Single Shot for HD?

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45Guy

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Who keeps a single-shot shotgun for HD? How do you store it? What ammo do you use?

Always liked the idea of a single-shot for HD, might use one for apt. HD for my gf. I have an 870 though.
 
Right after Katrina I came across an H&R singleshot .410 for fifty bucks. I bought it figuring that in an emergency if someone who was gunless needed something it would be easy to teach them to shoot it.

I think the idea has some merit for someone who isn't familiar with guns. If you have to pay much more than fifty bucks, though, you might think about a pump gun. A Maverick is only $150 or so.
 
If it was 1890 and I couldn't afford anything better....
Technology has come a long way, you'd be better served by the ability to respond to mulitple attackers, such as with a pump or semi-auto.
 
Jeff Cooper described the Latin American custom of having a gate guard for your villa with a single shot. Enough to deter the casual criminal, but if he sells out to the mob, he is not well enough armed to add much to the threat.
 
Why not? A cheap NEF 12 ga with a 5 shot elastic cartridge carrier on the buttstock might work. The mechanism is simple...just pop it open and load. Cock the hammer back and fire. No worries about short stroking the pump, or having the automatic shotgun jam. Generally they are lighter than a pump or an automatic and you don't have to worry about finding the safety cause there isn't one. If you want a quick followup shot...buy two of them. You'll still be $75 cheaper than buying a Mossberg 500.
 
not a chance. I own 2 single, 1 double, many pumps and an auto loader. I will always stick to the pumps for HD. WIN 1300 for me and a 1200 for the wife, the rest are just for fun.
 
In any armed encounter, shouldn't you do all you can to tip the scales in your favor? Giving a loved one a single-shot weapon seems nothing less than cruel. The recent story of the child being shot involved 2 intruders into the home. Buckshot doesn't spray 3 feet killing everything in its path.
 
I say 4 is enough in my 870 express but 1 seems like a couple too few. I feel like I would have a hard time reloading a single shot if I were in a HD scenario. With practice it could work I guess but I'll stick with the pump.
 
No thanks-- 1 shot is not enough for HD the odds for a multiple assailant home invasion are a bit too high. In a crisis situation when motor skills break down I don't want to be fumbling to reload after one shot. I think I would rather have a bat than a single shot.
 
For most people, having only a single shot is probably not a good idea. However, I wouldn't want to go up against someone who knew how to use that single shot in his own home. It could be fairly effective if you know what your doing.
 
My serious situation shotgun is a :

H&R Topper, Youth, 20 gauge, with fixed modified choke and factory recoil pad.
I prefer slugs.

Bone stock, except for a Koplin elastic butt cuff, more secure with electrical tape.

Shoots some of THE best pellet pattern and slug groups. Quite a few a folks use these because of mine, for home, business and vehicle gun.

I have run straights in Regular Skeet and felled a limit of 15 doves using only 12 shells.

Internet ticked me off a few years back, so I rebelled and went more into Software Not Hardware.

Just a kids single shot shotgun is all it is....honest....
 
For most people, having only a single shot is probably not a good idea. However, I wouldn't want to go up against someone who knew how to use that single shot in his own home. It could be fairly effective if you know what your doing.
Click to expand...

Since that isn't a lot of people and most others would benefit from several rounds at their disposal, I wouldn't go with the single shot.

There really isn't any advantage to it. At least that I can think of.
 
The biggest advantage is that they are cheap and easy to use. Most single barrel shotguns can be had for half the price of an economy pump, and all it takes to operate one is knowledge of how to break open the action, insert a cartridge, cock the hammer (if it has one) and pull the trigger.

Using "shoot and scoot" methods, you could do a decent job of taking on more than one attacker. Remember, for more than several hundred years, a single shot was all that people had, and they made good use of them.

I also know that a lot of people like em for woods bumming because they're extremely light and fairly versatile.
 
Whelp, allow me share some history.

Back in the day, before JFK was shot, but Cold War going on, and later not knowing what gun laws were going to do with GCA of '68 and all...
Single shots in shotguns and rifles, including .22 rim-fire were always "set back".

I mean "If" the Gubmint said civilians could not have anything like Police or Military had...
Which history has shown us has happened...
There goes Win Model 97, 12, Ithaca 37 and Rem 870...12 gauge repeating shotguns for starters.

Mentors and Elders had already been through a lot of "Life Stuff" like seeing what the peoples of countries had/did not have in the way of firearms, being in Conflicts.

Tornadoes Ripped through where I am. No 911, and Rescue folks tend to run to cities. Rural folks took care of their of their own.
Canned Goods, Water, blankets, candles ...etc, and Single shot guns to pass out to keep looters away.
See, some tornadoes took the guns these folks had.

Katrina Folks got some single shot shotguns, including some that "come up" and relocated, and stayed with others.

This "being ready and prepared" is not a new thing.
Civil Defense barrels with stores in buildings with CD yellow and black signs were common when I was a kid.

Just made sense to have the simple single shot shotgun, .22 rifle, ammo, simple revolvers, ammo, ways to reload ammo with reloading supplies in a barrel too.

I mean other countries were doing this.

Break it down to the most simple, proven rugged design.

WE prefer 20 ga in a single shot, and the .410. Youth size means a smaller person can use if need.

Like I said, this was going on before I was born in the mid 50's.

Mentors & Elders were some pretty smart folks...
 
While the current HD shotgun of choice is an 870, "Lil Loudmouf", a 12 Ga Topper cut back to 18", with a buttcuff "a la SM" has performed that duty and will likely do so again. Prefered ammo is Fedreral Low recoil buck and slugs, depending on the scenario.

Was used for vermin control while in New Orleans after Katrina, as well as arming the neighbor lady when I was out and about doing what needed to be done.

I often throw it in the car when traveling especially in those places that don't allow handguns, and it has served many a night as the "motel room" HD gun.

I practice with it regularly and many would be surprised how quickly your can shoot, reload, and shoot again. Typically keep loaded with hammer down, two rounds taped to forearm with a velcro strap so as to be handy in my off hand for rapid reload, and 6 rounds in the buttcuff.

I'm quite comfortable with my ability and that of the gun.

YMMV
 
Since I mostly see the shotguns place in HD as a barricade weapon a single shot will probably be fine

But remember...a shotgun especially at home defense ranges (less than 20 ft) is not a death ray....you can quite easily miss

I do not like any long gun for HD in the event you are forced to move through your home
 
I recall a former hunting pardner that was fast enough on a covey rise he could do a reload and take a double with his well worn and well maintained single shot.

A single shot beats fang and claw all to heck, if that's all we have.

First rule of gunfighting, have a gun.

As with ALL defensive firearms, BA/UU/R is mandatory....
 
Bad guys have friends too.
Click to expand...

I was wondering when somebody would bring up the "Rule of +1". :D

Software is the most critical element - no doubt. But it makes no sense to handicap yourself with hardware choices. I'd suggest that any person who can learn to fight effecitvely with a single shot will be able to learn to fight more effectively with a repeater.

Gunfights are high-objective-risk endeavors. It seems prudent to take every reasonable step to stack the odds in favor of your survival.
 
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