Benelli SuperNova for Home Defense?

[BHopkins]

For the $500 price range, how does a tactical Benelli SuperNova compare to other choices for a home defense shotgun? I've been looking for a while, and am strongly leaning towards the SuperNova. It really seems to be a great combination of dependability, size, how well it functions, and price.

I had also considered a Mossberg 500 tactical. I really like the size of the 500 for home defense. But for home defense, reliable feed is critical, and I have read a few comments that, while the 500 is fairly reliable, it does jam from time to time.

What do any of you recommend? Any personal experience? Is the SuperNova a good choice? Are there better, for the money?

On a related note, any recommendations on how to safely store a home defense shotgun in the bedroom? This is easy with a pistol. There are many good gun safes that are compact, and can be opened quickly, to retrieve a pistol. But how do you safely keep a loaded shotgun in the bedroom? The last thing I want is for one of my granddaughters to be put at risk. I'll go without before I'll put them in harms way.

 

[michaelluscher]

IMO, I'd just go without full stop?

I don't live in Utah, but did live in Brooklyn, is the neighborhood THAT bad that you feel the need to own a firearm strictly for defense purposes?

 

[Oil Changer]

The Benelli is a great shotgun. The Mossy is a great shotgun. All weapons will FTF from time-to-time. The AR is a better HD weapon.

 

[spasm3]

I just never liked having a loaded long gun in the house, i don't know why i just don't. I do keep all the handguns in the safe, loaded and chambered. I do have a short barrel single shot shot gun in the bed room and i keep a few shells nearby but not loaded in it. I usually have a handgun in the part of the house i am in, granted i don't have small children , my son is 21.

 

[OtisBlkR1]

I guess you could call a 870 with a synthetic stock "tactical".. my point is its a workhorse, ive fired thousands upon thousands of rounds through 870's and ive never experienced a jam..EVER.. the 500 is also a excellent platform.. Ive never seen one of them jam either.. The Nova's a "Better" Name and id be happy to have one.. however if this is simply for home protection.. Id buy a basic 870 in the shot barrel and be done.

How to hide a long gun ???.. easy "wall art" sir, buy yourself a nice long piece of art and thicken the frame upby a inch or inch and a half (((however much room youl need)) for the weapon you choose.. mount a few small hinges on the top corners, then mount the whole thing out of reach of little hands.. this way you can walk up to the art and simply lift it up by the bottom to reveal a shotgun resting on wooden pegs (or whatever you choose) I would not keep the weapon chambered, simply fill the ammo tube and keep the weapon on safe.. If you ever have a break in, retrieve your weapon, take it off safe, CALL THE POLICE.. and RACK THAT SLIDE !! when the intruder is still at a safe distance from you but close enough to hear it.. 99% of the time they are not going to want to fight a homeowner with a shotgun.. they will run.. If by some chance you must fight and they are armed , I would choose some serious home defence rounds intended for your weapon.. Myself, Im a fan of double ought buck..

 

[05LGTLtd]

Handle both of them. To me the benelli doesn't have a great feel/balance/pointabillity. The mossy also has a quicker safety in my hands as well as feeling 'lively' in between the hands. This is of course subjective, and someone else may feel opposite.

In a real defense situation, you want the gun to be natural feeling in your hands and come on target without thought.

Stack on has a tactical corner safe, while not cheap looks like a nice unit. There are also in wall security cases that can handle a long gun. Easy to hide in a closet or behind a hinged piece of wall art or tapestry. Cheapest way to secure from children would be a touch button dead bolt on a closet door. Mount the gun over the the inside of the closet door for a second layer of 'out of reach'.

 

[DirkDiggler]

Google "tactical walls". Hides behind faux mirror

Or get a shotgun mount that locks it in plain sight but has a lock guard w a quick release

 

[nwjones18]

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/produ...+6SH+CB+PGK+PRK

I don't know how you could beat this for the price of a made in USA shotgun for home defense.. But I've shot all of them and prefer Mossberg's so maybe I'm biased.

I personally keep the tube full and an empty chamber. I want for someone to hear me rack the slide, and its totally safe otherwise.

 

[bubbatime]

I have a Benelli M2 tactical ($1250 semi auto shotgun). The fit and finish is immaculate. Benelli makes excellent stuff for sure. In that price range you can get a Remington 870 police model or Mossberg 590A1. These two models are more heavy duty than the regular joe civilian models and make a good choice. Even though I own the Benelli M2, my go to home defense gun when not using my AR15 is my Remington 870P. Reason being is I was highly trained on its use and was issued one for over 10 years. I know the weapon like the back of my hand and am highly confident in its abilitites. If I was starting from a clean slate and learning all over again, I would probably go with the Benelli.

Also dont forget to take a defensive shotgun class. The shotgun is actually the hardest weapon to master compared to a hangun or a carbine.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
is the neighborhood THAT bad that you feel the need to own a firearm strictly for defense purposes?



O beans and fricken rice. Neighborhood has nothing to do with evil. Dr. Petit lived in a super safe multi-millionare homes neighborhood and his entire family was raped and burned alive while he was nearly beaten to death in his basement. I bet he NOW owns firearms. He has seen evil.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders

 

[2cool]

What gauge are you looking at? In my limited experience, a 12ga. is a real handful in recoil terms. I would advise a 20ga, for lighter recoil and slightly less expensive ammo. There isn't as big a step-down in power as one might think. Check out
"the box o' truth" about aiming a shotgun.
As far as long gun storage, is the grand child old enough to comprehend guns? A little education goes a long way. I will once again reference Kathy Jackson's superb "The cornered cat" website for how to talk to kids about guns. When my grands come to visit, the long gun goes into the safe, and other methods are employed because I haven't seen a safeguard system that would keep kids from getting it and be quick enough to bring into action in a home invasion situation. I'd like anyone to leave a suggestion.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: 2cool
What gauge are you looking at? In my limited experience, a 12ga. is a real handful in recoil terms. I would advise a 20ga, for lighter recoil and slightly less expensive ammo. There isn't as big a step-down in power as one might think. Check out
"the box o' truth" about aiming a shotgun.


