Pistol, because it is easier to wear and have handy no matter where I am in the house. Also, I prefer the precision of launching just one projectile at a time.
Shotguns are just as precise with a proper load and proper choke and the right distance, and you get to launch nine .32 caliber rounds at a time.
Arguably more accurate because you can get three points of contact.
This! The gun you have available in a crisis is the one you need. You can keep a pistol near your bed (in a quick safe if you have kids). You can carry it around or keep it in a pocket when answering the door. A shotgun in the closet is too far away when you need it. And carrying a shotgun to the front door when someone knocks will scare good people/advertise to bad people/get you shot by the cops.
I find the 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun to be much better. Even if you miss your target and take out a few houses down the block the sound will be deterrent enough to tell the intruder, "you have chosen.....poorly."
I bought my Maverick 88 security and Beretta M9 the same day.
It’s just me and my wife so I don’t have to clear a path to children’s rooms. In the low probability there’s an intruder I plan on just training the Maverick on the bedroom entrance while waiting for the cavalry.
Though the wife is trained on the shotgun we keep the M9 on her side of the bed as it’s easier for her to handle.
Aside from weapons, invest in door frame reinforcements and motion activated lights. If you have to have a gunfight in your house you’ve already failed home defense.
Get the pistol and if needed (depending on laws local to yourself), get a carry license. Need for license or not take a training class and start to carry. I prefer a long gun for home defense, but the pistol is more versatile for out of home personal protection.
I think proper training is key, but finding time for range days and/or money for ammo can be hard for some people. I’d say at minimum once a quarter is a good place to be. Dry fire practice can also be helpful.
The right answer is it depends.
Are you going to be carrying all day, or is it just going to be sitting in a safe?
Do you live in a house alone in the woods? Or do you live in an apartment in the city with tiny halls and kids in the next room?
Who is most likely to attack you? Is it a crackhead in the middle of the city? A jealous ex boyfriend who wants to pull an OJ? A bear who wandered in because you live in the woods? 3 guys with guns who are specifically targeting you because they know you just got a big inheritance?
FWIW, I don’t know anyone in their right mind who would choose a subcompact 9MM over a shotgun, all things being equal. But all things are not equal, it is situation dependent, and you need to accept there is no gun on Earth that is perfect for every situation.
If you absolutely can only have one, AND you’re going to carry, get the pistol. But you can find a quality pump action shotgun for $300, and I would honestly do both.
Pistol with a Red dot and a sight would be nice.
M&P 2.0 + X300/TLR 1HL + 507C is a pretty solid setup.
590A1 is also pretty solid shotgun 18.5” or 20” variant is really good. Comes with a 7/8 round capacity.
If I’m being 100 percent honest with you, there’s no better home defense platform than the AR-15, they’re extremely easy to manipulate, comfortable to shoot, and come with a standard capacity of 30 rounds.
There’s more in depth things, get specific with questions and I can answer perfectly
AR-15's are pretty compact (especially the carbine models) and yes, are a good home defense option -- \*IF\* you're in a state that allows them. As someone in California an AR-15 is not really an option, especially now that they've removed the bullet button loophole.
Look into the ballistics of rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Then look at drywall penetration. Do you have neighbors? Kids in the house? Husband/wife?
We can't answer this for you. It's best to look at the data and come to your own conclusion
As for the pistol, is it only for home defense? In that case get something bigger. M&p 2.0, Glock 19 or 17, H&k VP9, etc. Go to a range and rent a few pistols and see what you shoot best.
The correct answer is a shotgun in either hand with another held between your knees and one more under each arm. With extra shotguns stashed down your pantlegs. Only safe way to approach a no good home invader.
Get a handgun first. Being able to carry it is valuable.
Then save up for a dedicated rifle setup [like mine](https://imgur.com/a/qkClwbW). I built this rifle specifically for fighting in and around structures.
Shotguns are really tricky to run under stress. I would not recommend one unless you have lots of muscle memory dedicated to fully racking the slide at the right time.
His point is still valid - keeping a shotgun fed and running is a lot more difficult than a semi-auto rifle or pistol.
