home defense readyness

Lee, Thanks for that great deal of info.
I know you aren't trying to lower me, but informing someone who doesn't have all the knowledge and ASKED for help! :D

I joined that other site and requested for that video.
Limiting factor on getting other buttstock is money. on avery tight budget, having to save every penny for the needs. So I cant imagine I'll be able to afford one anytime soon :barf:
 
tronny,

You're welcome. Hope it helped a little, and will continue to help over time. Chances are that you will never have to use any of this. But in matters of self defense, it is the stakes that matter far more than the odds. If you're going to own a defensive shotgun, every adult in your house needs to know how to use it with confidence. That confidence can only come through training and practice.

There are some situations where a pistol grip only shotgun is necessary- but not very many. And in the average home, even a small home, proper tactics will allow use of a full stocked gun. The full stock is a big advantage, both in comfort when shooting the gun and in increased ability to hit what you're shooting at. If I were you I'd contact the customer service folks at Mossberg ( service@mossberg.com or 800-363-3555) and ask if they'll put on a shoulder stock for you while your gun is in for service, either for free or at reduced cost. The only time I had to send a new gun back for factory service due to problems, the company installed a set of night sights on the pistol and did not charge me for it. I had asked to have the sights installed when my dealer sent the gun back intending to pay for the sights but they wouldn't charge me for it.

IMHO the best bet in home defense is to bunker down behind cover in a saferoom, and wait with your shotgun pointed at the door. Cover can be a substantial piece of furniture, like the mattress, that's between you and the door. It's a good idea to have a phone handy in the saferoom to contact the authorities, and most trainers encourage having a cell phone- sometimes intruders will cut phone lines before breaking in. Remember that even a cell phone with no subscription A light source outside the saferoom door will serve to backlight anyone who appears in the door opening, while leaving you invisible in the dark. The light can be a remote controlled lamp, a night light or the like. Going looking for what sounds like an intruder in your home is giving up a lot of advantages, with no good reason for doing so, unless there is a family member in another room you need to secure.

If you do need to move with the gun, learning to use the 'indoor ready' position is your best approach. Any movement with a defensive shotgun should be done from this sort of position with the muzzle down- it's a more retentive position than carrying the gun muzzle up so that anyone who gets close to you can get under the arc of the muzzle and disarm you. If you have your act together and someone tries a disarm on you when you have the gun at indoor ready, that someone is going to lose body parts in a hurry. The Louis Awerbuck video I mentioned earlier goes into this to a degree, Louis' video _Safe At Home_ (also available from Paladin Press) is a more in- depth explanation of home defensive tactics from perhaps the best defensive shotgun instructor in the world.

This sort of thing is also taught by the NRA as well (I took the instructor course once upon a time), and by any number of other shotgun instructors. This isn't just me saying these things, this approach is widely taught. I must point out that as always there are some folks who disagree completely with everything I just said. You have to make up your own mind who you will listen to, and what you will do if it ever comes down to it. As Louis says in class- "I'm not going to be there to help you with your gunfight." Well, I won't be there either- but neither will any of the folks who disagree with commonly taught defensive tactics.

Do be careful learning. It's as easy to learn good habits as bad ones, and a lot less trouble in the long run.

Stay Safe,

lpl/nc
 
My home defense readyness

I plan to keep the magazine loaded, but NOTHING in the chamber, and the safety on.

Ammunition: Either Federal, Remington, or Winchester low-recoil 00 buckshot. I bought all three and will use the one that works best in the shotgun.
 
problem with the safe room aspect is that my bedroom is on the opposite end of the house from my 7 month old's room. The front door is right in between. I gave thought to switching rooms so I would be in the closer room to the door, but the thought of his window being on the inside of a fence with hotwire around it and a great dane living back there made me think to stay in the front room, where someone would be more likely to come into my window, not his.
I dont really like the setup of this home in the home defense aspect, because the front door has a straight shot to his room, while my room is through a hallway, which is really narrow, is why i thought about using the pistol grip as to cut down half a foot or more.

