Shotguns for Home Defense

Any name-brand, pump-action shotgun in 20 or 12-gauge.

Winchester 1200, Remington 870, Mosssberg 500, Maverick (by Mossberg), name-brand clones, and so forth.

I suggest pump-action because it suffers neither from the lack of ammunition that break-opens do, or the finickiness of semi-auto's.

On the ammo, bigger is better. Fill it with #1 or larger shot, and call it good.

If home defence is all you want it for ,there are alot of choices and no need for something expensive. A nice used shotgun would work well too. Short barrel, long enough to bolt a light to,a pump shotgun , the action noise itself will send him running to the door.
I have this one as my backup ,only because i have a 357 next to the bed.
Maverick 88.

the action noise itself will send him running to the door.

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DO NOT RELY ON THE RACKING NOISE!

You must chamber a round before actually engaging the intruder. Standing on the other side of the room and racking in full sight of him won't do, he can cross that distance and attack with a knife or the like before you can react. Racking--loudly--as you pick up the weapon would be best. I only suggest not keeping one in the chamber to help prevent a negligent discharge or a loved one (or the BG) picking it up ready to go.

That said, I do agree that any sober intruder in search of profit alone is very likely to listen very well to anything you say after that noise. It's a far sight better than "excuse me, good sir, did somebody let you in?"

And count me as a fan of the shortest legal shotguns, for HD. Usually sold at 18.5". The 5+1 round, 18.5" Mavericks are probably the best bang for the buck if it's never coming out from under the bed or from the corner. The local Wal-mart has a 28" one for $177, I would expect the shorter ones not far off.

Another happy Maverick 88 owner here. I have had the 20" barrel 7+1 shot model for ~2 years and have put well over a thousand rounds through it. IMOO $ for $ this is one of the best deals out there for an HD shotty.

I suggest pump-action because it suffers neither from the lack of ammunition that break-opens do

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Unless you mean capacity, there are no issues with ammunition for break open guns

A pump is typically the cheapest means to have a shotgun for HD that has the ability to fire more than 1 or 2 rounds before reloading the magazine

Benelli Super Nova Tactical

Don't forget the BPS Hi-cap

There's tons of good options out there for a HD shotgun. I went with an 870 Express, 12 guage, 18.5" barrel. Would be just as happy with a Mossberg or Maverick (new or used). It just so happened that on the day I was ready to buy, the shop only had the 870 in stock.

I just ordered the Mossberg 500 Tact Persuader. (20" barrel/pistol grip) Am really looking forward to firing it. Got it new for $310 +tax. Will probably load #8 shot. Don't really want anything going thru the walls or into my neighbors house. And I do keep a round chambered. The only thing I have ( not locked away) that I won't keep chambered is the 9mm. Taurus PT Pro. Much too easy to accidentally click off the safety.

Will probably load #8 shot. Don't really want anything going thru the walls or into my neighbors house.

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Some pertinent quotes from another recent thread: (Some mine, some borrowed.)

"Any projectile fired from a firearm that is capable of reliably stopping an attacker is *also* capable of penetrating a few sheets of dry-wall. Any projectile that will NOT penetrate dry-wal will NOT consistenly penetrate deeply enough in a human body to reliably stop an attacker."

"Sorry, that's just the way it is. If it will go deep enough to have a good chance of stopping the bad guy, it will penetrate dry wall. If if won't penetrate dry wall, it won't reliably go deep enough to stop a determined attacker."

"Any round capable of stopping an attacker won't even be phased by walls."


"Rounds that don't punch through walls like paper are also only marginally better than pepper spray. #8 shot will certainly ruin a burglar's evening, but the second that 'burglar' turns into 'attacker,' #8 will have to be used at near point-blank, or will otherwise have two very specific effects: jack and squat."

"Birdshot is for birds. Penetration on a clothed, human attacker, who probably won't give you a squared up shot anyway, will probably have arms and other items in front of his vitals, and who may be wearing a leather jacket and/or multiple layers of clothing is NOT sufficient to count on to halt an attack."

"Sure, getting shot --at all-- is a bad and disheartening thing, but not all violent aggressors are wired to give up at the first shot (many have been shot before and lived to attack again), and those who've altered their mental state with various chemicals might not even register a small-caliber wound or 20."

'If you use a shotgun for defense, choose your rounds wisely. Go with something that can penetrate far enough to do the kind of damage required to shut the systems down."

"Accept the fact that this means they're going to penetrate building materials too. That's just physics. And also realize that even 00 buck shot, individually, are horribly inferior to any common defensive pistol bullet from the perspective of penetration and energy. You're counting on multiple hits to have a cumulative effect, but it may only be one projectile that really hits a vital mark. Make it a big one that has the chance to get there and do its job."

Etc.

-Sam

Deus Machina said:

Any name-brand, pump-action shotgun in 20 or 12-gauge.

Winchester 1200, Remington 870, Mosssberg 500, Maverick (by Mossberg), name-brand clones, and so forth.

I suggest pump-action because it suffers neither from the lack of ammunition that break-opens do, or the finickiness of semi-auto's.

