The point vs. aiming thing has already been addressed. But I have to say, if you are not aware of how narrow the pattern is at typical household distances, you need to pattern your shotgun. You MUST AIM a shotgun (or be very very good at pointing) at househould distances because the pattern will only be a inch to a few inches. The tiny pattern is not really an advantage over a rifle.
>>Firing an AR or any high powered rifle inside your house in a urban/suburban area is just plain stupid. I'd go for a the shotgun loaded alternating 00 buck and slugs. If I had to choose a rifle it'd probably be something pistol caliber that won't go through walls and straight into your neighbors while they're sleeping.
Only if they are using FMJ in the AR. The "boxotruth" link concerns m193 ball ammo. Not HP. I assume no one--except those that are required by Uncle Sam-- would do that. 223 hollowpoints are among the best rounds in avoiding overpenetration. That's why most of the tactical units have abandoned pistol caliber smg's The overpenetration of pistol caliber bullets are exascerbated by the big and slow bullets that seem to be in vogue.
>>They're no bigger or bulkier than an AR. These are lightweight and compact and can also deliver fast, precise shots. Magazine capacity can be as many as 8-rounds. That's Mossberg 590 length-territory, without the hassle of round-by-round reloads, as well as with the added advantage of having quick, magazine-fed capability.
A CAR is handier than a short barrelled shotgun (18", folding or pistol grip) and an AR is handier than a 20" shotgun. The weight difference (shotgun far heavier) does affect the speed at which you can properly present the weapon to the target. Yes, some shotties have 9 round mags, but most have 6. All AR types weapons can hold 30 and have 30 as quickly as one put one more round in a shottie.
>>Also, even someone getting hit with 12 gauge low recoil buckshot while wearing Level IIIA armor is going to feel it regardless.
I respectfully disagree and have heard of people without armor who didn't even know they had been shot for many minutes.
>>You're already preparing for the unexpected and unlikely. Its unlikely someone breaking into your home will have armor, but its unlikely someone will break into your home. Where do you draw the line?
I have witnessed quite a few mis-strokes during "panic firing" shotgun qualifications. (Basically, empty the shotgun into the silhouette, then hot chamber, then load the tube until a whistle blows, then empty the shotgun again and repeat.) This from guys who shoot fairly often and qualify many times a year. You better practice a little in order to know how temperatmental a pump can sometimes be. We always say, "Try to break it."
>>One shot will blanket an entire door or window across the street and is the practical equivalent of an entire clip from a submachinegun.
One shot from a shotgun is more devastating than a single shot from a smg, but it isn't equivalent to short burst from a smg or AR. I've seen both a few times. Your forgetting how small and slow those little .24-.33 pellets are. The shotgun pellets don't expand at all. It's more like multiple shots from a .22.
>>IMHO, using an AR as a homedefense weapon is irresponsible unless you live alone in the middle of the woods. Overpenetration is a major concern, as well as the fact that at close range (not point-blank) an AR will poke holes in a BG who may still be able to get to you before he bleeds to death.
ONLY IF YOU ARE STUCK WITH FMJ. A .223 hp wound is devastating.
>>The target's chest would probably be shattered, but nonetheless.
False. Basic physics, the amount of energy of the slug is exactly the same as the amount that's expended into your hand or shoulder when you fire the weapon. For every action there is an equal reaction. Would placing a shotgun on your sternum and pulling the trigger shattter your chest? Of course not. A bad guy struck in a vest with a shotgun pattern won't have a crushed chest either.
>>Lee, I do believe almost any 12 gauge slug would have had the penetration to blow through the face and take out CNS.
I too have seen two different people who swallowed the barrell of a 12g shotgun and did nothing more than blow their face, nose and eyes off. Not exactly "nothing" and perhaps the bad guy would have been incapacitated, but we don't stick our barrels in the mouth of the bad guy. The pellets did not penetrate the skull or penetrate enough to cause fatal injuries (spinal cord, jugular oe carotid, etc). If your shot isn't head on, you may not incapacitate a bad guy with buckshot to the head.
The old guys or gun mag commandos like their 12g's and .45 and believe that any one shot = instant knockdown and certain death but it is simply a fairy tale spread by people who have never really been there.
Some one made the point about the sound of the pump action. Yes, people respond to racking a shotgun round, but they respond to racking an AR also.
THAT BEING SAID, my house gun is a 12g because I don't have an AR at home. Even if I did, I might leave it with the wife and keep the 12g. At work, I always choose the AR over the shotgun, but either is way better than a handgun.
! I don't know what the load was exactly, but it was not birdshot, or slug and less than a meter and a half from his face... Draw your own conclusions.
