Shotgun Advice

[philobeddoe]

If you're buying a weapon for home defense, then (IMHO), your best bet would be an eight shot .357 revolver, loaded with .38 special hydra-shok ammunnition. My reasons are thus...shotguns are long, even short ones, if it one is down to inches, the perp. can possibly get his hands on the gun and try to take control from you. In a stressful situation, you can forget to pump the next round into the chamber, it happens! There is little to no expansion of the shot in the first ten feet, I know we all prepare to shoot something at 25 yds., but you are most likely to shoot a intruder at less than ten feet, just think about how your home is built, with all the corners and walls, a clear shot in which the shot pattern has any expansion is quite unlikely. Next, I've never met your wife, but my wife would have a hard time becoming proficient with a hard kicking shotgun, she is however already quite proficient with a revolver. An eight shot revolver gives you several advantages over the shotgun. One, its easy to shoot with .38 special rounds, even for small women. Second, no safety to accidentally forget about, it's point and click! Third, it's short, it would be very hard to take away from someone, without getting a shot off first. Lastly, the ability to shoot low powered .38 special rounds all the way up to hot .357 rounds gives you the ability the load the weapon to you and your wives comfort level, the best thing to think about a home defense weapon is...what if I'm not home and my wife has to use it, is she able and proficient with this weapon enough to use it with confidence. Just my .2 cents.

 

[philobeddoe]

I have read for years about how the shotgun is the best weapon for home defense, but not why! Other than the racking of a pump shotgun scaring away a potential perp. I can see no advantage over a low powered revolver. Save local availability, ergo anti- handgun laws.

 

[philobeddoe]

Police and military have hours and hours of training, and they tend to be strong men, not small 100lb women who are scared of recoil! If this were simply a mans self defense weapon the I would recommend a 1911, and lots of practice, but it's not, it will be used by whichever spouse is home. Shotguns are too powerful for many women! Oh, and they are still too long!

 

[dread]

To each is own, but I've also shot thousands (tens of thousands, actually) of rounds through handguns and I gotta say I would never tell someone to go out and buy a handgun over a shotgun as your first SD weapon. And I would vastly prefer a shotgun over a handgun in a self defense situation. Yes, there is a place for a handgun in the layers of defense, but not as your first one and surely not as your only one. You don't bring a handgun to a gunfight when you know there is going to be a gunfight - you bring a rifle or a shotgun. Don't cripple yourself from the get-go by only having the weakest of all of the firearms at your disposal. I have an extremely sophisticated self defense scheme in place which includes a rifle, a shotgun, a handgun, and me and I know their places and limitations - the shotgun is where it is at for your first and possibly only SD weapon.
And get a light for it, too (seriously - a light is a necessity for a HD weapon).

 

[philobeddoe]

As you said, to each his own.

 

[phred]

One other issue to consider in a home defense scenario is penetration - which is another reason shotguns get the nod for less experienced shooters. The shot is lethal at short ranges, but if stray pellets go through an exterior wall, they're less likely to seriously injure bystanders or next-door neighbors.
For the record, I've got a Mossberg 500. Also a 1991A1 with Glaser rounds. And my spouse and I have discussed firing lanes and where to get to cover in our current house. She's got a .38, likewise loaded with Glasers.

 

[boudreaux]

Oh hell, if you're worried about size being too big for the little woman, just get a bigger wife... :P

 

[zekest]

Depending on where you live, rural versus suburban, a 357 is a very poor choice due to over penetration. Protect yourself from a break in, but put a round through your wall and into the neighbor's house, you could face jail time due to your negligent discharge, or at the least a civil suit. An short barrel AR loaded with .223 (a hopped up .22) with 10 - 30 in the magazine will serve you and your wife alike better. Shotguns are only OK, but are poor choice for a small female, a daughter for example.

 

[twangthang]

I bought my wife a Remington express 870 youth 20 gauge. She is five feet tall and the gun fits her perfectly. We also use it as our house gun. The twenty inch barrel is short enough to get around the house and I think at close range a 20 gauge will do the job. It was cheap, super reliable and get some skeet and trap use.

 

[plateauguy]

From Mrs. Plateauguy:

I don't know or really care about the make, model or size of our shotgun. What I do know is Rob and I go out once a month and I have a refresher course on how to load and shoot it (so that I don't have to stop and think when time is crucial). I also know that if we do have an intruder they can have anything they want downstairs, but the minute they start up the stairs they're mine.
PS - the old 12 gauge knocks me on my behind so I'm not really comfortable with it.

 

[theboz]

I probably would go with an old military shotgun like an Ithaca, but I tend to like stuff that has been around for a while. But any pump action would be a good choice, as long as it is a reputable builder.

