Why a Shotgun for Home Defense?

[GunLvrNLearner]

I am not being smartbutt

Just never understood why a shotgun for home defense

Will not fit in a night stand

If BG is too close you cant even point it at him


Also i wouldnt want to use it because with a handgun i only destroy the BG but with a shotgun you also damage your home


So please help me,why do ppl like it?

Thanks

 

[MikePGS]

A shotgun has a relatively short range, meaning that if you miss its less likely to hit an innocent bystander down the street. Also the power of a shotgun is much greater than almost every type of handgun at your disposal. The idea to is that in your home you don't have to worry about the size limitations that lead people to carry pistols instead of long guns.

 

[Fred Fuller]

A .73 bore (seventy-three caliber) and projectiles weighed in ounces (437.5 grains = 1 ounce) has a lot to do with it for me.

Fits just fine propped muzzle down nearby. Doesn't have to go in the nightstand.

No way anyone is going to get too close in this house. Not even a mouse can manage that. Dogs beat burglar alarms...

And I do fairly well with a shotgun. Been hitting a good bit of what I shoot at with one for going on 40 years.

But- just 'cause I like a shotgun doesn't mean you have to like one too. Use what you are best with to defend yourself- handgun, carbine or shotgun, doesn't matter.

lpl

 

[GregGry]

Many reasons mostly because the 12ga shotgun has superior power to pistols.

Also i wouldnt want to use it because with a handgun i only destroy the BG but with a shotgun you also damage your home

A handgun will not "destroy" a bad guy. If you are seriously worried about damaging your home in a self defense shoot, then you shouldn't even be considering any firearm. A bb gun could shoot through a wall, or break glass. Sure a shotgun is more likely to create a larger quantity of holes through a wall, but thats what aiming is for.

Have you ever heard the saying don't bring a pistol to a shotgun/rifle fight? There is a reason. Every pull of the trigger will give you 6+ pellets that are close to a 9mm bullet in diameter. Accuracy at close range is very tight (I have seen 4 to 5 inch groups at 12to 14 feet with my 18 inch barreled shotgun. Most people I see at the range can't shoot that with thier pistol.

12ga with buckshot is a very effective man stopper, if anyone argues that they would take a handgun round over 1 round of buckshot at close range, they are foolish.

Will not fit in a night stand

Why must a gun fit in a nightstand to be used for self defense? I can tell you in the dark I don't want to be fiddling around opening a night stand to get at a pistol.


If you are faced with a intruder thats threating you deadly force, you can use anything at your disposal to stop the threat. With that in mind which would you feel more secure having, a pistol or a shotgun?

Also, shotguns can be fired without being sholdered, they can be fired from the hip if thats your only option due to close range.

 

[Girodin]

As others have said the shotgun is simply more powerful. I also can shoot much more accurately with long guns than I can with pistols. I believe that is true for the vast vast majority of people. Nothing wrong with having a pistol near by but if I knew someone uninvited was in my home I'll take the power and hit probability of a shotgun over a handgun any day.

 

[RyanM]

Well, you could compromise.

 

[Chrontius]

That wins very hard.

All I would ask for is a good laser and weaponlight for those sort of ranges and conditions.

 

[Youngster]

So please help me,why do ppl like it?

Because shotguns tend to be super fast on target and very terminally effective within their effective range, yet when properly loaded they don't pose as much of a overpenetration risk as most other firearms types. Me personally I just find that .73" bore and correspondingly huge shells more reassuring than anything else, when faced with a situation where lots of my blood could end up on the outside of my body.

 

[repo]

I'd rather have a pistol because

- Can shoot it with one hand, leaving the other free for cellphone/flashlight.

- You can't really answer the door to strangers with a shotgun.

- Shotgun is harder to maneuver around hallways and corners

- You get 15+ shots with a pistol

- It's much harder to try and wrestle a pistol away from someone than a shotgun

- You can keep the pistol in a small handgun safe by your bed, if you have kids. Harder to safely store a shotgun and have it ready to go.

- There are more places to practice with handguns. Both of the ranges near me don't allow buckshot or slugs.

 

[maddog1775]

Because the sound of a shotgun cocking is the single quickest way to send a bad guy running for his life.

 

[Kind of Blued]

You can shoot a criminal nine times by pulling the trigger once.

