Home Defense - Handgun or Shotgun

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In your opinion, which is a better home defense gun?

  • Handgun

    Votes: 77 30.2%
  • Shotgun

    Votes: 178 69.8%

  • Total voters
    255

aeropb

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Just For Quriositys Sake I Have A Question. If I Was Out Head Hunting Some High Base Brass 00 Would Be Great For Combat Or What Not. We Are Assuming That We Have An Intruder In The House And Dont Want Unnessisary Structural Damage Or Over Penitration Right? We Dont Realy Care About The Intruder Fealings So Why Wouldnt Low Base Bird Shot Like 7 1/2 Or 8 In Close Quartes Be A Good Option? It Would Still Make A Mess Out Of Him And Less Worry About Were The Shot Is Going.

Unless I wake up in 1963 and birds are killing everyone, I'll be using something designed to stop humans.
 

Seadog

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So are you saying that 7 or 8 shot it wont kill? Or is it just a macho thing? No offense, just asking.
I have loads for every thing and plenty of 00. I was mostly thinking of the house and over penetration. I know what 00 will do in the field and what it is for. So my question is why not? Heck it would give the dock more to work on if it didnt put the intruder out of his missery. And its not like this is rock salt at a hundred. We are assuming this to be 3 to 5 yards yes?
 

SMS

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So are you saying that 7 or 8 shot it wont kill? Or is it just a macho thing? No offense, just asking.
I have loads for every thing and plenty of 00. I was mostly thinking of the house and over penetration. I know what 00 will do in the field and what it is for. So my question is why not? Heck it would give the dock more to work on if it didnt put the intruder out of his missery. And its not like this is rock salt at a hundred. We are assuming this to be 3 to 5 yards yes?

Not macho at all...just factual. Birdshot is not believed to provide enough reliable/consistent penetration to reliably stop an attacker. Do some research...box o' truth, firearmstactical.com etc...lots of tests out there. While it might work, you have to ask if you're willing to bet your life on it. I know buckshot or slugs will drop an attacker...so I go with that.

I don't think you'll find many trained and educated professionals choosing birdshot over buck...but too each his own right?
 

348

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In a situation where you only have birdshot, I'd say use it but make sure you have your backup close. Chances are that the intruder will crap themselves to death once you start unloading the shotgun on them.
 

ssgrock3

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Just For Quriositys Sake I Have A Question. If I Was Out Head Hunting Some High Base Brass 00 Would Be Great For Combat Or What Not. We Are Assuming That We Have An Intruder In The House And Dont Want Unnessisary Structural Damage Or Over Penitration Right? We Dont Realy Care About The Intruder Fealings So Why Wouldnt Low Base Bird Shot Like 7 1/2 Or 8 In Close Quartes Be A Good Option? It Would Still Make A Mess Out Of Him And Less Worry About Were The Shot Is Going.

use what ever round you got handy, as everyone knows one will work better, but who cares and is concerned about over penetration when you have an intruder in your home. I think I would be more concerned with getting good penetration than not. Train with the kids and know your home, should help alleviate some of the worry of what if you miss. And a shotty is not gonna do anything to your home that can't be repaired.
 

MR.T.

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Not macho at all...just factual. Birdshot is not believed to provide enough reliable/consistent penetration to reliably stop an attacker. Do some research...box o' truth, firearmstactical.com etc...lots of tests out there. While it might work, you have to ask if you're willing to bet your life on it. I know buckshot or slugs will drop an attacker...so I go with that.

I don't think you'll find many trained and educated professionals choosing birdshot over buck...but too each his own right?



Not trying to start an argument here, mainly cause I do keep 00 Buckshot in my HD shotgun. I also have some #4 Buckshot which I see as perfectly sufficient for home defense matters.
But for the ones that are interested in the birdshot ideas, how about Heavy duty field loads. You can get them in 6 shot and even 4 shot. I wouldn't use 7 1/2 or 8 shot for home defense, but 4 shot I would not have a problem using. I guess my comment is, if you are going to use birdshot, use the big birdshot.
 

LightningCrash

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Not trying to start an argument here, mainly cause I do keep 00 Buckshot in my HD shotgun. I also have some #4 Buckshot which I see as perfectly sufficient for home defense matters.
But for the ones that are interested in the birdshot ideas, how about Heavy duty field loads. You can get them in 6 shot and even 4 shot. I wouldn't use 7 1/2 or 8 shot for home defense, but 4 shot I would not have a problem using. I guess my comment is, if you are going to use birdshot, use the big birdshot.

#4 birdshot is a lot smaller than #4 buckshot, .13" vs .24"
You'd have to get into at least BB 3" Magnum in birdshot before I'd start considering it. Prefer FF 3" Mag birdshot if I had to choose birdshot, though. ;)
 

Karat

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Man shooting someone at close to point blank range with birdshot is boderline sadistic.....I keep a coach gun near the bed....and inside 5 yards birdshot puts alot of small holes in a small area....my dad had a buddy that lived in the ghetto and he loaded his own home defense rounds....he had some loaded with rock salt, some with broken glass...he was a crazy S.O.B.
 

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