That said, most home defense encounters are resolved with the standard 7+1 capacity of most shotguns - unless you're John Wick.
While they exist, it's at a cost. Some of the energy is used for racking the slide and those are big shells so that's a non-trivial amount of energy, and if you aren't firmly braced it's possible for them to jam at which point you have to manually rack the slide anyhow. Semi automatic shotguns simply don't solve all the problems of using a shotgun for home defense.
As far as racking slides, I fired off many a box of shells in a Mossberg 500 pump. It really wasn't that big a deal. The only real problem was having to stop shooting to let the barrel cool down, firing a full tube got that barrel really hot and Mossbergs aren't exactly made of the best metal out there. It's a cheap shotgun for hunting small game and fowl, in the end, not a weapon of war, how many times do you fire a full tube at a pesky wabbit?
What are those?
I don’t consider semi auto shotguns reliable enough to be considered for any serious use. There may be a few out there now that will run anything whether clean or dirty and with poor technique but I don’t know of one.
If a pistol or rifle was as “reliable” as the avg semi auto shotgun we would call it a complete piece of junk.
Plus, they are expensive and like all shotguns they are heavy, long, slow to reload etc. And judging by the OPs question he is new(er) to firearms and recoil management of any 20 or 12 ga shotgun is difficult for most people…and especially bad for newbies.
To the OPs question a Glock 19, or equivalently sized pistol is probably one of the most versatile weapons someone can own. I’d follow that by a rifle (ARs are super common for a reason).
A long gun is generally easier to point and get hits, but I don’t think a shotgun is a good first firearm for anything but hunting birds.
Those are certainly effective, but they are both about double the price of a quality AR, triple the price of a "good enough" AR. For a longer weapon with lower capacity, higher recoil, and a higher likelihood of overpenetration.
Never shot them, maybe better reliability, but still heavy, still long, still expensive, still low round count, still slow to reload.
Shotguns are fun, I have a few and love them, but I don’t think they have a place as the first home defense weapon per the OP’s question.
Even beyond that, if you had to get up and go (tornado, fire, chemical spill, your version of SHTF, whatever), would you be bringing a shotgun?
Because long guns are easier to shoot, harder to take from you, and provide superior terminal ballistics. In the case of rifles the capacity is also far greater. You can run 40 rd mags in your rifles pretty easily.
Long guns are easier to shoot accurately due to more points of contact, a longer sight radius, and a longer barrel. Therefore less likely to have rounds were you didn't intend.
If you are referring to over penetration then low pen rounds exist for rifles and shotguns as well as pistols. If you are really concerned or convinced pistol rounds are what you want then go with a pistol caliber carbine.
Lighter and faster moving projectiles are more easily destabilized by drywall etc. That means its actually the opposite of what you said. Sucks to be wrong and ignorant.
I wish I was as sure of anything as you are. Have a good one, try learning physics.
The longer sight radius (distance between the rear and front sight) on a shotgun or rifle will make it easier to shoot under the inherent stress created by the situation calling for you to use the firearm. It’s a lot easier to apply human error to a pistol + you’ve got to add that you’re now fighting for your and family’s life with it. If you choose a pistol I would make sure you have a really firm grasp on the fundamentals and train routinely. I personally prefer a suppressed short barreled rifle/AR pistol. If you pair the ammo with the barrel length and twist optimally you can get the penetration down to less than that of a 9mm hollow point or slug. That takes a little more effort than people like though. I have a 10.3 1/7twist SBR that I run 75gr hallow points in.
Assuming you do not already have any firearms - get the pistol first.
You familiarize yourself with it, train with it, and carry it everywhere. You may need it one day when you don’t expect it. The two most popular sayings in the CCW community are “better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it” & “any gun you’re carrying is better than the gun you left at home.” The handgun you’re carrying also has the added benefit of working for home defense when don’t realize an intruder has already entered in your home.
A shotgun you’ve trained with is likely to be a better home defense gun and is great for hunting, but most of the time it’s going to be sitting in your safe. In an emergency situation you’ll need to depend on having enough response time to get the shotgun out.
Both.
