ctdonath
Member
After much consideration, I'm switching my HD gun to an AR-15 SBR with silencer. Reasoning?
Shotgun:
- Large for indoor manuverability. Needs to be around 20" barrel plus action & stock for adequate capacity, which is kinda big.
- Capacity is limited. Few shotguns have enough, with (IMHO) 6 in mag being minimum. Higher capacity (8 for Mossberg 590) demands longer barrel.
- Reload time is slow. Reloading may not really be an option due to fumbling & inserting individual rounds.
- The "spread" is irrelevant indoors. Yes it spreads 1" per yard. We're talking indoor distances of 3-5 yards max, not outdoor winged game at a dozen or more yards. With a max indoor spread of 1-5", you don't get much spread.
- Shot spread, if any, diminishes effect. You're trying to stop a 6' healthy drugged/psyched hardbody male, not a duck. Any appreciable spread will degrade effectiveness dramatically.
- Loud. Very loud. While a secondary concern, I'd rather not damage/lose my hearing if possible.
- Penetration is limited. Walls and what may be beyond is of course a concern, but is much less so than making sure the target gets penetrated. Kevlar-hide perps may not be stopped.
Suppressed SBR:
- Compact. A short barreled rifle is about the same size as a comparable subgun. You're not going to get much more power in a room-friendly size.
- Capacity is considerable. A 20, 30, or even 40-round mag is compact & light - and right there. More rounds does not demand more length, and only slightly more height.
- Reloading is fast. Shove 1-2 mags in your pocket and you can reload dozens of rounds in a couple seconds.
- No spread. All that energy gets dumped where you put it. Hostage-type shots are viable. Distance is irrelevant.
- Silence (so to speak) is an option. While not cheap and not available everywhere, sticking a silencer on the end reduces the flash-bang problem. I'd rather not blow out my own ears and blind my eyes in the process, if possible.
- Penetration is assured. Penetration is one key to stopping power. Perps with Kevlar hides can still be stopped. Shooting thru cover, while strongly not recommended, is an option.
Tack on a red-dot co-witnessed sight, add a flashlight, and a short AR becomes a preferred home-defense gun.
Most of the pro-shotgun views I see tout the "scare 'em" noise and "general direction" aiming. While a shotgun is surely a formidible HD weapon, I prefer quiet precision that will penetrate and will not likely run dry.
Shotgun:
- Large for indoor manuverability. Needs to be around 20" barrel plus action & stock for adequate capacity, which is kinda big.
- Capacity is limited. Few shotguns have enough, with (IMHO) 6 in mag being minimum. Higher capacity (8 for Mossberg 590) demands longer barrel.
- Reload time is slow. Reloading may not really be an option due to fumbling & inserting individual rounds.
- The "spread" is irrelevant indoors. Yes it spreads 1" per yard. We're talking indoor distances of 3-5 yards max, not outdoor winged game at a dozen or more yards. With a max indoor spread of 1-5", you don't get much spread.
- Shot spread, if any, diminishes effect. You're trying to stop a 6' healthy drugged/psyched hardbody male, not a duck. Any appreciable spread will degrade effectiveness dramatically.
- Loud. Very loud. While a secondary concern, I'd rather not damage/lose my hearing if possible.
- Penetration is limited. Walls and what may be beyond is of course a concern, but is much less so than making sure the target gets penetrated. Kevlar-hide perps may not be stopped.
Suppressed SBR:
- Compact. A short barreled rifle is about the same size as a comparable subgun. You're not going to get much more power in a room-friendly size.
- Capacity is considerable. A 20, 30, or even 40-round mag is compact & light - and right there. More rounds does not demand more length, and only slightly more height.
- Reloading is fast. Shove 1-2 mags in your pocket and you can reload dozens of rounds in a couple seconds.
- No spread. All that energy gets dumped where you put it. Hostage-type shots are viable. Distance is irrelevant.
- Silence (so to speak) is an option. While not cheap and not available everywhere, sticking a silencer on the end reduces the flash-bang problem. I'd rather not blow out my own ears and blind my eyes in the process, if possible.
- Penetration is assured. Penetration is one key to stopping power. Perps with Kevlar hides can still be stopped. Shooting thru cover, while strongly not recommended, is an option.
Tack on a red-dot co-witnessed sight, add a flashlight, and a short AR becomes a preferred home-defense gun.
Most of the pro-shotgun views I see tout the "scare 'em" noise and "general direction" aiming. While a shotgun is surely a formidible HD weapon, I prefer quiet precision that will penetrate and will not likely run dry.