Best Defensive Shotgun - What is the best gun for home defense? This is a great question, and one that gets asked a lot. Firearms are popular for home defense because they are effective, easy to use, and affordable. There are also many myths about shotguns that fuel their popularity.
We'll get into what makes a good home defense shotgun in a minute. But first, you probably want to see the brand and model names. So without further ado…
Best Defensive Shotgun
We will go into more detail about these firearms later. But to answer the question of what is the best gun for home defense, we need to go into a little more detail.
Best Shotguns For Home Defense (on Any Budget)
To give you the bottom line up front, the best handgun for home defense is a reliable, well made, good looking 12 gauge that gives $00 from a quality company.
I realize that the features are not as exciting as the firearms themselves. To say that a reliable, well-made gun that you can put on a target is a good firearm is kind of a boring answer. To understand why that list of four guns is reliable as a list of home defense shotgun choices, we need to understand what makes a good shotgun for home defense. Understand, this is a list of the ideal features we want in a defensive gun, so if your gun is missing one of them, don't worry.
For help with this article, I spoke with Tim Chandler of Justified Defense Concepts. He is one of the leading experts in defensive firearms. He provided valuable insight into what you want in a defensive weapon.
Length of pull, abbreviated LOP, is the distance from the trigger to the back of the stock. Having an LOP under 13 inches allows the shooter to better control the gun, which helps reduce felt recoil. Theoretically, lower recoil means you get more shots on your target faster.
Top 10 Firearms For Home Defense
Another requirement is good images. I know people don't think you have to mark a firearm, but that's not true. You should definitely aim a shotgun, especially at home defense distances. At 15 yards my Beretta 1301 shoots a 6 inch pattern. At 5 yards, an average home distance, it will shoot each ball into a cluster about the size of a quarter. You should definitely aim the gun.
The choice of ammunition is also important. For 12 Gauge ammunition, 00 shot is the standard, and if possible the best loads are Federal Flite Control 8 pellets or Hornady Critical Defense 8 pellets. Both of these loads use a proprietary rod that holds the pellets with each other longer, providing a great final performance. Federal also makes their Flite Control load #1, which I personally have not used, but the experts highly recommend.
Regardless of which mold you choose, it's essential that you model it with your gun and hopefully adjust those sights to make sure you're on the right track.
Now that we have some benchmarks, let's look at guns that are good for home defense. As we said before, the best home defense guns in 2021 are:
Fostech Origin 12 Mag Fed Semi Auto 12 Gauge Combat/tactical Shotgun: Manpackable Military Grade Piston/op Rod Shotgun With Quick Change Barrel (qcb) System And Quick Takedown! (videos!)
Right off the bat, the best defensive handgun on the market right now is the Beretta 1301 Tactical. It hits all the right spots with adjustable sights, an optic mounting rail and an adjustable length of pull. According to Tim, it also has "reliability and durability levels close to the Glock 19," which is pretty high praise.
The only problem with the Tactical 1301 is the price: $1,300. I know, it's a lot of money. Which brings us to our next recommendation, the Remington 870 Police.
The Remington 870 is probably the best pump action gun ever made, and current production Police models are of high quality. They are half the cost of a 1301, which makes them a good deal for a solid and reliable firearm. Old 870's from the 80's and 90's can also be had for great prices if you are willing to look in the second hand gun market.
But if 870 doesn't appeal to you, maybe this is the second pump action gun on our list.
Best Home Defense Tactical Shotguns
The Mossberg 590A1 comes in a variety of finishes and options, but a basic model with good looks and a 9-round capacity can be had for $500. The action on the Mossberg can be a bit rougher than the Force 870, but the 590A1 series has a reputation for reliability.
Back to semi-autos and big bucks, the Benelli M4 is also a great shotgun. It ticks all the right boxes for a well-made light shotgun. However, like the Beretta 1301, the Benelli is very expensive - about $1,700 for a new gun. One thing you will find is that semi-autos tend to be more expensive than pump guns due to their relative complexity. And because it is more expensive than the Beretta, the Benelli is last on my recommended handgun list.
