Shotgun vs AR for SHTF utility?

[sh00ter]

If you had a basic 12ga 4 or 5+1 pumper, would you ever "really" need more than that (say like a 590 or even autoloader or AR12)? It would seem to me that a basic pumper works well for home defense with its capacity being sufficient and the barrel length being better for inside a house. But a longer barrel shotgun with a higher capacity is not much more than a novelty if you have other rifles and handguns that you would prefer for a WROL situation?

I'm just trying to justify what I choose to own & store and wondered if one home defense shotgun was enough and an additional 'better" tactical shotgun would just be money sitting collecting dust if you had options in mind for a true SHTF situation?

 

[retrieverman]

Ok, if I’m understanding this right, you’re wanting someone to talk you into or out of buying another shotgun, right?

If that’s the case, the answer is always BUY IT!!!

 

[Glock 'em down]

Scattergun for the win!

 

[sh00ter]

Ok, if I’m understanding this right, you’re wanting someone to talk you into or out of buying another shotgun, right?

If that’s the case, the answer is always BUY IT!!!

Ha you've been there before! In this case, I am actually trying to talk myself out of selling one. I suppose a backup isn't a bad thing, but I am trying to simplify my life.

 

[HoLeChit]

A shotgun is number 3 on my list of firearms I would grab if someone was busting into my house. Same with a WROL/SHTF situation.

My reasoning:

Slower rate of fire vs semi auto pistols and rifles.
For all intents and purposes they’re impossible to shoot or reload one handed.
Inferior magazine capacity
Inferior effective range for confrontations. If the world is falling apart I’m not gonna be trying to get within spitting distance before getting into a gunfight. I would prefer to hit targets from a distance.
If you aren’t leaving your house, and it’s this wrol/shtf situation, I’m willing to bet you’ll have to deal with multiple home invaders at once. Once you start looking at a high stress situation with multiple targets, 4-5+1 just doesn’t cut it.
They still jam and have malfunctions.
Shotgun ammo is heavy and takes up a ton of space.

This list also highlights why I think a handgun, and a rifle would be on the top of my list to grab.

But from a pro standpoint, shotguns do two things that the other platforms cannot do well, safely, or efficiently. Shoot birds and breach doors. That just doesn’t happen with pistols and rifles.

From just a regular home defense situation, I still feel the same way, typically. I do, however, hope to buy a Beretta 1301 tactical down the road. I would keep it handy for regular home defense, although still a 2nd choice after a pistol. It would have a second (and more likely) use as a compact predator/turkey gun, thus justifying the purchase.

 

[retrieverman]

Ha you've been there before! In this case, I am actually trying to talk myself out of selling one. I suppose a backup isn't a bad thing, but I am trying to simplify my life.

I’m all about simplifying life, but in the case of having an extra shotgun, I subscribe to the two is one one is none philosophy.

 

[HoLeChit]

Ok, if I’m understanding this right, you’re wanting someone to talk you into or out of buying another shotgun, right?

If that’s the case, the answer is always BUY IT!!!

Listen to @retrieverman he gives good advice, esp with shotguns.

In spite of my obviously biased statements in my previous post, 3 of my top 5 favorite guns that I own are shotguns. You can never own too many shotguns, nor is there a such thing as having too expensive of one.

 

[Osage1978]

Once when I was a police officer I had to enter a home where a woman was hiding that had a shotgun claiming she was going to kill herself, there was no backup.

I had a sig 226 , can't remember why I didn't have my 870 but I didn't. While clearing her house room by room I gained a whole new respect for the old pump gun & felt terribly out armed with just my sig. She had left the gun & fled before I got there thank God but since then I keep a good 12 gauge close by most of the time & several throughout the house

 

[Firemedic712]

You can run a semi with one arm in the fight a lot easier than a pump gun

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

Once when I was a police officer I had to enter a home where a woman was hiding that had a shotgun claiming she was going to kill herself, there was no backup.

I had a sig 226 , can't remember why I didn't have my 870 but I didn't. While clearing her house room by room I gained a whole new respect for the old pump gun & felt terribly out armed with just my sig. She had left the gun & fled before I got there thank God but since then I keep a good 12 gauge close by most of the time & several throughout the house

Interesting. I can see that. Kinda like a sledgehammer vs a 16oz carpentry hammer. The 12ga is a formidable fight stopper.