Can somebody explain shotguns
Looking at buy a shotgun for home defense but to be honest dont know to much about them. Can somebody tell me if you can shoot slugs and shot from the same gun and recommend a few? Thx guys.
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If the nominal shell length is the same (or shorter) than the chamber is cut for, than yes slugs and shot can be fired from the same barrel. Stick with a smooth bore (not rifled) for the best "dual purpose" results (rifled barrels are best suited for "sabot" type slugs only).
Shotgun shells are measured by there fired length and gauge (diameter). You can use any shell, of the same gauge, that is shorter than the chamber spec IE a 12ga 3" chamber (marked on the barrel) is designed to use 2 3/4" of 3" shells, but NOT 3 1/2" shell.
As far as type goes, others will be along with model recommendations, but I'll suggest that a "pump action" would be preferable (vs a single shot, double barrel or semi-auto design).0 -
Why shoot slugs for home defense? Use buckshot. This provides about 15 lethal pellets spreading out over distance. The key to home defense is to hit something when you pull the trigger. Then pump, and pull the trigger again. And again. And again. If you ever get to the point of pulling the trigger, it's kill or be killed. As to the hardware, get an affordable Mossberg 12 gauge pump with 18.5 inch cylinder bore barrel. Use 2-3/4" (not 3") shells to allow one more shot before reloading. 0 -
In a home defense situation, you would be faced with an intruder in your home. The scene would be chaotic, and the perpetrator would be in close proximity by virtue of being inside the house. It is likely to be dark inside the house ( when most burglaries occur ).
I agree with tailgunner1954's recommendation of a pump action, stick with a 12 gauge for its high shot density. A pump shotgun has the added feature of the racking noise it makes when chambering the shell, this sound alone may scare the intruder off, if he is familiar with that sound. I would NOT consider using slugs in this situation, as they require aiming, which in the chaotic scene being portrayed is not likely to be effective. Buy the shortest barrel that is legally allowed, since you need to be able to swing the gun around doorways etc. and don't want to offer a long barrel that could be grabbed by the perp. The home defense models are designed this way on purpose. At close range, the shot size doesn't matter that much, so go with #6 or #4 for a nice dense pattern.
A swarm of shot at close range can also be shot from the hip - I have downed game animals this way. If you believe it is a situation of your life or his, go bombs away right in the chest, otherwise you could also aim low below the knees to incapacittate and end the situation without a fatality. A slug is a poor choice for a number of reasons - need precise aim which is not likely, almost certain fatality if connected, can penetrate walls and kill other people in the house or outside the house.
I'm sure others will chime in with their thoughts.0 -
mljackso, How wide would a charge of buckshot spread inside a room in a house? Let's say in 20 ft. I don't see much difference in whether you shoot a slug, buckshot or small #4 shot at indoor shooting distances. Either will inflict a very incapacitating wound. If you shoot from the hip and miss with a slug you probably will miss with a charge of shot at inside the home distances. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Herschel
mljackso, How wide would a charge of buckshot spread inside a room in a house? Let's say in 20 ft. I don't see much difference in whether you shoot a slug, buckshot or small #4 shot at indoor shooting distances. Either will inflict a very incapacitating wound. If you shoot from the hip and miss with a slug you probably will miss with a charge of shot at inside the home distances.
At room distances with cylinder bore the spread will likely be between a baseball and a softball. That's still at least 10 times greater than a slug diameter.0 -
quote:Originally posted by mljackso
quote:Originally posted by Herschel
mljackso, How wide would a charge of buckshot spread inside a room in a house? Let's say in 20 ft. I don't see much difference in whether you shoot a slug, buckshot or small #4 shot at indoor shooting distances. Either will inflict a very incapacitating wound. If you shoot from the hip and miss with a slug you probably will miss with a charge of shot at inside the home distances.
At room distances with cylinder bore the spread will likely be between a baseball and a softball. That's still at least 10 times greater than a slug diameter.
Umm my wife knows that at 15' the hole she put in the window was wad diameter. She was running a cylinder choke tube and a 1 1/8oz load of #9 shot.0 -
So then why are shotguns so widely recommended, if they offer no better margin of error than a handgun or even carbine? 0 -
If you have never had a shotgun, I'm recomending a 20ga. pump for home defence. The recoil is less than a 12ga. Like said get a smoothbore. For home defence I use #7or8 shot shells. At distances in a normal house, they will do as much damage as buckshot. You can buy shot shells at a cheap enough price, that you can practice with them. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by mljackso
So then why are shotguns so widely recommended, if they offer no better margin of error than a handgun or even carbine?
