Home Defense Shotguns
- Thread starter Spicoli
- Start date
Mossberg 500 or 870 is the same thing with different parts either would work fine for home defense. The 500s are usually cheaper. I suggest a 500 with no shoulder stock, pistol grip and a short barrel. Fits in a dresser drawer and is easy to maneuver around doorways and hallways. I think the one in the picture below cost me $250 or so of course that was many years ago and prices always seem to go up anymore.
Two interesting comments:
If your at all worried about other people in your home I'd say get a rifle in 5.56 and a stack on 10 round mags loaded with lead nose ammo. (Prudii)
just buy a compliant AR with frangible home defense ammo (bullcreek strategic)
Can anyone provide specific examples of this type of ammo? I had never heard of this, but I am a relative newbie.
If your at all worried about other people in your home I'd say get a rifle in 5.56 and a stack on 10 round mags loaded with lead nose ammo. (Prudii)
just buy a compliant AR with frangible home defense ammo (bullcreek strategic)
Can anyone provide specific examples of this type of ammo? I had never heard of this, but I am a relative newbie.
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
Fwiw none of my shotties are HD guns anymore. That distinction belongs to AR9 loaded with Gold Dot. Fenix PD35 mounted fore and Burris FastFire III red dot.
As @BDinPutnam alluded to, the Pistol Caliber Carbine is a solid choice for Home Defense.
But not because of the myth that pistol rounds have less chance of over penetrating. Comparitively slow and heavy bullets will sail straight through non hardened barriers while light, high velocity bullets are more likely to deflect and break up.
No, the advantage of the PCC is that you get all the advantages of a long gun, namely stability and precision, without the deafening blast and blinding flash of a rifle caliber.
I would also point out that a levergun in .357 magnum is still and outstanding option for HD, especially in restrictive states like NY.
But not because of the myth that pistol rounds have less chance of over penetrating. Comparitively slow and heavy bullets will sail straight through non hardened barriers while light, high velocity bullets are more likely to deflect and break up.
No, the advantage of the PCC is that you get all the advantages of a long gun, namely stability and precision, without the deafening blast and blinding flash of a rifle caliber.
I would also point out that a levergun in .357 magnum is still and outstanding option for HD, especially in restrictive states like NY.
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Celt
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Two things, I don't use long guns for home-defense anymore because I can more easily maneuver with the handgun. While also having one free hand for standoff capability. My question for you is how do you like that Fenix flashlight? I'm looking at getting one.
BDinPutnam
.475 A&M Magnum
I absolutely love it, @Celt. I usually have it set on #3 (out of 5) brightness. Good for the money and solid as a tank. I am thinking of getting another one for EDC.
To your point- I would be a handgun in the home guy but STILL WAITING ON FUCKING PERMITS! But I also like the AR and the Fenix anyways because I live in the woods- coyotes, ya know.
Gives me indoor/outdoor flexibilty.
To your point- I would be a handgun in the home guy but STILL WAITING ON FUCKING PERMITS! But I also like the AR and the Fenix anyways because I live in the woods- coyotes, ya know.
Gives me indoor/outdoor flexibilty.
Check out Federal Vital shok 60g, black hills TSX and ( ireally hate to say this because i do not like their pistol ammo) Hornady TAPS.
Target
6.5 Creedmoor
For "in the house" a youth model may be a good option as well.
Slightly shorter length, easier to maneuver ,
Most people do not take into consideration that if you shoot one indoors, your ears will ring and the muzzle flash will blind you for a bit.
It isn't the movies ya know.
There are some good deals on used guns out there.
I picked up a pair of Winchester 1300 Defenders for $350 shipped on ARfcom a couple yrs ago.
And since everyone likes pics:
http://www.paintballcity.org/images/Target/defenders.jpg
Slightly shorter length, easier to maneuver ,
Most people do not take into consideration that if you shoot one indoors, your ears will ring and the muzzle flash will blind you for a bit.
It isn't the movies ya know.
There are some good deals on used guns out there.
I picked up a pair of Winchester 1300 Defenders for $350 shipped on ARfcom a couple yrs ago.
And since everyone likes pics:
http://www.paintballcity.org/images/Target/defenders.jpg
Celt
.450/400 Nitro Ex
My bedrooms are in a narrow corridor so i need the mobility. Good to hear about the light, im looking at one for edc.
A few things to consider since I know in your intro you said you are a new gun owner, this video is targeted to new or inexperienced users.
