Best HD gun for infrequent shooter?

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leperphilliac

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What would be the best HD gun for a person who is serious about it, yet won't have too much money or time to practice as much (say, once a month to the range)? Oh, and please no handguns, as my state doesn't allow <21's to own them.
 
Hm, this seems to be the general consensus. Only thing is, I'm worried about short-stroking it at a moment of crisis. I hope I won't get laughed at, but is a double barrel or a single shot shotgun a viable self-defense tool? I mean, I live in a tiny apartment and all...
 
Hits count. You cant miss fast enough to win a fight. If you can run a single or double with proficiency, then it will work.
 
leperphiliac:

My vote would be the pump and some practice....

In a panic situation, you're probably as likely to mess up the reload as to short stroke, and I think the latter would be simpler and faster to recover from....

Another choice is about any decent revolver. A 4" S&W M10, for example, can be had (Police pullouts) for peanuts if you look under the right rock, and can be verified reliable fairly easy. Reloading a revolver is painfully slow, but hopefully you've shot your way to the Mossy by then.... Put some of those ammunition carriers on the shotgun....

Any of the "no buttons" Tupperguns - Glock, S&W M&P, Springfield XD and XD(M), etc., are also OK if you're not averse to a little practice and some clearing drills. ALWAYS store (and grab) a second magazine....

(I don't like speedloaders - unless you practice your backside off, you'll muck it up....)

Regards,
 
I was going to say a S&W model 10 .38 revolver also until I read "no handguns". A pump action 12g shotgun is what you want. Read the shotgun section....
 
Ragnar is on the money.

Cheap Mossberg 500 with a stock.

keep 5 loaded in the tube, safety off. Simple, effective, intimidating....no less simple than any single shot made today.
 
If you don't like, or have doubts about, a pump don't use one!! A double barrel will work fine. Practice with whichever one you buy and be safe.
 
Well leper, here's something I think you should get.
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/11370-5.html
Snap caps are dummy rounds made out of plastic or aluminum and are designed to protect the firing pin from damage. Just load them up in your gun and practice loading and firing right in your living room/bedroom/kitchen.

Then, for whatever defense gun you get, you'll be able to practice reaching for, loading up, and firing your gun in exactly the location you'll think you'll need it.

I personally have both a M1 Carbine, and a shotgun and I would say go with the shotgun. You'd be able to get two shotguns for the price of one carbine so you can use all that extra money to buy ammo.

By the way, you can buy as many types of shotgun ammo as Ben and Jerry's sells ice-cream. Pick up a few boxes of "light target" or "home defense"ammo. Ammo called "heavy game" or whatever is going to take its toll on your shoulder with any real practice you get to take.
 
but is a double barrel or a single shot shotgun a viable self-defense tool?
Click to expand...

Yes, a double or single barrel shotgun is a viable self-defense tool for an apartment resident. Investing in a good door bar will prevent easy entry through the apartment door. Add an alarm to the door and a "lock jaw" type accessory to your deadbolt and it slows unauthorized entry.

I'm a proponent of the 20 gauge semi since it's not possible to "short stroke" one. That or a 12. Get a good used semi shotgun, learn to maintain it so that it runs reliably, test ammunition to find what it eats reliably and then practice as time/money permits.
 
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/\:)

Practice as much as you can, no need to be a pro to defend yourself. I have never short stroked a pump, period. Hit the slide hard you are not going to break it.
 
Good advice in here. The pump gun is just fine, practice with some snap caps to get used to it. Hitting the range once a month is more than I get to do, nowadays. Work some clays in there, and you'll get good with that shotgun real quick. A Hi-Point carbine wouldn't be a bad idea either, they're handy little rifles.

p.s. RobMoore, you just made my day. :D :D
 
While you can defend yourself with a single or double, I would go with the consensus here and say a quality pump gun. Remington 870, Mossberg 500 or 590. I think you are more likely to fumble a reload on a breech loader than you are to short stroke a pump gun. Remember, that gun is tough so don't be afraid to really go after that pump action.

Also +1 for Clint Smith's excellent video on Defensive Firearms. He goes over many firearms that wouldn't necessarily be consider defense pieces and shows how to run them. "Defend yourself with the gun you have" kinda stuff. The production qualities left a little to be desired, but the information was excellent. www.thunderranchinc.com

A carbine would also be a reasonable choice, but will probably cost more than the shotguns mentioned.
 
Hm, this seems to be the general consensus. Only thing is, I'm worried about short-stroking it at a moment of crisis. I hope I won't get laughed at, but is a double barrel or a single shot shotgun a viable self-defense tool? I mean, I live in a tiny apartment and all...
Click to expand...

IMO anyway, short stroking is a bigger concern than most people make it out to be, if you don't get that much practice. You're probably going to revert to your level of training under stress, just a biological fact.

Dead police officers have been found with spent shells in their pockets (even after most departments switched to automatics) because they always saved their empties at the range (though newer training has addressed this).

In that one Miami Vice movie (I think), they had a competition shooter playing the bad guy, and he did a quick draw and killed a guard. Immediately after, he looked left and right, dropped the magazine, and cleared his gun exactly like he would in competition, even though that wasn't in the script (and that take made it into the final cut, because the director liked it). Just the stress of being on a movie set, with no real bullets flying anywhere, made him revert to the training he always did.

If you're worried about pumping the gun, there's nothing wrong with a double, especially if you can find a single trigger, hammerless, non-selective, non-clockwork, non-auto-safety gun in your price range. One of the simplest possible guns to use. Keep the safety on fire, with the gun broken open, with shells in. Practice closing the gun, mounting it safely (finger off the trigger), aquire target, aim, fire.

With a pump, there's no substitute for practice. Dry practice can help a lot, but if you live in a small apartment, you're not going to be able to do that at home. Pumps should be run hard if you want reliability, and your neighbors won't appreciate a loud, repeated "SHUCK-SHUCK!" noise.

Pistol caliber carbines are also a great choice. An auto shotgun would be good, but you're unlikely to find a shorter barreled model in your price range.
 
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Anything that you like and shoot, Hell a 10/22 is better than a gun you aren't familiar with, sorry but,

O Dark 30 aint the time to try to remember how to work your gun, so a single shot, or even a double barrel shot gun is pretty simple, but if you are wanting a HD gun, do yourself a favor and go to the range with it and get to know it.
 
Best HD gun for infrequent shooter? Any scatter gun...even my grandma used an old single 12 quite well for this ...
 
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