Shotgun or Rifle for HD?

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: edhackett
Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
For home defense you'd want an 18" barrel with cylinder choke (ie, zero choke) to give the largest close in pattern possible.

Here's what you get out of such a barrel with 00 buck at 3 and 7 yards:

Ed


Yes, even a shotgun needs to be aimed. At least at 7 yards it's starting to spread out.

 

[bsmithwins]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: BrianF
I believe the shotgun, whether it be 12 or 20g is the best answer. Unless you hit your intended target, nothing matters. Something with a wide spray pattern works better then one small projectile.


Home defense scenarios are going to be under 12 feet for most engagements. Many engagements will be within 3-5 feet. There is no meaningful spread at 12 feet and less, and certainly not a wide spray pattern.


Originally Posted By: BrianF
If one is afraid of over penetration use some sort of lead bird shot.


Bird shot is for tiny little birds. Not for defense, if you want to live another day.

Originally Posted By: BrianF
The second main thing is ease of use. Shotguns are great, big rounds and easy to load. Cycling a pump in a stress situation is easy.


Most trainers will advise that the pump shotgun is the hardest home defense gun to master. Its takes a lot more skill, training, and practice to master a pump shotgun that it does a pistol or carbine. Most people can become "OK" with a pump gun with a limited amount of instruction, but if they have a malfunction, they might as well have a club in their hand as it will take an untrained person way too long to clear, if they can clear it at all. Many folks short stroke a pump shotgun in stressful scenarios, which jams up the gun.


At different matches I've done it's pretty common for pump shotgun users to not cycle the action or to short stroke it under stress. And that's the stress of being timed and shooting for score.

The other problem with shotguns is the limited magazine size and the long reload time. Plus it's hard to carry reload ammo. With a magazine rifle I can easily drop a spare magazine in a pocket. Shotguns shells have to be grabbed individually and are bulky.

BSW

 

[BrianF]

Interesting and good points brought up. I do not base my opinions on any written tests or such but base them off my own experience. I have only once short stroked a shotty under duress, it was under my buddies care and it was dry and needed much force to operate the action. Using the mossy's and 870's over the years, while keeping them relatively clean and oiled I have never short stroked them. Wearing gloves, bare hands, oily sweaty hands, never. I have though on occasion failed to fully rack a pistol under stress shooting. With bare hands covered in sweat and gun oil.

I acknowledge that shotties have a limited mag capacity and can be cumbersome during reloads compared to a simple mag swap of a pistol, rifle. But again mag swaps, belt changes, barrel changes, fire for effect on the gun line etc all have inherent difficulties when operated under stress.

Again this is my personal opinion from my own experience. Plus you may need to fill a guy with pistol rounds to drop him while the shotty at close range is like getting hit with a ton of bricks. one round can cave a guys chest in.

 

[billt460]

For what it's worth, I keep my Mossberg 590 A-1 with the M-9 bayonet attached. It doesn't effect handling much, if at all. And it certainly discourages anyone from trying to grab the muzzle.

 

[BrianF]

I had the M9 fixed on mine as well. It certainly does discourage people. It also looks BA when out shooting skeet.