There are now tactical, low recoil buckshot loads for 12 gauge. Most experts, myself included, recommend them for defensive uses. The 20 gauge actually has more recoil than low recoil 12 gauge loads. Stick with 12 gauge.

As far as what load to use for defensive purposes, use 00 buck, 1 buck, or 4 buck, never bird shot.

 

[BHopkins]

Thanks everyone. Lots of good advice. It sounds like I should look a little more at both the 500 and the 870 before buying.

I'm really not that keen on the AR-15 for home defense, for a few reasons. I've had one, and it just doesn't seem that it would be as easy to handle in a home defense situation as a short tactical shotgun. No where near the knock down power as choices available for a shotgun. As others have mentioned, when it comes to personal defense weapons, there is no sound more intimidating than raking a shell in a pump shotgun. Releasing the bolt in an AR-15 isn't quite the same. And not too keen on the range of a stray .223. Did I mention the intimidation factor of hearing a pump shotgun being racked?

I'll take a look at the suggestions on stealthy gun safes. Thanks.

And training with any gun is great advice. I guess I need to find a gun shop that will let me fire each of them, or at least handle them in a manner like they would be used. That is part of what I found attractive to the SuperNova. I watched a video of a LEO handling one. He made it look very second nature. I'm sure he trains with it regularly.

 

[BHopkins]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: 2cool
What gauge are you looking at? In my limited experience, a 12ga. is a real handful in recoil terms. I would advise a 20ga, for lighter recoil and slightly less expensive ammo. There isn't as big a step-down in power as one might think. Check out
"the box o' truth" about aiming a shotgun.


There are now tactical, low recoil buckshot loads for 12 gauge. Most experts, myself included, recommend them for defensive uses. The 20 gauge actually has more recoil than low recoil 12 gauge loads. Stick with 12 gauge.

As far as what load to use for defensive purposes, use 00 buck, 1 buck, or 4 buck, never bird shot.


What about the Winchester PDX1 ammo? I've only read one review, and it seemed pretty favorable.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: BHopkins
What about the Winchester PDX1 ammo? I've only read one review, and it seemed pretty favorable.


That's a slug with 3 pellets of buckshot mixed in. It would be a very effective self defense load, albeit expensive. Of course the standard recommendation to test in your gun for accuracy and reliability first still applies.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: BHopkins
I'm really not that keen on the AR-15 for home defense, for a few reasons. I've had one, and it just doesn't seem that it would be as easy to handle in a home defense situation as a short tactical shotgun.


While the whole carbine vs shotgun argument could fill dozens of pages, I'll offer this. The carbine is self loading(semi-automatic), holds 30 rounds, is more accurate, and it's ammo typically penetrates body armor (thugs are wearing body armor these days). A shotgun can do none of those things. The AR-15 (16" carbine) is no more unwieldy than a 18" pump shotgun.

Originally Posted By: BHopkins
No where near the knock down power as choices available for a shotgun.


5.56 is nothing to sneeze at, but you are correct, defensive shotgun ammo has devastating knock down power.

Originally Posted By: BHopkins
As others have mentioned, when it comes to personal defense weapons, there is no sound more intimidating than raking a shell in a pump shotgun. Releasing the bolt in an AR-15 isn't quite the same. Did I mention the intimidation factor of hearing a pump shotgun being racked?


Racking a shotgun "for effect" is just bad tactics. In essence, you are advertising to the bad guy that you have a weapon (not that that's a bad idea), but worse than that, the bad guy knows exactly where you are and could fire in your direction before you can respond. You are much more likely to survive a deadly force encounter if your weapon is already loaded and you have the element of surprise. Use the fatal funnel (doorways) to your advantage and ambush the bad guys as they come to you.

This is a great discussion. Hope you enjoy your new shotgun, whichever one you choose.

 

[Olas]

It'd need to be a helluva big house for me to even consider .223, just as much chance of killing a neighbour across the street the way those things over penetrate..
IMP the two best rounds for home defence are 12ga rifled slugs, and. 45 acp hollowpoints.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: Olas
It'd need to be a helluva big house for me to even consider .223, just as much chance of killing a neighbour across the street the way those things over penetrate..
IMP the two best rounds for home defence are 12ga rifled slugs, and. 45 acp hollowpoints.


LMAO. You think a .223 over penetrates and then recommend a 12 gauge slug!!?? .223 is low weight and loses momentum fast after passing through walls. It rarely passes through a person while a slug will pass through a person and several walls.

 

[Oil Changer]

You are seriously misinformed.

Originally Posted By: Olas
It'd need to be a helluva big house for me to even consider .223, just as much chance of killing a neighbour across the street the way those things over penetrate..
IMP the two best rounds for home defence are 12ga rifled slugs, and. 45 acp hollowpoints.

 

[Oil Changer]

Some of you fellows really need to do some soul-searching when playing with guns.

The frightening sound of the racking shotgun? Seriously? How many millions of people out there that will break in to your home to do you harm and couldn't care less about your shotgun racking. You're just telling them where to aim.

The AR platform is the ideal home defense weapon in most cases.