Top Home Defense Shotguns

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 3/5/2018 | J Hines

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I have a nice, late 1940s Browning Auto-5 with a 32 inch barrel...

[Disambiguator]

The controls on the Mossbergs are placed more ergonomically than the 870, but some people prefer the steel receiver of the 870. At the end of the day it’s a Ford/Chevy choice.

[MCF]

Nice trap gun but, not a very good “inside the house gun”. An 18” barrel Ithaca 37 is a very good gun. It is light and ejects out the bottom so it works well right or left handed. 2-3/4” #4 buckshot is a good load

[PubliusMM]

Love my Mossberg 500, 18” bbl, with Pachmyr Vindicator kit.
Right size, 12ga, running alternating 00 and deer slug.
It’ll do the trick.

[Chode]

i'll stick with my M-37 M&P

[DarthVader]

Mossberg 590A1 Tactical Persuader 12 gauge.

[Dusty Road]

I have the 18 inch 5 shot and the 20 inch 8 shot. Served us well in combat many times and over many years.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The old A-5 is a real sky blaster goose gun and heavy too.
It has the round knob on the stock which I'm told makes it desirable.

[Moonman62]

How do you get your hearing back after firing one of these indoors without hearing protection?

[sageburn]

Stoeger Coach. Short, double barreled, 3” Magnum #4 buck.

[S.O.S121.500]

How do you get your hearing back after firing one of these indoors without hearing protection?
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
You don’t. Not all of it.....

[Chode]

lose a little hearing or lose you life, your call

[DCBryan1]

Benelli M1 14" SBS with No4.....when you have to get rounds off QUICK.

[Moonman62]

lose a little hearing or lose you life, your call

...

So nobody has ever defended themselves with something less than a shotgun?

[DCBryan1]

Ha..anyone that’s been in a gunfight has so much adrenaline going that they sometimes don’t hear the gunshots. Auditory exclusion, tunnel vision, shitting your pants (unloading ballast), are all natural reactions. I’m not worried about my ears if their is a goblin in my front sight picture.

[Chode]

for a goodly portion of the population, legally owning a pistol is out of the question let alone getting good using one

a shotty is prolly their only and best chance at home defense for little training and higher first round hit probability

personally i prefer a pistol as primary but have you ever heard a pistol fired indoors? believe me, it's LOUD!!!

[Chode]

100%

[ctdonath2]

That’s why I have an 11.5” AR15 - to mount a suppressor without overall length being unwieldy.

I get the “your hearing or your life” sentiment, but with some planning you can actually retain both.

(And my other concern with shotguns is limited capacity: 8+1 is a lot & effective, yes, but 30+ staves off the brick-wall effect of capacity much longer. Shotguns punch harder, but despite “can’t miss” rhetoric they can miss.)

[Georgia Girl 2]

Our Mossberg 500 tactical works just fine. :-)