Home Defense Shotgun for Petite Female

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TheLaxPlayer

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Hello all,

What shotguns would you suggest for home defense use by a petite female? She is 4'11" and ~120lbs. I imagine both recoil and length of pull would be considerations here. She has fired my K31 (7.5x55 Swiss, approximately the same recoil as .308 or .30-06) and didn't find the recoil to be a problem, so maybe 12ga would be just fine. Otherwise, how are the 12ga "low recoil" loadings compared to a 20ga?

Also, should I be looking for a youth length stock, or what suggestions might you have?

Thanks for any input!
 
you could go smaller caliber 20 ga or .410 I like the mossberg HS410 HS410.jpg or a saiga 20 or .410
 
I was thinking the Moss 500 Bantham(?) 20ga, closer to a youth stock with multiple length pads included. Its $207 at Walmart.
 
+1 for the Knoxx stock. My sister in law is 4'10 100lbs with slight dwarfism in her limbs and she shot my brothers 870 knockoff with Knoxx stock just fine.
 
12ga pump, and stick to 00 LOW RECOIL ammo as in winchester Ranger 00 buck. My wife is 5'4" 120lbs and can handel her own with my 870 12ga. She even goes hunting with us and uses 3 1/2" magnum shells all morning long!!!

Remember if it is just for SD or HD you wont need to shoot it more then a few times other than practis..... hopefully!

You should go the a gun store that has a lot of guns, and try out the 870 youth in a 20ga
 
A lot is going to depend on the other details of the shooter's physiology- not just height and weight, but arm length, arm strength, etc.

If the budget permits, one of the best deals going for a smaller shooter is a gas operated 20 gauge, either a youth gun or one cut down to fit the shooter properly. A current offering from Remington that fills that bill is http://www.impactguns.com/store/047700298917.html . It was reviewed favorably in a recent issue of Women and Guns.

If the budget is tighter, a pump might work out. Both Remington and Mossberg make 20 gauge youth guns more suited to smaller shooters, Remington even makes an 870 Express Junior (now called Compact, 20 gauge, 18.5" VR RemChoke barrel, 12" LOP IIRC) that is smaller than their usual Youth gun (21" VR RemChoke barrel, 13" LOP). See http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model_870/model_870_express_compact.asp .

The main thing is teaching good form, a good gun mount, making sure the gun fits the shooter properly, and that the gun has a premium recoil pad. As a rule, heavier guns (guns that weigh more) will deliver less felt recoil and lighter weight guns will seem to kick more. Good form, a good gun mount, proper fit and a good pad will do a lot to mitigate the effects of recoil.

Reduced recoil loads in 12 gauge might be a good idea, if the shooter can manage the heavier weight of the bigger 12 gauge gun. When one of my neices wanted a defensive shotgun a few months back, we presented her with a table full to choose from. She turned down an 12 gauge 870 with a 21" VR barrel and 13" LOP in favor of a 20 gauge in the same dimensions. She said she could handle the lighter 20 gauge more easily, and could detect no difference in recoil between the two- she shot both before making a choice. So we ran the rest of her shotgun class with the 20 gauge Express Youth gun she picked out, and when she left she took it home with her.

hth,

lpl
 
You might also consider a carbine. Inexperienced shooters usually learn carbine faster. If you do go the SG route, please don't go under 20 gauge. .410 is just too light for reliable defense.

John
 
First of all, thanks for all the responses, I never expected this many suggestions within a few hours of posting :eek: I am greatly appreciative of all the help! I am trying to help my girlfriend choose a gun for home defense and while some of the suggestions are similar to thoughts I had, some are things which never crossed my mind. I will try to address each response.

ScareyH22A - She would prefer not to have an auto, as she is a firm believer in Murphy's law (what can go wrong... will go wrong). Than you for the suggestion though, if I can get her into skeet shooting (VERY likely, she's a keeper!) we will be looking at autos for that. Also, do you happen to drive a Prelude?

Ohm - I had forgotten about the SpecOps stock. I would like one for myself, but she has set a firm price limit of $300. I may get her a stock as a gift, but we'll see if she keeps the shotgun for bedside duty first. She turns 21 in June and has already taken her CCW class, so she will be carrying a pistol then and it's possible the shotgun will find itself in the back of a closet at that time if she's more comfortable with a pistol.

xx7grant7x - I am taking her shooting this Saturday with a 12ga and if the recoil is too much, which I suspect it may be, we will look into a 20ga. I'm not as comfortable with the idea of a .410

c5_nc - WalMart's in my area do not sell guns, but I will try to find one that does.

BhmBill - Thank you for the suggestion, I certainly think it is a good one. However, it is out of the budget for now.

Iansstud - I'm taking her shooting with a 12ga this weekend, I have regular 00 buckshot, still looking for some low recoil rounds to try. Going to look for a 20ga pump if the 12ga is too much.

Lee Lapin - Thanks for all the suggestions. I will ensure the gun we choose fits her well and I will train with her as often as time and budget constraints allow. She is very into guns as well so I don't think this will be an issue. As I've mentioned in responses to other members, I'm taking her shooting this weekend with a 12ga, but it has a normal length stock. I'm hoping she can shoulder it safely, but if not I may pick up a 12ga and 20ga youth shotgun (one of each if I can find them) and keep the 12ga if she doesn't like it. It seems a youth shotgun would be more ideal for clearing a house than one with a 26" barrel and full length stock, and if never hurts to add another firearm to the collection. My girlfriend read your post with me and she had a huge smile at the thought of a table full of shotguns for your niece to choose from :D

Hungry Seagull - I'll keep an eye out for one, there's a pretty good local gunshop that may have one in stock, and could certainly order me one if that's the direction we go.