 

[JKimball]

- It's much harder to try and wrestle a pistol away from someone than a shotgun

I've read this idea a few times in different threads, but it doesn't seem that obvious to me.

If you're carrying your pistol around in one hand, it seems like it would be easier for someone with two free hands to leverage it out of your hands, or even easier to turn the muzzle into your body. When you're carrying a shotgun, you're holding it in two places, and you may have your arm or elbow securing a third point at the butt if it is not in your shoulder. That leaves the end of the barrel for someone else to grab, which wouldn't be an advantage for leverage, and isn't a very safe place for them to be grabbing onto either.

- You get 15+ shots with a pistol

I can see an advantage there, especially considering the ease of a magazine change to get another 15 rounds on tap. But the drawback is that each handgun round isn't close to being equivalent in stopping power with each round from a shotgun. In other words, it is probably more likely that you would use up a 15 round magazine from a handgun than that you would use up a 8, 9, or 10 round magazine from a shotgun.

 

[Boats]

Who says this is an either/or situation? I night stand a M&P9 in order to get to my Mossberg 590 hung above the closet door.

My wife can call the cops. Let the cops search the house for bad guys, that's what they're good for. I just need to dominate the immediate hallway that the bedrooms are all off of.

Shotguns allow more dominant control of a defensive bottleneck than do pistols.

 

[Subsonic]

Why a shotgun?

To quote Clint Smith: " Because, trust me brothers and sisters, you tag him with one of these coming down the hall, it's gonna leave a mark and it's gonna be a big one."

Shoot safe, John

 

[Al Thompson]

Why not both? As to damaging the home, uh, moot point. Cleaning up blood is more of a pain than patching drywall.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Why?

Because the one shot stop rate with any shotgun, any load, is 99%.

Because dumping the energy equivalent of a car wreck into an opponent makes sense.

Because, even though most folks would consider me good with handguns, I'm more sure of hits with a shotgun.

Because I can neutralize a threat without endangering innocents a mile away.

Because shooting shotguns is major fun, and even clay demolition teaches gun handling, target acquisition, safety and effectiveness.

Because a fine shotgun capable of generations of use can be purchased for less than a week's pay.

Because I can.

 

[357wheelgunner]

You can shoot a criminal nine times by pulling the trigger once.

This is the reason that a shotgun is better than a handgun. One well placed shot is the rough equivelant of 2/3 of a high cap magazine of 9mm, all at once and all in the same area.

Handguns are a joke power wise, when compared to a rifle or shotgun. The old saying that they 're only good for shooting your way to a rifle or shotgun still rings true.

The other main advantage to a shotgun is that it is shoulderfired, which makes it much more controllable and easier to score hits with than any handgun.

- Can shoot it with one hand, leaving the other free for cellphone/flashlight.

- You can't really answer the door to strangers with a shotgun.

- Shotgun is harder to maneuver around hallways and corners

- You get 15+ shots with a pistol

- It's much harder to try and wrestle a pistol away from someone than a shotgun

- You can keep the pistol in a small handgun safe by your bed, if you have kids. Harder to safely store a shotgun and have it ready to go.

- There are more places to practice with handguns. Both of the ranges near me don't allow buckshot or slugs.

My HD shotgun has a light attached.

I answer the door all the time holding my shotgun. You really fling the door open when people knock? I kinda shout through it to find out who's there. If it's religious fanatics, I don't really care if they see the shotgun. If things look fishy I back away from the door, off to the side, and tell them to leave. All with the shotgun.

If you can't maneuver with a shotgun, learn.

My shotgun fires 9 rounds per pull of the trigger, with 7 in the tube. 9x7=63, way more payload than any highcap 9mm pistol, and it can put them where they need to go much faster.

Why would you let someone get close enough to grab a firearm? Try shooting them with it beforehand.

My shotgun is in a nearby closet. I can get to it fine. It also is heavy, my kid couldn't even lift it if she wanted to, much less manipulate the action. She also respects me, and danger, enough to know that when she sees a knife or a gun, to leave it alone.

It doesn't take a range setup to practice with a shotgun. Find some land, throw a bunch of (plastic, less cleanup) bottles, step back 10-50 yards, and have fun with birdshot all afternoon. It's cheap fun, and makes a good shotgunner.

