Racking a pump action shotgun: Deterrent or Provoker?

[Mayor McRifle]

And what's your plan if the sound is not a deterrent and they still keep coming at you? Now what is your backup plan??

Fire.

[SkyHawk]

Whatever happens, just be sure you end up with a round in the chamber before you pull the trigger - otherwise you get click: http://gunssavelives.net/self-defens...home-invaders/

[ElDub1950]

Regardless of how you choose to store it, if you need to pick it up because you suspect there's a problem in your house, you need to have a round chambered before you take your next step.

If your home defense plan depends on knowing the workings of the mind of someone who has just broken into your house, and hoping they're scared of strange noises, your plan is seriously flawed.

And the notion that everyone in the world knows exactly what racking a shotgun sounds like is Hollywood BS. Why does no one ever say 'the sound of racking a 1911 will scare away the bad guy' ... because that's not in the movies.

That doesn't mean running through your house blasting everything that moves. It means you have to be 100% correct in instantly evaluating the threat at that moment, and responding correctly. Some good training can 'help'.

If you decide that the sound of racking a shotgun will scare away an intruder, then yelling "GET THE F&** OUT OF MY HOUSE" will always be more effective.

[john67elco]

Only time a BG hears shotgun rack it's because you missed the first shot. An AK rack sounds way scarier than a shotgun rack IMO

[bruss01]

I suppose it wouldn't work for a psychotic killer or someone in a drug-induced stupor hellbent on murdering you, but for typical unarmed burglars (especially juveniles), it would definitely have a deterrent effect. I don't see what the problem is, anyway. Practice racking your shotgun at the range. Set it down on the bench, and learn to rack it as you bring it up to firing position, as you would do when getting ready to fire at home. Or practice at home with snap caps. Rack, lift, disengage safety, and aim all in one fluid motion. If the intruder keeps coming at you or a member of your family, you're ready to go in about a second or so. It takes a lot less time than it does to retrieve a shotgun from under your bed, in your closet, or in a safe. I keep mine propped up against the wall right next to my bed post.

^^ this

My bedside pistol has a round chambered, but it is a DA\SA with a long heavy trigger pull on the first pull. And the pistol is designed for checking out a noise of undetermined origin, where I have a moment to get my wits about me. The shotgun is for immediate "someone is in the house" static defense. I don't want my shotgun so "ready" that it falls over, snags on a (whatever, the bedroom can be a chaotic place) and goes off, blowing my foot or my wife's face off. I have shot countless rounds of skeet with this gun. It is lubricated and well broken-in. I have countless repetitions of racking that action embedded in muscle memory. The first thing I do upon getting ready to shoot on the skeet field is rack the action. It's habit, instinct at this point. I have never short-stroked... ever. It's a non-occurence. If you live in a studio apartment then any intruder is already in your bedroom. In our home an intruder would be detected long before he got anywhere near the bedroom because of the dogs. I don't have anything in my home worth dying for, I can afford to stay in the bedroom with my shotgun pointed at the bedroom door... I don't need to go "prowling" and "creeping" around in the dark to try to kill someone. Why should I do that? How is that more beneficial to me than ANY OTHER COURSE OF ACTION? It isn't! The bedroom is where I hold all the cards. I can keep everyone I care about behind me, with me between the bad guy and them. I have a shotgun and a pistol, I have my body armor, I have my wife who is equally armed as an ally, and I have a position that is ultimately defensible in court - both criminal and civil court if the victim's family decide to sue. Having that warning rack and voice deterrent on tape in the 911 call shows I did due diligence to prevent bloodshed.

Now, if someone wants to sit in the dark repeatedly racking an empty shotgun and praying the bad guy goes away because they never bought ammo for it cuz they haven't got the heart to shoot someone... Lord have mercy, you should have bought pepper spray rather than a shotgun you weren't willing to wield with deadly force. Stupid should hurt and in that case it probably will.

If you buy a gun of any kind you had better be willing to USE it with deadly force. That doesn't mean you have to run TOWARDS a confrontation if one is reasonably avoidable.

Like TacticalThug said, 99% of criminals will run at the sight/sound of a gun. If there's a 99% chance that instead of having blood, brain and guts spattered all over my home and having to spend a year or more and tons of money defending my choice - if instead, I can simply repair a broken window and fill out a police report - which of those sounds like a better aftermath? If I can safely offer a warning, I will do it. Like insurance, it costs me very little and potentially returns a lot.

[Mayor McRifle]

My bedside pistol has a round chambered, but it is a DA\SA with a long heavy trigger pull on the first pull.

Same here. It's a Sig Sauer P220 Carry in the top drawer of my nightstand. I always keep a round chambered in my pistols.