 

[teufelhund]

I have a Mossberg 500 with a fiber optic pins on the rail and I absolutely love it. It's a little short for skeet and trap and not an autoloader; but sometimes being quick more than compensates. If it's sitting at home; it's easy enough to pull the plug out and load 5 in the tube. Also on the plus side if you ever need to "persuade" someone to leave, just racking the gun can literally be nerve-wracking. I prefer #2 or #4 shot; nice big pattern and will get the job done without too much penetration on structures.

 

[philobeddoe]

1) I suggested using .38 special bullets in a .357 revolver. 2) A .223 has waaaaaay more penetration than a .38 special. 3) I suggested using Hydra-Shok hollow point expanding ammunition, which would penetrate much less than FMJ bullets, thus reducing the room to room bullet penetration. 4) My wife and many women are small, she has fired my shotguns, 12ga. and 20ga., they both pushed her around much more, and she had much less control than with our .357 loaded with .38 special rounds. 5) You will get little to NO expansion of the shot-wad in the relatively small confines of a home, it takes around ten yards to see any appreciable spread, thus you are basically firing a single round anyway. I'm not trying to pee in anyone's Wheaties but gun magazines are trying to sell more and more of this "tactical" B.S., including tactical shotguns and short barreled AR's for self defense, I still believe most people are safer with a revolver and a flashlight! No disrespect meant to any other forum members.

 

[locopony]

While there are many advantages to having a bigger woman, it may be difficult to up grade to a larger woman even if a fella could be convinced of the many virtues of a luxury model.

It may be easier to plan your home defense around an economy sized woman than up grading.

There is no substitute for practice no matter what ya get you can blow your chance to do things right even with a shot gun.

There are many a slip betixed a cup and a lip. In other words you can put yourself in trouble if ya mess up. No matter what you need to practice until you weapon is first nature.

 

[locopony]

Duck, most women have never fired a gun of anykind. The women at the range and shooting competitions are trained and practiced. Now when a woman gets her feet wet they usually excel rapidly.

 

[puffinbilly]

The British army use/used the Remington 870 (designated the L74A1) for close observation units as a personal protection weapon. The user could choose between a folding stock or standard. I believe that the changing of stocks was the only time they ever went into the armourer's workshop. It has a reputation for being a robust reliable piece of equipment.
Bill

 

[piperl12]

As a former soldier who was a door breacher on an entry team my vote is for the 870 for the following reasons: 1. Next to an AR platform no gun is as legoesque for purchasing add ons for cheap. Everything from telescopic stocks to intergrated forestocks/tactical lights ect than an 870. 2. A shot gun allows non lethal options. First shell chambered could be bird shot. You keep coming I have an SSG behind it with 9 .40 cal pellets. Can't say you werent given fair warning. In this day and age if you can only own one gun the 870 will bring food to your table, protect your family, and scare away varmits while still killing a bear at medium range with a slug. Penetration is related to ammunition selected unlike a handgun. Also for the handgun fans ( i own several) i challenge you to drop and do thirty pushups in front of your shooting lane and see if you can recover, load and print paper. Most trophy shooters cannot. Home defense is extremely stressfull, heart rates sore, hands shake, stovepipes and misfires happen. Now for those experiances shooters which weapon is easier to recover? A pump shot gun or a pistol? I know my answer any day of the week.

 

[kanaia]

Just the sound of pumping a shell into a shotgun will deter most home invasions. IMHO

 

[barleynbaccy]

I would like to add to the wife and 12 gauge combo situation. If you have a significant other and you keep HD weapons they should have some practice shooting them. Take her to the range and find some buffered 12g ammo she can use IF she needs it. In the peoples republic of Maryland I have to evade and vacate unless Im protecting my wife and or kids, NOT property. Its way more likely that if an intruder is shot in my house, by my 870 shes going to be the one to do it.
Though my wife keeps her double action groupings on the fridge as a reminder to me I think. :rofl:

 

[mso489]

My local firearm trainer who has trained law enforcement and been trained by Glock, S&W, etc., prefers revolvers for home defense,

simplicity of use, dependability, and maneuverability in close quarters indoors. But the key point, handgun or shotgun, is continual

training. And covering all the scenarios to evade getting to the point where you or your dependents would need a weapon. A cell

phone, security system, etc. Law enforcement is always the best option, not that you can't handle it, but that they have the authority

and experience in dealing with it and therefore have better legal cover. For example, they know the local screwball who looks like

a killer but is just imbalanced. You'd shoot him, they'd know better. That's a pretty good outcome.