Each of those firearms will provide a lifetime of service, provide excellent performance, and be reliable when you need it.
As we close, it is important to briefly note what is not on that list: turkey guns, shotguns, and .410 pistols. There is a reason for this, and that is because the weapons on this list are designed for a specific purpose - combat. Cock guns are designed to kill birds. Deer guns are designed to be rifles. Although they have their purpose, it is not for home defense. Besides, if you want it, everyone in the defense-minded world has an opinion on what the best home defense gun is. That's not what we're going to talk about in this article, as that would turn into a shouting match between revolvers, semi-auto pistols, shotguns, AR-15s, etc.
Pump Vs. Semi: Which Shotgun Is Better For Personal Defense?
Instead, I'll limit this article to those who are firmly in the "HD gun is a shotgun for me" camp. For many situations, a shotgun is a great option. Remember, no matter what your choice is, if you don't train with it, you're setting yourself up for failure.
When choosing a shotgun for home defense, there are several factors to consider to ensure you get the right gun for your needs. The main considerations should be gauge, action and barrel length, which we will cover. However, you may also want to look at the ammo capacity, the ability to fire round and round, and the chamber length.
You'll probably want to choose a shotgun with a common chamber, such as a 12 or 20 gauge. A 12 gauge provides a more powerful load, but a 20 gauge has less recoil. Regardless of the caliber or gauge, it is important to be able to make accurate shots and control the firearm properly. Real life shotguns are not like the movies - accuracy is important!
You will also want to decide on an action for your firearm. Pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns are by far the most popular for home defense. They are quick to fire, easy to handle and have a good supply of ammo. Shotguns can be very simple to use, but they are slower to reload and have limited ammo on board.
Best Home Defense Shotgun: Top 5 In The Market 2023
Another consideration you will make is the length of the barrel. For home defense, an 18.5 to 20 inch barrel is best. They handle with speed and lighter weight, and at home defense ranges, they provide excellent accuracy.
It is important to choose the right ammunition for your shotgun. This will depend on your home environment and your personal preferences. If you live in a house with a large property line, your choice will likely be different than those who live in a small apartment.
The most popular firearm ammunition for self-defense is bullets. There are different shot sizes within a boot that describe the number and size of cartridges, but just know that buckshot uses larger projectiles. #4, 00 and 000 Buck are very effective on game such as deer, coyote and fox. For similar performance reasons, this makes these loads a good option for home defense - depending on your environment and surroundings.
Hollow point slugs are also an effective choice for self defense. A slug is a single projectile that is loaded into a firearm. Slugs have a large diameter and a lot of weight.
Shotgun Vs Rifle For Home Defense
Slugs are great for shooting longer distances because you don't have to worry about spread and are more effective at penetrating obstacles than shot loads. Hollow point slugs offer massive expansion, making them great for specialist defensive use.
Some mushrooms are intended for use with rifle barrels so that the projectile can be properly stabilized, others are cartridge loads that have been cut to stabilize in standard, smooth shotgun barrels.
Firearms can also be loaded with less lethal ammunition, such as bag rounds, rubber bullets, and rock salt. These are primarily used by law enforcement and correctional officers, but can be used for personal protection if desired.
Some people are uncomfortable with using lead bullets for defensive use, while others don't like the idea of less lethal use - it's just a personal preference.
Hands On] Best Shotgun Lights For Home Defense
Shotgun shells come in a variety of lengths from 2½, 2¾, 3 and 3½ inch bodies depending on gauge and intended load. Longer projectiles can hold larger amounts of powder, giving
Defensive shotgun training, best consumer defensive stocks, best defensive stocks, best defensive dividend stocks, best defensive, best defensive lacrosse head, best defensive line drills, defensive shotgun tactics, best defensive driving, defensive shotgun shells, best shotgun, best defensive coordinators
0 Comments