Any practical defensive value to the coach gun ?

While only 2 shots, I think the Coach Gun is a very acceptable choice for self defense. It is extremely simple to use, probably no other firearm is simpler. Semi-auto pistols are all the rage with most everyone but I wonder just how much these people go out and practice with them. There is a lot to think about, safeties, racking the slide, jamming, clearing the jam, etc.
In the case of the Double barreled Coach Gun, you can have it loaded and when you need to use it, you just take the safety off, point and shoot. It's great for the close quarter of a home, has great knock down power and is forgiving as to how you aim it. I think a Coach Gun along with a good double action revolver chamber in .357mag/.38spl is a terrific combo to defend your home.
 
The only shotgun my wife will use is an old central arms 16ga, that I cut down to 18.5" years ago. She loves the simplicity of the side by side and simple manual of arms. In her words it's "idiot proof ". That's also the reason she carries a revolver:)
 
Hasn't Ye Olde Double Barrel pretty much been the standby for years, AFAIK pumps and semiautos only really gained in popularity starting in the 1960s (?). The coach gun simply has shorter barrels.
 
Whoa guys...

The twin barreled shotguns have some value but they are limited to specific scenarios and not good general purpose defensive shotguns for you can most certainly miss with a shotgun.

If I had to pick just one shotgun it would be a 18 inch barreled semi-auto like a 11-87 and a 4 shot side saddle.

Deaf
 
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As I said before a coach gun is a tool, and will work just fine IMO in 99% of self defense situations. However my opinion is predicated on the fact that I have never offended any colombian drug dealers, I do not frequent or have gang members as guests in my home, I dont know any Ninja's, I have no reason to expect that my gated community will be runover by hordes of disinfranchised Obama supporters, I cant think of anything I may be doing to invite Dog the bounty hunter to my home, I cant see why i would be targeted by 10 man tactical home invasion teams bent on getting the $200. cash I keep.

Coach guns will work quite well I believe on

Two or three junkies trying to steal my flat screen while I'm home.
Zombies
a drunk who refuse to leave my home
any other miscreant
 
A double has significant scare factor. Two gaping muzzles put the point across a hair better than a single muzzle.
The pump action has an advantage in making a seriously scary sound when chambering a round, but that sound can also give away your position prematurely.

If kept empty loading two rounds directly into the chambers of a double is faster than loading two rounds into a tube magazine then racking the slide.

Since the brother of a aquaintance got his jaw blown off by a shotgun left loaded behind a door, the gun getting knocked over, I don't keep a scatter gun loaded.
Best to keep a scattergun out where you can grab it fast and shells nearby but not where a kid could find or reach them.
Pistols can be concealed in a drawer, but a shotgun or rifle has to be in the open or in a safe or closet where its not as easy to get to in a hurry.

Aside from this theres the historical reliability of the hammer double with double triggers. Its like having two complete firearms in the same stock. Chances of something disabling both locks is remote, and you could even split a barrel and still have a useable gun.

PS
Academic to me, only shotgun I own is a bolt action Maverick. It stays in its case.
 
Short OAL, simple manual of arms, reliable mechanism not prone to jamming or short-stroking.....I often recommend coach guns to new shooters as a HD shotgun. And I keep one handy for my wife & myself. The pumps & semi-autos have their place with experienced shooters, but the coach gun (with a butt cuff of extra shells) is never a bad choice.
 
The official government manual of arms for the double barrel shottie has been announced by Joe Biden:

1. If there is an intruder in your house, go outside. He is has a big porch on his mansion.

2. Fire two blasts into the air. He lives in a wooded area, so I supposed the falling lead will only hurt wildlife.

3. He guarantees that they will flee.

On the news today. Thus, is there anymore to say? Joe knows!

http://www.politico.com/politico44/?hp=44
 
Biden jabs aside (I wouldn't worry about HD if I had a SS detail living with me either), a coach gun is still a shotgun, and as such pretty effective at most everything.
Also, as they don't have a long action stuck in the middle you get a shorter gun out of the same length barrel. For inside a house, shorter and more maneuverable is generally better.

The only downsides I see are limited capacity (generally 2), and the inability to keep them loaded safely.
From a defensive standpoint, I don't see either as a major problem.
Assuming you're hunkering down in a "safe room" of one type or another, it seems highly unlikely that you're going to need to fire more than 2 barrels of buckshot at anyone coming in. And if you don't wake up with enough time to pop a couple shells into a shotgun you're probably SOL anyway.

A huge advantage out in the sticks is that you can load the barrels separately. So, if you're going to check a noise outside you can have rubber buckshot in one barrel (for a bear) and lead shot in the other (for foxes/racoons).

Anyway, that's my take. YMMV
 
I worked for a sheriff in Arkansas who was infamous for entering a disreputable establishment. The only weapon he had was a double barreled shotgun.

Someone turned out the lights. He cut loose into the ceiling with one barrel when they refused to turn on the lights. They were slow so he fired the other barrel. At that point he realized he had not brought any reloads. Point is all ways have reloads available when using a weapon with a limited ammo capacity.
 
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