Home Defense Shotgun: Myths And Reality

[rangerrebew]

Home Defense Shotgun: Myths And Reality
Guns and Gear
Contributor
6:51 PM 10/14/2013
 
 

By Jacob Herman, GUNS Magazine

If you stand around a gun counter long enough, someone will walk in and ask the so-called “expert” behind the counter, “What is the best thing for home defense?” Without missing a beat the answer usually is, “buy yourself X brand of shotgun, you can’t miss.” At this point, I usually leave said store because I can’t stand hearing sewage like this spewed at uneducated buyers. I am in no way saying the shotgun is not a great home-defense weapon; it has been proven time and time again to be a great choice for home defense. What I am saying is the myth surrounding the shotgun, and the amount of cool-guy stuff you can hang off of one, has placed the venerable shotgun on a big white pedestal. A shotgun is one of the most versatile but hard-to-master firearms available. They are usually (with exception of NFA items) bulky, heavy, slow to reload and hold a laughable amount of ammo. In multi-gun competitions, which are held around the country, any experienced shooter will tell you this. Loading the shotgun is what makes or breaks you. The shotgun is not a magic talisman that will scare away an intruder, nor will the spread of the projectiles ensure you can’t miss.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/14/home-defense-shotgun-myths-and-reality/#ixzz4FJsyzutW

[txradioguy]

IMHO a shotgun with self defense loads or even a pistol like the Judge or Governor that can fire .410 shells should be part of your self defense package..but it shouldn't be the only weapon you have as home/self defense.

[Neverdul]

IMHO a shotgun with self defense loads or even a pistol like the Judge or Governor that can fire .410 shells should be part of your self defense package..but it shouldn't be the only weapon you have as home/self defense.

Interesting. Some years ago my now ex-husband and I were considering getting a gun for home protection. (Long story why we didn’t – mostly having to do with my ex-husband.)   Although our neighborhood wasn’t particularly “bad”, we lived in Baltimore City at the time and the surrounding area was going downhill fast.

We went to a local gun shop that was owned and operated by a couple of former Baltimore City/County cops.

My ex was of the opinion that we (I) needed a shot gun because of the “you don’t need to be a good aim” and the “sound of it (rack the pump) will scare someone off”.

The owner, while he said much like the author of the article, that a shot gun is not at all a bad option for home defense, he dispelled the two above myths and actually recommended a pistol for me (with of course an NRA training course and lots of range time – the same no matter what type of gun we decided on) and even went as far as recommending a revolver over a semi-automatic because of reliability, not subject to jamming.

The other reasons he recommended a pistol was that a pistol with the proper grip size would be easier for me to handle and “portability” - can be kept in a nightstand and easily carried from room to room, and after learning the house next door to us on the one side was very close – two narrow driveways separation, thought that a shot gun blast, poorly aimed could hit and penetrate the house next door.

Some people later told me he was full of it while others told me that he was right.

I live in PA now and I’ll have to check with my nephew, who has a CCP and owns several types of guns including an AR-15, what gun shop he goes to. He also offered to take me to the range with him to let me try some out but we haven’t been able to get together yet.

[EC]

Your gun store guy was right - for your circumstances at the time. Any home defense plan that doesn't include considering environmental factors is criminally negligent.

[txradioguy]

And when you think about it...in a realistic scenario...you're in your hallway about to confront an intruder...narrow spaces...trying to swing a shotgun up to fire is tricky at best...and not something that can be done very quickly unless you've gone the illegal route and sawed off the barrel.

[Neverdul]

And when you think about it...in a realistic scenario...you're in your hallway about to confront an intruder...narrow spaces...trying to swing a shotgun up to fire is tricky at best...and not something that can be done very quickly unless you've gone the illegal route and sawed off the barrel.

FWIW, I live in an apartment now so I can't see were a shotgun would be a good option.

[EC]

The only real pluses to a shotgun are the fact you don't need to practice with it as much, and it's a loud as hell and completely unmistakable signal to any neighbors that something is afoot.

[massadvj]

Personally, because I have both a home and land, I think I need both a shotgun and a reliable pistol for home defense.  For me, the shotgun is the weapon of first resort, and the pistol is the weapon of last resort.  I also agree that revolvers are under-appreciated in this day and age, but I personally prefer a reliable semi-automatic because it can carry almost three times the fire power in the magazine, and they are so gosh darn fun to shoot.  The better brands rarely jam.

I have a Mossberg 12-gauge with three different barrels, so I can use it for several purposes.  With the bored scope barrel it is a decent long-range hunting weapon for bigger game.  With the long barrel it is a good skeet or bird gun.  And with the short barrel and pistol grip it is a bad ass versatile mayhem maker for home protection.

In an extreme survival scenario, I could use the slug barrel to protect the perimeter of my property and then switch barrels to the short if the enemy gets closer in.  Of course, having the time to switch barrels might be somewhat problematic, which is why the 17-bullet semi would be on my hip. 

I have become proficient with both weapons, and enjoy taking them to my local sportmens club to brush up on my skills now and again.  I also use them to teach my friends' kids about guns and proper gun etiquette once in a while, with their parents' permission of course.

[txradioguy]

I have become proficient with both weapons, and enjoy taking them to my local sportmens club to brush up on my skills now and again. I also use them to teach my friends' kids about guns and proper gun etiquette once in a while, with their parents' permission of course.

IMHO therein lies the problem and mistake a lot of people make.  They buy the weapon...whether it's a shotgun or a rifle or a revolver and then it just sits there.  You have to get out and use them and shoot them and learn their individual characteristics...otherwise when the time comes to use them you won't hit the broadside of a barn from the inside.

[Suppressed]

A good article with many good points, but he makes mistakes of overgeneralizing.

For example, in many cases, having a pumpgun with an empty chamber is safer than keeping a fully loaded, round-chambered piece by your bed.

And smaller shot won't overpenetrate as much as that 00 buckshot he recommends.