re: Best shotgun for home protection?

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I realize the OP said shotguns, but an AR-15 is also an excellent home defense weapon. If you get soft point ammo, it is less likely to go through your walls

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No offense but this is simply not true. First, you have to consider the fact that with this or any rifle (or handgun for that matter), for it to be effective requires a well aimed shot. This can be difficult or impossible in the confines of a home when the homeowner is faced with the life and death stress of a home invasion. another consideration is the fact that there is a good chance the AR-15 (nor most handguns) does not do sufficient damage to have a high probability to ensure the intruder is totally incapacitated with the first shot. If the intruder is charging the homeowner there is a high probability they will only be able to get off at best one well aimed shot before the invader is on them. Being the OP is a woman, there is a high probability the invader will overpower and take her weapon and turn it own her with fatal consequences.

Another consideration is the fact that many home invasions occur in the middle of the night when the homeowner is asleep. Being in a dark house and still shaky or groggy from being awoke from sleep will make a well aimed shot from a rifle or pistol highly difficult.

With this in mind, the clear choice for home protection is a pump action 12 gauge shotgun loaded with .00 buck shot. The advantage of this weapon are (as I've already stated)

1. Psychological - The sound of a 12 gauge cambering a round is very distinctive and in and of itself can make the intruder decide to get the hell out of there without the homeowner even having to fire a shot.

2. Accuracy - If it does come to the point the homeowner has to fire their weapon the 12 gauge shotgun affords the ability to simply point in the direction of the invader instead of having to make a well aimed shot. This is critical considering the invasion can happen at night when the homeowner would be awoken from sleep or if the homeowner is nervous (which would be the case with most civilians - especially a woman).

3. Stopping power - The damage caused by a close range blast from 12 gauge 00 buck shot is terrific. The invader has an almost 100% chance at being instantly killed or incapacitated with one shot, thus stopping the threat to the homeowner and their family then and there.

4. Shock - Even if the homeowner is so terrified they somehow miss the invader, there is still the debilitating shock of being in a confined space of a home when a 12 gauge round goes off. If it is night the flash from the shot will temporarily blind them while the blast itself will severely affect their hearing and stun them. This will more than likely at least stop the invader from charging the homeowner and give the homeowner a chance to chamber another round and getting off another shot at the intruder.

The bottom line is that in a home invasion situation, where your life and the lives of your family depend on you, this is not the time to test your nerves and firearm skills with a pistol or rifle. You can be an expert shot with a pistol or rifle at the range, but when confronted with the stress and terror of someone in your home trying to harm you and your family, you will find yourself in a totally different situation that you may or may not be able to function in to the same standard as the firing range. Unless you have in the past come face to face with someone trying to kill you, you cannot say how you would react to the situation. This is why you want a weapon that is both virtually 100% first shot effective and does not require a steady aim and accurate shot. This is where the 12 gauge pump shotgun, loaded with 00 buckshot is ideal.

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Youth model 870 20 gauge

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This and this....


I present the Mossbeg500 "chainsaw"

ETA: Load it with #4. Still good enough to kill or mortally wound and has a more dense spread than buckshot

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Any 12 gauge, preferably a pump, will be best. The reason for the pump is that if you are in a home invasion situation, many times the sound of a pump shot gun being "pumped" will make the intruder decide he's got other places he need to be right that very instant. The buck shot is in case you actually have to shoot. Having buckshot instead of a slug means you only have to point in the general direction and have an almost 100% chance at incapacitating the intruder with one shot. Yes there is recoil but the good part is that you will only need to fire once and then you'll have the rest of your long life to rcover from it's shock.

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Pretty much this but the Remington 870 has the best receiver of any pump.

Also you aksed best shotgun for home protection, why does it have to be a shotgun? While the pump sound breaks across all language barriers a pistol will hold far more ammunition and is much faster to reload if need be. I personally think it is the better option but to each their own I guess.

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Also you aksed best shotgun for home protection, why does it have to be a shotgun?

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I have a Taurus Judge, shoots .410 shot shells and .45 long colts. I use the winchester pdx1 shells.

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Also you aksed best shotgun for home protection, why does it have to be a shotgun? While the pump sound breaks across all language barriers a pistol will hold far more ammunition and is much faster to reload if need be. I personally think it is the better option but to each their own I guess.

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The problem here is that in a home invasion, you may have only time to get off one shot before the intruder is on you. Also, it is common for a scared homeowner to "freeze" and simply hold down the trigger after they fire the first shot. And you still have the issue of the person being terrified to the point they cannot get off even one "accurate" shot. Like i said before, unless you have been in a situation where you were face to face with someone trying to kill you, you simply do not know if you will even be able to function in that situation. With these facts, it is best to have a firearm that gives the best possibility of debilitating the intruder with one shot fired under severe duress. I've studied, trained on, and used firearms for over 30 years in both the military and civilian live. And I've yet to find any firearm better than a 12 gauge with 00 buck shot for home protection.

Shotguns are a better options as well, if you have other people in the house, besides yourself. you can pick a round that will not penetrate walls, thus reducing the likelyhood of harming someone other than the intruder in your home.

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Buck shot would be better. Any 12 gauge, preferably a pump, will be best. The reason for the pump is that if you are in a home invasion situation, many times the sound of a pump shot gun being "pumped" will make the intruder decide he's got other places he need to be right that very instant. The buck shot is in case you actually have to shoot. Having buckshot instead of a slug means you only have to point in the general direction and have an almost 100% chance at incapacitating the intruder with one shot.

Yes there is recoil but the good part is that you will only need to fire once and then you'll have the rest of your long life to rcover from it's shock.

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so much fail in only one post

You do make a very complelling argument for the use of a shotgun. And you're right, for a novice, a shotgun probably is the best choice.

I have both.

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The posters suggesting youth models are right, since you would want your SO to use it as well

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The youth model is sugested mostly because of the shorter stock, I believe. you can also get this buy purchasing an aftermarket stock(i.e. magpul, etc..) so dont limit yourself if you cant find a youth model