[jyo]

Well, I am one of the few who actually used an 870 to end a potential armed robbery. I was the manager of a gun store in the SFV---a couple of hours before closing, two guys came into the store to case it out---we could tell because they didn't look at any guns or stuff and were dressed as gang guys---and yes they were young black men (we had several black customers)---they looked us up and down, tried to look thru the door into the back room, etc.
I was openly armed with the Browning Hi Power I always carried (plus a Walther TPH in my pocket)---my store worker was also openly armed with a stainless Colt Commander 45 he always carried. In addition, there were several 4" DA 38 Special revolvers located secretly behind the counter around the store in case you needed another weapon. Behind the door into the back room rested a chamber-empty but otherwise fully loaded Remington 870 with factory mag extension.
We were creeped out by these guys and were put on alert by their actions. Later, just before closing time, I was in back doing paperwork when my guy in the showroom informs me: "They're back!" Yeah, they were back, this time with two cars and three more guys! I grabbed the 870 on my way out to the front of the store and approached the front door---I had placed a whole row of large, heavy gun safes on either side of the door to use as cover if needed. The five of them got out of their cars and were coming towards the front door (we had already called the cops). As they approached the door, I hid behind the safes and racked a round into the 870's chamber---EVERYBODY knew what this meant---and they all turned tail back towards their cars, swearing out loud!
The cops arrived just in time to capture one of the cars and it's passengers---the others got away.
So, I am firmly on the side of racking a shotgun just before action starts...

[wvdcm3]

Deterrent or Provoker?

It doesn't matter, but if you rack be really willing to pull the trigger next.

[Mitch]

The only reason to rack a shotgun is to load a round into the chamber.

Do you need to load a round into the chamber? Better rack that shotgun.

Is there already a round in the chamber? Well, then you don't need to rack the shotgun. And if for some dumb reason you do, you've just sent a precious live shell off into the darkness.

Your shotgun doesn't hold so many shells you should just be tossing them away into the night unfired.

[Steve G]

I was once told (At Gunsite) that storing a shotgun fully loaded can cause corrosion due to dissimiliar metals, and that you should keep it "Cruiser Ready", meaning that you need to rack it.

This is complete crap. I was once told at bandcamp.........More FUD

[ldsnet]

I hate the idea of cambering a round when the adrenaline is pumping. I feel once I rack the weapon I just gave the bad guy some very important tactical knowledge that could cost me my life.

I store my home defense guns loaded with rounds in firing position, either in a holster or in a "personal protection box" so I know the trigger won't get messed with and is silent for me to bring to bear. The only thing I want the bad guy to know is what I am yelling at him to do if he values his life.

I would love to keep my long gun in my defensive zone loaded and ready to go. I don't have the space for safe storage and muzzle control to store in that manner. The purpose of my handgun is to fight my way to a more suitable long firearm to manage the threat.

[Mayor McRifle]

The sound of a shotgun racking as a deterrent is as noted above “Hollywood nonsense”. This myth has been going around for a very long time. Much like the M-1 rifle clip ejection sound being used by an enemy soldier to know when to attack. Pure urban legend with no basis in fact or real world experience.

Hmmmm . . .

Well, I am one of the few who actually used an 870 to end a potential armed robbery. I was the manager of a gun store in the SFV---a couple of hours before closing, two guys came into the store to case it out---we could tell because they didn't look at any guns or stuff and were dressed as gang guys---and yes they were young black men (we had several black customers)---they looked us up and down, tried to look thru the door into the back room, etc.
I was openly armed with the Browning Hi Power I always carried (plus a Walther TPH in my pocket)---my store worker was also openly armed with a stainless Colt Commander 45 he always carried. In addition, there were several 4" DA 38 Special revolvers located secretly behind the counter around the store in case you needed another weapon. Behind the door into the back room rested a chamber-empty but otherwise fully loaded Remington 870 with factory mag extension.
We were creeped out by these guys and were put on alert by their actions. Later, just before closing time, I was in back doing paperwork when my guy in the showroom informs me: "They're back!" Yeah, they were back, this time with two cars and three more guys! I grabbed the 870 on my way out to the front of the store and approached the front door---I had placed a whole row of large, heavy gun safes on either side of the door to use as cover if needed. The five of them got out of their cars and were coming towards the front door (we had already called the cops). As they approached the door, I hid behind the safes and racked a round into the 870's chamber---EVERYBODY knew what this meant---and they all turned tail back towards their cars, swearing out loud!
The cops arrived just in time to capture one of the cars and it's passengers---the others got away.
So, I am firmly on the side of racking a shotgun just before action starts...

Sounds like real-world experience to me . . .

[Get3CoffinsReady]

I'm sorry, this isn't a Hollywood myth. I live in the hood, and have had so much experience with criminals. 98 percent of the time the sight or sound of a gun is enough, no need to murder anyone.

[ldsnet]

Go shoot a 3-gun competition. Your rifle and your shotgun will be on a table or in a barrel, full tube or mags with an empty chamber. When you realize how much time it takes you to pick up YOUR weapon, chamber a round, acquire your target around what ever obstacle is in the way and get busy, you may change your mind about your primary defense weapon being unloaded. (the competition and the clock will add a bit of stress and adrenaline too)

[VictorFranko]

I'd rather the fact I am armed come as a complete surprise to the BG rather than give him advanced warning that I am armed.