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 ...
870 tactical with tube extender and lower recoil loads is a great home defense firearm.
Hard to argue against if you ask me.
Sorry...ARs are so much more fun!
I’ve got an AR but also have a Mossberg 500. It’s a great gun and hard to go wrong with one for home defense.
There is nothing that beats the shotgun in utility, so yes still relevant
Loaded with 8 shot so I do not shoot through any walls. An AR type weapon in the house begs for collateral damage. Shotgun or handgun.
Every weapon has its niche.
Absolutely; the shotgun is one of the most versatile firearms in existence. With it one can take game large and small, and also defend the home with great efficiency.
Still got mine!
I’d certainly prefer the .12 gague over an AR for indoors work. One can make the argument, however, that a handgun is better indoors than either because it more mobile and easier to maneuver in narrow hallways and doorways. I’d still go with a .12 gauge loaded with alternating slug/buckshot rounds. The buckshot slows them down and the slug finishes them off.
The shotgun may be clunky, but if you have ever heard the distinctive sound of a pump-action shotgun being loaded in the dark, that in itself is a deterrent for someone being where they should not in the middle of the night.
Remington 870.... for when things go bump in the night.
I don’t know about you but ‘racking’ a round is pure Hollywood nonsense - a medium that relies on audio and visual to build drama. I would rather be that silent dog that has a viscous bite rather than the menacing bark and growling ...clicking off a safety is all the noise drama I intend to employ. So for home defense a one shot blast of 00 buck is probably the most effective bang for the buck.
I remember hearing that during WW1, the Germans had a bounty on any soldier carrying a Winchester M97.
I worked in Baghdad from ‘07 to ‘12. the Iraqi’s were scared sh*tless of the 870’s we would carry into the venues. Which is precisely why we carried them. Some venues, they wouldn’t let us in if we had one.
As a cop, I learned that there is no more universal sound that the racking of a pump shotgun.
So, while having an M4, tricked out to look like it came out of the armory from CIA’s Ground Branch or Delta Force, with all those bullets, there’s nothing more intimidating and easier to use than an good ol’ fashion shotgun.
My 2 cents
I prefer long guns.
>> So, is there really still a place for the defensive shotgun
Oh, HAIL yeah! Certainly out in the country. A shotgun is not merely an excellent tool for social work; there are multiple day-to-day applications in the animal husbandry field as well.
(But who says you can’t have both a shotgun and a 5.56 rifle? Let’s not argue about it, y’all; let’s head over to the gun shop!)
Hard to miss with a Mossberg Close Quarters Tactical 12 gauge. I’ll keep mine. I like it just fine thank you.
The finishing them off part, while gratifying, gets you locked up for defending yourself.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.