should I get a 12 gauge?

[sectional_density]

As I'm in process of outfitting myself w/ firearms to handle all situations in which I might need to use a firearm, I'm wondering what y'all think about shotguns.....specifically, whether my one and only shotgun (a 3" 20 guage) needs a partner (as in a 12 guage.) So I guess besides an obvious upgrade in power in the 12 guage, what can I do with it that I can't w/ the 20?

Kind of struggling with this one, as I've got enough money for only one firearm purchase in the near future.

 

[The Hillbilly]

The 12 ga is a good home defense tool. Its got enough ooomp to stop the bad guy, but yet its not gonna tear your house into shreads. I have an old Winchester Defender 12ga pump action. I love it.

 

[frankcostanza]

You cant go wrong with a 12 gauge, and in most cases it wont break the bank. I got my Remington 870 Express at Academy for $199. You should be able to find a used 870 or Mossberg 500 for even less than that.

 

[esq_stu]

If you already have a 20, save your money for more ammo and maybe a few bells and whistles (extended tube, better sights, etc.). You'll gain more that way.

 

[sdj]

Got a Bird Dog?

If you get one, and you have a bird dog, don't do whatever this chap did!



http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0953765920080109

 

[distra]

Well, I just went through a similar thought process. I have a nice 20ga Citori and it just needed a big brother in 12ga. I picked up both used on Gunbroker for a reasonable price. Did I NEED the 12ga? No, but it sure looks nice next to the 20ga A nice 12ga 870 or 1100 will do fine. I wanted an O/U for clays and hunting. HD is primarily my 12ga 870's job, but a 20ga will certainly take care of business if needed. The best advice I've gotten is shoot which ever one you get so that you are extremely proficient at its use. I've never really seen the need for ghost ring sights on a HD gun, but I'm sure some folks really like them. YMMV

 

[waterhouse]

besides an obvious upgrade in power in the 12 gauge, what can I do with it that I can't w/ the 20?

If you don't reload (I don't), you open yourself up to a much larger variety of ammo, especially defensive types, with the 12.

Other than that, I use a 12 for ducks, and if I ever went goose hunting again I'd use the 12, but I wouldn't feel under-gunned going after ducks with a 20, so from a hunting standpoint you don't gain a ton IMO.

I think everyone should own a 12 gauge, just like I think everyone should own a lever action 30-30, but if there are other things higher on your list you should be OK for most of your shotgunning needs with a 20.

 

[birdbustr]

If you can handle the extra recoil and weight then I would say go for it. What will you gain? More pellets and powder (not necessarily more speed or range, but more projectiles) in your load, so you SHOULD have a better probability of a hit.
Save the 20 gauge for things that you find easier to shoot. In my case the only reason I would break out my old 20 would be for rabbits, squirrels, or if my wife or daughter ever needed a shotgun.

 

[Robert Hairless]

So I guess besides an obvious upgrade in power in the 12 guage, what can I do with it that I can't w/ the 20?

You don't say which 20 gauge you own. If it's a good one, there are only two major benefits I can think of in getting a 12 gauge for your purpose.

One, as someone else noted, is a greater selection of ammunition. The other is the greater availability of ammunition. I've found that most stores wherever I travel stock up in preparation for whatever hunting season there is, and let the stock get depleted until the next season.

Massad Ayoob points out that a 20 gauge "delivers 75% of the lead for only 50-60% of the recoil" of a 12 gauge. Translate that into less physical punishment for you during practice sessions. Frequent practice sessions with the 20 gauge have greater payoff than fewer sessions with a 12 gauge.

That said, I must disclose that my own home defense shotguns are 12 gauge. I like the big bang, I guess, and I dislike scurrying around for 20 gauge ammunition during the off seasons. During one shotgun course in which I was using a 20 gauge I cleaned out the local Wal-Mart: I bought all 10 or so boxes it had in stock.

