Capacity Home Defense Shotgun

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JCooperfan1911

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What capacity do you all think is appropriate for a house gun? I have an 870 Police Magnum with a +1 extension bringing total capacity to 5+1. I also have a sidesaddle with 6 on the side and practice reloading the chamber one at a time and also topping off the tube. I feel pretty good with it but don't know if 5 in the fully loaded tube is considered enough rounds.
 
My highest capacity HD/SD shootgun is 7+1. I'm always comfortable with "just one more" and subscribe to "the more the merrier". I just hope we don't shoot up the TV sets if we ever have to use them in the house. :)
 
6+1, but I never use the +1. I have other firearms in service at home if 6 12ga shells are enough to handle a situation. I pray it won't come to that, but just in case.
 
Fine Figure of a Man said:
No more than 3. Any more than that would be unsportsmanlike and could lead to the decline of home invasions.
Non-toxic ammo only, you don't want to contaminate your own home with lead.
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C'mon, man, it's two rounds fired from the veranda. That's enough to scare off any intruders. :rofl:

I have 5 in my Ithaca 37. If that doesn't cover it, tactical retreat to the boudior for the AR and/or 1911.
 
Maybe you want to read the posts in the fighting shotgun section of this forum. This is by people who had to carry & shoot as needed. As I read it, the consensus appears to me that it is better to be a really good shot than to carry too much crap.
 
If the 5 or more rounds in a pump or auto don't seem like enough, why not switch to a rifle with a 20 or 30 round (or more) mag? Personally, I would rather use something like one of those Ruger 9mm carbines anyway. I also think that a good light on a HD gun is as important as the gun it is mounted to- and mounting a good light on a shotgun can be both difficult and expensive.
 
Our readers might find this useful:
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/dispelling-myths-12ga-shotgun/
Mr. Bolke is quite the expert.

As I always do, I suggest that focusing on the equipment is fine and dandy but to effectively use the gun, a modicum of training is suggested. As he says:

This comes down to dedication of learning. If you decide to try to clear your home (or someone else’s, for the LE/Military folks), you need to devote time and training to figure this out. For most home owners using a shotgun for home defense with minimal training, the best role is to use them in a bunker defense role of holing up in a bedroom or secure area while waiting for authorities.
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Now as far as capacity - Yep, you are limited and that leads to the ever popular carbine vs. shotgun debate. Reloading a shotgun is slow even if practiced. If one could, find a competition where you can run both against multiple targets and see you reload times, times between targets, maneuvering, etc.

If you haven't really done that, I defer to Mr. Bolke's opinion:

On the software side, training is critical. Seek solid advice and at least one good professional training course at a minimum. These guns are often the primary defense of your castle that protects your most precious things. Your family, pets, and your assets are at stake. Do not put these at risk by skimping on getting proper instruction. Watching movies with lots of shotgun use is not instruction (although I highly recommend Way of the Gun if you want to get some ideas). Invest in training and practice ammunition instead of gadgets and myths. Do some homework and do not depend on the advice of people who often have no idea of what they are talking about. They are usually the ones who elevate myths and TV fantasy to perceived reality status.
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Did a Tom Givens and a Steve Moses shotgun class and ran it in some IDPA like matches. My personal opinion is that the home long gun for first pick up is a carbine. Got the shotgun also in case of a last ditch stand against some monster.


From another great trainer, John Holschen (who squished my head in H2H):
A thought for today from John Holschen:
Amateurs think (or talk) equipment,
Students think techniques,
Masters think tactics!
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My 870 is 6 rounds of #1 buck in the tube( 4+2 extension), with 6 rounds (3 segmenting slug & 3 #1 buck) in a sidesaddle.

For me, this is quite an adequate HD shotgun load.

Stay safe.
 
A shotgun in my opinion is a viable HD weapon, but with much more limited usefulness than most people think. I'm content with the 4+1 of my 870. I've tried extended mag tubes and other shotguns with tubes giving me 8-9 shots total, but they balance and handle horribly.

INSIDE my home I'll take a handgun 10 times out of 10. There is no place inside my home where a shot longer than 15' is possible and most of the time ranges would likely be closer to 5'. I prefer the ability to keep one hand free for other things and have a gun harder for an intruder to get their hands on.

If I were to use a long gun indoors a PCC or shorter barreled AR or similar is just as useful. You get 15-30 rounds of ammo in a weapon with significantly less recoil than any shotgun. And at those ranges a shotgun doesn't have a pattern big enough to matter.

IMO where a shotgun is most useful is OUTDOORS when shots will be in the 10-30 yard range. Particularly if trying to hit moving targets. Now you have a situation where the pattern of multiple projectiles becomes an advantage, but I just don't see that sort of thing happening often in a HD situation. For LE there may be more chances. At ranges inside of 10 yards a rifle or carbine is just as good. Beyond 30 yards and a rifle is the clear winner.
 
jmr40 said:
A shotgun in my opinion is a viable HD weapon, but with much more limited usefulness than most people think. I'm content with the 4+1 of my 870. I've tried extended mag tubes and other shotguns with tubes giving me 8-9 shots total, but they balance and handle horribly.

INSIDE my home I'll take a handgun 10 times out of 10. There is no place inside my home where a shot longer than 15' is possible and most of the time ranges would likely be closer to 5'. I prefer the ability to keep one hand free for other things and have a gun harder for an intruder to get their hands on.

If I were to use a long gun indoors a PCC or shorter barreled AR or similar is just as useful. You get 15-30 rounds of ammo in a weapon with significantly less recoil than any shotgun. And at those ranges a shotgun doesn't have a pattern big enough to matter.

IMO where a shotgun is most useful is OUTDOORS when shots will be in the 10-30 yard range. Particularly if trying to hit moving targets. Now you have a situation where the pattern of multiple projectiles becomes an advantage, but I just don't see that sort of thing happening often in a HD situation. For LE there may be more chances. At ranges inside of 10 yards a rifle or carbine is just as good. Beyond 30 yards and a rifle is the clear winner.
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Great points. Hadn’t really thought deeply about it - thanks for the food for thought.
 
I'm in the 5+1 boat. If I need more than that, well I always have my commander size 1911 strapped on me or nearby. So unless my battle strategy includes missing a lot or warning shots out the window or, perhaps, into the ceiling (none of these is recommended), I think I'm pretty much covered. Besides, I have livelier things in the safe other than a shotgun and I know the house and the intruder probably doesn't.
 
What is your scenario?

What type of crime do you face?

Would your lifestyle attract an opportunistic average thief or an experienced home invasion crew?

How many square feet / acres do you have?

How many people besides you do you have to defend?

Do you plan to hunker down and wait for law enforcement to arrive or clear your home?

-Stan
 
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