Perfect home defense shotgun

[Dustin Cantrell]

My father told me he's wanting to get a firearm for home defense and asked me my opinion. He's a jeweler and has two stores and often takes home work from one store to take the the other store the next morning. He's afraid somebody is going to figure out that he has a fair amount of jewelry at his home and break in. Anyway, I told him that as far as a handgun is concerned he needs to find something that feels good in his hand and train with it. I told him not to rule out a shotgun for home defense. It got me to thinking because I don't have a shotgun setup for home defense. The capability they have of stopping a threat is pretty impressive.

If you were to get a shotgun and set it up for home defense, what shotgun would you buy and what modifications would you make to it? Pump or semi-auto? Full stock, pistol grip or folding stock? Lights or any other tactical additions?

 

[Matt1911]

Mossberg 500 with 18"-20" barrel fiber optic sight loaded with 00 buck. Full stock on it too. Pistol grip without the buttstock is more gimmick than anything else.

 

[Wildcat]

I would personally lean towards an 870 over a 500. I like where the controls are better on the Remington. Seems much easier to switch off the safety and lock. (for reference, I have both).

 

[JTMaddox]

Living in the People's Socialist Republic of Illinois, I keep a box-stock 870 express with a 26" barrel loaded with 00 buck for home defense. I wanted something that there was no way anyone could accuse of being anything but a "hunting gun". Nothing tactical about it, just so that when I'm on trial for violating some poor victim of societal inequality's civil rights by shooting him in my house while he threatened my family's well being the prosecutor and/or counsel for the plaintiff will not be able to portray me as a radical militant due to my choice of weapon...

 

[Wall]

Full Stock, 20" Barrel, Semi-Auto, Nordic Tube Extension to be flush with the end of the barrel, Night Sights & not much else. Simple & uncomplicated & most important reliable. No need for opened loading port or welded lifter or speed bolt handle or any of the gaming stuff other than the extended tube because I don't plan on reloading it.

 

[technetium-99m]

I'd never own another 870. When I run across an nice example I'm getting an 18" M1 and rocking a reliability package. If you want a pump find an 18" Nova and have a far better gun than an 870 for not much more money.

Before everyone jumps on the GT is an idiot bandwagon for thinking 870's are less than cool Google 870 extraction problem or 870 locks up after shooting. My express was a piece of crap and would not work properly. I am not the only one who has had this problem.

 

[Matt1911]

I've had 3 870's and all 3 of them were absolute elephant dung. I won't ever get another one.
I've also had 3 mossbergs. A 500 a 590 and a maverick 88. Never had a single problem with any of those variants. The maverick 88 was a far better shotgun than any 870 I've owned, and thats the cheapo variant.
I just purchased another 500 which will make my 4th one. I haven't shot it yet, but I don't expect any problems.

 

[Dustin Cantrell]

Thanks for the suggestions. I might lean towards a Mossberg 500 for him, as well as maybe myself. I had one when I was 18-19. I didn't clean it when I bought it and I probably shot 500 rounds over a couple years through it with it never being cleaned. I *might* have run a brush and a couple patches one time through the bore somewhere in there. I don't remember but I certainly didn't know anything about firearms maintenance. While that's not a torture test by any means, I had a good experience with one. I no longer own it because it was stolen.

 

[Wall]

When I run across an nice example I'm getting an 18" M1 and rocking a reliability package.

This is pretty much what I was talking about in my post. Nothing gamer like lightened bolt or welded lifter but just a basic reliability package.

 

[Adam Striegel]

I have a Mossberg Maverick 88 with a 16" barrel and pistol grip loaded with #4 buckshot. For me, that's a perfect home defense gun. Mavericks are usually pretty inexpensive to buy too.

If he had the money to spend, I'd go with a Remington 870 or Mossberg 590.

 

[Wall]

How about a MasterKey for Home Defense, LOL

 

[dennishoddy]

It's just my opinion that a semi auto is a much better shotgun for home defense than any pump gun.
No meth/ crack head is going to run from somebody racking a pump like Hollywood.
Your in a gun fight, rounds are flying, you take one in the arm. How are you going to stay in the fight? Yes, one can rack a pump one handed, but do you really want to do that while the BG is coming for you?
The semi auto in my opinion is the preferred choice.

 

[Dustin Cantrell]

It's just my opinion that a semi auto is a much better shotgun for home defense than any pump gun.
No meth/ crack head is going to run from somebody racking a pump like Hollywood.
Your in a gun fight, rounds are flying, you take one in the arm. How are you going to stay in the fight? Yes, one can rack a pump one handed, but do you really want to do that while the BG is coming for you?
The semi auto in my opinion is the preferred choice.

Good point about operating the shotgun while wounded. I honestly hadn't thought about that. I might need to talk him into a CZ 712 for home defense. :biggrin:

 

[Matt1911]

I have a Mossberg Maverick 88 with a 16" barrel

Do you mean 18"? If not, you need a stamp.

 

[Adam Striegel]

Do you mean 18"? If not, you need a stamp.

Yeah, 18" sorry. I don't know why 16" is in my head, but I make that mistake just about every single time I talk about that shotgun.

 

[dennishoddy]

Good point about operating the shotgun while wounded. I honestly hadn't thought about that. I might need to talk him into a CZ 712 for home defense.

You might also take into consideration that racking the slide just gave away your tactical postion, putting the other person in charge of the situation.

 

[ShaneP]

I bought an 870 when I turned 18. It was the first gun that I bought for myself. I used it for skeet and hunting for 12+ years with zero problems. It's even been fully submerged at least twice while duck hunting, I just did a quick field strip to wipe everything dry and it was good to go. With that said, maybe the 870 quality isn't what it used to be. The nova is a nice gun. I don't have any experience with any of the mossberg products.

I would agree that a semi-auto would probably be the best choice for a home defense shotgun.

This would make a mean home defense shotgun.

 

[Adam Striegel]

I keep a shell chambered, so if I'm racking it, it's because I've already shot once so my position is going to be known and hopefully they'll be full of buckshot anyways.

 

[dennishoddy]

Good decision.

 

[technetium-99m]

Older 870's do not have so many of the issues plaguing the newer guns. You couldn't give me another express.