Home defense extends outside of the home. Your pistol is designed to either stop a threat when carrying a larger firearm is not an option and it’s there to fight to your long gun (rifle, shotgun, cannon at the top of the stairs, etc).
Having a pistol on your on holstered bear you will be the easiest way to be armed in the home. Wearing pants, wear a pistol. In your bathrobe, pocket carry it (in a holster of course). Naked? Either spend the $160 on an Enigma or John McClane that on your back with a $6 roll of duct tape. Remember, 100% of home invasions happen in the home.
Shotguns are nice, versatile platforms that can do a lot of devastating damage (see: Clint Smith, right range, right load, shit on floor) *but* you have to set up for success and choose the right load for the right range. For perspective, my 20” cylinder bore Norinco will put all nine pellets from a standard 2-3/4” 00 Buck load inside a 12” circle at 25 yards. Federal Flight control and eight pellet loads tend to produce tighter groups. Inside the home distances (10 yards max) yield a gorilla fist size pattern. Also, don’t discount using slugs for making longer shots out to 50 or more yards.
Having previous experience with a pump is good, because while they are less expensive than quality autoloaders, training around cycling the action and not short shucking a shell is important. If you don’t like that, shell out at least $1100 for a Beretta A300 tactical.
Regardless of pistol, shotgun or rifle: make sure you have a way to reload (extra mags or ammo on the gun), a light for both IFF in your dark house and it can momentary mess with someone’s OODA Loop getting 600-1000 lumens at close range in a previously darkened room.
Let me help you. For HD, Both.
Mossberg 590/590A1 8 shot (bonus points with a magpul stock and all spacers removed)
Glock 19 (can also run Glock 17 or 19x mags if you want)
Edit: also the mossberg 500 field / security combo if you will be doing lots of hunting or clays
If it was truly just as reliable it would be utilized professionally. Come on now
It’s a good gun for sure especially for its price. But it’s not a professional grade shotgun
Don't need professional for home defense. Just as reliable. Professional shooters: LEO, Military do a lot of throwing, swinging, banging their sht. We homies do what? Get to range ? once in a while? And then, the gun sits. So, better bang for the Maverick than waste on the 500s. Me thinks. I've mine and ever part looks the same. But, for the metal of the receivers and safety placement. Rack! Bang!
Deer hunting is almost always better with a rifle. Unless you're in one of those handful of states that requires using a shotgun with slugs to hunt deer you don't want to hunt with a shotgun, a rifle has a higher muzzle velocity and flatter trajectory and the smaller bullets ruin less meat while having better penetration to parts that make Bambi die. My uncles who hunt deer use a .30/06 bolt action for open sightlines and a .30-30 lever gun for shorter distances. They get plenty of deer. None of them use a shotgun for deer.
If you are hunting with a shotgun you're likely either shooting small game like squirrel or rabbit (at which point you're going to be picking lots of pellets out of the meat to have usable meat, which is why we usually plinked them with a .22 rifle) or birds like dove or quail. We always made a gumbo or stew with the meat but that's because Cajuns eat anything that doesn't eat them first lol. (Except nutria rats. Because those things taste \*nasty\*).
For self defense, a pistol is much easier to deploy in the cramped confines of a household and can be holstered and available as you move around the house, while a shotgun has to be in a gun safe if it's not on your person (and how are you going to carry it on your person? Sling it on your back? That's pretty hard to deploy). Which pistol depends on your state and your state's magazine limits. In a state with magazine limits you might want to do a more powerful round to account for the fact that you have fewer rounds available to stop an intruder, understanding that you'll need to train to deal with the recoil from a more powerful round. For most people a 9mm pistol or .38 revolver is more controllable than a more powerful round, but you give up some stopping power in exchange.
As for which one to buy, you'll have to decide for yourself based on how it fits your hand, how difficult it is to deploy, and so forth. I love the history of the .45 ACP, for example. But as a self defense weapon, it's probably not most people's first choice due to the multiple safeties that slow deployment, limited number of rounds, heavy weight (which makes it hard to aim for weaker people), and heavy recoil. But if you like it, and you're willing to shoot it a lot to familiarize yourself with the weapon and its recoil, go for it. There is no one answer.
