Rethinking Shotgun For Home Defense

[joesolo]

Agreed on mindset first and foremost. But if ya gotta pick one, I'd say the shotgun any day. I'm not gonna bore whoever reads this with my little "*** was that and grab the gun" episode but it dawned on me while listening and peeking around a corner at the back door in the dark with no glasses or contacts lenses that I think I'd feel better with a shotgun. BTW, it was the wind and wooden gate that had come unlatched. I didn't have to shoot it that nite.

 

[george29]

I had the impression that the killer was from a local pig farm and this could be a reason the dead home owner hesitated, perhaps the face was familiar which can lead to mistakenly placing object into 'friend file' and not 'foe file', thus prematurely lowering the guard, it could happen.

Someone mentioned a Kimber to answer the door at 2am because an m-4 is impolite? Ring my bell at 2am and I will be stuffing all 20" of mossberg up or down one of their openings, that IMO is the correct response to a ring at 2am.

Father and son are at peace, maybe we should take lesson that family always comes first, what's the saying? Be friendly and polite and have a plan to kill them all if necessary?

 

[MCgunner]

Someone mentioned a Kimber to answer the door at 2am because an m-4 is impolite? Ring my bell at 2am and I will be stuffing all 20" of mossberg up or down one of their openings, that IMO is the correct response to a ring at 2am.

If I'd done that to that cop, what do you think his buddies would have done to me?????

Even at two AM, it still don't pay to be impolite IMHO. If you wanna be a butt wipe, I can be one, too. And, if I'm wearing a badge, guess who wins? If you talk to the officer, you get to go back to bed. If you shove your mossy up his whatever, they might not have such a comfy bed for you down at lock up.

I don't care if it's two AM, myself, I'm going to be polite until I can't anymore and have to be violent. Then, my attitude does a 180. But, I'd far rather talk my way out of trouble than kill someone. If it's a home intruder and he's armed, he's dead. But, if it's a guy at 2AM knocking on my door, no visible weapon or suspicious posture, I crack the door and ask him politely what he wants while grasping my .38 in my hand out of his sight. He might just be another guy broke down at the car wash needing to call his friend. That happens all the time, though not at 2am, but hey, people wash their cars over there at the oddest hours and at 2am (a little after closing time), he might not be thinking too straight. People try to wash the oil off the engine and then wonder why the car won't start with the ignition sopping wet. The guy might be a drunk idiot, but that doesn't qualify him for execution.

I don't think a man needs killin' just for standing on my front porch, all I'm saying. Take some non-violent dispute resolution training and learn to control that temper before it gets you killed would be my advice.

 

[george29]

I guess my attempt at humor was misunderstood, my bad, all I meant was that 'politeness' could get you killed and I am going to assume that a 2am knock means one of three things, for those w/o children and not living in a rural area the 2am knock is unusual and should be treated as such, politeness is the least of my worry's and the door opens only after I am certain who is opposite me, 4 home-invaders that begin kicking in the door is a little late to be running for the M-4.

I appreciate your reply MCgunner because it is a scenerio that I have never consciously dealt with, most of my preparations have dealt with intruders inside the castle, and not still knocking at the door. Personally, I would be cautious of any knock at any time because in my current lifestyle people call first and the uninvited visitor is extremely rare. It could be that 2am is still Grand Central in many homes, not mine, and that's why in my case, the Mossberg is very appropriate for that 9pm knock (change that to 6pm during winter daylight savings time), during daylight hours, I politely answer the door with a .44 behind my back.

 

[MCgunner]

I reckon I'd be less worried about details if I lived in the country, for sure. If you live on 200 acres and have a locked gate and someone is around your house, it's a lot different than if someone is bangin' on my door. That danged car wash next door can be a pain. LOL I even have had irate individuals come up here threatening to kick my butt if I didn't give 'em their quarters back, as if I owned the place. I never gave anyone their quarters back and never had to fight any of 'em, so I guess I get good practice at the non-violent dispute resolution thing, rofl! And, it's amazing how many drunks stop to wash their cars on the way home from the beer joints down the road.

