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Thread: Rethinking shotgun for home defense.

  1. #1
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    Rethinking shotgun for home defense.

    My pump holds 7 in the tube. Now, I know that the chance of the average guy having to repel enough home invaders to run it out of ammo is very small. And you could mount a stock sleeve with 5 or 6 more shells, but it occurs to me that's like a revolver and speed loader: chance of reloading in a close quarters shootout is negligible.


    An M4 type is feeling like a better option.

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    yes, this is why the firearms gods have endowed us with SBRs
    On the seventh day God rested; Marines filled sandbags

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    This has been pretty well accepted for the past several years.


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    Quote Originally Posted by ginzomatic View Post
    yes, this is why the firearms gods have endowed us with SBRs
    Yes. Bird guns do almost nothing better than an M4.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uni-Vibe View Post
    My pump holds 7 in the tube. Now, I know that the chance of the average guy having to repel enough home invaders to run it out of ammo is very small. And you could mount a stock sleeve with 5 or 6 more shells, but it occurs to me that's like a revolver and speed loader: chance of reloading in a close quarters shootout is negligible.

    An M4 type is feeling like a better option.
    I don't think you have much chance of hitting a reload with a M4 in a close quarters gunfight at HD distance. But then again, with 28-30 rounds I'd hope you didn't have to.

    We've been down this road before in this forum.

    I don't think you can give a blanket answer as to what is best for all situations.

    I would say that if you are limiting yourself to one shoulder weapon the rifle is probably a better overall choice for most folks.

    Enlarging on the can't give a blanket answer thought, I have a suppressed SBR, a 20" 20 gauge loaded with slugs, and several pistols immediately accessible for home defense. If a scenario would present itself where I needed to move through my house, I would do it with a pistol.

    One concern I have with the M4 is that if you need to take a close, has to be immediately incapacitating shot, sight offset may be an issue - if you need to take a hostage shot on someone holding your kid.

    With the shotgun in the same situation, while sight offset isn't a concern (we are bead people), pattern spread and the wad are. This is why I use Brennake slugs in the 20ga. I chose a 20ga because my wife prefers it over the 12ga.

    That is me, based on my analysis and experiences. Others have different opinions, and that is okay, as long as they are making informed, considered choices for themselves.
    Last edited by 26 Inf; 04-24-19 at 15:30.
    Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President... - Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln and Free Speech, Metropolitan Magazine, Volume 47, Number 6, May 1918.

    Every Communist must grasp the truth. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party Mao Zedong, 6 November, 1938 - speech to the Communist Patry of China's sixth Central Committee

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    In the house I would prefer the pistol. In the yard the rifle. I do have a SHTF shotgun but mostly for hunting. It is a 20" vent ribbed 870 with an 8 round tube and light. I wouldn't feel naked if I had to use it for SD but it wouldn't be my first choice.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GH41 View Post
    In the house I would prefer the pistol. In the yard the rifle.
    Yep. This every time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GH41 View Post
    In the house I would prefer the pistol. In the yard the rifle.
    For yard work I use a suppressed .22. I throw a ghille suit over the, uh, mess and take the, uh, mess to the river for disposal after dark.

    Seriously, if they are outside, unless they are raping one of my dogs, which wouldn't be a good thing because between the two of them I have 170 pounds of land shark, I'm more of a call the police guy.

    Of course, in a total societal breakdown scenario, all bets are off.
    Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President... - Theodore Roosevelt, Lincoln and Free Speech, Metropolitan Magazine, Volume 47, Number 6, May 1918.

    Every Communist must grasp the truth. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party Mao Zedong, 6 November, 1938 - speech to the Communist Patry of China's sixth Central Committee

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    Quote Originally Posted by GH41 View Post
    In the house I would prefer the pistol. In the yard the rifle.
    Why? an SBR isn't really any longer than your arms extended out with a pistol, and it is less likely to penetrate through your walls as most handgun cartridges.
    when life closes doors on you, blow them off the hinges.

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    Quote Originally Posted by KingCobra View Post
    Why? an SBR isn't really any longer than your arms extended out with a pistol, and it is less likely to penetrate through your walls as most handgun cartridges.
    Personally:
    -Easier 1 handed firing and manipulations, including wml activation. Support hand can fight attacker, move children, open/close door, operate phone. Easier to control and use in a clinch or while grappling. You might get by with an SBR, but almost definitely not a shotgun
    -wife is more familiar with handgun than rifle and far less comfortable with a shotgun, and since my 1 sbr is filed as an individual owner, less potential fuss about her using the handgun if I'm not around.
    -handgun can be more easily stored or concealed on person (small kids at home). While "grandpa's" shotgun looks at home propped up in the corner, a properly set up HD shotgun does not.
    -confident in skills, but many more reps with handgun vs rifle. Far fewer reps with the shottie, and fewer training opportunities.
    -Not super concerned with overpenetration or ballistics due in part to architecture and ammo selection. Already a groggy idiot at 3 am. Accounting for offset would be tough enough; I don't want to have to consider patterning.

    This isn't an endorsement for selecting a handgun over a rifle or shotgun, just the observations and assessments that I made that led me to make a handgun my home defense primary. Arguments can be made for a rifle or shotgun as well; just not an advantage to me in my situation. I tried hard to make a shotgun work in this role. It makes some sense, but the juice isn't worth the squeeze for me.
    The advice above is worth exactly what you paid for it.

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