Best home defense shotgun

[zweasle]

I get it ... I can handle any caliber weapon(that were talking about), however something you now made me think about, this would be more for my wife(115 all of 5' tall) ... when I'm not at home. I know our two boxers would slow a man down but I need her not to be afraid of the gun. I would of course take her out to the gun range and get familiar with the weapon so she would be quick on the draw ... and not afraid of the trigger/recoil!! So it looks like I'm going to have to buy two! one for me and one for her!! I love these kinds of conversations!!

 

[Blitzkrieg]

You use the best you can. I am 5 foot 11 and 240 mean, fast and powerful lbs

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I get it ... I can handle any caliber weapon(that were talking about), however something you now made me think about, this would be more for my wife(115 all of 5' tall) ... when I'm not at home. I know our two boxers would slow a man down but I need her not to be afraid of the gun. I would of course take her out to the gun range and get familiar with the weapon so she would be quick on the draw ... and not afraid of the trigger/recoil!! So it looks like I'm going to have to buy two! one for me and one for her!! I love these kinds of conversations!!

Just be realistic as to her abilities and work her way up to more effective tools if you can.. although I think little of the smaller calibers for anti biped self defense they can do the job (sometimes) and anything is better than no weapon

 

[soberups]

I understand.I wouldn't bother with a 410 either.I am big and strong enough to handle them,since the age of 10?
But you and I aren't 100 pounds.Well I'm 110 but anyway.(when I was 10?) Only guns I don't really like are 44mag and bigger hand guns.Shotguns and rifles don't bother me much.

When you say ,on here,that you must have a 12 ga,and some little 110# mother reads it,then she gets confused as to what to have for home defense,because she can't handle a 12ga.

What I am trying to get across is that a 410 will do the job if that's all you can handle.Probably better than any handgun a small person could handle

I'll trust 5 shots of 410 more than 10 shots of 380 or 9mm.

I do agree that a person should use thee biggest caliber or anything they can handle,for self defense.

You catch my drift?

There are a variety of reduced-recoil 12 and 20 gauge buckshot loads available that would be a far better choice for HD than any .410 load.

Yes a .410 is better than nothing, in the same way as a .22 is better than nothing....but neither caliber is a suitable choice for home defense. There are better options for recoil-sensitive people.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

There are a variety of reduced-recoil 12 and 20 gauge buckshot loads available that would be a far better choice for HD than any .410 load.

Yes a .410 is better than nothing, in the same way as a .22 is better than nothing....but neither caliber is a suitable choice for home defense. There are better options for recoil-sensitive people.

Before I would go to the 410 I would use a 20 GA

 

[mjbskwim]

There are a variety of reduced-recoil 12 and 20 gauge buckshot loads available that would be a far better choice for HD than any .410 load.

Yes a .410 is better than nothing, in the same way as a .22 is better than nothing....but neither caliber is a suitable choice for home defense. There are better options for recoil-sensitive people.

I love this stuff.Yes I would use a 20 gauge before a 410 You two are correct OK?
What I said is a 410 is a great man stopper if that is all you can handle.Maybe the weight of the 20 isn't working for some smaller people,not just the recoil?

Again you two are 100% correct use a 20 over a 410 IF IT ISN'T TOO BIG for you. Not everyone can lift the same amount or handle the same recoil.

Again a 410 still trumps a 380 0r 9mm,since the biggest shot loads hold 3 BBs that are about 9mm in diameter.

Again YES use a 20 or 12 if you can

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Actually there is a 5 pellet load now for the .410

Winchester Super-X 410 Gauge 5-Pellet Buckshot Loads at MacksPW.com

 

[nitestocker]

(I like the “scare Factor” when you action a pump in an other wise quiet house.)

i would not do this it will let the bad guy know exactly where your at. i like the pump shotgun as well but i keep mine loaded completely it gives me an extra round and i get the element of surprise.....Boom . im not trying to be a jerk but dont ever let someone know where your at or try to intimidate a criminal most likely there armed and drugged up just confront them . have a light on them ether a flash light or switch on the light tell them to freeze dont f....en move get down on your belly and if they do anything aggressive toward you..... well you get what i mean. and if you live in a apartment complex id use something other than 3in. and 00buck use 2 3/4 000buck or BB,s you dont want to go though the walls. good luck i hope you never need it

 

[zweasle]

Thanks'

I appreciate the advice, it looks like I need to get her out to the gun range, try out a couple of different guns. It just got my attention the other week when I was showing her how to load and action my 9mm she said she was afraid of the gun. About a week later I heard of a story of a single woman having to protect herself and her child from a couple of drugged up, armed thieves. She had a shotgun and was on the phone to 911. I commend her bravery but I'm not sure my wife would have done the same with the guns I have in my house. That's why I thought a shotgun would be a good "home defense" gun.

