Best home defense shotgun?

Shotgun? Does this count?

Uh no.

NOHOME wrote: Does it really matter? Is it going to become a subject for debate with the person on the other end? If I was convinced a burglar was in the house, I would just chamber the round...the sound is pretty much the universal call sign to a burglar to depart for easier pickings. If still in doubt, a round through the nearest chunk of drywall (cheaper repair than a door) and I am sure that the individual in question would be looking for a way out. The problem with shooting the SOB is that you are left with a big old mess in the living room. I don't know about your old lady, but mine has a fit if she sees a water stain from a glass, brain matter on the living room wall wall is bound to piss her off to no end. So, unless one of these implements actually does a clean job of vaporizing the perp, it ain't gonna matter.

Ugh, so much incorrect ideals.... I prefer stealth over giving away my position. Its also why I refuse to use a laser or flashlight. Otherwise, No warning shots ever, no shooting through barriers, no shooting while they are fleeing, no moving the bodies, etc. Armed or not doesn't matter, if they're percieved as a threat, and there is no retreat, take em down.

rebelgtp wrote: In reply to Fueled by Caffeine: Yeah home defense is all about close quarters and a shotgun is a close quarters weapon where as an AR is medium to long range, granted yes they are at time used as close quarters. I would still rather have a pump over a double barrel.

My home defense choice is the m1 carbine, so a close to medium range weapon. As a trap shooter, I refuse to own a shorter barrel shotgun......just like I refuse to own a pump that isn't a Winchester 97.

In reply to yamaha: +1. The first thing that gives away your position to an intruder should be a fist-sized chunk of their chest exiting thru a gaping hole in their back.

Dunno if it's been mentioned as yet, but I'm pretty sure you NEED a Saiga 12.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saiga-12

rebelgtp wrote:

Kenny_McCormic wrote:

stanger_missle wrote: What about "managed recoil" shells? Are they a gimmick or do they actually make a difference? This thread is relevant to my interests.

Never tried em, if you genuinely cant handle a 12 gauge, and most people can if they hold it correctly, you might look into it. Personally I figure in such a situation recoil and noise is of minimal concern.

My wife is 5'1", a light weight and she can shoulder fire her 12 gauge with no problems using full power loads. At this point unless you have something medically wrong with you is when I would suggest "man up".

No offense but I dislike this point of view. If you give someone who is sensitive to recoil or never shot before a 12ga loaded with 3" buck and have them shoot it the recoil is going to suprise and hurt them. The effect is going to be that they never want to shoot that gun again and will never be proficient at using it. In a situation where the weapon is needed it will now be useless.

I've used reduced recoil rounds out of an 870 and a 500 they perform as advertised. I also bought a 20ga Mossberg 500 for my house. At 10 to 15 yards the energy of an ounce+ of #3 buck isn't going to dissipate enough to make a big difference in the trauma it'll cause. SWMBO is much more comfortable with it than my 870 because it's around 60% of the recoil so she can shoot it more often. Plus it makes a good dove gun.

In reply to 1988RedT2:

Not at this point in time......they're inflated in price thanks to the current administration's inconsequential sanction against Kalashnikov.

In reply to The0retical:

You shouldn't be shooting 3" magnum shells if you even think recoil is an issue though....pretty much all 12ga 2 3/4" defense ammo(00 or 000 buckshot) will be a high brass shell with a little more punch than your typical 2 3/4" #7-9 bird shot that isn't high brass.

In reply to The0retical: You shouldn't be shooting 3" magnum shells if you even think recoil is an issue though....pretty much all 12ga 2 3/4" defense ammo(00 or 000 buckshot) will be a high brass shell with a little more punch than your typical 2 3/4" #7-9 bird shot that isn't high brass.

Indeed but the man up attitude a lot of people have usually (but not always) involves surprising an inexperienced shooter with hot loads or allowing them to do something stupid like weld their eye to a scope on a rifle.

I'm just suggesting that the best defensive shotgun is the one that you are comfortable with and will shoot on a regular basis to maintain proficiency.

A .410 works well too with the shells that have several brass plates in them. Its not all about the caliber.

The0retical wrote: I'm just suggesting that the gun is the one that you are comfortable with and will shoot on a regular basis to maintain proficiency.

FTFY

Will wrote: In reply to NOHOME: A gun is a lethal weapon. Don't pull it unless you're prepared to do something lethal with it.

OK, weird gun question time:

Can the police get in trouble for brandishing? Clearly they have a bit of a different standard, but it also seems like some are also clearly using the gun for intimidation.

e.g. :

I heard a military guy note that even the military does not do this. He said they are trained to hold their weapons pointed down until they are prepared to shot.

(please do note what is written on the mailbox )

Not trying to derail. You guys just seem to be a good source for this sort of info and you are kind of talking about it anyway.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

The0retical wrote: I'm just suggesting that the gun is the one that you are comfortable with and will shoot on a regular basis to maintain proficiency.

FTFY

QFT, its I chose my m1 carbine.

In reply to aircooled:

Over zealousness most likely in that case. When I worked at the prison, usually our worst shots were the ones doing this same thing during training. Most did it due to a lack of muscle memory.

yamaha wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote:

The0retical wrote: I'm just suggesting that the gun is the one that you are comfortable with and will shoot on a regular basis to maintain proficiency.

