Help! Please!

G

gracieandjason

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I am looking for a better form of home defense. I currently have a Rosi 38 special. It has a 2 1/2 inch barrel, so needless to say for me the beginner it is hard to shoot. I am interested in buying a shotgun for home defense. Say a Remington 870 or Mossberg, I really like the smaller 18" barrells. All of my friends are trying to push me into getting a 9mm handgun, saying that it is better for home defense. Please advise.
 
The best home defense firearm is the one you can shoot with the best - because you'll hit what you're shooting at!

A 20-ga. pump shotgun using 2 3/4" shotshells loaded with - at least - #6 shot will do just fine. The Remington or Mossberg will fit the bill nicely - BTW, the Maverick 88 is also a Mossberg and is a bit cheaper. An 18" barrel will be okay for indoors defense, but you will need to practice shooting it to getused to it (but not in the house!). You might also consider the H&R/NEF and Rossi single-shot shotguns. After one round goes off, only a very stupid criminal would hang around!

f that Rossi .38 Spl. had a 4" barrel you would notice a BIG difference in recoil elimination.
 
agree

Shotguns are the better of home defense firearms. I prefer a 12 gauge to 20 gauge but iam sans children in the home and have a brick exterior wall i do not fear over penetration with the 00 or 000 buck i have loaded.:D i use a mossberg 590. 18in barrel. very nice for cornering when checking out the occaisional "bump" in the night. As to the 9mm. im a .40 cal, 10mm and .45 fan so you wont hear me exhort the 9mm for a home defense weapon.:barf:
 
All of my friends are trying to push me into getting a 9mm handgun, saying that it is better for home defense. Please advise.
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All things being equal the 12bore shotgun has no equal for close quarters home defense. A couple of reasons come to mind:

-Power. One blast of 00buck contains 9 to 12 .33cal (?) pieces of lead. That's about the same as an entire magazine of 9mm's. A slug round is devistating to say the least, even at ranges out to 100yds (if you can hit something that far out).
-Versatility. You can load it with anything from bird shot to 000buck/slugs or any combination in between. Maybe you've got kids in the house so you choose to get upclose and personal with several rounds of #7 shot. At 10-15ft the pattern would be about 3-5" in diameter (depending on choke) w/ almost an ounce of lead but you've limited the risk of overpenetrating interior walls - Good for the kids. If you're like me and live alone then it's open season on intruders. I load up with 6rnds of 00buck and 2 slug rnds + 2 #6 magnum 3" onboard. I can swap out the chambered 00buck for a slug round and go long range or through semi-hard cover in less than 2 seconds. Another pump and I'm back to 00buck.
-Accuracy. Shoulder fired weapons are more accurate than pistols for obvious reasons, especially when the SHTF stress hits you and the monkey is on your back. Tunnel vision and loss of fine motor skills are, in some part, mitigated using a long gun. You MUST aim a shotgun contrary to popular belief. This doesn't mean you have to be precise but pointing in the general direction of a threat will NOT get it done.

Training is also key. Shotgun tactics are different than sidearm tactics in some ways. How do you round corners and get through funnels with a shotgun vs. handgun? How do you open doors? Weapon retention? All this stuff needs to be thought out with the weapon of choice in mind.

And, of course, all this is under the "all things being equal" premise. If you are an expert shot with a pistol but haven't handled a shotgun before then maybe the shotgun isn't the appropriate tool. Use what you know, know what you use. Practice Practice Practice.
 
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A shotgun is the best possible HD arm, for a shotgunner. For others, it's far from the best.

If one makes the effort and learns the weapon, practices frequently and uses it recreationally, then a shotgun is a very good choice. Otherwise, one is living ins a dangerous illusion.

Of course, that applies to any weapon.....
 
you could get your self in a position where the shotgun is to big and bulky, but the shotgun is nice for genral point and fire.
 
I wouldn't use a single shot for HD. When the adrenaline starts pumping, strange things can happen - like pulling the trigger before you're ready. Do that with a single shot (NEF/H&R) and you're screwed.

Any pump 12GA should fit the bill nicely. Whatever you get, learn it well. Practice often. The old saying goes: "You fight like you train."
 
Imho

a shotgun is the ultimate HD weapon...Handguns are good, but not as versatile.... With a shotgun you can "tailor" it to your living situation...For example in an apartment you have to worry about overpenetration...In that scenario you can load birdshot and not worry (although it may be a less than ideal manstopper, but it'll surely make a mess of the bad guy, and probably make him re-consider his actions)... i live in the country, in a large house, and don't have to wory about such things, so I load my 20" Mossberg with S&B 3" magnum 00 buckshot...15 .32 caliber pellets per round....Holds 7... So I can put 105 pieces of lead out pretty fast...
 
Remington or Mossberg make great HD shotguns. Go with it, your friends don't know what they're talking about. :cool:
 
What your friends fail to realize is a 9mm is little better than your Rossi for home defense. Ok, you have more capacity, it is a little hotter, it's more tactical......:rolleyes:

The step up to a 9mm ain't squat compared to the step up to a 12 gauge. You don't have to invest much into a shotgun to have an extremely effective HD tool either. When you can get an adequate HD shotgun for under $150 almost anywhere, there is NO reason for any home to be without one. Nothing will put a stop to an intruder like a blast of buckshot to the chest. In a home invasion, you want to stop the fight quickly and effectively. You will possibly have multiple assailants, so having one shot take down power is valuable.

The only bad things about shotguns are the size compared to a handgun, and capacity. Learning proper technique can make the size of the shotgun an advantage. The capacity issue can be taken care of with a sidesaddle and/or extended magazine.

When and if you get a shotgun, get training specific to shotguns. A good instructor on the combat shotgun is worth every cent you pay.
 
Use what is comfortable to you. Try shooting a shot gun at shooting range that has rentals or maybe a friends. Shot guns are not for every one.
Also you might want to check the laws on home defense before doing any actual defending. For instance; in North Carolina it is illigal to shoot an unarmed person in your home and doing so can land you 10-15 years. While in South Carolina(where I reside) anyone intruding on your domain is fair game.
If you do decide to defend your life and possesions I suggest you shoot to kill and use a weapon that promises instant death. Something with magnum on it ussually will do the trick. Don't want to be supporting a crippled bad guy the rest of your life do ya?
One last thing.. What ever you choose remember. Practice (or training) makes perfect.
 
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