Best home defense shotgun

[tglazier]

I am looking for home defense shotgun and though I am a Remington guy, the Mossberg Thunder Ranch looks enticing. Can someone push me off the fence?

 

[Ed4032]

Rem 870. Best. Choice always.

 

[nathan]

Many have the Remington 870s. Just about anything that you like. The new comer is the Winchester SX Home Defense . It has some nice polymer stock and chromelined barrel, hard to beat for the price. Very light too as the receiver is alum alloy.

 

[jon86]

I googled "mossberg thunder ranch." What is enticing about that door breaching thingy? Are you going to clear your house and breach your own doors?

The best home defense shotgun is the shotgun that you have a lot of trigger time on. You mention that you are a remington guy. A used wingmaster would do great for HD. If you want to buy new, I'd get an 870 Police.

I would also look at a mossberg 500/590, and benelli nova/supernova. All of the little controls are a little bit different. For example, the placement of the safety and slide release lever. They all feel a little different when shouldered. You should handle as many different examples that you can, and decide for yourself. If you have friends with different examples, try and shoot their guns to see what you like and what you don't like. Good luck in your quest.

 

[gp911]

.45ACP. Oops, wrong thread.

870 is the most popular but really whatever gun you like and have plenty of practice with. If you like the goofy breacher thingy go for it, just shoot the darn thing a lot and get proficient with it. Pattern different buckshot loads & pick your favorite. Good.to.go.

+1 to the recommendation to handle various guns to see which points best for you, preferred control placement, balance, etc.

 

[Hocka Louis]

I've observed Remington 870 quality deteriorating to the point where they are unacceptable today as a defensive arm. Guns in this role must be reliable first and foremost. No, I would clearly go Mossberg 500* or 590, or something else.

*The resin safety should be replaced but othere than that these are a great, reliable, value that'll hold five 3" American made shells in the tube.

 

[beatledog7]

Browning BPS. Look for a used field gun, perhaps shorten the barrel to about 20", install an extended mag tube.

 

[Lee D]

the 870

 

[snooperman]

If you stay with Remington, Winchester, Ithaca, or Mossberg...

they should be fine. I have several around my place, including 2 Ithacas, my favorite, one Remington 870, and Coach gun double barrel. You can find good used American made pump shotguns in Pawn shops for a reasonable price..just cut the barrel to 18.5" and load it with buckshot and you are good to go. Snoop

 

[Girodin]

Rem 870. Best. Choice always.

First I'm not sure there is a per se best. Second discussing best without any references to the relevant attributes being considered is problematic. With those things said I will offer my humble thoughts.

What attributes are essential for a defensive weapon:

Formost is reliability. The next thing for me is the broad category of how well I can run the gun. Then I would turn to other more distant concerns.

Pump guns may have an advantage in mechanical reliability. However, the often take a big back seat in how well people can run them vis a vis auto loaders. This is true to the point that human error with the pump gun tends to be greater than mechanical error with the auto loader.

I used to be a person that thought only pump guns were fit for defensive use, because of reliability factors. Then I gained a great deal more experience with quality auto loaders. These days I have pump guns including multiple 870s. I do not believe they are the best guns I own for self defense.

I am fairly certain that pumps reign supreme because they are MUCH cheaper not because they are inherently better for the task at hand. If say a Benelli M4 was $300 I am curious as to how many would still get an 870.

If the question is best between the mossberg and the 870 it is a wash if we are talking about an express. Both are more than up to the task. It largely comes down to the subjective preferences of the user. FWIW when I am looking for an 870 I look for used wingmasters that are often the same price or less than new expresses and the like and are IMHO better guns. They can then be modded to the configuration you like.

 

[btg3]

I have a few 870s with 18.5 barrels. 4+1 with no extras. I use them regularly at a local Defensive Shotgun match. Most guns at the match are polymer with pistol grips, mag extensions, etc... so different strokes for different folks.

 

[TXSWFAN]

For HD, 20 rounds of suppressed 12 gauge 00 fits my needs.

 

[Loosedhorse]

Best? Can't decide.

(No one said best reasonably priced, did they? ) No suppressors, though.

Of the two pumps mentioned, I'd take the Remington, based only on the bias of familiarity.