On the ammo, bigger is better. Fill it with #1 or larger shot, and call it good.
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You must chamber a round before actually engaging the intruder. Standing on the other side of the room and racking in full sight of him won't do, he can cross that distance and attack with a knife or the like before you can react. Racking--loudly--as you pick up the weapon would be best. I only suggest not keeping one in the chamber to help prevent a negligent discharge or a loved one (or the BG) picking it up ready to go.

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Some of the best and most succinct advice I've seen. Very well said,and all 100% true!

Any of the no-frills basic shotguns will not offer a noticeable advantage over another. The key is to practice, practice, practice and become familiar with your weapon.

I'll also add that keeping your shotgun loaded is probably ok if you don't have kids or friends who have the attention faculties of small children. My 500A was always loaded when I was single, but I had no children and I didn't show it off to anyone. Never give a loaded gun to anyone, no matter how much you trust them. One little brain fart can ruin your day and life.

And I won't even touch the birdshot vs buckshot debate. Bigger is better. /thread

Ditto on Sam's post. #8 shot isn't acceptable as a HD load. You'd be better off with your pistol.

The kid is out of the house and has his own shotguns, so I'm not too concerned about that. And I do see your points about penetration. After all, I don't worry too much about my .22 mag or .357 (being deaf is better than being dead) I usually keep the .22 mag 8 shot under the pillow next to mine. (it has a very strong trigger pull) The .357 is within reach as well. And I'd say they both have the punch to get thru walls. Guess I'll go with the 00 buck after all.

Lights are the worst thing you can use if you are the lone defender. As soon as you turn on the light the bad guys know exactly where you are. They are great for a swat team with a dozen guys.

Lights are the worst thing you can use if you are the lone defender. As soon as you turn on the light the bad guys know exactly where you are. They are great for a swat team with a dozen guys.

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And, because of that light, I know exactly where, and more importantly WHO they are.

Tactically, I am sure this is the right call IF YOU LIVE ALONE. You are still more likely statistically to level that weapon on a family member that is coming or going outside of a normal schedule than on an intruder. I have two small kids & a wife, so target ID is critical. My HD shotgun has a TLR-2 mounted. Luckily, most intruders are not tactically trained. See the average age of the "victim's" that use a firearm in home defense; they are primarily seniors with ZERO training.

I AM NOT saying that training & tactics are not important. I train with my HD choices, as well as my CCW's freaquently. What I am saying is that HD is a trade-off between pure tactics of engaging a threat vs. protecting the innocent that you live with. Target ID in the dark is a vital part of engagement; not sure how one does that w/o a light.

I agree What Dues said in the first post, if you are looking for value, in terms of high cap good name, I think Mossberg 500 series is hard for beat for around 250 new, and the mossberg has a history of military use, Some folks like prefer the Rem 870 because it the most common gun used in Law enforcement. Seems like there has always been a ford Chevy debate between these 2 Guns. Personally, I have both, I like both. I use the Mossy for HD because I have had it longer, feel more comfortable with and have a added a couploe bells and whistles to it to make it ever more to my liking how ever if it was not available for some reason I would not feel shorted with the Remy.

Like Duess said, any pump shotgun new or used in good shape will get the job done, just do your part & learn the controls, how to clean it, and make sure to practice with it at the range.

There are lots of guns to choose from, have fun!

I like how any time these threads are made, people come out of their woodwork stating their OPINIONS as fact. Never fails.


It is my OPINION that you should look into a new Mossberg 500/590 or a used Winchester 1300 Defender or Remington 870 Police Magnum or Wingmaster. You'll have to modify the Wingmaster but it is also my OPINION that it is vastly superior to the Express models. If you have a hard time seeing your house at night, you might want to look into a light.Learn how, when, where and why to use it though. Used improperly it can make you a target. Used properly, you'll be able to see. /OPINION

I like any time these threads are made, people come out of their woodwork stating their OPINIONS as fact. Never fails.

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It's an opinion forum. One would not hold an opinion if they did not believe it was true. Ironically, your statement makes the point.

We have a Mossberg 500 as one of our HDs.

I sold my 870 Wingmaster a few years ago. I'd prefer the Remington to the Mossberg I think,(but then I've never had a Mossberg). But, I'd also prefer to keep the difference of about $140 as long as the Mossberg is dependable. money is tight right now, but I wouldn't let that be an issue if I thought my life depended on it. And so far, I haven't heard that Mossbergs don't go bang when you pull the trigger.

It is my OPINION that you should look into a new Mossberg 500/590 or a used Winchester 1300 Defender or Remington 870 Police Magnum or Wingmaster. You'll have to modify the Wingmaster but it is also my OPINION that it is vastly superior to the Express models. If you have a hard time seeing your house at night, you might want to look into a light.Learn how, when, where and why to use it though. Used improperly it can make you a target. Used properly, you'll be able to see. /OPINION

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I agree completely. So confident am I in my agreement, I have no need to state it as opinion.

As for that, if it is posted by anyone, stating it is only an opinion is kind of redundant. If one posted it, it is an opinion.

For a cheap and affordable one, get the Hawk 982 . Budsgunshop has them in stock.