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Celt
.450/400 Nitro Ex
another expert OPINION on the topic. @Drinkthekoolaid @BDinPutnam
he is comparing handgun vs shotgun, but the long gun principles remain the same.
he is comparing handgun vs shotgun, but the long gun principles remain the same.
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I've handled and shot both the 870 and 500/590. Both are good, reliable shotguns.
The main differences:
Either one will work well for home defense. I'd keep the barrel length at 18" if the weapon is intended purely for home defense duties.
The main differences:
- 870 has a safety mounted near the trigger guard, 500/590 has a tang mounted safety.
- 870's pump handle and slide feels pretty solid, 500/590's will wiggle a little bit (it's not going to break or fall off, but it has more play).
- I think the ejection setup's between the two are somewhat different as well.
- The action slide release for the 870 is in front of the trigger guard, for the 500/590 its located behind the trigger guard.
Either one will work well for home defense. I'd keep the barrel length at 18" if the weapon is intended purely for home defense duties.
Looked into them a little bit, they look great but a little above my price point. maybe some day
In addition to a home defense weapon, i would just like to add a shotgun to the collection. I do have the AR on deck if needed, maybe i'm naive but for my living quarters i feel like a shotgun would be easier to maneuver
Celt
.450/400 Nitro Ex
Looked into them a little bit, they look great but a little above my price point. maybe some day
In addition to a home defense weapon, i would just like to add a shotgun to the collection. I do have the AR on deck if needed, maybe i'm naive but for my living quarters i feel like a shotgun would be easier to maneuver
an ar should be shorter than a shottie (unless the shottie has a pistol grip only). your talking a 16" rifle barrel compared to an 18"shotgun barrel.
and hey, we all like excuses to get a new gun, we have to justify it to ourselves somehow.
GTN
.308 Win
This is the route I went also. I have a small corner bedroom safe that does have a 12ga shotgun, 3 Glock 9mm pistols and now a Ruger PC9. The Ruger and a pistol will be the first things I grab
Looks great, but my question with the pistol grip is how difficult is it to hit the slide release? WIth it being behing the trigger i imagine its kind of tough to get to
I think the Mossberg slide release is easier to get to. Being located behind the trigger guard you would use the middle finger to depress it without shifitng your grip at all. However a Mossberg with a pistol grip stock would require you to come completely off the grip to hit the tang mounted safety. With a standard stock its right there by your thumb. I would stick with a traditional style stock on the Mossbergs and if you must have a pistol grip stock then I would go with the 870.
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Both Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 are tried and true for this purpose. It’s mostly a subjective matter of personal taste, the differences are small. A Mossberg 590A1 might be the ideal tactical platform but you would be hard pressed to meet your price point. Realistically a Mossberg 500 with an interchangeable 18 inch barrel gets you everything you need for what can be an all-purpose gun. If you are super price sensitive even a Mossberg Maverick 88 will be directly comparable to the Remington 870 Express.
I prefer the buttstock to pistol grip. It’s just easier to aim, shoot and manage recoil in a high stress civilian home defensive situation. The length with 18 inch barrel is not bad especially if you switch a shorter buttstock. If length and maneuvability is a big issue in a tight space, you might consider the Mossberg Shockwave or Remington Tac 14 with laser sights. That needs more training though.
Don’t buy the comments on reliability one or the other. I’ve heard of the supposed QC issues with Remington, not about Mossberg having issues, but at a recent training I was in there were many Mossberg 500s and a couple Remington 870s and the only “mechanical” issue all day were was a shotgun with improper sling placement (tied to mag tube) interfering with the slide.
I prefer side saddle to buttstock shell carrier; it’s still a small investment, but realistically the odds of having to reload are near nil.
Shotgun is an ideal choice for home defense. You have maximum choice of loads; birdshot for the most cramped apartment with neighbors nearby. 00 or 4 buck otherwise, although any shotgun load is an effective defensive load. Spread is very small in home defense ranges.
If I were to get another defensive shotgun besides my Mossys I wish I could get my hands on an Ithaca 37 DSPS (deerslayer police special) for those times when you are all out of bubblegum.
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Acer-m14
20×102mm Vulcan
I think there is shell lifter plate you can get for the moss so you can shoot the mini shells ...
i think if you actually were wakened up in middle of sleep and got the shot gun and seen a bad guy and let it rip
you may not even hear the bang from your Adrenalin being jacked up .. just like LEO not knowing how many times they shot .. I shot 4 times .. they check the gun and its empty .. ...
but with any gun and bullet choice .. over penetration .. shit you missed .. .. do try to keep a clear head and know whats behind that wall behind the bad guy
i think if you actually were wakened up in middle of sleep and got the shot gun and seen a bad guy and let it rip
you may not even hear the bang from your Adrenalin being jacked up .. just like LEO not knowing how many times they shot .. I shot 4 times .. they check the gun and its empty .. ...
but with any gun and bullet choice .. over penetration .. shit you missed .. .. do try to keep a clear head and know whats behind that wall behind the bad guy
Eddie Gunks
.338 Win Mag
Ha ha ha. How can you possibly miss in a hallway or bedroom?