FTFY

QFT, its I chose my m1 carbine.

I choose my 1911 then the M1A since they might still be a danger to my neighbors while they are "running away" rather than fleeing.

I love you Florida.

aircooled wrote:

Will wrote: In reply to NOHOME: A gun is a lethal weapon. Don't pull it unless you're prepared to do something lethal with it.

OK, weird gun question time: Can the police get in trouble for brandishing? Clearly they have a bit of a different standard, but it also seems like some are also clearly using the gun for intimidation. e.g. : I heard a military guy note that even the military does not do this. He said they are trained to hold their weapons pointed down until they are prepared to shot. (please do not what is written on the mailbox ) Not trying to derail. You guys just seem to be a good source for this sort of info and you are kind of talking about it anyway.

It's rare, but yes. While police do get a lot more leeway than civilians for pointing their weapons at people, there was one cop in Ferguson, I believe, who was allowed to resign after pointing his AR at a group of unarmed protestors.

Is that the one that pointed his rifle at the protestors and threatened to kill them? Yeah, serving and protecting there. I bet he gets a new job shortly, if he hasn't already, as a cop in some other city. Hell, there's a guy who was a cop here who was convicted of manslaughter, I think, of an unarmed citizen. He did a year or so for that and is now chief of police in some little bumfuq town within an hour of here. Go figger.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

He couldn't if convicted of a felony.....

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Yes, that's the guy.

Yamaha, I think he said he was really sorry he killed that guy, so that's why they let him be a chief of police after that. I wish I was making this E36 M3 up. Just don't be speeding through Podunk Arkansas if the Chief of Police is on speed trap duty.

in other news, I really would like an M1 carbine.

yamaha wrote: just like I refuse to own a pump that isn't a Winchester 97.

I was at a yard sale and found one for sale it was even a 12 ga...Sadly my wife was with me and I could not make a deal on it.

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

That is actually my wife's preferred SHTF gun these days. That is actually why I never got my PTR 91 is because I used the money I had for that to buy her an M1 Carbine that she fell in love with at the local gun shop. Thankfully the shop owner sets aside all .30 Carbine ammo for me so I got her a decent supply of ammo for it.

In reply to The0retical:

There is a difference in full power standard loads (2 3/4) vs 3 inch Magnums you do realize that right?

Also anyone that sits there and hands someone that is inexperienced a weapon they are not ready for is an idiot. Look at the trainer that gave a little girl a full auto and got himself killed as an example.

Now then someone that goes out shooting with me I will let them shoot any damn thing that they want of mine. If I feel they need instruction I give it to them. First thing on something with big recoil is how to PROPERLY seat the butt of a rifle against your shoulder so you are not getting hurt and not losing control of the weapon. Many people freak themselves out to the point that they are "recoil sensitive". I can't tell you how many people are scared to fire my Mosin because they have heard they kick like a mule and leave you bruised and battered. 9/10 I convince them to give it a try and they end up saying it was no where near as bad as they thought it was going to be. Same thing for shooting my .45-70. Yeah for someone that is tiny shooting big caliber magnums and the like is more than likely not a good idea but most standard rounds are easily tamed by using proper methods.

Would I hand my wife my .300 Win Mag or a .338 Lapua Mag? HELL NO. Most of the guys I shoot with have issues with those guns and yeah they have recoil to spare as do those that are larger. Before I had anyone shoot somthing like that I would be making sure they were ready and giving them special instruction. Same goes for my 535 loaded with 3.5 inch Magnums. That is a world apart from a 2 3/4 inch standard load of 00 buck

In reply to rebelgtp:

I'm not trying to be an shiny happy person, I do actually own an M44 and a 1895 chambered .450 in addition to everything else. I'm just pointing out that you get nearly the same stopping power in smaller gauge shotguns without the recoil of a 12ga.

I'm also not suggesting that you would do something like surprising an inexperienced shooter with 3" shells. However someone doesn't like the kick of a 12 ga why not get a 20 ga gun with a fat recoil pad? It comes down to user comfort and not being scared of the weapon so they can be proficient. I did read your first post where you said to practice, just really referencing the aversion to reduced recoil shells.

It also helps to get people who have never shot before interested without beating the snot out of them (since all they help in the world doesn't always get the butt seated correctly) so they do keep coming back to shoot. In my mind the more people interested in shooting or hunting makes the case stronger for less draconian gun laws because they understand guns.

Wait, is the OP located in someplace dangerous like Syria or Missouri? Then perhaps you need two AA-12s.

In reply to pinchvalve:

It is greatly unfortunate that the government won't allow us peons to have AA-12's.......because I want one, and a glock 18, and a f/a Kriss SuperV

Well I'm a little late to chime in hear, but I like my Mossberg 500 that I bought used for $150 a couple years ago. Bought an 18" barrel for it. Nice an short and dead reliable. I live on the East side in Milwaukee and have this for presumably the same reason you are looking for one.

In reply to toad9977:

At least the slide release is in the right spot on those(unlike the 870).....