Single Shot Shotguns for Defense

repeating shotguns were invented for a reason. Yes, you can maybe, get by with a single shot, but if it's purpose is to protect your life, and the lives of your family, why compromise, or step backward?
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+1 If that is what you have and you have to do with it, it is a sight better then chucking rocks.
 
A single shot shotgun is an adequate home defense weapon. It is infinitely better than having no weapon at all and they are cheap enough that everyone should have one. It is even better if you have two single shots, and even better yet if you have someone who can reload for you. With a bit of practice a person can reload a single shot fairly quickly. #1 buckshot is a fantastic choice for a home defense load. It provides plenty of penetration and you get more balls per round than the bigger balls. I don't like going smaller than #1 buckshot, but NEVER go smaller than #4 Buck for home defense. At #4 the penetration is questionable at best.

Keep an eye out for Federal Law Enforcement/Tactical #1 Buckshot LE132 It uses a "flite control" wad which keeps an extremely tight pattern
 
my favorite defense long gun is an h&r/nef single 20ga: fast, cheap, reliable, easy. the 12ga has too much recoil, 410 ammo is a tad expensive. you can find a decent used one for $100. one should be in everyone's arsenal.
 
I don't know about a lot of this. I read the police reports in the newspapers. Intruders in homes, usually one shot and done. More than one intruder and the rest take off when they see the first one drop. Drivebys- a whole lot of shots and hits, but I doubt you would be carrying a shotgun anyway.
 
A single shot is better than a baseball bat, but only half as good as a double barrel for self defense in a home. Cocking the hammer of any single shot could be a problem in a self defense situation. A pump shotgun (preferably with a fairly short barrel) is a much better self defense weapon in a home. Used pump shotguns are affordable for most folks who would want one for self defense in their residence. No. 1 buck has been proven to be the best self defense load against humans.
 
After watching this Black Powder video I snagged an H&R 12 ga single shot when I stumbled across one in the LGS.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES59LtA7XE8

Holy cow does that have some painful recoil!!!!
Even with light 12 gauge bird shot.

I can't imagine the 20 gauge is any better in the recoil department.

Does anyone still mag-na-port barrels?


I'd rather shoot 12 gauge slugs out of my 870 than bird shot out of those single shots.
 
What's wrong with a hammer? And not all guns have them, there's hammerless single shots. With that being said there's pumps with hammers too.

Singles aren't all that much harder recoiling. I haven't shot a 12 gauge single but I have a 10 gauge. No where near as bad as everyone claims. After a box of shells you're gonna feel it though. That's with 3 1/2 inch magnum shells. I'm wanting to nab some 2 7/8ths paper shells and I'm gonna take it squirrel hunting because I like how it handles. I've shot a pistol grip 500 shooting 3 inch slugs, people act like its stupid and hurts. It's about the same as a super blackhawk .44 mag. Sure you know you shot it but it's nothing to cry about.
Although it's rifles you can take a NEF .45-70 and Rossi lever action .45-70 and the single shot will recoil less. So just because a gun is a singleshot doesn't mean it recoils too much to handle.
 
Single Shot

While it's not my home defense gun, I love my wife's single shot Stevens 94B with Tenite synthetic stocks. The gun was my Father-In-Law's, & was made in the late 50's. He used it for squirrel hunting.

This week, I shot 2 rounds of ATA Trap with it. It was great, but the last 8+ rounds was definitely felt by my shoulder. I don't use any kind of recoil pad, just because of tradition. To go over 2 rounds, I would need one.

Single shot shotguns were plentiful back in the days before our country was as prosperous as we are now. People used them to bring home the bacon & guard against unwanted varmints.

I just bought an Excell 12 gauge single shot likely made in the 30's. I paid under $100.00 for it (probably too much), but the point is a person can buy a single shot cheaply even today. I am going to use it to experiment with in stock refinishing & learn how to do cold re-bluing.

The main point is that these guns were widely used & deserve respect from the gun shooting public.
 
I agree, you can't find cheaper guns than a single shot shotgun. I've seen old H&Rs for $40 each and a gun store. The same store a few weeks ago had a ring trigger Iver Johnson for $75. They had another old shotgun they were asking $65 so $40 might've bought it, it was a brand I've never heard of. They had a nice but decently old H&R asking $100 so $75 or so would get it. That place has fair prices and if they see you're interested they knock the price down without even asking.
 
Single shot shotguns are widely used and respected by firearms folks. I've got a couple I'll never sell. But there are numerous modern firearms that are superior for self defense including both shotguns and handguns. I would prefer almost any of my handguns for self defense in my home and, of course, my Remington 870 HD. The point is very simple - I (and I suspect nearly all firearms owners) prefer NOT to be limited to one shot in self defense, especially in my home.
 
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