 

[irishthunder50]

Ive got 3 Mossberg 500s and 2 870's. One of my Mossbergs is a bird gun and one of my 870s is a 20GA bird gun for my wife (rest of 12GA). The other 870 is a 18.5inch barrel Defense gun. One of mossbergs is a 18.5 inch pistol grip shotgun. The other Mossberg is a 20inch barrel with extended tube. Which do i use for home defense, My mossberg with 20inch barrel and extended tube. Why? Well I use a mossberg to hunt with, im used to it. I have the most trigger time behind this shotgun, and I know where its controls are without thinking about it. Its has a Short barrel that I can a move around in my home easily with. It holds 7 shells in the tube and I have 6 more ready on a side saddle. To me, it makes the most sense. Pistol grip shotguns are generally a very poor idea as you are mainly shooting from the hip with those. And Yes you do need to aim with a shotgun (my HD mossberg has rifle sights on it). While I am deployed or away from home my wife uses her Remington 870 to protect our kingdom. Why? Because thats the gun she knows best and knows where the controls are. She shoots it very well and is very comfortable with it. It has a longer barrel, I want to say 26in barrel but hopefully soon Ill get a used barrel to saw down for her for home defense.

The main point here is to use whatever shotgun you know and are comfortable with shooting. Another Poster made a good point about patterning different loads of buckshot to see what your gun likes best. I keep mine and my wifes gun stoked with #4 Buck as I have read this still will have plenty of "knock down" to stop a threat but also wont travel through multiple walls in my house if i make a bad shot. 00 buck will go through several interior walls but it is widely available so thats a thing to consider.

Whatever gun you decide to go with I would recomend you make two additions to it.
1. Get a guality light on it. TLR-1's are fairly inexpensive and hold up well to 12GA recoil
2. Either get a side saddle or a butt cuff to it to hold more ammunition on the gun. Stay away from the shotshell slings as those will add alot of weight to your gun and can cause a "pendulom" effect when shooting.
Besides that, Pick up a few cases of low brass to practice with and get familar with your new gun. Best of luck to you

 

[btg3]

The need for a light varies. There is enough light outside my house at night that it illuminates the inside well enough to see. And I don't want a light on my weapon to serve as a target for the bad guy to shoot at.

 

[Girodin]

And I don't want a light on my weapon to serve as a target for the bad guy to shoot at.

Learn how to use it properly then.

 

[irishthunder50]

Learn how to use it properly then.

Amen to that. Lights on weapons are not supposed to be ran the entire time you are clearing your house. Flash it on to get a view of what you are looking at then flash it off. Also, when you do encounter the Sh*thead in your house your light in their face may or may not be enough to end the encounter then and there. If anything a quality light will at least blind them enough that they will have a hard time sending aimed rounds down range in your direction. And not trying to stir the pot but I have never lived in a house that provides enough light for me to see clearly throughout the ENTIRE house at night. How do you sleep if it does?

 

[Fred Fuller]

The 'best' HD shotgun is the one you are best at using. You already know 870s - why add a different make/model to the mix? Just get whatever barrel suits you best, if you don't already have a short (18 -21") barrel for one of your 870s, and swap barrels.

 

[btg3]

How do you sleep if it does?

Empty nesters with the master bedroom darkened.

Learn how to use it properly then.

Point taken and is applicable to all equipment one might choose to employ with regard to HD. My choice is no light.

Flash it on to get a view of what you are looking at then flash it off.

Seems yet another skill to learn and practice. As stated, I don't need to go there. In addition, my walls are painted a light color and with a bright light flashing, might the affect be similar to a camera flash, muzzle flash, etc with ensuing temporary vision impairment?

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // Buy the shotgun you have the most time running and get an extra barrel for HD.

Stressful situations are not the time to use new weapons systems, that is the time when you want experience and muscle memory to kick in.

Good luck finding what works for you.

 

[Whacked]

The best home defense shotgun is the shotgun that you have a lot of trigger time on

nothing else really needs to be said.

No matter which firearm you use, handgun, rifle, shotgun, USE IT.
practice, practice, practice
buy snap caps
practice, practice, practice
then practice some more

 

[marine 97-03]

I like the mossberg 500

 

[Swing]

I've always been partial to the Mossberg 500s too. In fact, I've got a couple for HD now.

Now some of the retarded crap they've put out in the last year or so is unbelievable, but the 500 is still a solid gun.

 

[red rick]

If you already have a 870 then just get a 18" barrel for it and maybe a light.

 

[Swing]

+1 to a light. Its good to know your target before it gets vaporized.