Everyone has a different situation, I reckon, and that plays on gun choices, hardware, as much as any other factor, maybe more. No different from CCW actually. There's no universal best choice for all situations.

 

[JP1954]

A DRUNK FRIEND AND THE POLICE

I live in a suburb and one time I did have a door bell ring at coincidentally around 2 am. I approached the door with caution and with my loaded 1911 in hand. I don't open my door without knowing who is there. I now have a fish eye peep hole. At the time of this visit I didn't have it so I just yelled out "Who is it" and received the answer "It's me Mark." I recognized the voice of my friend Mark. I laid the 1911 on the couch and opened the door and there was Mark dressed in a tuxedo flanked by two CHP officers who bid him a good night and left. I couldn't wait to hear the explanation for this untimely visit with the unexpected escorts.

Well it seems that my friend Mark who at the time was a lieutenant in the Oakland Fire Department was driving home from a political function when the CHP pulled him over and gave him the breath test which he flunked. They gave him a break and asked him if he knew someone in the area where he could go to sleep it off. He lived 50 miles from where he was pulled over and I live only 5 miles from where he was pulled over so my place came to mind. One CHP officer drove his car while the other CHP officer drove Mark to my house.

 

[Speer]

I wouldn't base my options on one incident.

Hell no. Having a gun is one thing, knowing how to use it is another, and being prepared to use it is quite another.

Personally, I would be cautious of any knock at any time because in my current lifestyle people call first and the uninvited visitor is extremely rare.

Same here. Anyone knocking on my door is very likely a stranger.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Eagle,

Learn how to disarm a longgun welder (and how to keep from being disarmed.) That's the formula you need.

There are several books that show good disarms and counter disarms for long guns. That is more important than which weapon you use. Not saying the .357 won't work, heck I just keep a Glock 9mm and my backup .357 as the night guns as well as carry guns. But the shotgun is very effective!

 

[Pilgrim]

Well it seems that my friend Mark who at the time was a lieutenant in the Oakland Fire Department was driving home from a political function when the CHP pulled him over and gave him the breath test which he flunked. They gave him a break and asked him if he knew someone in the area where he could go to sleep it off. He lived 50 miles from where he was pulled over and I live only 5 miles from where he was pulled over so my place came to mind. One CHP officer drove his car while the other CHP officer drove Mark to my house.

Very highly unusual for the CHP.

Pilgrim

 

[strambo]

I doubt any man could pull a revolver from my hand before I got it away and had a shot fired quicker than with a shotgun.

I wouldn't even try to get your revolver. I'd clear the field of fire while closing in and injure you until you are non-functional. The projectile weapon would be completely moot. Sure, the method of injury might involve breaking your wrist then crushing your throat...looking like I took the gun away. In fact, the broken wrist was the goal, don't care what happens to a gun you can't use.

Like Mjoilner1911 said on page 1, professional firearms disarmament isn't all that difficult. Don't let a BG within 6 ft of you. If he does get that close a. shoot if able or b. injure him via H2H methods (or using the shotgun as an impact weapon) until you have distance again to shoot. If you fight or wrestle for a gun...the winner is likely to be the biggest, stongest or most skilled.

I don't like pitting my strength and skill against someone else's. I'd rather pit my strength and skill against an injured man, so I focus on injuring them via the most effecient method. If a tool like a firearm is available and I have distance, great. If we are in arm's reach, a firearm is no longer an efficient tool, edged/impact weapons and body weapons are.

When someone grabs for your long gun....most people teach or try to pull or leverage their gun out of the grabber's grasp by stepping back. Try this instead (follow all appropriate safety precautions):

Partner grabs long-gun (I make training rifles out of cheap stocks, steel pipe, foam pipe insulation and tape), step in and strike the side of his neck or his throat with either the fore end/barrel or with your support forearm.

Main thing is to step/lunge into him DEEP. Step in and gouge his eye out. Step in and stomp his ankle or knee with all your body weight. The options are endless, just move in and injure him until he is no longer a threat.

 

[rugerfreak]

Is it just me---but I don't think he should have made it out of the stolen SUV---much less back in the house.