Home Defense Shotguns?

[gottarollwithit]

Hi Folks,

So i've been contemplating buying a home defense shotgun for a while now. I might have more of a need for one soon so now's the time to start thinkin about it...

Currently for A-holes at my front door, bumps in the middle of the night, etc my .45 accompanies me. As it goes, i'm pretty good with it. However, i've been thinking about a shotty for a huge upgrade in short range stopping power. Having used a Mossberg 500 - as in the big ol 20" with the 7, or maybe it was 8 rd capacity mag tube, it was just too much gun. The thing weighs a ton and it is just too big for me. It's a beast and can make a hell of a racking noise, but all that's good for is scaring people off.

I'm looking for stopping power and maneuverability. I need to be able to swing it around easily, use full powered 00 12ga loads, and must be reliable as all heck. Relatively tight patterning would be nice as well, but not absolutely required.

I'm on the fence between a Vang Comp 870 or a Benelli M4, what do you guys think? Both are excellent weapons and i've never tried either on. If there are better alternatives, please say so.

Thanks!

[BunnySlayer]

No question the Vang Comp or a Wilson Combat 870. The Bennelli is a great gun but if the well being of my personal backside was on the line an 870 is what I want. And have!

[PEBKAC]

I can highly recommend the M4 in all respects but price and weight.

Remember something that is used in home defense ideally is something you wouldn't be too irked to lose (something about having to get it back from the police being a pain if you actually do fire a shot in SD). In other words the cheaper you comfortably can go, the better off you will potentially be.

Weight is another thing. It's HEAVY. I like that...can clonk someone with it and not have to worry about denting anything but it is certainly something you should be aware of...it is much heavier than any other shotgun I have handled just for reference, and that's when it's unloaded.

Other than that, I have never had any issues with it firing 00 buck or any other round that would be considered a legitimate combat round. Can't say I can really fault it other than those two areas I mentioned. I find it to be comfy, reliable, and built like a brick s***house.

Probably an 870 is better for HD simply due to price if you trust yourself to work a pump gun reliably even in a highly charged situation like HD. If you can't, practice more or get a good semi...and then practice more with that.

Though a good semi can be had for much less than an M4 will run you. Mossy semis can be had for less than half what I paid for my M4...

[randy]

The 870 is a great gun no doubt and it would serve you well. I'd buy the M4 without hesitation over a pump. It's just so much easier to use.

[maxicon]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of a semi over an auto for HD. Assuming it's well tested with your ammo of choice (no matter what you choose), there's less to go wrong with a semi, IMO.

IBT "clack-clack scares them away!"

[NDFMF]

If you think the Mossberg racking sound is brutal, check out an 870. They sound way scarier. I've got an 870 with a knoxx specops stock on it. Low recoil even when shooting 00 buck or slugs and an 18" barrel make it a pretty ideal HD shotgun in my opinion.

[El Gato]

Mossberg, benelli, Rem., even a good sxs - o/u works really well if you learn how to run it..
questions to answer:
where does my fav. buck load pattern at the greatest distance available in my house? like at 15, 7 and 3 yards...
Have I considered overpenetration? birdshot? how does birdshot work? maybe shallow ugly wounds instead of good penetration isn't what I want in a bad guy trying to kill me... maybe I wait till he gets real close first and then shoot him with my AA load of #9's... or maybe I use a full choke and a high base duck/turkey load... and what if the goblin is like 6-5 and 350 lbs.. maybe the birdshot thing could be re-thunk...
where do slugs shoot at the same distance and out to 50yds... can I hit a dessert plate at every distance every time...and under stress?
can I run the gun? not just from the mgazine but from the buttstock/sidesaddle carrier or my pocket...
can i mount a light?
sights?
stock... is it adjustable and is that a good thing.. does it have to run with more than one person? maybe the spec-ops stock but maybe my drill is to push/pull the stock open/closed when accessing the system....

Questions what need a answering...
and if you have had no shotgun training in a defense/compressed environment you might think of getting some... it is different than people think... you can't just point it in the general direction and expect to hit something....and pistol grip only stocks are cool lookin' for the movies and for breaching loads... not so much if you have to hit something fast..somthing that is moving and trying to kill you...not saying it can't be done.. but can it be done every time when your life is on the line....
questions....

[gottarollwithit]

Hmm, ya all raise good points that i've considered. So the M4 is a monster in the handling department? If i can't move around easily and swing it quickly, i can't hit with it.

As for scare factor, i'm pretty sure i no longer need that.... I need hit factor... If i have to bring this thing out i won't have the intent to scare.