If you want to use a handgun for HD, that's fine, but people have found ways around all of the few disadvantages to using one. The power difference, and shootability of a shoulder fired weapon, make it worthwhile.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I hardly recommend a pistol for home defence. I most always always recommend a shotgun.
Society in general overlooks the shotgun and reaches for the pistol. It could be a situation you may never want to be in. Under a high stress encounter in your home and you are trusting your family and your life to a pistol?
When deployed in the Army I kinda felt sorry for those who had nothing but a pistol. I have always looked at the pistol as the last line of defence. Shotgun will be my first line of defence.

My philosophy within these classes of firearms.
A pistol is meant to keep a criminal off of your person.
A shotgun is meant to keep a criminal out of your house.
A rifle is meant to keep that criminal off of your property.

 

[LTB15J]

Why?

Because the one shot stop rate with any shotgun, any load, is 99%.

wow i guess you havent been around shotguns long enough to know the difference between dove load and a buck load. i suppose you are an advocate of using birdshot for self defense as well. keep up the good information

 

[357wheelgunner]

My philosophy within these classes of firearms.
A pistol is meant to keep a criminal off of your person.
A shotgun is meant to keep a criminal out of your house.
A rifle is meant to keep that criminal off of your property.

Great statement.

 

[jjohnson]

Because it Works.

There are a lot of reasons.

First, if there is a BG in your home, you're likely to be a little excited, and it is far easier to hit something with a shotgun under those circumstances. Add to it that if anybody else in your home has to use the weapon, it's much easier for them to use, even if YOU are good with a handgun.

Second, Lethality, as pointed out. A "close quarters" blast from a shotgun is fairly difficult to survive on the receiving end, much more so than a pistol slug.
Ever wonder why military and police favor a shotgun in "house clearing" or similar operations? That's why. Some will tell you 00 Buck is best, others (me) prefer #4 Buck. Either will do the job.

Damage? Don't sweat it. You should be happy to patch your drywall after surviving a confrontation. I've seen handgun slugs go through a couple walls before stopping, something your neighbor or the other "friendlies" in your house don't want to stop. Buck doesn't penetrate as much.

Also... on the odd chance you're so close to a BG you can touch you're less likely to shoot yourself if you tangle - pistols are very easy to wave around.

It was a good question - ponder all the answers seriously. We all have our opinions, and it's up to you to make your choice.

 

[jjohnson]

Beg to Differ

Re:

wow i guess you havent been around shotguns long enough to know the difference between dove load and a buck load. i suppose you are an advocate of using birdshot for self defense as well. keep up the good information

Well, tell you what - in "close quarters" like home defense - I wouldn't want to stop a 12-guage load of birdshot . Ask any medical trauma person, from EMT to surgeon, what it would be like to deal with one of THOSE wounds.

No, birdshot isn't the round of choice by police or military in the shotgun, but at the ranges you'd expect inside a house, it's not to be laughed at.

 

[LTB15J]

the military do not necessarily condone the use of shotguns for much more than breeching doors. convention regulations, and the fact that they lose their velocity over a very short distance which causes 'undue' suffering. Ie. it doesnt kill people as quick as it should.

not exactly something i would want to take guesses at

 

[dispatch55126]

Why?
-Kids in the house means everything is in the safe
-Kids on a different level in the house means I have to search the house
-Single parent means I'm on my own until the house is safe
-If shots are traded, mine must be terminal. If I'm hit, the family loses otherwise
-Much more control with shotgun, better able to control background
-Much steadier with shotgun, nerve damage in my neck gives my hands a slight shake fully extended. I'm still accurate with a pistol but couple that with 2 AM, adrenaline, fear...

-House was broken into shortly before I purchased it. I've improved the exterior security (motion lights and removing bushes near corners and windows) but I definitely cannot say "It won't happen to me".

 

[LTB15J]

why would you use a low powered round out of a huge shotgun? thats the most ridiculous thing, anyone can do to disadvantage themselves. not only are you wielding a gigantic rifle thats hard to maneuver around corners, but you are using rounds designed for small birds, like quail and dove.

i HAVE seen the shallow wound channnels created by birdshot, and they are nothing, compared to the unfathomable would channels created by a good load of federal 00 plated shot. you dont have to be an EMT or emergency personnel to know people survive HEAD SHOTS from birdshot almost every year. good god, if you are going to sling peashot, at least use a judge, not a freaking long rifle