re: Thoughts on Tactical Shotguns for Home Defense

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Because if we are being honest, if I only bought the guns I needed, my gun safe would look a lot different than it does now.

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Need



Gun safe I want

I have the Beretta 1301 Comp with the mag extension topped with a Delta Point Pro,,,,loaded with No1 Buck in 2 3/4”,,,,,no complaints, but I have the Shockwave for a truck gun, again no complaints.

Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol

BERETTA 1301 if you can find one.

I have a 12 and I love it, Great gun. not cheap, either, I think with the light, red dot and sling it was was over $2k

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The #3 Buckshot in a 20 gauge is a widely available round that has many of the ballistic characteristics of the #4 Buckshot in a 12 Gauge (which is widely considered an appropriate round for home defense).

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I have some #3 buck and some #1 buck currently.


As to the comment someone else had about not being able to aim, in a home defense situation, it wouldn’t be used for 20 yard shots, at least not in my home. Maybe 15 or 20 feet? Fairly certain I can point and shoot and do some real damage at that distance. Maybe I’m wrong, but once I take it out and shoot it, I’ll be able to verify that theory.


Just for the record, the 9mm in my night stand will still be my primary home defense.

Flite Control .... it's Flite Control. And it's basically unobtanium these days in any flavor but especially buckshot ... unless you reload.

Don't practice head shots with a home defense shotgun. As any CQB combat veteran with MOUT experience will tell you ... only heads bob and weave more than hands. Aim center mass or hip girdle.

I've got a dedicated safe just for shotguns. Most of them are collectables with the exception of my favorite upland and waterfowl scatterguns and a dozen tactical shotguns including M4s, 1301s, 930 JMs, 500s, 590s, 870s, an FN SLP and even an old Ithaca M37 trench gun and an Ithaca M37 LEO issued riot gun.

They're all good shotguns.

Modern semi auto inertia driven shotguns are the whoop imho. Benelli and Beretta lead the way but the 930/940 JM Mosseys are incredible for the money. The FN SLP is sweet as well.

Pumps ...

Ithacas are the slickest and they're bottom feed and eject which makes them suitable for lefties as well as righties ... plus they're featherlight.

Mosseys are my favorite tactical pumps. You can do a lot with a 500 plus I like the thimb safety on top.

I like my Vang Comp 870 but it's too expensive for what it is ... although, combined with Flite Control wads, it patterns the best of them all with the bored forcing cone.

Some say the ultimate home defense shotgun is a 16" 500 in 20 gauge. I've heard that argued too many times amongst good shotgunners to discount it honestly. It's lightweight, lower recoil and #1 buck packs a punch.

They're all good. The trick is picking one and then practice, practice, practice. Home defense is not like shooting birds, rabbits or squirrels.

My beloved 82nd Airborne chose M4s for a reason ... but most of us here are not hard charging peak apex alpha 21 year old well trained and lightning quick airborne sky god shotgunners ... and M4s are longer and heavier than most can handle, especially when loaded full of 00 Buck.

Shorter and lighter is the general rule in home defense. And practice practice practice.

And I truly did teach NRA accredited basic and advanced shotgun for years and I truly have attended several major tactical proficiency courses from Gunsite to Sig's academy to include advanced home defense courses.

Pro Tip .... learn to reload in a hurry and learn your immediate action drills. Any well made modern name brand shotgun will do .... but learn how to handle it, maneuver with it, shoot laterally and when advancing and retreating heel toe ... and learn to reload as you go, on the move.

Defensive shotgunning is an artform.

Home defense usually starts with a pistol .... you use it to fight your way to your shotgun.

Rem 870 with 18.5" Mossberg security barrel, Wilson Combat +2 mag extender, 5 round stock sleeve, 00 buck.

I don't know if it's tactical, but I can easily swap out the barrel and magazine back to stock to use in the field.

Prolly a dumb question, but do you keep a shotgun in the home loaded so it is ready to go? Or is the idea to have the shells handy with the gun and try to load as many as you can when you know there is a threat?

Gonna be an unpopular opinion around here, but once a kid showed up that was the end of loaded guns anywhere in the house except for the one I was carrying, which goes in a bedside quick access safe at night.

I sold my HD shotgun (beretta 1301 comp - awesome shotgun). No practical way to make it useful.