The Superior Home Defense Shotgun
USA –-(Ammoland.com)- While many debate what the Best Home Defense Shotgun is, it’s hard to argue that the shotgun doesn’t make an ideal home defense weapon.
While capacity in terms of shell count will almost always be less than that of a semi-automatic pistol or modern sporting rifle, each one of those shells delivers a whole lot more impact that most any other choice.
Kinetic energy measurements don’t directly translate to fighting effectiveness; they do provide an illustration of the difference in destructive power between various firearms.
Consider a few examples:
- A 9mm pistol cartridge with a 124-grain projectile traveling at 1,250 feet per second delivers 430 foot-pounds of energy.
- A 5.56mm 55-grain rifle round moving at 3,240 feet per second delivers 1,282 foot-pounds.
- A 12-gauge, 9-pellet buckshot load with rated velocity of 1,450 feet per second delivers a whopping 2,240 foot-pounds of energy.
When the one on the receiver runs dry, just rip on the empty strip and slap a new one on. It’s almost like changing magazines.
A Home Defense Shotgun Needs a Good Sling
Last but certainly not least is the lowly and often disrespected sling. Just like with your AR Rifle Sling, the purpose isn’t to be high speed and low drag. On the contrary, the real purpose is far more mundane. A sling is a holster for your shotgun. If you need to use your hands for other things, a proper sling allows you to simply let go of your home defense shotgun, and it will be secured, but still immediately accessible. I really like the Viking Tactics Original Sling ( http://goo.gl/9cM0sl ) for my rifles and shotguns. It’s got a brilliant quick adjustment mechanism which allows you to open it large for ambidextrous shooting or cinch it up right using one hand.
There’s a lot here, and the idea is not to build a 42-pound, mall ninja special home defense shotgun. The idea is to provide some food for thought about what options might make the most sense for you given your specific home-defense situation.
Whatever gear you choose for your kick-ass home defense shotgun, be sure to practice with it not until you get the operation right, but until you can’t get it wrong.
Reprinted with permission from AmmoLand.com.
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