What Goes On An HD Shotgun?

4

40s-and-wfan

New member
I'm looking to put an inexpensive reflex sight on my shotgun for home defense purposes but am rethinking the necessity of one. A light might be a better idea. In my reading, most confrontations with a burglar happen at distances close enough that a sight isn't even needed. The light might be good so I can make sure what I hear is actually what I think it is, rather than one of our three dogs or our cat!
Anyways, what are your feelings on accessories for a shotgun? Do you 'accessorize' or do you leave things stock so to speak? As it stands right now, my shotgun has a 26-inch barrel on it. I'm in the process of buying a shorter barrel more suited for HD. This gun is my pet project for the winter. Need all the ideas I can get.
 
Hands... That is all I put on my life support weapon...

single bead on the barrel is my most instinctive point shooting method.

I don't multi task worth a snot so no lights, side saddles, lasers, commands to the BG or nothin'.

Brent
 
+ 1 on Brent's comment.

Have you considered a bedside remote controller for your home's lighting? You'll get a lot more use from it than a light on your gun.
 
Benelli M3
No lasers, LED's or any of the tacticool stuff, just 5 extra rounds on the buttstock. If I need more than 12 rounds of #4, and my wife's and my pistols, then I better buy a tactical radio to call in an airstrike
 
OP,
Lights work both ways. I'd prefer not to give up the tactical advantage of knowing my home's layout in the dark.
FWIW
YMMV
 
How do you plan to identify your target?
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With only the spouse in my house, ANYONE else becomes a target at 2AM. Seriously, I have enough ambient light from street lights, LED clocks and other glowing devices to see clearly without additional lighting
 
With only the spouse in my house, ANYONE else becomes a target at 2AM. Seriously, I have enough ambient light from street lights, LED clocks and other glowing devices to see clearly without additional lighting
Click to expand...

That may be fine for you. Some of us have teenage kids and I wouldn't want to shoot one just because he was sneaking into the house after curfew. (like none of us ever did it). Or what if it's your neighbor coming back from closing the bar who walked in the door you forgot to lock.

The nice thing about lights is that they have switches. You only have to turn them on when needed.
 
Absolutely agree, ESPECIALLY with those pesky teenagers sneaking in past curfew.....(not that I would ever have done something similar)...:D

Actually, my dad, a LEO at the time almost DID shoot me while I was trying to sneak up the stairs one night.

A good dog works wonders as well.............;)
 
I do have kids and I want to make sure that whatever is wandering around in my house isn't one of them. They're too young to be sneaking in and out of the house right yet though. I have 5, 7 and 9 year old boys and a baby girl that's barely a month old yet.
I want something that will not only help me keep my home safe, but I don't want to have some rabid county attorney asking me why I didn't feel it necessary to identify my target in some way or another before discharging a round or two of '00' buck into him/her. "How do you know he was here to harm you, just because he was stumbling through your home at oh-dark-thirty doesn't mean he was going to rape and murder you and your family! He could have been lost." There are many an enterprising attorney that would argue something like that!
 
I forgot to mention... Yes I have 2 adult kids at home but I also have 4 full time indoor dogs and if they are barkin' at a human... he don't belong here...

Brent
 
IMHO, the varied opinions expressed, thus far, serve to demonstrate that there are no hard and fast answers about HD. How you prepare depends on your environment and your defense plan. Far too many folks concern themselves with outfitting a tacti=cool shotgun before they've developed a comprehensive HD plan. Let someone mention HD, and there always seems to be a quick reply suggesting a M-500/R-870 and 00-Buck without having a clue about the OP's circumstances.
 
How do you plan to identify your target?
Click to expand...

In the context of "Home Defense", here is something else to consider: Leave a light on.

The newer flourecent lamps have a longer service life and consume very little power. Find a location in your home that will work to your advantage (when required) then turn it on and leave it.

just a thought
 
Or what if it's your neighbor coming back from closing the bar who walked in the door you forgot to lock.
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I would say that a person that takes their security seriously enough to use a gun for HD, does not forget to lock the doors. I have never in my life forgot to lock my doors and shame on you if you have. Anybody that's in my house that is not the wife or me has gone through at least 2 locks to do so, and therefore a target.
 
If the only weapon I could own was a shotgun, I might have some accessories on it to enhance its versatility, but for a dedicated home-defense weapon a 12 gauge pump loaded with 4 or 5 rounds of 00 buck, stripped except for a tac light, is second to none, IMHO.

The main benefit of a shotgun is quick shooting, facilitated by the bead sight: Basically, gun up, find the bead, BOOM, target down. Taking the time to acquire a sight picture makes you slower, or, at best, no faster.

Many accessories may have some use in specialized applications, but get in the way of home defense use. I think extended magazines are bulky and impede quick deployment. Reloading is not likely in a home defense scenario. Likewise, slings just get in the way.

Sights and slugs basically make a shotgun (well, an 870, anyway) into a manually-operated 4-shot rifle...OK, but why not have a rifle instead?

A weapon light is the only accessory I would mount.
 
my plan

GF and I live alone except for our dog (a year old golden). We all sleep in the same room and are usually the only people in the home. We live in a rural ski town with more tourists than predators though it is hard to tell the difference many times.

The home is a wood framed wood flored ski house that creeks like no other. Anyone even stepping in the front door would be easily heard from the bedroom below.

Whatever pistol I have been carrying for the day goes to the nightstand and the Charles Daly HD shotgun is in the corner by the bed. The dog will wake up to the noise first and alert us. I will pick up the 12 gauge and lock the bedroom door. She will cover the window with my pistol. (it is at ground level)

I will announce my displeasure with the situation and wait for response. In the event of no response we will alert the athorities.

They can steal what they like but they will not touch her or the dog.

Comments?

Vermonter
 
My issue with a light on the gun is that it impedes my ability to sight down my barrel reliably. When the target is lit, my barrel is darkened...

But if I use my ambient lighting (minimal amount needed), I can fairly reliably sight down the barrel to COM on a human size torso target.

Brent
 
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