re: Pistol or shotgun - home protection

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The Shockwave is a pain in the arse to actually aim and still keep your teeth.

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That's why I got mine in 20ga. There ain't a man on earth that a 20ga to the chest/abdomen won't stop dead in their tracks...

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A tactical shotgun works, but you only have 4-8rds depending on mods. Not very much if a shootout ensues.

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Staying in the fight with a shotgun is something 3 gun people are good at, and they need some specialized kit to do it, and nobody shooting back.

The reason I abandoned the shotgun as part of the plan was the realization that the capacity problem was insurmountable if I didn't have a good chunk of time to prep and even if I did, I wouldnt be very effective past the first few rounds.

Shotguns are ok as part of a team with a specialized mission that requires non lethal or breaching, or if you're a guy who has a shotgun for other uses and defense is secondary. I.e. you aren't going to own a weapon specifically for defense. A shotgun can easily go from the duck blind to the bed side with just an ammo change. I stand by my earlier statement that a shotgun is a poor choice as a dedicated home defense qeapon.

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The reason I abandoned the shotgun as part of the plan was the realization that the capacity problem was insurmountable if I didn't have a good chunk of time to prep and even if I did, I wouldnt be very effective past the first few rounds.

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Speed reloading a shotgun under duress is quite a feat. Takes lots of practice. The modern world of home invaders isn't what it use to be. You could find yourself in a shootout with 4-5 people. AR platform is superior for ease of reloading with minimal practice.

It might not pass through every room in the house but you are going to absolutely blow chunks out of drywall every time you pull the trigger along with any other collateral damage stuff in the way. All things considered that may not even matter in a home defense situation where it is life or death but just pointing out an AR or pistol is not going to leave you with a home remodel after the fact.

So is a home invasion, but I sure as shite don’t want to run out. And, a mag swap is way faster.

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All things considered that may not even matter in a home defense situation where it is life or death but just pointing out an AR or pistol is not going to leave you with a home remodel after the fact.

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If I have to shoot at someone in my home, drywall will be the very last thing I am worried about. And you don’t think an AR or pistol will do any damage to your house? I have had one accidental discharge in my house, a run of the mill 55 grain fmj 5.56. I don’t know how many rooms it would have penetrated because it exited through the roof, leaving a cute little hole in everything it encountered.

Lead “bird” shot (#4 and smaller) losses inertia much faster than a bullet, buckshot, or slug.

At very closer range, when it is still in the wad, it will act more like a slug. But again, it will lose inertia quickly.

Do you reload TSS? Have you ever tested and patterned loads by shooting into a shot trap? I have built two and regularly shoot turkey loads into it at ranges of 20-60 yards. It is composed of 3 layers of outdoor carpet and a 1/8” steel back. From experience I can tell you it will stop lead loads #4 and smaller and TSS loads #7 and smaller. It will not stop a rimfire .22 lr. I thought it would, but instead they shot through. Thus it will definitely not stop any centerfire load.

You guys can do what you want. But a shotgun with small shot is not going to penetrate nearly as many rooms as a centerfire rifle bullet. If you don’t believe me, there are lots of people who have tested it on ballistic gel. If you hunt around you can find it online.

Interesting reading on over penetration in regards to home defense.

This guy is a proponent of a rifle with the right ammunition. But I doubt many folks are really thinking about the ammo that much. Anyway, interesting results that show how important bullet/shot is on terminal performance.

Home Defense Penetration Testing - 12 gauge, 9mm, 45 acp, .223, .300 blk

No. I dont intend to get in one at all. Its just another limiting factor of shotguns. Its just a difficult weapon to use effectively.

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For me, the optimum solution is a bedside safe for my carry pistol. Its either in the safe or in holster and attached to me. I personally think that people who have loaded guns all over the place in preparation for an invasion are a little bit

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Agree with all this. Pistol safes are so cheap and so easy, it’s mind boggling to me that not everyone uses one when they have kids and other folks in the house. One pistol safe upstairs, and one downstairs. It’s plenty firepower for where I live. If I needed more firepower than that, I’d move.

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No. I dont intend to get in one at all. Its just another limiting factor of shotguns. Its just a difficult weapon to use effectively.

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Are you saying the average shooter is more accurate with a handgun than a shotgun? Have you seen people shoot?