Price wise, both are frickin expensive and if my skin is on the line that gun could cost an unimaginable amount and it would likely not matter much to me. I'm comfy with using, damaging, and losing a high end toy. The idea here was to purchase a shotty, then get some training on how to better use it. If it's just too large or difficult to manipulate in the middle of the night, effectively no amount of training can fix that.

In terms of loads and accuracy, it'll always be 00 with some slugs on the stock if needed. I likely can not hit well with slugs and hitting unintended targets with them would be a problem, especially at distance. As for 00, i've seen it's penetration and it's good, but generally not a safety concern for neighbors and unintended targets. I want 00 because of its knock down power, spread, and moderate penetration.

Which do you think is easier to use under stress, Vang Comp or the M4?

Light mounting on either shouldn't be a prob and i could care less about the pistol grip.

[Dangerous1]

I wish I had the funds for an M4 or a Vang Comp 870. :jealous: But seriously, I'm in love with my simple 870 Express. It literally took the first 150 shots to break it in to eject properly. So please, when you purchase a new shotgun, whichever fantastic model it may be, don't assume it's good to go until you've shot a couple hundred shots through it. Just my $0.02.

[NDFMF]

I wish I had the funds for an M4 or a Vang Comp 870. :jealous: But seriously, I'm in love with my simple 870 Express. It literally took the first 150 shots to break it in to eject properly. So please, when you purchase a new shotgun, whichever fantastic model it may be, don't assume it's good to go until you've shot a couple hundred shots through it. Just my $0.02.

+1. Sometimes the 870 Express receivers can have a problem ejecting the spent shell. Cycling a few hundred rounds almost always clears this up.

[gottarollwithit]

Yea, that ought not be a prob. I may not get to go out often, but when i do i burn ammo as if i didn't pay for it. Anything that i trust my hyde to gets throughly tested, broken in, and cleaned. I remember putting so many shells down the Mossberg that the action was starting to overheat and cause cycling problems.

So do ya guys all agree that the Vang Comp mods are worth it? I'm not the biggest guy around, so control is the name of the game for me.

[Super Spy]

I'd suggest an 1187, you can find one on gun broker fairly reasonably, the sounds of an auto loader racking the first on in the chamber in a quiet house at 3 in the morning WILL get someones attention, and it's a lot easier to shoot, especially follow up shots. My buddy and I did some head to head testing with a pump vs autoloader, both were Remingtons. First shots were about equal, but follow up shots were always faster and more accurate with the autoloader.

[Dirtbiker]

I've got an 870 I want to build into a HD gun. Where is a good place to research this? This will be my wifes go to gun in a HD situation.

Anywhere you guys recommend to buy stuff?

I'm starting with barrels. I understand the different in chokes for skeet and trap but what do I want in a HD shotgun. cylinder, improved cylinder? Do I go for rifle sights or bolt on a ghost ring?

Stock next. Going for adjustable. Mesa tactical as I have ARs too? Knoxx with recoil reduction? Cheap ATI, or Choate? I want a pistol grip included.

Foregrip, something simple and shorted than stock.

I know my way around rifles very well but I've never tacked out a shotgun. Any help is welcomed.

[BunnySlayer]

Dirtbiker,

The problem is the 870 is like the 10-22 of shotguns. Just about everyone makes something for it. Decide what you want and go after it. There's just too much stuff out there!

[El Gato]

I've got an 870 I want to build into a HD gun. Where is a good place to research this? This will be my wifes go to gun in a HD situation.

Anywhere you guys recommend to buy stuff?

I'm starting with barrels. I understand the different in chokes for skeet and trap but what do I want in a HD shotgun. cylinder, improved cylinder? Do I go for rifle sights or bolt on a ghost ring?

Stock next. Going for adjustable. Mesa tactical as I have ARs too? Knoxx with recoil reduction? Cheap ATI, or Choate? I want a pistol grip included.

Foregrip, something simple and shorted than stock.

I know my way around rifles very well but I've never tacked out a shotgun. Any help is welcomed.

Knoxx hands down... She Who Must Be Obeyed has a Scattergun Tech 870 with sidesaddle and the knoxx and sights etc... the knoxx turns low recoil 12 ga into 20 ga low base in the recoil dept... add a "kickeze" check piece which is a necessity and a good set of ghost rings and she is in bidness...

this isn't for you right....... if it is for HER than it needs to be a soft shooter and nix the forend pistol grip thing... she can manage a standard forend and if yah need something fancy.. surefire so at least the funny attachment thingee has a purpose... to turn the lights on...