Why a Home Defense Shotgun?

[GrayHawk]

I am just wondering why I would need a short barelled HD shotgun with ghost ring or halo sights, pistol grip stock, mounted laser and flashlight, heat shroud, sling, saddle with 6 extra rounds, with mag extension bringing my in gun round count to eight when I have an effective nightstand gun? Are there that many home invasions which involve multiple intruders or massive gun battles? Is this just a fad or something? If I needed a shotgun for protection in my home, would my mossberg I use for hunting work just as well? Don't bash, I am trying to figure out if I am equipped wrong for home protection or if I need a tricked out $600 dollar shotgun at the house too.

[Moonpie]

IMO, all that extra stuff like lights, lasers, 3 point slings, electronic sights, etc. isn't needed.
A short barrel and extended magazine yes. Plain bead sight yes.
Unless you're some kind of SWAT or military person and you have to offensively use a shotgun all that extra stuff does is cost a lot and weigh down the gun.
K.I.S.S. works all the time.

[dihappy]

If you got the money, do it.

IMO all the talk about a shotty for home defense is over rated.

First there is hardly any spread in pellets when speaking of the distances involved in home defense situations. (12' = 1 3/4'' - 4'') hence, you still have to aim.
Second, its larger than a pistol and requires two hands.
Third, not practical for small or weak individuals.

Nothing against it, however i dont think its as good as a good pistol.

A pistol will allow you to defend and fire at the same time.
A pistol will allow you to maneuver better
A pistol can be handled by weaker, more frail individuals
Hollow point pistol rounds will be less likely to go through an individual and hit something else.

my $ .02

[KRM45]

You should be able to buy an 18" barrel for your mossberg that is interchangeable with the hunting barrel for around $100. This will help you manuver around the house while at the ready. I would also recommend a simple light attachment. You don;t need a pressue sensitive switch, etc, just a light with a tail cap switch. Probably $30-$50 would do it for you.

[CopOnce]

Trusty old 9 mm next to the bed on the night stand...shot gun stays in the closet. I don't practice very often with the shot gun, but the 9 mm, that's a different story. What I would do with the 9 mm would be purely instinct.

[MTICop]

I like a shotgun for home defense but I also understand that due to distance the pattern will not be spread out like most people think it will. The shotgun will need to become an "aimed" weapon inside the home instead of a "point-and-shoot" weapon, so to speak. I am not a big fan of all the accessories people want to put on some of their guns as I see very little point in it except to trick one out because I have the money. I am a huge fan of if you have the money and want to do it then go for it; however, in my opinion there would be very little tactical advantage to most of it. I know some of the more energy conscious people here may be a little upset with me but I leave the downstairs TV and various light on in my house. The upstairs is always dark. This will ensure that anyone coming up my staircase will be silhouetted when coming up the stairs. I have reviewed my plan with my family and they know where to go to keep them out of the line of fire and I will control the upstairs. The bad guys can have anything they want downstairs. That's what I have insurance for.

Some may disagree but this is my $.02.

[NcongruNt]

If you got the money, do it.

IMO all the talk about a shotty for home defense is over rated.

First there is hardly any spread in pellets when speaking of the distances involved in home defense situations. (12' = 1 3/4'' - 4'') hence, you still have to aim.
Second, its larger than a pistol and requires two hands.
Third, not practical for small or weak individuals.

Nothing against it, however i dont think its as good as a good pistol.

A pistol will allow you to defend and fire at the same time.
A pistol will allow you to maneuver better
A pistol can be handled by weaker, more frail individuals
Hollow point pistol rounds will be less likely to go through an individual and hit something else.

my $ .02

It's not about the spread, it's about the devastation. My HD shotgun is loaded up with 3" 00 buckshot. That's Twelve 8.38 mm 54 grain pellets hitting the BG all at once. You're essentially pulverizing an entire area a few inches in diameter, making a vital hit much more likely than a single shot from a handgun bullet of any caliber.

While not as portable or maneuverable as a handgun, the shotgun is quite superior in its effects against an intruder. I do not see how you think a handgun is more appropriate than a shotgun for a "weaker" person. If someone has trouble holding a shotgun, they're likely going to have the same issue with a handgun, except they have no shoulder to steady against with the handgun.

As far as over-penetration is concerned, the only time I think you're really going to see that kind of issue is with slugs.

[GrayHawk]

is there any specific advantage between a pistol grip stock and a regular field stock for a HD shotgun?

[atxgun]

I am just wondering why I would need a short barelled HD shotgun with ghost ring or halo sights, pistol grip stock, mounted laser and flashlight, heat shroud, sling, saddle with 6 extra rounds, with mag extension bringing my in gun round count to eight when I have an effective nightstand gun?

Because all of that is AWESOME!!!

But seriously if you have a firearm you're proficient with that will be sufficient. I think the general suggestion to the non gun owner for a shotgun for HD is they're cheaper than a handgun both in initial investment and shells.

Also, I've read (conflicting) reports that shotguns won't penetrate walls as readily.

[jimlongley]

The latest Box o Truth review addresses just this subject, at least to some extent. They did penetration tests a while back, too.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu83.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some people think that the sound of a pump racking in the night would strike fear into a criminal's heart, but I, personally, don't intend to give that much warning, just the dogs growling and the "snick" of the safety being taken off, that's all they get.

As soon as I finish modifying my Mossberg's carrier so it will feed Aguila Minishells reliably, I will have a high cap shotgun for home defense.

[GrayHawk]

Very interesting website. Never heard of it before. Will have to spend some evening time perusing the site.....

[Bart]

Are there that many home invasions which involve multiple intruders or massive gun battles? Is this just a fad or something?

Shotguns have a long history of being used for home defense. They're very effective at stopping threats.

If I needed a shotgun for protection in my home, would my mossberg I use for hunting work just as well?

It depends on your home and your shotgun and your plan. If your plan is to hide behind the bed and point the shotgun at the door and blast the bad guy if he comes into your bedroom, a hunting shotgun is probably just as good. If you want mobility and more than 3 shots you can put a short barrel and extended magazine on hour huntin shotgun pretty cheaply. If you want to audition for the next Gecko45 movie you definitely need a tactical heat shield and an IR laser and night vision goggles.

[flb_78]

One could ask the same thing about putting 16lbs of accessories on an 8lb AR-15.

[JLaw]

You don't need all that extra stuff on a home defense shotgun. I chose for my home defense weapon to be a shotgun a few years back, mainly because I wanted a long gun for home protection and didn't have a rifle that fit the bill. So I put an 18" barrell and a +1 mag tube extension on my 870. Still wears the wood stocks, nothing fancy, but it puts long gun power in a managable package.

You don't have to be "tacti-cool" to protect your family.

JLaw