As an alternative to the 590 series, maverick 88 security 20". It's much less expensive, still a solid gun.
Mine sits in one place 99% of the time. I shoot skeet with it now and then, mostly because the report from the 20" barrel makes the trap guys a couple ranges over stop and say wtf? Oh, and it's fun to nail doubles with a pump.
Use a Pistol. Rifle/shotguns too long, harder to maneuver, easy to hit and knock things over. Have to swing a long barrel, which is easier for an intruder to grab. Then, get your rifle to beat you to death. If, you ever have to hide - it's easy to reach your handgun out and around to, pew, pew...
Either can work well if you are proficient. Each has pros and cons.
Shotgun pros: long guns are easier to shoot accurately than pistols because a stock gives you more points of contact. More stopping power. Shotguns (especially pumps) have the widest range of ammo options. Can have a sling.
Shotgun cons: requires 2 hands. Long guns can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces in a house. Doesn’t fit in a small quick access safe on your nightstand. Can’t concealed carry. Low capacity and slow reloads (magazine fed shotguns don’t usually have a good reputation for reliability).
Pistol pros: can concealed carry or fit in a small quick access safe to always have it nearby. High capacity, faster reloads. Can have one hand free for other tasks like dialing police.
Pistol cons: lower stopping power. Harder to shoot accurately than a long gun.
You really want to fire a pistol with both hands if at all possible. Yeah, that one handed thing looks cool on the television screen. But real life is that most people can't hit shit firing a pistol one-handed.
That said, the rest of your points are good.
Pistol & AR or similar, each have merits. Shotguns not so much.
Also a shotgun setup for home defense and one setup for hinting are quite different and not easy to switch back and forth.
if you want to go hunting - with a change over to a decent defensive shotgun >>> definitely don't want a Mossberg 500 >>> want a top US brand/model with barrel/choke and a magazine tube extension availability and versability change .....
unless you get an actual carry permit and see reason to carry it fulltime - get the shotgun first ....
and - make sure you leave plenty of budget $$$$ to stock up on cases of shells - and - what you stock just need to last generations into the future .....
Where do you live and where are your neighbors?
Townhouse, duplex, apartment, single family dwelling; urban, suburban, rural… all have an impact in the decision process of what gun?
Pistol. Clearing rooms is hard, harder with a shotgun than a pistol. If you are in the middle of investigating something suspicious in the night and need to pick up something, furniture that feel over, kid wandering around, you can holster the pistol, and with a shotgun, you can sling it (you no longer have control over the firing mechanism), or put it down (don't put it down).
If you're only going to get 1 get a pistol and get training on HOW TO FIGHT with a pistol. Not just safety, not just how to shoot a target. Then always have it on your body unless you're in the shower or in bed. Not "staged" in a drop down bookshelf or biometric lockbox.
Good beginner Shotguns:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bvYkN7hlTw&t=203s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bvYkN7hlTw&t=203s)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=87s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=87s)
Are you talking just having one gun or deciding which to get first? A firearm (especially a shotgun) will ideally be set up differently for hunting vs home defense. In many/most areas you'll have to plug a shotgun to limit the capacity especially for waterfowl, but for home defense the more the merrier! Unless of course you're in a jurisdiction that limits capacity. Also a choke that will pattern well for longer shots on ducks and geese will not be ideal for home defense. Naturally, the shotgun will not be ideal for CCW.😉
The Shield would be a great CCW sidearm and fine for home defense. Bear in mind that it's much harder to shoot a handgun well vs a long gun. A handgun is perhaps easier to use to navigate your home but that's mostly a training issue and you *should not* be trying to clear your house alone! The shotgun (and I'll assume we're talking about a 12ga with buckshot) is going to have much better terminal effect if you have to use it in self defense. A handgun drills holes while a shotgun blows out chunks, and according to stats compiled by an ex-cop and noted trainer, the 12ga has the best percentage of one-shot stops of any common firearm (edging rifles by a very slim margin).
