O/U for defense?
Why not? They are proven in doing so.
*yep*
One has to know how to run the gun they have - Clint Smith
Before THE Great Equipment Race, folks defended themselves with whatever firearms they had.
This is how Mentors & Elders passed forward, and this how we did our "lessons" before 3 Gun come to be.
These lessons were based on real life situations that had happened. Not just in the USA, abroad as well.
A O/U with 28" barrel will be ~ 2" shorter than a 870 with a 28" barrel , due to the fact, the O/U receiver is shorter.
Now you take someone that shoots a O/U a lot, be they a Skeet, Trap, Sporting Clay, Columbaire, Live Pigeon shooter, or just a real avid bird hunter, and that O/U is like a body part to them.
Clay shooters shoot hi round counts, some have higher round counts than others.
It is not uncommon for a competitor to shoot 30,000 rds a year. Nor is it uncommon for them to do 100 dry fire drill every day, and practice 500 rds a week.
Yes, one can get a 34" barrel up faster, and fell a target faster than a shorter barrel gun.
Comp guns might weigh 8 to 9 pounds. Skeet Targets are ~ 4" in diameter, and fly about 55 mph.
Int'l targets fly faster, and one cannot pre mount the gun to shoulder.
Sporting Clays, does not allow one to pre mount the gun either, and targets fly fast, and one has to get on them, before they get behind trees, and out of range.
O/Us are reliable, and one big reason they are used for serious competitions.
1. Firebombs are being tossed onto porches, roofs and onto parked cars.
O/U, in low light, felled those fire bombs before they could reach the intended targets.
2. Late 60's sedans were big, and heavy. Escaped inmate stole a car, and it was not know for sure, if he had taken a hostage.
Kidnapping is a felony for the jurisdiction this happened in.
Retired Cop, was listening to his CB and Scanner, and grabbed the closest gun, his Skeet O/U and headed down his property , to the two lane blacktop.
This old car, had "gotten past" a road block.
Pitch Dark, and here comes that car around the curve pouring it on.
"Boom!" and that 12 ga slug hit that front end, the next shot, was going for the windshield, but the inmate decided to stop!
Had trouble getting stopped, the ditch helped.
Go stand at station 8, and face the low house. That 4" clay is coming out at 55 mph.
This old cop, had felled that bird thousands of time, with that O/U.
He was not looking at the gun, or any sights, he was focused on the target, in this case a serious threat.
This retired cop, had felled a lot of birds with his O/U as well, and he had two shells in weak hand fingers ready to reload, that night, just as hedid out bird hunting.
-Gun fit
-Knew the gun, he did have not have to look at the gun to keep it running.
-Hi round count , he knew how to run the gun he had.
Remington 3200 was the shotgun, since some will want to know.
The Great Equipment Race is an abomination to responsible firearm ownership.
-me
