I was thinkin' about buyin' a legal double barreled shot gun for my house. http://www.kempfgunshop.com/products/firearms/newfirearms/coachgun.html
I think that it was a Stoeger 24 inch with a 20 inch barrel, 20 gaugeside by side. (somethng about those snake eyes)
Any opinions welcomed.
Kinda like that little Taurus that shoots the 45's plus the 410's too.
Personally, I wouldn't want to be limited to two shots.
IMO, the best deal for a strictly defense house shot gun without breaking the bank is the Maverick 88. Basically, it is a Mossberg500with a different safety. You can get a brand new one for well under 200 bucks if you shop around.
I had one of those Stoeger coach guns myself. They are nice; light, point easily and very little on them to break or clean. Though it would be a decent house gun I agree with xxxflhrci. Unless you are a wiz with shotguns then you will probably want something with a tube on it to hold extra rounds. I have a Mossberg 500 Special Purpose Persuader 8-shot. It has never failed me, though I have only given hell to a lot of clays with it and nothing more dangerous than that. You can put a plug in it to make it hunting legal for waterfowl/migratory birds. Shotguns are great for the city or suburbs since you will not have to worry about a high-powered rifle round or fast-moving pistol round (like 9mm) to blast through your walls and into a neighbor's place...or your neighbor
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"A man preparing to speak the truth should keep one foot in the stirrup."-Mongolian Proverb
I recomend a 12 ga. shotgun as the other posters had suggested. I personally use an 870 w/Knox stock, mag extention, 18.5" barrell with MMC rear peep and front tritium sights.
I leave a slug barrel on by 12 ga 870. I have shot 870s for years and feel comfortable with the action. Whatever you decide on, practice with it until you can load it in the dark. Also practice clearing any jams by using fired rounds. The more you shoot it the more it will be an extension of you. Also practice shooting from the hip, with the gun at angles, and with your back to the target and turning to fire. Make your eyes engage the target without sighting in. Home defense does not leave you a lot of time to make decisions. The more you practice, the more automatic your response. If you can practice in the dark do it. You need to get your second and third shots on target through the muzzle flash.
Shotgun are often cited as best house guns, but... are they?
1) A shotgun isn't as fast as a pistol to bring to bear, and is cumbersome. A pistol can be kept in ready position, minimizing grabbing chances, and brought to bear in mere fractions of a second.
2) A Shotgun has far less ammo than a semiauto. You never know...
3) Unlike what happens in Hollywood movies, were bad guys are mowed down in group at point blank range by shotgun blasts, the buckshot in a shotgun cartridge will behave as a solid bullet up to, say, about 10 yards away from the muzzle. So the "pattern" advantage is lost in any in-house action. Also, the buckshot will have devastating penetration (much like slug) until it starts to disperse. This may be a safety issue.
4) A 12-gauge shotgun has a heavy recoil not everybody can master.
I find that a reliable, high-capacity, high readiness pistol, loaded with hollow point, like a Glock 22, is a much better solution for house defense. It can be used by any family member, it requires very little training, is extremely reliable and safe: all you have to teach is: pull trigger, it shoots, remove finger from trigger when you don't want to shoot which is actually the best safety rule one can learn.
"Also, the buckshot will have devastating penetration (much like slug) until it starts to disperse. This may be a safety issue."
Unlike..say.......45 hollow points?
A shot gun is a fine home defence weapon. The best? Well, the best is what does
what you want it to do.
Handguns have their benefits.......but I have heard/read stories in gun magazines of people saying that all they needed to do was say "I am armed! Leave my property!"
After the intruder heard the familiar sound of "Chunk-chick"
(the shotgun being readied)....no rounds needed to be fired.
I have a handgun handy(Glock and a Springfield .45)....and a Remington 870 not to far away.
The 870 may not be the best........but don't knock a couple loads of buckshot. (OH! It fires slugs also)
Chuck
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I would add that you should get one that can fire slugs or 3" rounds. For home defense I load mine with a slug either in the barrel or the first round to be racked. That way if you hit on the first shot then you will probably not have to fire again. Then load buckshot for your second shot, since you missed the first time with the slug the scatter will improve, but not guarantee, a hit on this shot then load the rest with slugs. Sometimes I'll just keep buckshot because, as themensh said, just racking the slide will probably be enough. I just keep a pistol and MagLite in the nightstand, my Mossberg under the bed.
The hands down best thing for home protection I have found...a dog. It doesn't matter the size; I have a terrier mix. Dogs are better deterrents than alarms, IMO. I have neighbors on either side of me who have been broken into several times; they all have alarms. I just have a 12lb. dog that barks at anything that walks in front of the window or past the back fence. Burglars do not want to mess with an animal, they may not be sure of its size or if it is alone. Plus it creates a disturbance that might wake or alert an armed homeowner. Professional burglars know the response times of police to alarm call-ins so they can get in and out if they really want something. Dogs create a set of problems they do not want and so they move onto easier targets. I would rather not shoot someone but would if I had to so it's better to prevent having to even make that choice and plus you get a great friend in the deal. I know not all people can have dogs; like renters or people with allergies but I would buy the gun and also consider getting an inside dog.
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"A man preparing to speak the truth should keep one foot in the stirrup."-Mongolian Proverb
Best House Gun