Old Guard Dog - I'll look for a box of this ammo before we practice this weekend.

Jubjub - Thank you, I believe that's one that Lee Lapin was referring to.

JImbothefiveth and JShirley - A rifle I would trust in this duty is out of the price range at the moment. $300 is the upper limit for what she's willing to spend on a shotgun as this June she'll be in the market for a ~$1,000-1,200 pair of carry pistols (main and backup gun).

Again, thank you for all the suggestions, I am very impressed with the hospitality here :)
 
Good luck with your search. Jimbo and I posted so close together, I missed what he had to say.

You *may* be able to find an SKS or Kel-Tec Sub-2000 for $300. The SKS fires a real round, but isn't as ergonomic as some rifles. It's not too bad, though. The Sub-2000 has the advantage of taking one of several different popular handgun magazines (like Beretta, Glock, Sig or S&W). The downside to it, is that it's only in 9mm or .40 S&W. I do tend to believe that 2 JHP in either caliber from a 16" barrel will ruin a home invader's day, though.

Either are neat little weapons, and most SKS carbines have shorter LOP stocks that will probably work better for your girl.

One important thing to remember, is that you typically don't want to go "clearing" a house. If you know someone has broken in, the best advice is typically to stay in a locked room behind cover while calling the police. I've had training both from civilian instructors and in the infantry, and I'd be reluctant to clear a house by myself, if I had a good choice.

That LOP thing is very important with a shotgun!

Luck,

John
 
Ok, we went shooting this past Saturday. She doesn't mind the recoil of the 12ga one bit. The problem with this is that I can't find a good choice of a shotgun that has a shorter barrel (20" or less), 12ga, and a youth length stock.

If anybody knows of one, preferably with synthetic furniture (though I recognize that beggars can't be choosers in this case) please let me know!

Otherwise, we're looking at either a Mossberg 500 or a Maverick 88. It looks like the Maverick 88 goes for about $200 for exactly what we want, except for the stock length. Is the stock solid or hollow? If solid, could it easily be cut and have a new recoil pad put on to reduce the length of pull? If hollow, does anybody know of a replacement stock that is either youth length or possible to cut down to youth length?

Thanks a lot for the help guys!
 
It was reviewed
Click to expand...
Gun magazines aren't known for integrity.

A rifle I would trust in this duty is out of the price range at the moment.
Click to expand...
What about a Saiga .223? They were less than that before the panic started

It seems a youth shotgun would be more ideal for clearing a house
Click to expand...
Probably shouldn't be house clearing. An alarm system can really take away most of your need to clear a house, and you could even get some back up motion detectors and door and window ajar alarms, seperate from the main system in case that goes out.
 
My sister is a Police Officer. She is what I would definitely call petite. She handles a 12 gauge just fine. She has a reduced length of pull stock on it. I personally think a female of any size can handle a 12 gauge even if the loads are hot as long as the stock fits OK. I have seen it done many times.

Maybe it is time we stop making assumptions about what women can and cannot handle and let them try it out for themselves.

That said, a 20 gauge youth model is widely available and reasonably cheap and should fill the bill nicely.
 
My niece is 16 years old, 5'3" and 112 pounds. She enjoyed my 870 police magnum with a knoxx spec ops stock so much that with her parents approval, I got her one for her birthday. She mostly fired Federal 2 3/4" reduced recoil slugs and 00 buckshot.

The reduced recoil rounds do of course reduce recoil but I don't know by how much. They feel about the same to me, but to my wife and my niece, the difference is enough that they prefer the reduced recoil shells. The main purpose of the reduced recoil loads is that the shot doesn't deform as much as it travels down the barrel, making for a tighter group.

My niece had only ever fired 22lr and my 22 hornet before. After about 20 minuets she was bored with those so my brother (her father), me, and my dad let her try out the 9mm's, 45's, 30-30 and my 870. Her favorites were my P220, my dads Kimber TLE II and the one she smiled the most about and was reluctant to set down to go inside and get ready for dinner was the 870. One of my favorite days of shooting and her first with the 870.
 
Hogue sells replacement stocks in a youth length, 12" LOP. They are synthetic and come with a good recoil pad. I put one on my Mossberg 500 Mariner because the factory stock was a bit long and I have short arms. All you need to install it is 1 Phillips head screwdriver, for the recoil pad screws, and one long flat head screwdriver for the stock bolt.

I bought it at Midway.
 
I going outside the box here and suggest a side by side 20 or 12 ga. I have a daughter that is about the same size as your wife. The length of the pump or semi auto prsents a heavy muzzle problem for my daughter who is small. I bought her a SxS 20 with a youth stock. Without the extra receiver length the whole shotgun is a lot shorter and does not get muzzle heavy on her. She is quick and accurate. I know two shots ain't what a lot of people would prefer. Honestly I think for simple home defense, two shots in most situations backed into a bedroom is plenty, especially if you have a couple of more ready to load. JMHO
 
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