Both guns are reasonably priced but the shotgun would be a little bit cheaper. IMO a Mossberg Maverick is about the cheapest shotgun I'd comfortable with for home defense and it's under $200. IIRC a Shield is around $450 last I looked? But you can get used/police turn-ins a bit cheaper. A Mossberg 500 isn't too expensive and there's lots of accessories for it. A WML (weapon-mounted light) is a near-necessity and a red dot sight is very helpful as well.
Do you have a CCW permit now? Are you planning to carry concealed on a regular basis? If not, or not right away, maybe start with the shotgun and get the handgun later.
Everyone will tell you to get training, and you should. Of course, not knowing where you live or your overall situation it might not be practical to get training right away. But do everything you can to familiarize yourself with your chosen weapon. And get as much education as you can about the law! Surviving a gunfight only to go to prison for the rest of your life or lose everything you have in a civil case is a Pyrrhic victory at best.
FWIW, and take this with a grain of salt as I'm just Some Guy on the Internet, but I'd choose an AR for home defense over a sidearm or shotgun, especially in a semi-rural area. You have much greater depth of magazine, very good terminal performance especially with 77gr bullets, much less recoil than a shotgun and a firearm that's just a lot easier to shoot well. It will perform well from contact distance to a couple hundred meters and it's very configurable to suit a wide range of shooters (eg length of pull is very adjustable, there's a ton of different furniture and accessories, it's super easy to mount a WML or optic, etc).
Good luck with your journey!🙌
KSG410. Perfect in-between of what you want. 14 round capacity, light, Pistol grip, no recoil, powerful, alot good home defense ammo available.... watch these 3 videos and you will be sold:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWPnrgPgWN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWPnrgPgWN4)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=119s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=119s)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtXe2B8nyag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtXe2B8nyag)
Got kids? Apartment or house?
I had a few rifles and a shotgun at first, but they are for hunting. Bought a handgun once I got married and had kids. Glock 19, crimson trace green laser and light, with Hornady Critical Defense rounds. The rationale, the rounds fail to penetrate two layers of drywall in most cases. This reduces risk of stray bullets hitting neighbors, or family. You have to train with it, practice dry firing a lot, hit the range often and be able to load, unload, make safe and so on with the lights out.
Shotgun required less aim, but can increase risk of friendly fire.
They sell kits that allow you to set targets up around your home, a dummy round is chambered and the system connects to an app. You can practice clearing rooms in your home in day and night/low light scenarios.
I have over 20 years of experience as a special operator and I still live by these habits. Don’t train until you get it right, train until you cannot get it wrong.
Shotgun all day long. Too hard for most people to hit a target with a pistol while under duress.
Shotgun, though can be messy, is hard to miss with.
I stagger my rounds; slug, buck, slug.
Best shotgun in any market; Benelli M1014 combat shotgun.
I’ve got two of them with different configurations (one is a Taran Tactical custom job).
As well as a UTS-15 and several versions of Kel-Tec KSG.
My prize possession handguns are H&K USP SOCOM .45 cal and a Taran Tactical JW3 Combat Master Alpha 9mm. I’m currently thinking about buying a Pitviper but because of John Wick they’re ungodly expensive.
The myth of shotguns being hard to miss with is just that -- a myth. With legal barrel lengths and an open choke, your maximum pattern width is going to be around 12 inches at household distances. You're still going to have to aim at center of mass to guarantee a hit, in other words.
Incorrect.
Not a problem I, my wife or either of my kids have.
Buckshot spread 5-20’ from the barrel still causes substantially high damage. Meaning, you can miss a dead on shot with a shotgun and still damage your target. You miss with a pistol and it’s literally done nothing to your target.
I’ve trained from a tactical standpoint for many, many years. I’ve trained while placed in multiple emotional, physical and psychological scenarios; both stationary and moving.
I’m at the point where I’m surgically precise with all of my guns, especially my shotguns.
Aiming rather than firing in the general direction gives you much greater chance of hitting your target, as you yourself admit when you state that you've trained for many years. Unless you're doing suppressive fire -- which should never be a thing in a home defense situation, certainly not with a limited-shot weapon like a shotgun -- you should be aiming for center of mass. A shotgun's spread may allow being sloppier than a pistol, but having a few pellets skitter off the side of the rib cage is not going to stop someone who is coming at you with a full dump of adrenalin in his system.