I can't say enough about all the sound advice this thread has given me!!

thank you!!

 

[Hamilton Felix]

As I recall from the coverage, the young lady in Oklahoma had a side by side double, looked like a 12 gauge. If a pump is complex for someone who's not very gun oriented, there's nothing wrong with a Coach Gun. In fact, there's something to be said for the old style external hammer and double trigger arrangement. Also, it will handle those little short rounds that Aguila (I think) sells. You could do a little practice and keep the recoil minimal.

 

[ch139]

A home defense shotgun is ideally employed from a safe room or barricaded position.

If someone has actually broken into your home, racking the slide on your shotgun to chamber a round and yelling out that you are armed and that the police have been called would definately serve as a powerful "motivator" for that person to vacate your premises immediately. The best possible outcome in such a situation is for the criminal to depart without a shot needing to be fired. Less mess, less trauma, less legal hassles for all concerned.


A person who would continue their threatening advance in the face of such a clear and audible warning would almost certainly be insane, on drugs, or both.

I prefer a pump shotgun over a semi-auto primarily for safety and reliability reasons...but the sound made by racking the slide is a pretty clear and unmistakeable "bonus". It maybe slightly overrated in real-world self defense scenarios, but it sure doesnt hurt.

THIS!

...is great advice!

If you're really wanting to "clear" a house a handgun may well be a much better option. Shotguns, even SBSs and the ones with the silly little pistol grips and whatnot tend to be too long to successfully negotiate the tight spaces inside a house (unload your shotgun and try it out sometime).

For ammo I've stopped trying and use only the Federal Premium "Law Enforcement -Tactical" 00 Buck with their Flightcontrol Wad (LE132 00) The stuff is flat out AMAZING! (see pic below) Now, Federal has just come out with a similar load with No. 1 Buck and I'm really wanting to give it a whirl, but that 00 Buck load above has been ridiculously awesome out of EVERY CYL bore gun I've put it through... from a 1918 vintage Winchester to a new 870 Express.

Both the 870 and the 500/590 are GREAT guns. If you have one riding around in a cruiser 24/7/365 and being qualified with several thousand shells a year, you'll see that the Remington is a superior firearm. If thats not your situation, take your pic, they're both great guns.

Lastly, whatever you buy PUT A LIGHT ON IT! Pump, auto, side-by-side, doesn't matter. The single most important thing on that working gun is a light (this goes for your nightstand pistol too).

So, this is that above mentioned Federal fodder out of a 14-inch barreled, MOD choked Remington 870 at a measured 25-yards.




And this...

...is the same gun at the same measured 25-yards with some Winchester 00 Buck I got at Wal Mart.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Thanks'

I appreciate the advice, it looks like I need to get her out to the gun range, try out a couple of different guns. It just got my attention the other week when I was showing her how to load and action my 9mm she said she was afraid of the gun. About a week later I heard of a story of a single woman having to protect herself and her child from a couple of drugged up, armed thieves. She had a shotgun and was on the phone to 911. I commend her bravery but I'm not sure my wife would have done the same with the guns I have in my house. That's why I thought a shotgun would be a good "home defense" gun.

I can't say enough about all the sound advice this thread has given me!!

thank you!!

Most shotguns have better stopping power but they can be more easily taken away from you if you are in a struggle. It's a trade off and she cannot take that shotgun with her to the store to shop, and parking lots are one of your greatest danger zones. I would say if you are not sure she will shoot bad actors then get her a big bear spray cannister for the home until she gets up the nerve and training to use a gun, and pepper spray for her purse. It does not always work but it's better than nothing. My gal has had to draw several times in her life and I have had to draw a handgun 6 times and a shotgun, once.. most of those times I was defending one or more girls from attempted rapes in the madhouse called California