The above is only my opinion, which is no better than anyone else's and likely is worse.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

A 12ga shotgun is a good HD weapon but since funds are tight and you already own a 3" 20ga shotgun I don't feel a 12ga is necessary. I am saying this because it is a 3" shotgun so the 20ga ammo available to you is potent.

A 3" 20ga #2 Buchshot load contains 18 .27 Caliber projectiles. 3" 20ga Slugs are available in 1 oz @ over 1800 fps which will also do a good job for HD.

Don't get me wrong, a 12ga is a good HD gun but your 20ga will do a very good job too. Use the funds available for another gun you've been wanting to buy.

 

[sectional_density]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds like ammo availability is certainly an issue as far as 12 vs. 20 goes. I might try to do the both of best worlds and get a used 12 guage that wouldn't break the bank too much and the other gun that was on my wish list. I assume in buying used shotguns that they can't really be shot out like a used rifle could be....?

 

[nezumi]

1) Are you comfortable shooting the 20 gauge you have? Do you think you can take the increased recoil of the 12? You'll want to practice, so make sure you can shoot it properly. I had my heart set on a 12, but when my wife and I went shooting, we realized it's a bit more than we're ready for, so we went down to 20.

Assuming yes, the 12 gauge can use a lot of specialty rounds and can use rounds which are just meaner to the bad guys (00 buck, which is unavailable to 20 gauge guns, for instance, and if you're looking at bean bag, CS gas or other crazy rounds, those don't come in 20 gauge at all). However, from what I've read, a 20 gauge is quite sufficient for most home defense encounters.

If I were in your place, and I were buying a weapon only for myself, not for my lovely bride (or more precisely, a weapon for myself in addition to my bride's weapon. If there's a bump in the night and my wife wants to make sure we closed the windows, I go down with the gun. If we're seriously worried there's a robber in the house and we want to hit him when we shoot, my wife gets it), I would invest firstly in training, secondly in a handgun. I can't shoot two shotguns, and a 20 gauge will do what I need to do. A handgun is a better backup weapon, and training is ALWAYS worth the money.

So yeah, as someone who is in the same place as you (owning a 20 gauge), my order of spending are:
Training & Practice on the 20 gauge
Another weapon for me so both my wife and I are armed
Practice
Training
Practice
Backup handguns and/or rifles to 'reach out and touch someone'
Practice
Training
Practice
Training
Practice
Whatever fun stuff I want to get because I have more money than time
Practice, Practice, Practice, Training, Training, Training, Training and more practice
A 12 gauge shotgun.

Unless you have some conditions you haven't mentioned (practice is free, you have more money than you know what to do with), I imagine that list is probably appropriate for you as well. If you do feel compelled to get a 12 gauge and have fired it so you know you like it, considering selling the 20 so you have money for practice (and training).

 

[MCgunner]

Some things a 12 can do better than a 20, but few things a 20 can do that a 12 can't just as well or nearly so. Goose and duck hunting is almost the exclusive realm of the 12, though I've shot a few of each with the 20, more'n a few ducks, actually. Turkeys, I don't know many turkey hunters that advocate a 20 over the 12. Yet, I've killed lots of dove and quail with a 12 gauge, though lots of folks use a 20.

I like my 20 gauge, but if I only had one shotgun, guess what gauge it'd be. I wouldn't worry about killing people, either will do that well. I'm just taking the hunting angle as always, because that's what I do with shotguns. If I didn't hunt birds, I might not even own a shotgun.

 

[Snarlingiron]

besides an obvious upgrade in power in the 12 guage

There really isn't any real upgrade in power. A .33 ball traveling at 1250 fps. is the same whether it comes from a 20 ga or a 12 ga. The difference is that there will be a few more of them coming out of the 12 ga., but the power is the same, and one of those balls coming from either gun will inflict exactly the same damage. A 20 ga slug is a bit lighter than the 12 ga, but even so, it will inflict massive damage. The 20 gauge will do just fine. The biggest drawback has been availability of good ammo for defensive work, but I am seeing this commonly available now. The 20 has the obvious advantage that it is lighter and has a little less recoil for someone in the family that is of smaller stature.