It's all backwards just to get your money . .

Status
Not open for further replies.
I have shotguns of just about every configuration, but the one I would grab in a HD situation would be my Citori.

Why? Because I've used that gun for over 25 years for hunting and clay pigeons. I'm familiar with it and I don't have to remember where the controls are. I always shoot clays from low ready, so the gun comes instantly into position when I need it to.

My other shotguns are toys or teaching tools, but my Citori is my working shotgun.
 
I agree with the original poster. However, I'm not mad at fellow gun owners that want to trick out their gun - to each, his own.

Here's my home defense rig:

2gx4r9j.png
 
Folding stocks: My shotgun doubles as my "truck gun" where it sits in a nice compartment that is out of view. Were it not for the folding stock, I would not be able to fit it there, thus as a space-saving measure, a folding stock makes perfect sense. Speaking of which, seems that that's the original reason (and adjustable LOP) that folding and telescoping stocks were created...
 
Kevbo makes a good point about sling use - we're not walking long distance thru the house - and we could be snap shooting an already identified assailant we're pursuing.

In the day, shotgun sling bandoliers sold like hotcakes - and were as quickly discarded after the first use. Having 12 more rounds on one really exaggerates the difficulties in handling and weight changes, much less the awkwardness of reloads. Although the degree of difficulty may be less, other methods of ammo carry outside the reciever of the gun suffer the same problems.

Folding stocks are for just that - to make it easier to store in a limited space. Use of the gun without it extended is generally discouraged, as plenty of militaries world wide who used weapons in the short mode found soldiers were more inaccurate, and tended to point the muzzle at various parts of their body when in combat. If Murphy can get you to shoot yourself, he will.

As for adjustable stocks, the use of body armor and the need for different lengths of pull to accomodate is well known and in use today - but the average homeowner doesn't have any. I'd venture to guess the number of shotguns in civilian hands with adjustable stocks and no accompanying armor is about 99%. Most of us don't sleep in it (I have,) don't own it, and don't need it, so why entertain the expense when it's basically useless?

It's about ego, not common sense.
 
plain OOTB m-500 with standoff and synthetic furniture , thats it , nothing else...
 
It's always a good idea not to get yourself killed for lack of shooting back.
Click to expand...

This I think is the essence of gunfighting. I like the way you phrased that, Walter, and if you don't mind I am going to use it again.

A word about doodads. My previous occupation took me into some unpleasant neighborhoods. One evening I found myself faced by six armed gangbangers. By the mercy of God I had a 12 ga. Mossberg Maverick with a topfolding stock and a 7-round magazine tube, with an additional round in the chamber, in my equipment bag. I promptly produced the same and since I had apparently brought the only firearm to the party, the bangers decided there were easier pickings elsewhere. I got in my car and drove away. Nobody got shot, nobody got hurt.

Of course the fact that it even happened was a lack of situational awareness on my part -- something I have been working to rectify ever since.

I share that story to say this: here was at least one case where a folding stock came in handy, so they are not altogether bad.

I didn't have to shoot anybody, but if it had really come down to a fight having 8 rounds to spread amongst 6 bad guys could have been handy. Reloads on the gun would have worked almost as well.

I work a much safer job now and I carry a revolver as it is more portable than the shotgun. Still, I have a distinct fondness for that ugly little shotgun.
 
Walter Oakley said:
There's more to a short barrel than just being able to move it around better. It also gives you a wider distribution of your shot. It can mean as much as a foot inside of a house between using a 18" barrel and a 28" barrel.
Click to expand...

Did you actually pattern your guns and find this?

My 18" IC choke patterns similarly to my 28" IC choke and my 20" IC choke. For me, shot distribution is determined mostly by the choke, not by the barrel length.
 
Last edited:
I agree with everything but the light. If I'm going to be woken up at 3am by the sounds of something going bump in the night, I'm going to want to know what it is if I'm pointing a loaded firearm it it. Just my opinion though.
 
Walter Oakley said:
The whole point of a longer barrel is to keep the shot pattern tighter for a longer distance...
But as a general rule longer barrels do keep patterns tighter. That's the main reason they make barrels in different lengths.
Click to expand...

I would like for you to please start a new thread to discuss this topic about barrel length.

I'm going with the primary point of a longer barrel is for smoother swinging when shooting clays.
 
On my 20" 870 Express-
I added a Burris Speed Bead holographic sight and found that ...
you don't need a rail or a gunsmith to install this.
it is brighter than night sights.
my friend and I both shoot clay pigeons better to the point where it feels like we're cheating.
it's like a laser without giving away your position and like a laser, if your head isn't straight down the barrel, where ever the red dot is, the lead goes.
it has a 5 year battery life so I just leave it on.
after many many shots of 00 buck and slugs, it holds zero flawlessly.
I can POA for closer HD distance than the bead itself.
if the light fails, I still have the bead.
 
I agree to some extent, but I disagree that a PG is not an enhancement to ergonomics. It is. That's one reason why AR15s and many other similarly-gripped rifles are incredibly popular and ubiquitous - their outstanding ergos. I'm not talking PGO, but PG with buttstock.

But certainly, magnum is not needed. That's why "downloaded" weaker 2.75" loads (or even super short 2.5" loads) are the most popular "tactical" type loads for self defense / home defense / CQB. 20 ga ain't a scrunthair worth of difference either for self-defense purposes, so you're right about that, too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top