Posted on 11/06/2014 3:36:54 AM PST by wyowolf
I have a Benelli SN that I use for regular hunting/trap duties. Was thinking about a home defense shotgun. Would It make more sense to buy a different gun? M500? 870? or just buy a shorter barrel for the SN?
I also have 2 45s and a Marlin 30/30 and a Win 7mmMag but I think the wife would be more comfortable with an easy to use Shotgun...
I liked the 500, the Win spx was ok.. but the safety was too far. havent tried any others yet... just thought I would get some opinions... Mod the Benelli or new??
I think he’s talking about a pistol grip only, and I agree. A pistol grip with a full sized stock is fine.
Have you considered a Judge?
Yes was thinking of a 20 also
Swapping barrels - may come a time when for whatever reason you forgot to swap barrels just when you need the shorter barrel most.
Different needs, different tools.
Best to get what your wife is comfortable with and train with that. Eliminate the possible confusion under stress.
My two cents.
You don’t have to have a pistol grip on a shotgun for home defense. A shotgun with a short barrel is the ticket. If you don’t want to just get a short barrel for the Benelli, I’d suggest a Mossberg 500. If the wife has no trouble with a 12 gauge recoil, get a 12. If she(or you) likes a 20 gauge better, that will do the trick too. I wouldn’t worry too much about a silencer, either, I’ve fired a short barrel shotgun inside a small dirt floor barn a number of times and unless you do it all the time, about the most you will experience is a slight ringing in your ears for a minute. If you are having to use a self defense shotgun indoors often enough to ruin your hearing, you are living in the wrong neighborhood....IMHO They will pretty much all work, the short barrel being the most important asset for a gun to be used in tight spaces. I kept a short double barrel shotgun by my bed for many years.
the ones I saw in Cabelas were the reg stock w Pistol Grip.. but i have seen the pistol only kind..
yes have a couple of those already!! esp the 7Mag! ouch!
Gunbroker.com
Remington 870 magnum 3”
18 1/2” barrel
Synthetic stock
$299
I have a 3,round mag extension on mine. $40
Agree with no pistol grip. It limits handling in close quarters. Keep your home defense gun a dedicated weapon.
Try to keep low level lighting in your house at night as flashlights, as do tracers, work both ways.
yes it needs to be shorter for easy handling... not anything fancy, just shorter and always goes bang.
I’d like to check one of these out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQj7FhmX2N8#t=27
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3zK-MelXY4
Have you considered pistol? I prefer 45 Kimber with tritium sights. Very easy to bring to bear quickly, and I’d argue that 230 grains will stop any intruder.
I have two 45s, a Sig and a Dan Wesson. But I think the wife would find it easier to use a shotgun should the need arise.. and other people are in other parts of the house.
where we live and with a dog this is probably an over reaction a bit. but better safe than sorry should it come to that...
I thought about using the 30/30 but because of other people in the house decided against it.
If you haven't yet figured that out, go no further before you have been instructed by a professional in defensive use of firearms.
Seriously.
As a caveat, for personal defense, most folks are better off with a pump. If your wife is potentially a user, depending on her size and weapons experience a .20 is easier to practice and be comfortable with. That being said, in a real world defensive use, no one recalls the recoil or the sound. Thats all felt in training on the range. Whatever you decide...they all go bang... Play with it at the gun store and be sure you’re comfortable with the safety location action and handling. If you ever use it, there will be adrenalin moving and everything falls to muscle memory and prior practice. My 500 is not as smooth as the 870’s we had in law enforcement. They all do the job, just make sure you and your wife are comfortable with the weapon system.
I love my Judge.
Go with what you're good with and practice as much as you can.
Tactical and home defense aren't mutually exclusive terms, but they are not necessarily compatible, either. In my experience, simple is best, but I took the long - and pointlessly expensive - route to that conclusion. My HD shotty might get some mythical "cool card" revoked, but it is easy to use, isn't unecessarily bulky and isn't going to snag every knob and cord in the house, nor tire me out just holding it.
One size doesn't fit all in almost everything shotgun. Leaving pistol grip ONLY shotguns aside, a stock with a pistol grip is fine for many people, while a conventional stock works better for others- and that's not even considering where the safety is on any particular gun. There's no substitute for actually handling a gun configured similarly to what you are considering.
I would advise only in broad generalities: a 12 gauge if everyone can handle low-recoil loadings, a 20 gauge if they can't; the shortest barrel you can legally get/use (usually just over 18"); a minimum of five rounds in the magazine (which may require an extension); a stock that fits everyone who may use the gun well enough to call it good (it often needs to be cut slightly shorter or be a "youth" stock); and, finally, buy the best gun you can afford/justify, because there are no free lunches.
Mr. niteowl77
I love my Judge, too. :-)
I mean, I DID love my Judge until the tragic and untimely boating accident. -_-
(but maybe not for the wife if she has weaker musclature)
I hear where you’re coming from. I have kids elsewhere in the house. We also have a black and tan coonhound. Right now I’m in town, but usually I’ve had acreages in the sticks.
You’re right to take precautions. I know I sleep better being prepared.
If you’re insisting on a shotgun, I would go 12 gauge with 18 barrel and a 7 or 8 round tube. Throw some tritium sights on it so you can get target acquisition even in the dark. I always go with 00 buck.
You’d have to take your wife to the range and see what she’s comfortable handling. Just keep in the back of your mind that if it’s needed, then it needs to drop the target. I’m a former soldier and I know what 00 buck does in close quarters. It’s devastating.
That being said, I wouldn’t limit a weapon to one area. It’s always a good idea to have a few placements.
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