For home protection? 12 gauge pump-action shotgun, loaded and in the corner or behind the bedroom door. Nothing sends a chill down an intruder’s spine like the distinctive sound of a pump. And you don’t have to be particularly accurate - just point and shoot.
Do you know how much spread there is to a 12 gage w/#8 shot or #4 shot at say forty feet down to twenty feet? Aiming is still required (for which lasers are an excellent addition). And as to the sound of racking a round, well, that only serves to alert an armed intruder.
“For home protection? 12 gauge pump-action shotgun, loaded and in the corner or behind the bedroom door. Nothing sends a chill down an intruder’s spine like the distinctive sound of a pump. And you don’t have to be particularly accurate - just point and shoot.”
The sound of racking the slide alerts the perp to your location and the fact that you are aware of his presence. At close range the pellets are in a tight bunch, so you still need to aim. A red dot sight would help with speed and accuracy. I recommend a Mossberg 930 SPX.
I keep seeing this repeated over and over again, and it doesn't square with my experience. I was surprised at just how small a pattern my cylinder bore (no choke) 12 gauge produced with buckshot. For home defense we're talking very short distances and the shot just does not spread out that quickly. And even if it did, the pattern density would be low with only a few pellets producing wounds.
"Don't have to aim a shotgun" is wrong, and may get the wrong person killed. A home defense shotgun needs sights and the owner needs to practice using them.
>>And you don’t have to be particularly accurate - just point and shoot.
BuckeyeTexan, please see the link below.
The Box O’ Truth #3 - The Shotgun Meets the Box O’ Truth
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm
In particular pay attention to Lessons Learned #2 and #4.
You've never heard that little pop! that the igniter cartridge for an M2A1-7 flamethrower makes just before it ignites the pressurized fuel stream, have you. MUCH worse than Mr Shotgun going clickety-clack down the track, I assure you!
And if it doesn't exactly send a chill down Mr. intruder's spine, it'll at least warm his heart. Also his toes, hair eyes, ears, nose and throat and everything else. I just LOVE surprises, and I hope he or she does too....
Oh, particularly accurate? hahahahahahahaha....