Racking a pump action shotgun: Deterrent or Provoker?

[dpop24]

I keep mine cruiser ready not because I want the sound of the racking slide, but because I'd rather have to rack the slide than remember to disengage the safety. I don't want any safeties to deal with on HD/SD weapons.

[SB1964]

Deterrant! I once came home from work, in the 80's all pissy for some reason. I heard some dude hop my backyard fence, I heard his keychain & I said "F that" & racked my mossy 500. He ran like a track star & hopped back over. Turns out it was the cable guy, how about a shout? I had a break in about a month before that guy.

[CYNICALifornia]

True story:

Years ago my buddy and his friend were home alone when some drunkard came pounding on the door looking for Maria.

Now, this was before cell phones, and the boys were on their own. After shouting a few times that there was no Maria there and he had the wrong house, the drunk started making threats.

So, my buddy grabs a desktop stapler and yells that he has a shotgun, then opens the stapler and slams it shut.

The drunk promptly took off.

Take it for what you will.

[Snoopy47]

Maybe because his department policy was to run the shotgun "cruiser safe" which is the policy of most agencies in the U.S.?

More than one police car roof has been prematurely ventilated by those who carry them in the car chambered. Hence the popular policy.

[Mitch]

I keep mine cruiser ready not because I want the sound of the racking slide, but because I'd rather have to rack the slide than remember to disengage the safety. I don't want any safeties to deal with on HD/SD weapons.

Prudent.

[mischif]

I generally use my pistol. Its dasa with a decocker. IE no safety. As I generally hit what I aim at. All of my guns are kept fully loaded. And if I used the shotgun. No need to rack it til I fire the first round. I would rather not let the bad guy know where I am. If hes in the house. Im sorry but he is prob. Leaving in a body bag.

[toby]

My Avatar should scare the crap out of intruders then, Right? Seeing is believing.

[mischif]

Also I have children to worry about..

[mischif]

Correction.... I have no children to worry about.. sorry typing on a phone. I sometimes miss stuff..

[mischif]

And as to ammo I use first a slug backed up by double odd buck then reg buck than a 3 inch mag Turkey loads..

[emtmark]

Store your shotgun in the way that is most comfortable to you and forget about the sound, though I would think it would be more of a deterrent. I store my all my weapons loaded with empty chambers. That's just how I feel most comfortable. My Malinois that insists on sleeping between me and my wife will buy me the half second I need to rack a round.

A breed with incredible protective traits insists on sleeping between you and your wife........... Food for thought lol

[Mitch]

And as to ammo I use first a slug backed up by double odd buck then reg buck than a 3 inch mag Turkey loads..

How do you keep all that straight during the heat of battle?

[mischif]

As for the body bag thing. In the state I live in it is legal. To do this if the oerp is inside your house. But if I really dont need to I wont.. it all depends on the bad guy and how the situation proceeds And developes. Im not completely blood thirsty. But the odds are they're gonna need a body bag.

[ElDub1950]

Serious question for those who like slugs in their home defense shotguns: Excluding the case where you home is invaded by a bear, what are your home defense scenarios where a shotgun slug will solve a problem and buckshot would fail?

[NapalmCheese]

As to the original post, deterrent or provocation, I would say mostly deterrent. If it acts as provocation you have probably made some poor life choices leading someone to coming to find you and pick a gun fight.

Calguns seems divided into two camps when it comes to home defense: those that would barricade themselves and call the cops in the event that they hear a loud noise in the middle of the night and those that assume they are trying to be assassinated by a professional hit squad and feel they must have every tactical advantage in the book.