Shucks. I always have an opinion. Doesn't mean it's worth a plug nickel, but pull up a chair and I'll sure be glad to talk.LCplMustafa wrote:I've been looking at home defense shotguns that don't have a buttstock, just a pistol grip. Anybody have any opinion about it?
I'm not a fan of pistol-grip-only stocks. A few reasons for this.
1. The biggest disadvantage of a shotgun in CQB--particularly inside a building with hallways and doorways--is its length: it's easier for a bad guy to block or take away than a handgun. It's the barrel length that makes the difference. A pistol-grip-only stock really doesn't buy you any shortening of real estate over a standard stock, or one like the SpecOps that incorporates a pistol grip and shoulder buttstock. In proper close-body, depressed-carry position, you can mount to shoulder maybe a millisecond slower than you can go barrel-up with a pistol-grip-only stock.
2. In CQB, one advantage of a shotgun over a handgun is that you can use the shotgun as a striking weapon if you have to. Pistols aren't terribly good for this, and neither are shotgun barrels. A shotgun buttstock, though, can be employed quite handily...particularly synthetic stocks that can take a lot of abuse. No fulcrum to be gained from a pistol-grip-only stock.
3. A pistol-grip-only shotgun can only be used, really, in the "assault-fire" position: basically, shooting unsighted from the hip or mid-body. Trying to sight it with iron sights puts your head in a very awkward position relative to the back of the firearm...and potential recoil right into your face if you peer too closely at the sights (I'm assuming a 12-gauge here with standard loads).
Now, something like a holographic sight down mid-length along the barrel might work for aimed shots, but otherwise you end up with a longarm you can't really aim for accuracy. And if you do have to shoot in "assault-fire" position, tucking the traditional buttstock tight against your body, under your arm, provides a far better platform for stability and follow-up shots (especially with a pump: managing recoil and cycling the action quickly with a pistol-grip-only makes for a wobbly firearm).
4. You can effectively shoot an aimed shot one-handed with a buttstock if you have to. It's darned difficult to take an aimed shot with a pistol-grip-only shotgun, and next to impossible to do it with only one hand. I suppose there are guys who can hold a 45-pound Olympic weightlifting plate straight out in front of them with only one hand for 30 seconds without shaking, but they're few and far between.
5. One of the only things I think pistol-grip-only shotguns have going for them is that they can be packed into a smaller bag or case for transport. Not a big item in the "plus" column, and that can be overcome with a folding stock...though I still like those less than a fixed or telescoping stock.
As always, my opinion in this electronic forum is worth precisely as much as the paper it's printed on.
