25 thoughts on “Home Defense”

  1. Benelli M4, https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/411542206

    They also have a model marketed for home defense, https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/benelli-supernova-tactical-pump-action-shotgun

    The Hatsan and other MSR style ones look interesting. Being able to reload via magazine is quicker than one by one unless you master the art of speed reloading. There are plenty of reviews on youtube. Hatsan ones have had some issues cycling different loads, usually lighter birdshot.

    Pimped out shockwave style shotguns with a brace, light, and dot also look appealing.

    Whatever model you go with, be sure to plan on spending more money for a light and red dot.

    Round selection is also important because of over penetration. A shotgun will put holes in people but also walls and people behind walls and maybe your neighbor’s walls. Lots of videos about the different loads and their over/under penetration. This is why a lot of experienced people recommend using at PCC or MSR depending on your specific situation. Both are a little more expensive to get into than a cheap shotgun but have a lot of advantages.

    Even hunting loads are hard to come by right now but anyone can buy as much ammo as they want assuming they feel it is worth $1-2 a round. SportsmansGuide still has preorders at $0.62 a round for 9mm if you order 1,000 rounds, a couple cents more expensive if you get 500.

    2. Mossberg makes a magazine loaded version of their 500 series…The Hatsan is Turkish, and I prefer to not support mohammedans and enemies of the United States

        1. I have Mossberg 500’s, and a Benelli M4. The Mossbergs are more than adequate: I put a light and a sling on mine, a side saddle, and a big safety button.

          I specifically don’t like the Remington 870 series, because of the safety: Having to change grip on a weapon to engage/disengage a safety is an incredibly BAD design.

          ProTip: If you put a sling on a shotgun, don’t get fancy. Just put a regular sling on, not one that doubles as a bandoleer. Nobody needs 50 rounds (2 boxes) of 12 gauge ammo swinging around when trying to use a shotgun.

  2. Handguns seem like the better tactical solution. They carry more ammunition E.g. 7+1 vs. 17+1. Magazines can be swapped quicker than reloading a shotgun. But test both on the range before making your own decision. The couple of ranges I went to only let me test with slugs, not shot.

    1. Handguns are perhaps a better solution if you end up having to actually use the gun, but just the sound of racking a shotgun can be very discouraging to a home invader.

      1. Typically one round from a 12ga and your attacker is done, even #7 shot at close range is really nasty. Sometimes a full mag from a 9mm doesn’t stop them. You’ve got to get them all on target too, easier with a short shotty.

        1. I have treated thousands of patients shot with everything from a .177 BB, to a 20mm cannon shell at essentially point blank range.

          There is no ‘magic bullet’. The guy shot with the 20mm survived, people shot with .22LRs often die (eventually).

          A shotgun is a weapon that has specific techniques to be effective in a home. For example, sticking the barrel first into a room is a good way to have a bad guy take it away from you. Of course, there are weapons retention tactics that apply to handguns as well. Either way, get properly trained.

          1. Amen to the training. I’m 66, and have been shooting since I was 8. My Dad taught me firearms safety at that age, and for years after, and I owned my first firearm at age 10. But I never pass up a chance to take a course, and I always learn something new. Case in point: I had never even heard of trigger-reset shooting before taking a refresher handgun course at the NRA HQ range a few years ago. It has been a staple for police training for years. Basically, you learn to slowly release the trigger until you feel the mechanism reset, then immediately squeeze off another round. Rinse and repeat. Then you concentrate on getting the first round exactly where you want it. When you’ve mastered both, you can empty a 15 round magazine in 3 seconds, and every round will be on target.

            But I digress. The best course I ever took was for the Virginia concealed handgun permit. There they trained us in reaction time, with an emphasis on sizing up the situation from a legal perspective while drawing our weapons. The average violent encounter lasts 3 to 5 seconds. That’s how long you have to make a life-altering decision, and execute it. Indeed, do get training. It is indispensible.

      2. Racking the slide on a semi-auto handgun is just as effective. It’s also something I wouldn’t want to do either with the handgun or a shotgun. First off, it alerts an intruder to one’s location and state of readiness immediately. You’re not ready with a pump action shotgun until a second or two after racking the first round. Plus you have one less round at the ready than if you were hot going in.

        If I were of a mind to use a shotgun, it would be one of my Remington 1100 semi-autos. But I’m more of a handgun person myself. No matter what caliber you use, always use hollowpoints. More lethal, with lower probability of collateral damage.

    2. I agree. Going around a corner when clearing the house is easier with a handgun than a long barrel. Also in close quarters, it’s easier to strip the long barrel from you. With a hand-gun, you can pull back to the side of your chest and still fire.

      1. Agreed. I have liked the idea of bullpup shotguns since the Neostead was introduced. Those from Kel-Tec seem to be decent.

  3. I have a Mossberg Maverick 88 and love it. It’s easily as good as or better than pump shotguns that cost twice as much.

  4. I started with a Mossy, but wound up with an 870. The 870 is fine, but the funny thing I find I miss most about the Mossberg is the safety on the tang. Which, oddly enough, this Maverick they mention doesn’t have. People definitely have different preferences, and my 870 works just fine. But I have been thinking about getting a Mossberg again just for that one reason.

  5. No semi-autos and surely no single shots with 28″ barrels. Even if it’s cheap, having it shortened will add up and a jammed cheap auto in these circumstances is more than a missed bird. A lot harder to be directed against you than a pistol and you hold it with both hands as well. The whole idea is to shoot them before they get close enough to take it regardless. A shotgun is the best way to deliver a lot of foot pounds to a thin skinned target without having to worry about what might be a half mile beyond your target.

    2. Agree about shooting them before they get close, but if they are within 20 feet they “could” close on you before you can aim and fire.

      My son had a Keltec 1000 9mm which was nice and short 16″ barrel and optional high capacity mags. That would be a nice compromise for home defense. With a cheap scope I was getting lots of 9s and 10s at the far end of the range.

  6. For firebase defense and/or market manipulation, .50 BMG ammo is just $38.40 per 10 round box at Lucky Gunner. BMG is the new GME.

    1. .50 BMG is about the only ammo that is available right now, and the price has been fairly level over the last year.

      But an M107 is difficult to clear a house with.

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