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Thread: Rethinking shotgun for home defense.

  1. #11
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    I am not a shotgun guy for home defense or, at work, for clearing buildings which shares some similarities with HD. Many comments here reflect my thoughts why. Chameleox hits on some of the more salient ones in his post just above this.

    Also mentioned earlier is the shotgun’s propensity for penetration. 00 and slugs consistently show extreme penetration in FBI tests. I am not one to fret about over-penetration; it is oft-discussed but very seldom found to be an issue. In fact, I can’t recall ever reading where it was a factor.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by markm View Post
    Bird guns do almost nothing better than an M4.
    Shotguns are indispensible for shooting flying stuff out of the sky... If I didn't enjoy shooting trap and hunting pheasants, then I wouldn't have bothered to buy a shotgun at all.

    Of course, now that I have a shotgun, it has an extended mag and a light. I don't anticipate shooting bad guys with it but rather wayward skunks and raccoons — it's packing #5 birdshot.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmer View Post
    Shotguns are indispensible for shooting flying stuff out of the sky... If I didn't enjoy shooting trap and hunting pheasants, then I wouldn't have bothered to buy a shotgun at all.

    Of course, now that I have a shotgun, it has an extended mag and a light. I don't anticipate shooting bad guys with it but rather wayward skunks and raccoons — it's packing #5 birdshot.
    I guess one should strive to get to the point where one can shoot flying stuff out of the sky with an M4?
    On the seventh day God rested; Marines filled sandbags

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by ginzomatic View Post
    I guess one should strive to get to the point where one can shoot flying stuff out of the sky with an M4?

    Nah, I just meant to reinforce what MarkM said: There's not much point to shotguns except shooting small moving targets.

    Example: It occurs to me that the solution to drones in prohibited areas is a shotgun firing birdshot.

  5. #15
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    Remember that fine motor skills deteriorate rapidly in a stressful encounter. Could you really hope to reload an empty shotgun if trying to repel home invaders?

    As someone said, you hope you don't have to reload a 30-round mag (or similar), but chances are the encounter will be over before you go empty.

  6. #16
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    I rely on my carry pistol for first line response at home. It becomes night stand pistol when I go to bed. The M4 in the closet would come out if I had time and we are either holed up in the master bedroom or having to deal with something outside. An 870 with shell holder and M1 Garand are also ready if total crap show unfolds.

    When I was younger and hunted a lot with the Mossberg I know for a fact I could reload under extreme stress (not hunting) pretty damn fast as I was so familiar with it hunting so much. That was before fancy shell holders and such but in an instant I had three shells between my left hand fingers and one in my mouth and when empty loaded those without thinking. I never practiced anything like that but in duress I knew I wanted as much ammo as close to ready to load as possible.

    Nowadays I rarely shoot either the 870 or Mossberg so while comfortable with a shotgun for self defense I would rather rely on my more used pistols and carbines. But if a shotgun was all that was available I wouldn’t fret.
    It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! ... Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry in an address at St. John’s Church, Richmond, Virginia, on March 23, 1775.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Safari View Post
    Remember that fine motor skills deteriorate rapidly in a stressful encounter. Could you really hope to reload an empty shotgun if trying to repel home invaders?

    No promises, but I shoot trap every couple months, so that's a lot of practicing loading...

    Remember, I get to practice loading EVERY single shell, so I easily practice "loading" 50-75 times per outing. I probably don't reload my ARs that much in a busy year.



    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Safari View Post
    As someone said, you hope you don't have to reload a 30-round mag (or similar), but chances are the encounter will be over before you go empty.
    My "shorty" 21" M2 loads 9 shells, and my 28" M2 loads 12. As you just said: chances are that the encounter will be over before I go empty.


    To be clear, I'm not advocating a shotgun over a carbine; I'm just saying that the speed to reload is not really that big a disadvantage...

  8. #18
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    The fastest reload for a shotgun is a pistol. At least that is how we always trained.
    Philippians 2:10-11

    To argue with a person who renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. ~ Thomas Paine

    “The greatest conspiracy theory is the notion that your government cares about you”- unknown.

  9. #19
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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.
    That's been the conclusion for a while now by man, if not most. I think you'll find majority of your BTD types choose an SBR or pistol these days for HD.
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    “Those who do not view armed self defense as a basic human right, ignore the mass graves of those who died on their knees at the hands of tyrants.”

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by flenna View Post
    The fastest reload for a shotgun is a pistol. At least that is how we always trained.
    LOL. And you use your pistol to fight your way back to your rifle. It's perfect.

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