Firearm Forums - Arms Locker banner

Your Defensive Shotgun

14294 Views 54 Replies 38 Participants Last post by  DJetAce
Yeah, I know that the shotgun isn't the best for SHTF work but I keep one by my bedside because it makes me feel better. So lets talk about them.

Mine is a Remington 870 Express with the black synthetic stock. 12ga and 18in police cylinder barrel and Choate 2 shot extender. It has a leather butt cuff (copy of Milt Sparks Cold Comfort) that holds 7 extra rds laced to the stock. The mag is stuffed with 4 rds of #6 shells to save the spring. I have ghost ring sights to be installed later.

Okay, I've shown you mine (verbally) - now show me yours. :D

RIKA
1 - 20 of 55 Posts
And I liked what you showed me!

It sounds like you have an excellent defensive shotgun. Birdshot is tops for indoors. It's plenty effective and lessens the chance of overpenetration.
Mine is a S&W 916A 18.5bbl, 5 in the mag, loaded with BB 2.75 magnum express loads. I have no worrys about it as the lighter shot hopefully wont blow clear through my house. It is also my quail gun so i knew it is fast swinging and effective.
Only shotgun I own is an 18 inch Mossberg 500. Paid $110 for it used 11-12 years ago, and installed a Pachmayr "Vindicator" forend and a sidesaddle.

Don't use or carry it much anymore; too much liability with a multiprojectile (read: indiscriminate) longarm for public use. Obviously, in your own house, it's a different story.

My nightstand gun is my daytime gun, a Glock 19; except at night, it wears an M3 light.
I've got two.

1.) Remington 870 Police Magnum. Standard 4 round capacity. Keep 4 3" OOO magnum shells in the gun. Butt cuff carries 5 3" magnum 1-oz. foster slugs.

2.) Mossberg 590A1, with the bayonet lug. Keep 6 3" OO magnum shells in the gun, 6 more on the side saddle, and 5 3" 1-oz. foster slugs in the butt cuff. This gun patterns better with OO than OOO, which is the reason for the difference between it and the Remmy.
Mossberg M500ATP6SP that I bought fitted with a sidesaddle, but lately I'm getting more time with my Winchester M97 Trench gun. My 1905 Winchester M97 Takedown is currently being rebuilt by a gunsmith at the current time, am looking forward to getting it back. Lately I've been shooting shotgun in competition at least once or twice a month.
Mossburg "Maverick", 18 inch 12 guage, with 4 shot side saddle. I bought it cheep at a pawnshop for $125. And that was WITH the side saddle on it. I've put over 300 rounds through it and not a jam of any kind. Patterns well, and with slugs it will put every slug inside a IPSC 'A' zone out to 75 yards. Good enough for a constant truck gun.
Well Melvin, it appears that scatterguns win among thinking persons for a home defense weapon. Eat your heart out.

RIKA
rem 1100

with choate pistol grip stock,modifed police extension from a 870,giving 8 rd. loaded capacity, 4 rd. side saddle,18" cyl bore,#oo buck(in gun) slugs(in side saddle) this is by my bed.

i would like to share, that there's a belgium browning a-5 light twelve in near mint condition, that lives in the gun safe[it was my fathers] he always thought it was to nice of a gun to hunt with! go figure?


mirror,mirror, on the wall
i am my father, after all!


thanks.
Mossberg 500 with pistol grip and top folding stock, loaded with 6 3" Mags, #2 shot.
Another Mossberg-8rnds of 00 in the bedroom.Also an 835 w/6'S by the frt door & a Stoeger double near the back door.If it gets so bad that I need to reload I'm going through the window.
Don't do much with shotgun these days, but I do have a couple of M870 12gs around.

The one that has the most miles on it was built by Scattergun Technologies back in '94 or '95. It is what used to be called a 'Border Patrol' model which was their 'fullhouse' gun back then.

The other is a simple, plain jane 18-inch cylinder bore with a short stock and XS Big Dot epoxied over the standard 'bead on pedestal'.

I've pretty much gone to a military style carbine for 'defensive longgun' status. For the last few years, that's been an AKM in 7.62 x 39.
Benelli M1S90, 2 Scattergun Tech 870's, 1 additional 870 (also has surefire foreend., and a for fun Winny 1300 in 20 Guage.

All except the 20 have side saddles, Ghost ring sights, slings, and side saddles.
High Standard Flite King with a 20" bbl (no choke) and bead sight, loaded with 00 buck. Slugs, #8s, and #6s are in reserve. The slugs, #8, and #6 shot are kept for utility. As an aside, the shotgun provides the same versatility as an 18th century musket or fowling piece with greater firepower; while not ideal, it is a close range jack of all trades.
i keep a 18" 1100 with rifle sites over the back door, and have a 97 win. under the bed, have a 97 clone (Norinco) over the front door. i've made sure that a gun is over the door or within reach in every room in my house. :cool:

no i'm not parinoid, i just don't want to have some asshole kick my door down, and not be able to get on the offensive. it's happened before in this great land and several time out in the country. thats why i have a panic room built into the house for my wife and son and me if i need it. it also doubles as storm shelter.:cool:
Well I just acquired an 870 in trade and another that will be mine in 2 weeks that a shop is holding for me. Both will have 8-shot extensions and the Choate anti-jam shell followers. Plus maybe a few other goodies but nothing too extreme.
Winchester Defender 12 gauge with black synthetic stock. The only modifications I've made are a larger orange bead on the front and a slippery, never where you need it nylon shell holster on the buttstock.

I like the gun but the stock has never fit me very well. I plan to change it out with a (shorter) Speedfeed stock some time in the near future. I'll probably add a sidesaddle shell holder to boot. Oh ya, it's loaded with #4 buckshot.
I don't have a true shotgun for defense. I leave that to my K frame S&Ws and Taurus Clones (same speedloaders and reloads for everything. However, scattered throughout the house are the shotguns that I bought but don't hunt with much anymore. So depending on where I am, I've got 2 H&R single shots (20 and 16 gauge), a JC Higgins in 12 gauge side by side, and an Ithaca M37 in 20 gauge. While they may not be the best, they satisfy the first commandment of gunfighting "Bring a gun, in fact bring several"
If a person doesn't have children in the house then having several firearms scattered around is a good idea.

RIKA
1 - 20 of 55 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top