It's a lot easier to control a sawed off shotgun than a handgun.
The margin of error is greater with a shotgun, do the math.
Lethality, Knockdown power of a shotgun is far superior to any handgun.0 -
For a few reasons already stated I agree that a pump/slide action is the way to go.
A smoothbore, cylinder or modified choke 18 in. barrel with a bead sight serves well for a house shotgun. Loads used can vary depending upon specific requirements, but this setup will equip you to use any size shot from light birdshot to slugs equally well at short distances.
Whether for home or field use, a defensive shotgun should be equipped with as high capacity of a magazine as the barrel length allows, which with an 18 in. translates to 5 rounds. Keep in mind that the wise routine condition for a house shotgun is chamber empty/magazine loaded/safety on until needed.
Especially with it's intended use for home defense use, don't fail to take into account that this is a two handed gun. This means you need to consider how to deal with a light source. A forend mounted light with on/off pressure switch such as SureFire sells is ideal. but these can run you almost as much as a complete shotgun.
You often see it, but on a home defense shotgun I wouldn't recommend a sling. This only adds something to snag obstacles when moving in close quarters and supplies a point for someone to grab.
As for pattern size, until you get out to about 30-35 ft. all shotguns throw very close to the same size pattern regardless of barrel length. I've been a LE firearms instructor for many years and have conducted extensive testing on barrel length/shot size for selecting issue items for patrol and tac team use. Contrary to what Hollywood portrays, the pattern from even a stubby 12 in. barrel remains indistinguishable from a 20+ in. barrel until you get beyond about 10 yds. In most all indoor situations, you can't expect that your pattern will open to more than a couple of inches with any shotgun regardless of shot size, barrel length or choke.0 -
Everyone has a different opinion.
Personally, I only use a shotgun for defense when I am out in a boat. (Pirates are still a real threat in some areas. Birdshot discourages boarders, & a slug below the waterline will keep them busy bailing out their boat.)
For home use, I recommend the same handgun that you carry when you go out at night.
Neal0 -
Yes, you can fire slugs and birdshot or buckshot from the same gun.
Slugs are really not a good idea for indoor use, as they tend to penetrate through walls and such, presenting risk to individuals in other rooms, or even outside the building.
quote:Originally posted by mljackso
So then why are shotguns so widely recommended, if they offer no better margin of error than a handgun or even carbine?
First of all, the average shooter fires ANY shoulder fired gun more accurately than a handgun.
The fact that the gun stablizes against your shoulder, and that your eye sights right along a long sight radius just makes it much easier to hit things with a long gun.
Next, shotgun has a *LOT* more stopping power than any common handgun.
Figure a 12 gauge 00 buckshot is firing NINE 53 grain .33 caliber pellets at 1300+ fps. Damage-wise, ONE buckshot round is going to cause comparable to maybe an entire revolver full of 6 .38 specials fired at once!
TXS is absolutely right that there is no signficant difference in pellet spread between a short barreled and long barreled shotgun at close range. Contrary to popular belief, chokes don't matter much either at short distance. Under 20 feet your pattern will only be a few inches wide no matter what the choke or barrel length (ie you still have to aim). If you are going to use a shotgun for defense, its good practice to test the gun in question and load in question at a range to have some good idea of how wide your pattern is at difference common distances (eg say 5, 10, and 15 yards).
Advantage of a short barrel is that the gun is more maneuverable indoors, stores better, swings a little faster, and is harder to grab (by someone else). It doesn't really help you in terms of getting more "spread" in any practical way.
While I agree with everything TXS said, personally, I like a sling, since it gives you the ability to carry the gun, yet have one or both hands free if you need to pick something up, etc, without having to put the gun down. If you need to hold the gun with one hand, its a lot easier to stabilize it and/or keep it levelled with a sling than without one. You want a sling that's relatively short and stiff (so that it doesn't snag anything easily). There are other ways to do it (ie speedfeed stock, stockcuff, side-saddle, etc), but a sling is also potentially a place to store extra shells.0 -
Remington model 870 or Ithaca model 37, most any guage will be just fine improved cylinder. Buckshot of any size will probably do the job inside your residence. I understand that Mossberg is good also but I have no experience with them. 0
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