I dont mind using the pg in shooting (it is no doubt not as comftorble as with a regular butt stock, but its standable and easy to get used to)

When I get the sg back I plan on going out to a friends house with my girlfriend and dumping some pellets into a target to get the hang of waist-shooting and aiming. I also thought about possibly getting a laser to help with aim (not replace the skill of aiming, as I will be doing lots of practice)

I read on the other forum that the subject of lasers to help aim is major debate, almost as bad as pistol vs long gun for home defense.
 
One of the hottest debates in gun board history, right up there with 9mm VS .45 ACP, is how to keep your HD shottie. :)

I keep my Remington 870's extended mag fully loaded, one in the chamber, and the safety on. Trust me, other's opinions will vary.
 
as per my origional question, (as of now at least)
Ive decided on

full mag (5 shells of 00 buck.. might look into the low recoil ones at another time.. speaking of which, are these really useful? is the recoil any noticeable change on these?)
empty chamber
safety on
slide locked

I figure with enoguh practice, anyone could unlock the slide, rack a chamber in, and flick off the safety in a matter of a few seconds, even in the dead of night just waking up.
Makes you wonder if anyone has had sleep walking incodents where they get out their hd weapon and use it :confused:
 
Cond.1- round up the spout, mag full, safety on. The first round is plenty of warning that there's more on the way. BTW- no kids in the house, professional driver on a closed course. Your mileage may vary.
 
chamber empty, tube full, pull the trigger, click. rack the slide about 1/2 way back at this point it will not go forward again. kind of like a mid way lock. the gun then has to be racked fully back and then forward to chamber a round. Its kept like this, saftey off.

rack and go.

i like it like this instead of hitting the slide release on an empty chamber, you can visually see the condition it is in. and its better than pre-releasing the slide b/c it will prevent double feed type situations and other weirdness i've found w/ dummy rounds.

When i shoot i honestly dont use the saftey. its either loaded and pointed down range or unloaded and pointed in a safe direction. I may get flammed for it but i'm very much dilligent w/ muzzle control and have always handled firearms like this. i prob should get into the habit of using the saftey but find no need.
 
870 behind the door with 6 rounds of #4 shot in the tube, and four rounds of #4 in the sidesaddle. No slugs, too many houses. Safety on, chamber empty, slide locked.
 
Tube full, safety off, chamber empty.

I betcha if you ever get to try a full stocked version, you'll abandon the PG. A short barrel / short stock version is pretty manageable in close quarters and loads better at hitting.

I used to own a folding stock PG shotgun and I found myself automatically opening it when I picked it up. My BIL got punched in the nose by it. Out went the folder/PG and in came the full stock. Now it's hands find gun, butt finds shoulder, rack, low ready. Safety on is for skeet/hunting.
 
update

as of now,
the sg has an adjustable stock with built-in sidesaddle on the stock.
Still keeping slide locked, tube full of 00 buck, saddle with 00 buck, nothing in the chamber.
What I need now is a good way to store it. My little one will be running around before too long and I want it locked up enough that he won't find it for a while and all.
Anyone used those V-line shotgun cases? Thats the best thing Ive seen so far, with a push-button lock for quick and easy opening.
 
My pistol is chambered and safety off in a hand gun safe. I can open it quickly.

My shotgun is chamber empty, mag full.

I like to shoot a lot of shotguns. When I hunted I would switch back and forth between pumps and autos. Sometimes, I would forget to pump the pump and pump the auto. I noticed my hd shotgun was a moss500, so I switched to a Reminton auto for that reason. I have basically retired all of my pumps. Can't afford a mistake at a crucial time. Autos and O/Us for me, for the remainder of my years.
 
Nothing in the chamber for me.

I won't deny myself the sweet sound of a pump action racking the first round. Besides, I want the bad guy to know he screwed up by picking my house.

The safety doesn't take but a fraction of a second to switch off IF you are already loaded up. I don't see any point to not having the safety on when not in use.