Well, maybe you rich folks with big houses......
Oh. BTW. Semi auto shotguns for me. Semi autos never short stroke.......
Well, maybe you rich folks with big houses......
Oh. BTW. Semi auto shotguns for me. Semi autos never short stroke.......
Prudii
.357 mag
Lead nose rifle ammo deforms and breaks apart upon hitting and passing though a standard interior wall.
Frangible ammo is made from compressed metal powder and has been around since the 60s and is used by some special police personnel in hostage rescue situations, it's also useful for shooting at steal at super close range.
Search results for: 'frangible'
GTN
.308 Win
I was going to bring this up but didn’t bother because of the $400 budget.
I hate pump guns. Every time I tried training with it - never took a class, just by myself- I always short stroked it.
So I got a Beretta 1301 21” and put a extended +3 tube on it
Yup, what he said . . . Good info here.
Newguyhere
.40 S&W
I have a small house with tight corners and switched from a 20" 590A1 to a Shockwave with a green Crimson laser just for the reason that it is much easier to maneuver my house with the Shockwave. My go to is a pistol, but also have a KSG and a few other options in the safe.
That's if they make it past the 9 week-old Beagle mix we are fostering.
That's if they make it past the 9 week-old Beagle mix we are fostering.
This is a personal choice matter too. True, semi autos never short-stroke. But short-stroking is user error. I never short-stroke either. I’ve actually gone overboard in the opposite direction, racking the slide on my Shockwave once so hard I locked up the action. For me, racking the slide with authority and getting that distinctive “chk-chk” feedback is what it’s all about. I love pump guns, but that’s just me.
Semi-autos never short stroke, but they do fail to cycle and they have more going on to clean and fail. Properly operated pumps are more reliable. A Mossberg pump will shoot and cycle anything you feed it, including mini shells with the opsol clip. I don’t own one, but a trainer told me Benellis can be finicky with light loads. And of course pumps are cheaper all else being equal.
Where semiautos really shine is recoil management and follow-through. That can be a big plus not only for home defense (realistically, with shotgun one shot is usually all you need) but for training. If you like semi autos, by all means get a semiauto.
Eddie Gunks
.338 Win Mag
Yeah. But have you ever been in a real stressful situation using your pump?
I have seen guys shooting 3 gun short stroke their shotguns many many times.....and that is not a super stress situation.
I have also seen pump shotguns malfunction.
Good quality semi autos run perfect. Mine do. Different strokes......
I own one deerslayer pump...... and im gonna sell it. Only pump SG i may ever own would be an 870 14 inch one.
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I was in a tactical shotgun class one time and there were two malfunctions during the class... a brand new Mossberg 930 and a well used Remington 870. The 870 was the instructor's gun. Mossberg was brought back to the line after a couple of minutes. The Remington went to the trunk, LOL. Not knocking either brand they are both good but shit happens. Especially when you run them hard...
Fair points! Now tell me about this Deerslayer.
If using a shotgun for HD, the correct ammo is the key.
After alot of research I chose #4 Buckshot in my Benelli M4 with extention tube.
My Glock 20 is my go to, but the shotgun is always within reach.
I do not have any kids and my GF and I have done alot of "what if" training.
Why #4 Buckshot?
In a dark house, just waking up and with adrenalin pumping, pinpoint aim is out the window.
With buckshot you have better odds of hitting the mark.
You may have a brief moment where you need to make it count.
#4 has enough power to stop a bad guy but loses most of its power going through a wall.
Paul Harrell has a good video on Youtube showing this.
After alot of research I chose #4 Buckshot in my Benelli M4 with extention tube.
My Glock 20 is my go to, but the shotgun is always within reach.
I do not have any kids and my GF and I have done alot of "what if" training.
Why #4 Buckshot?
In a dark house, just waking up and with adrenalin pumping, pinpoint aim is out the window.
With buckshot you have better odds of hitting the mark.
You may have a brief moment where you need to make it count.
#4 has enough power to stop a bad guy but loses most of its power going through a wall.
Paul Harrell has a good video on Youtube showing this.