should have been loaded with a round chambered.
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