.410 Slugs

[phoglund]

I'm of the opinion a .410 pump dimensioned to a slightly built shooter would work well for home/self defense. At home defense ranges long gun accuracy of any reasonableness will trump inexperienced use of a handgun. I doubt anybody looking down the barrel of a .410 shotgun at close range will be thinking, "Oh, no biggie, 'tis just a .410!" I also doubt anybody with a .410 slug in their chest would want to encourage the placement of another in the vicinity.

I recently purchased a Mossberg 500 in .410 I plan on getting cut down at both ends to make it handier in close quarters and a better fit for my 5'4" wife to wield. She's not much of a gun person but I think I can get her trained up enough to be effective at home defense ranges. At least that's my excuse for buying it!

 

[Roknrandy]

I am totally disabled also (a form of muscular dystrophy started when I was 29). I use a ruger 10/22 and a saiga .410 with no problems. No recoil to speak of and I take the .410 hunting for deer and the 22lr for squirrel when I go with my brother. Great weapons but you cant plan on taking 200 yard shots to stop something. 10-75 is the range I use them the most.

 

[jkingrph]

After having kept a large caliber rifle handy for years I rethought my situation. I live in an area where houses are on large lots 1+ acre. My nearest neighbor being at least 75 yards away.

I chose a Marlin lever action .410 loaded with the 2.5" 000 buckshot.

I feel sure it will handle anything that happens during the night, and should I miss will not over penetrate as the 45-70 would.

 

[carpettbaggerr]

Mossberg makes a .410 pump specifically for home defense.

Has a laser sight, and they market it to the recoil sensitive.

 

[toivo]

Mossberg makes a .410 pump specifically for home defense.
[...]
Has a laser sight, and they market it to the recoil sensitive.

You might want to check on that. They had a laser sight when they first came out, but AFAIK the latest ones don't have it.

 

[CajunBass]

I've seen a couple of deer killed with .410 slugs since I quit hunting a few years ago. My landlords grandkids, both killed their first deer with a single shot .410 shooting slugs. I don't know how many times they shot them, or how far away they were, but those deer were just as dead as any I ever saw shot with a 12 ga.

I would imagine they would work pretty well on other things too.

 

[berettashotgun]

I've killed 4 deer with .410 slugs, but I was a kid then, and deer have gotten much tougher over the years- they require ULTRA MAGS minimum.
They work, don't even worry about it, if it works on a deer, it'll work on a person.
Those deer were shot @ 40-50 yards seems like. One was in July when I was 8 (turning 9), I almost got beat to death for that. Those were the days. sweet

 

[CZguy]

I've killed 4 deer with .410 slugs, but I was a kid then, and deer have gotten much tougher over the years- they require ULTRA MAGS minimum.

Yep, me too.

 

[the lone gunman]

I have a bolt action 410 that I use around the house a lot for pests, squirrels, possums, and things that go BUMP in the night. I use #6 shot 3" and I think it would make a great home defense gun, Better if pump or lever action.

I once shot an elephant in my pajamas,, how he got in my pajamas, Ill never Know.

 

[El Tejon]

Only shotgun murder I've had was a single shot .410 with a slug. Winchester slug entered into the sternum of the victim, broke into 3 pieces and ventilated the heart (piece clipped the aorta), blood everywhere. ME testified that even if shot on operating table the wound was unsurvivable.

However, I did not care if an intruder lives or dies, I want him to stop. Toward that goal, I am more comfortable with something big, for me that means 12 gauge. I would prefer something like a 106 mikemike reckless rifle but I am uncertain how the Hedgewood Neighborhood Association would view this.

"Backblast clear?"

 

[19-3Ben]

Stupid question time. Could someone load .45LC self defense rounds into a .410 shotgun to get better performance at close range?
Yeah i know, it's smoothbore so it won't spin and stabalize for accuracy, but across the room, honestly, how much difference would that make? I'd bet you'd get wicked velocity from a .45LC out of an 18.5 inch BBL. Especially if you handloaded. Now if you could find a rifled slug barrel that would be cool...hrm....

 

[CZguy]

Stupid question time. Could someone load .45LC self defense rounds into a .410 shotgun to get better performance at close range?

No, the bullet wouldn't get past the choke. The bullet is too big, and could burst the barrel.

 

[19-3Ben]

What if the barrel has a cylinder choke so there is no constriction at the end of the bbl?

 

[wdlsguy]

Here is a .410 shotgun that Mossberg ought to sell for home security:

It's a model 50455 with the stock from a model 50359.

 

[461]

19-3 Ben- There are several .410/.45 Colt guns on the market, most have either a rifled choke on a smooth bore for the .45 or a smooth choke on a rifled bore for the .410. Fun to play with but usually a poor compromise for accuracy on each round. I've got plans to get an H&R set up this way as a companion to our wonderful little H&R .410 that my son and I just love.

 

[suemarkp]

What if the barrel has a cylinder choke so there is no constriction at the end of the bbl?

My god don't do that. The ".410 bore" should give you a clue. What happens at the end of the chamber when that .452 bullet hits a .410 forcing cone? A 444 Marlin (.429 bullet) would be bad too. From what I've read, you don't go over .400 caliber on .410 slugs and you are limited to .375 if they are surrounded by a shot cup instead of just in front of one.

Only the specialty 410/45 colt guns can shoot 45 colt. They have a .452 barrel that is rifled either at the end or its entirity. This will reduce the pressure in a shot load but also mess up the patterns.

 

[Shadow Shock]

I have two .410's and I love them for bird and small game hunting, but I wouldn't want to bet my life on them. Sure I know they'll kill someone, but why would I grab that when theres a 20ga ,a 12ga, and a .45 next to it? If you need a shotgun with low recoil for home defence, go with the 20ga