My current 870 is a newer model and has a pinched off magazine tube and can only hold 4 2 1/2' shells. I have a beanbag round 1st in line and 3 #6 shots behind it. Why the beanbag? Simple. I won't hesitate the first shot. I wouldn't need to decifer if the intruder was armed. I know that if I hit him it will hurt like an SOB but won't kill him, and I won't mess up my walls.
Now before anyone starts thinking I am a pacifist I assure you, I am not. I have considered the concequences of shooting someone in my home, and in this day and age you not only have to worry about going to jail for an unjustified shooting, you need to worry about getting sued for shooting the guy that has violated your home! This is a sick world....And for you guys with the "Dead men don't talk" mindset, save it I've heard all of that already. I don't buy it. Just because someone breaks in your home does not mean you have the right to kill him.
Now after I've shot him with the beanbag I can make a quick visual to see if he was armed, at which time I decide whether or not to let him have some lead.
 
What? Like they're not going to sue you if it was only a beanbag? Get real. Shoot first and evaluate the threat afterwards? That's not pacifism, that's dumb, no offense.

If you're justified to shoot him with a BB, then you're justified to shoot him with lead. If you're justified to shoot him with lead, why would you have a BB in the gun? They will rake you over the coals for that. Bad practice.
 
tronny

you might want to get some of those big red hooks you can find some at target or wal mart for pretty cheap. unfold them so they are not a full semi circle anymore, and then drill them somewhere,the best plkace would be up high under a closet door jamb.

wokred for a while for me.

good luck.
 
Edward....

No offense, but you missed my point. Even if it ain't nessesary I assure you that I wouldn't fire my gun unless it was absolutely nessesary.

Now, instead of me trying to explain the fine points of sarcasm and how it relates to the last line of my post let me say this:

I would rather be quick to fire and fire first than be shot myself. I would rather go to court for shooting a guy with a beanbag than go to court to face Manslaughter or 2nd degree murder charges. I would rather have the option to reload a live round for a second shot, then have no option at all. I would rather face the concequences of using non-lethal rounds on an intruder than have to explain why I had a shotgun fully loaded with Buckshot to Authorities.
The beanbag round gives me options. 00 Buck does not.

My reasoning may be a lot of things, but it is not dumb.
 
It's embeded in your brain to hit the safety as you go for the trigger, even walking through the woods i keep my safety on, but keep one in the chamber while in the woods, in my house i don't keep one in the chamber as a good rule, kids might pick the gun up and hit the safety ... not that i leave my guns loaded while the door is unlocked... I like to have a semi by the bed if anything, if you need it just pull back and release to put one in and then as you go for the trigger you can easily pop the safety... :p
 
7 shells of 00buck in an 8 shell tube. Hammer down on an empty chamber. Safety off. Just pump one in and go. I leave one out of the magazine for a select slug option. Knoxx stock with side saddle containing 5 slugs. Side saddle on the reciever with 6 00Buck. I live in Texas. If someone is forcing entry into my home then deadly force is considered reasonable. In this state you can justify using deadly force to protect your family and home. I figure pumping one in is warning enough. If I come down stairs to the sight on someone running away, I let them go. If an intruder is facing me in the dark I consider that a threat to my life and the life of my family. I only use deadly force for the preservation of inocent life. If they are running out with the TV they can have it.
 
How I keep mine...

I keep my 870 Express 3in Mag 18in barrel gun under the bed with 6 00buckshot rounds in the mag and under the bed. It is uncocked and the safety is on as well as the slide being locked. I agree with the "the sound of the pump action might scare them off" theory. I know some people dont like alerting the intruder that you are aware of them but the way I see it is I would rather scare someone off than surprise them and have to shoot them. I have the regular stock on mine. I never have understood the pistol grip thing but I guess that is just me. I would rather be more focused on the problem at hand than thinking about how bad it's gonna suck to pull the trigger. Oh well. You asked so I told. Thats how I keep my HD shotgun.
 
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