Coach Gun for home defense?

[WVMountainBoy]

I have a coach in both bedrooms of my home because I'm familiar them and can work with them well half asleep.

 

[UnclePete]

External hammers on a shotgun have more than one drawback.
Weak/arthritic hands are not going to cock them.
They can snag on clothing.
They can fall off - I kid you not.
If the right-hand hammer is cocked you can't open the gun. You have to ease the hammer down on a live shell, and that is an accident that has happened many times.

 

[Gary A]

If the right-hand hammer is cocked you can't open the gun

I think, could be wrong, that in the Baikal/Spartan hammer gun, it is possible to break the gun open when the hammers are cocked. I think the manual says to break it open, put the gun on safe and lower the hammers, then close the gun. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. The other criticisms are valid across the board, I think.

 

[FoMoGo]

External hammers on a shotgun have more than one drawback.

Weak/arthritic hands are not going to cock them.

Thats why you check if you can use it before you buy... the hammers on mine dont require much strength at all.

They can snag on clothing.

True, but the same applies to rifles and pistols

They can fall off - I kid you not.

Seems like you would notice if it was loose during practice and/or cleaning... maintain your weaponry and this isnt a concern.

If the right-hand hammer is cocked you can't open the gun.

Mine opens no matter what.

You have to ease the hammer down on a live shell, and that is an accident that has happened many times.

On mine if I feel like it I can open the gun and drop the hammers, or I can keep it closed and just be careful.

exercise care

That goes for ANY weapon.


Jim

 

[MCgunner]

I have a hammerless and leave it loaded on safe in a safe spot. Doesn't make me near as paranoid as carrying a Glock. I understand you CAN snap the Spartan on snap caps, take the forearm off, load it, put the forearm on , and it won't be cocked. Then, if you want it cocked, just break it open and close it.

I've yet to make snap caps to try this, though. I really don't like hammerguns, the look or the use in the field bird hunting and my gun is primarily a hunting gun.

 

[heavyshooter]

External hammers on a shotgun have more than one drawback.

Quote:
Weak/arthritic hands are not going to cock them.

Thats why you check if you can use it before you buy... the hammers on mine dont require much strength at all.

Quote:
They can snag on clothing.

True, but the same applies to rifles and pistols

Quote:
They can fall off - I kid you not.

Seems like you would notice if it was loose during practice and/or cleaning... maintain your weaponry and this isnt a concern.

Quote:
If the right-hand hammer is cocked you can't open the gun.

Mine opens no matter what.

Quote:
You have to ease the hammer down on a live shell, and that is an accident that has happened many times.

On mine if I feel like it I can open the gun and drop the hammers, or I can keep it closed and just be careful.

Quote:
exercise care

That goes for ANY weapon.


Jim

Ditto to all of this. I chose the Spartan because of the hammer function. It allows me to open with a hammer down and I can drop the hammer with it open.

I do not have arthritis, in fact I have rather strong X-Large hands and based on the Cowboy Action Shooting technique I have seen, they will come in handy. I prefer the hammers because I want to load the chambers (BTW - I would leave it loaded even with no hammers). This will allow me to cocked the hammers and be ready to go. I prefer this over the pump because the "SHA-SHOOK!!!" may make the bad guys aware of my location (I know this may be blasphemy on this forum, but I had an experince that proved that the pump sound is not all that frightening to a lush).

The snagging is not a concern. As FoMoGo said, my Mini-14 could do the same thing. In addition to that the coach is a rather small weapon. The barrel is 20" just like a Mossberg 590, but the overall length is almost 4" shorter. This makes it very maneuverable in my home so snags are unlikely.

Heavy

 

[UpInSmoke]

Anyone other than me fire both shells at once?

I did that one time.

Bad Bad Deal.


Blue shoulder and a bloody finger, the front trigger slammed into my finger on the back trigger.

 

[FoMoGo]

I fire off double slugs all the time.
Yea... it can make ya bleed a lil bit... but damn what a rush
Dont ask what happens when you touch off both barrels 1 handed...


Jim

 

[UpInSmoke]

Ouch! I diddnt try slugs! I just did some 12ga bird shot. Prob wouldnt of been too bad if the old coach had some padding on the butt.

 

[MCgunner]

I'm not a masochist....

I was shooting at a duck once, 3" loads, and finger slipped off the front trigger as it fired and touched off the rear. My friends picked me up out of the mud. I never lived that one down.

I've fired a few slugs in my old 12 gauge double, not a coach gun, but a light shotgun. One barrel at a time is more than I really want with slugs.

 

[FoMoGo]

What can I say... I like hard hitting guns.
I still have the steel buttplate.
I need to video it one day.


Jim

 

[UpInSmoke]

Yeah, i would like to see it. I sure couldnt handle it without being knocked back a dozen feet. The one i shot both on had a steel buttplate , not very giving. Yours a coach gun FoMoGo?