As far as home defense loads I prefer the 12 pellet 00 loads with a load of #4 buck 3 inch magnum in the chamber.. the Federal version is 43 or so .25 caliber buckshot.. up close that will ruin anyone's day and it has a bit less hard surface penetration

The gun and choke type (if any) you use has a dramatic effect on shot patterns.. you MUST test your particular setup/loads at the ranges at which you will be expecting to use it, and note the wad may have a different trajectory even up close and you MUST note and memorize this in case there is a hostage situation or closeby innocent bystanders

 

[salmonriverjohn]

A 12, 20, 16 and .410 are even across the board, the only difference is the amount of shot. I could be wrong, but all things being equal, a .410 3 inch magnum will shoot a load of 4 etc. just as far and hard as a 12 3 inch magnum will,,, just less of it.

 

[plumberfishes]

salmon, i would check your data, part of the loads power comes from 1 the ammount/weight of shot(more weight , more enrgy) and 2 the ammount of powder pushing that shot, I think the increase in powder will make the 12 push the shot harder and farther, but I think this is more about recoil than power, a small framed lady is not going to want to shoot ANY 12ga, with 3" mags..
I would not want to shoot most light weight .410's with #inch loads, a heavy, short 12 with good 2.75 loads will be more managble for most ladies , due to the weight of the gun acting to counter the recoil, and in a high stress high adrenaline situation the weight will probably not be noticed.

 

[Boats]

The Remington is not superior to the Mossberg 590A1 in any respect. The Remmie is a bird gun masquerading as a fighting shotgun.

The Remmie's safety location and cross bolt operation is inferior. It's action release location is inferior. The way its mag tubes are extended is inferior, and finally, its shell lifter gate is in the way of a rapid reload, especially when wearing gloves.

Remington has long been getting by through inertia and a cult of "experts," but not any objective superiority.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

I stand corrected by about 185 fps, .410 vs 12. Don't get me wrong, my 12 gauge home defense is loaded with #4 buck, cause that's the way I like her. But the .410 can be one bad old girl, not one to be underestimated. I'm only offering up a lesser kicking option for those that may be sensitive to recoil. Thanks

 

[Blitzkrieg]

More $0.12 from me (inflation adjusted) but if someone is "recoil sensitive" I think a medium powered handgun might be a better choice than a long gun. There exists the real enhanced potential for a long gun to be easily taken away from someone who does not have weapons retention training and some fighting attributes. We are talking possible very close range here

 

[beavernation]

Madmax- that little 20ga youth 870 you posted is just about perfect in my book. You have the perfect accessories hung on there (ext mag, big safety, durable finish, and a short stock). IMHO the vent rib barrel is excellent for a sighting arrangement at fightin ranges. In addition the rib is easier to teach the new shooter with on the skeet range. Get some 3/4 oz. loads of 8's and start them at low 7, they will be makin soot balls before ya know it. The reduced recoil of the 20 and more importantly the reduced overall weight of the gun is a huge issue for smaller shooters. I know you guys are thinkin the skeet range is no place to teach someone home-defense tactics but it is a heck of a lot more fun for the new shooter to see instant results of a good shot. You can move them to a range and shoot cardboard silhoutte's later as they gain more experience. I am 5'8" and 160 and have been shooting every type of 12ga imaginable most of my life but right now I am itchin to set up a new "house gun" on a 870 20ga!!.........Practice, practice, practice.....here's mine:

 

[Hamilton Felix]

"Recoil sensitive" depends on the person and how they perceive recoil. Most handgun recoil is more "startling" than painful. I think too much has been made of the business of taking away a long gun indoors. I recall Clint Smith's comment in regard to grabbing the barrel of his home defense carbine: "He'd better hang on 'cause I'm going to light him up, and I guarantee it will be an E-ticket ride." (Near top of my list of places NOT to be would be holding the barrel of a long gun that has Clint Smith on the end with the trigger.)

I think most folks can do pretty well with a short shotgun and a bit of practice. A few years back, I gave my daughter a 20 gauge "Youth" 870. I think it has a 23 inch barrel. She is 5'6" and likes it. Current boyfriend likes shotgunning more than ex-husband did, so she's happy.

Frankly, I like having a long gun AND a handgun. But with a shotgun, you can handle Bears or Bandits.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I teach JKD and if I am close enough I can easily disarm most people of a long gun. Would I want to have to? No, it's a last resort tactic but crazy and hopped up people are often pretty good at it