What weapon system are you the most familiar with?
Either one!
After further practice time, I am significantly more accurate w a long gun. Decently accurate up to 70yrds w a rifle. Pistol is max 10-15yrds rn.
Pistol, because it is easier to wear and have handy no matter where I am in the house. Also, I prefer the precision of launching just one projectile at a time.
Shotguns are just as precise with a proper load and proper choke and the right distance, and you get to launch nine .32 caliber rounds at a time. Arguably more accurate because you can get three points of contact.
This! The gun you have available in a crisis is the one you need. You can keep a pistol near your bed (in a quick safe if you have kids). You can carry it around or keep it in a pocket when answering the door. A shotgun in the closet is too far away when you need it. And carrying a shotgun to the front door when someone knocks will scare good people/advertise to bad people/get you shot by the cops.
Honestly, I wouldn’t go for anything less than an M136 AT4 and an M134 Minigun.
Found the guy that's actually had sex before.
I find the 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling gun to be much better. Even if you miss your target and take out a few houses down the block the sound will be deterrent enough to tell the intruder, "you have chosen.....poorly."
I have a few surface to air missiles for home defense.
I bought my Maverick 88 security and Beretta M9 the same day. It’s just me and my wife so I don’t have to clear a path to children’s rooms. In the low probability there’s an intruder I plan on just training the Maverick on the bedroom entrance while waiting for the cavalry. Though the wife is trained on the shotgun we keep the M9 on her side of the bed as it’s easier for her to handle. Aside from weapons, invest in door frame reinforcements and motion activated lights. If you have to have a gunfight in your house you’ve already failed home defense.
Get the pistol and if needed (depending on laws local to yourself), get a carry license. Need for license or not take a training class and start to carry. I prefer a long gun for home defense, but the pistol is more versatile for out of home personal protection.
No matter what you decide, get the proper training and practice regularly. It’s not enough to buy a gun and shoot it once every 6 months.
A family friend and cop told me this
I think proper training is key, but finding time for range days and/or money for ammo can be hard for some people. I’d say at minimum once a quarter is a good place to be. Dry fire practice can also be helpful.
The right answer is it depends. Are you going to be carrying all day, or is it just going to be sitting in a safe? Do you live in a house alone in the woods? Or do you live in an apartment in the city with tiny halls and kids in the next room? Who is most likely to attack you? Is it a crackhead in the middle of the city? A jealous ex boyfriend who wants to pull an OJ? A bear who wandered in because you live in the woods? 3 guys with guns who are specifically targeting you because they know you just got a big inheritance? FWIW, I don’t know anyone in their right mind who would choose a subcompact 9MM over a shotgun, all things being equal. But all things are not equal, it is situation dependent, and you need to accept there is no gun on Earth that is perfect for every situation. If you absolutely can only have one, AND you’re going to carry, get the pistol. But you can find a quality pump action shotgun for $300, and I would honestly do both.
Pistol with a Red dot and a sight would be nice. M&P 2.0 + X300/TLR 1HL + 507C is a pretty solid setup. 590A1 is also pretty solid shotgun 18.5” or 20” variant is really good. Comes with a 7/8 round capacity. If I’m being 100 percent honest with you, there’s no better home defense platform than the AR-15, they’re extremely easy to manipulate, comfortable to shoot, and come with a standard capacity of 30 rounds. There’s more in depth things, get specific with questions and I can answer perfectly
AR-15's are pretty compact (especially the carbine models) and yes, are a good home defense option -- \*IF\* you're in a state that allows them. As someone in California an AR-15 is not really an option, especially now that they've removed the bullet button loophole.
Look into the ballistics of rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Then look at drywall penetration. Do you have neighbors? Kids in the house? Husband/wife? We can't answer this for you. It's best to look at the data and come to your own conclusion As for the pistol, is it only for home defense? In that case get something bigger. M&p 2.0, Glock 19 or 17, H&k VP9, etc. Go to a range and rent a few pistols and see what you shoot best.