 

[CHAINGUNMASSACRE]

In reality, with 90% of all home invasions your situation will be resolved with one round of #4 or OO buck. That usually ALWAYS results in a very dead bad guy. If two are needed, then so be it. I live in a pretty low crime area, but my friend and next door neighbor sucessfully defeated his adversaries at 4am during a home invasion with a Mossberg bolt-action 12guage. The perps fired over 25 rounds of 9mm and .45 at him, hitting him 3 times, and he fired his 3 shots, 2 3/4 in BB shot goose loads. He missed with his first shot, Killed BG#1 with his second shot, and already wounded, was attempting to get a clear shot at BG#2, when a 9mm FMJ hit his elbow on his right arm, causing him to discharge his last round prematurely, with about 5 pellets hitting the BG in the neck and shoulder. This caused him to drop his Glock, and screaming in agony, was trying to drag his dead thug buddy out of the house when the Police arrived. My neighbor was grazed in the head by a .45, the last round ever fired by BG#1. This reqired 30 some stitches. He had a 9mm ricochet off of a stud in the wall and imbed itself into the space between his shoulder blades. It was removed at the hospital, had only gone in about 3/4 in. The third round that hit him was the 9mm in the elbow. It actually entered his forearm, shattered his elbow, and exited near his tricep. He said that one really hurt. Also, he is permanently partially deaf in his right ear from shooting the 12guage in his narrow hallway. But you know what, because he had that old shotgun, he won. Get the coachgun. It's formidable, and with some training you could fight well with it. My neighbor had NO training, he had borrowed the shotgun from his dad 3 days before because he knew these folks were after him, and had broken into his home twice before, stealing nothing, looking for him.

 

[UpInSmoke]

Wow! Thats crazy. If I knew people were after me I would of got more than a bolt action. But if that was all that was available then its better than nothing. Sounds like a lucky guy. You hear the shots going off?

 

[FoMoGo]

Yeah, i would like to see it. I sure couldnt handle it without being knocked back a dozen feet. The one i shot both on had a steel buttplate , not very giving. Yours a coach gun FoMoGo?

Yep... TTN 1978

To give a better idea of the size...

And my son shooting it.



Jim

 

[UpInSmoke]

Thanks for the pictures. Looks kinda like the one I shot. Ill see what kind it is next time i go to my friends house.

BTW, Looks like anice little range there. Im sure both shells at the same time is an attention getter.

 

[CHAINGUNMASSACRE]

Wow! Thats crazy. If I knew people were after me I would of got more than a bolt action. But if that was all that was available then its better than nothing. Sounds like a lucky guy. You hear the shots going off?

I wasn't home, I was on duty for the Nat'l Guard that weekend. There was also a really severe thunderstorm taking place at the time, so nobody heard it. But the police were scouring my yard the next day with metal detectors, because quite a few bullets exited the house and ended up in my front yard. They questioned me extensively about how well I knew him, and why someone was trying so hard to kill him. I had no idea, and still dont. The BG's ended up being from Houston TX, about 1000 miles away. But he used to live there...........apparently something he did years ago caught up with him.

 

[geologist]

Since I already have a 14" pump in my bedroom closet I wasn't going to buy one of these. But after reading this thread I'm going to give in to temptation and buy one for the heck of it. They're only $319CAN delivered to your door.

http://www.canadaammo.com/product.php?productid=57&cat=0&page=1

 

[inSight-NEO]

I prefer pump shottys over all else, particularly "coach" versions. But, I cast my vote under "00 Buckshot does not care what gun it comes out of" as this does indeed hold true in most cases.

 

[wuchak]

When you consider what the Coach gun's original purpose for existence was, guarding Stage Coaches loaded with valuables that were a prime target for robbery in desolate locations, and the other options available at the time e.g. lever guns, revolvers, and likely to be used by the assailants, it seems like it should be sufficient for a HD gun.

 

[heavyshooter]

In reality, with 90% of all home invasions your situation will be resolved with one round of #4 or OO buck. That usually ALWAYS results in a very dead bad guy. If two are needed, then so be it. I live in a pretty low crime area, but my friend and next door neighbor sucessfully defeated his adversaries at 4am during a home invasion with a Mossberg bolt-action 12guage. The perps fired over 25 rounds of 9mm and .45 at him, hitting him 3 times, and he fired his 3 shots, 2 3/4 in BB shot goose loads. He missed with his first shot, Killed BG#1 with his second shot, and already wounded, was attempting to get a clear shot at BG#2, when a 9mm FMJ hit his elbow on his right arm, causing him to discharge his last round prematurely, with about 5 pellets hitting the BG in the neck and shoulder. This caused him to drop his Glock, and screaming in agony, was trying to drag his dead thug buddy out of the house when the Police arrived. My neighbor was grazed in the head by a .45, the last round ever fired by BG#1. This reqired 30 some stitches. He had a 9mm ricochet off of a stud in the wall and imbed itself into the space between his shoulder blades. It was removed at the hospital, had only gone in about 3/4 in. The third round that hit him was the 9mm in the elbow. It actually entered his forearm, shattered his elbow, and exited near his tricep. He said that one really hurt. Also, he is permanently partially deaf in his right ear from shooting the 12guage in his narrow hallway. But you know what, because he had that old shotgun, he won. Get the coachgun. It's formidable, and with some training you could fight well with it. My neighbor had NO training, he had borrowed the shotgun from his dad 3 days before because he knew these folks were after him, and had broken into his home twice before, stealing nothing, looking for him.

Uhhhhh, Damn!!!

 

[Arthur_500]

Load one barrel with buckshot and the other with birdshot. You determine which barrel to discharge based on the situation.
Birdshot at close range will tear something up but seldom goes through walls (or people) to hit what is behind. Use the buckshot for longer range (?), greater stopping power, and less concern about your backstop.
At the end of the day, you and your coach gun will still be standing and that's all that matters.