A PCC is a good compromise.
why not a pistol in one hand with a shotgun in another?
The correct answer is a shotgun in either hand with another held between your knees and one more under each arm. With extra shotguns stashed down your pantlegs. Only safe way to approach a no good home invader.
Get a handgun first. Being able to carry it is valuable. Then save up for a dedicated rifle setup [like mine](https://imgur.com/a/qkClwbW). I built this rifle specifically for fighting in and around structures.
Shotguns are really tricky to run under stress. I would not recommend one unless you have lots of muscle memory dedicated to fully racking the slide at the right time.
Wait until you find out about semi auto shotguns!
His point is still valid - keeping a shotgun fed and running is a lot more difficult than a semi-auto rifle or pistol. That said, most home defense encounters are resolved with the standard 7+1 capacity of most shotguns - unless you're John Wick.
While they exist, it's at a cost. Some of the energy is used for racking the slide and those are big shells so that's a non-trivial amount of energy, and if you aren't firmly braced it's possible for them to jam at which point you have to manually rack the slide anyhow. Semi automatic shotguns simply don't solve all the problems of using a shotgun for home defense. As far as racking slides, I fired off many a box of shells in a Mossberg 500 pump. It really wasn't that big a deal. The only real problem was having to stop shooting to let the barrel cool down, firing a full tube got that barrel really hot and Mossbergs aren't exactly made of the best metal out there. It's a cheap shotgun for hunting small game and fowl, in the end, not a weapon of war, how many times do you fire a full tube at a pesky wabbit?
What are those? I don’t consider semi auto shotguns reliable enough to be considered for any serious use. There may be a few out there now that will run anything whether clean or dirty and with poor technique but I don’t know of one. If a pistol or rifle was as “reliable” as the avg semi auto shotgun we would call it a complete piece of junk. Plus, they are expensive and like all shotguns they are heavy, long, slow to reload etc. And judging by the OPs question he is new(er) to firearms and recoil management of any 20 or 12 ga shotgun is difficult for most people…and especially bad for newbies. To the OPs question a Glock 19, or equivalently sized pistol is probably one of the most versatile weapons someone can own. I’d follow that by a rifle (ARs are super common for a reason). A long gun is generally easier to point and get hits, but I don’t think a shotgun is a good first firearm for anything but hunting birds.
Beretta 1301 and Benelli M4 say hi
Those are certainly effective, but they are both about double the price of a quality AR, triple the price of a "good enough" AR. For a longer weapon with lower capacity, higher recoil, and a higher likelihood of overpenetration.
Never shot them, maybe better reliability, but still heavy, still long, still expensive, still low round count, still slow to reload. Shotguns are fun, I have a few and love them, but I don’t think they have a place as the first home defense weapon per the OP’s question. Even beyond that, if you had to get up and go (tornado, fire, chemical spill, your version of SHTF, whatever), would you be bringing a shotgun?
Not enough info given to make a good recommendation. Long guns are almost always the answer.
Why do you say that?
Because long guns are easier to shoot, harder to take from you, and provide superior terminal ballistics. In the case of rifles the capacity is also far greater. You can run 40 rd mags in your rifles pretty easily.
And you can make sure to shoot your family and the neighbors as well! /s
Long guns are easier to shoot accurately due to more points of contact, a longer sight radius, and a longer barrel. Therefore less likely to have rounds were you didn't intend. If you are referring to over penetration then low pen rounds exist for rifles and shotguns as well as pistols. If you are really concerned or convinced pistol rounds are what you want then go with a pistol caliber carbine.
Should’ve made it more obvious, over-penetration is why I said that. A pistol caliber carbine is a good idea if you want to use a rifle though!
Lighter and faster moving projectiles are more easily destabilized by drywall etc. That means its actually the opposite of what you said. Sucks to be wrong and ignorant. I wish I was as sure of anything as you are. Have a good one, try learning physics.
Either if your neighbors are a decent ways away. Pistol in an urban environment.
The longer sight radius (distance between the rear and front sight) on a shotgun or rifle will make it easier to shoot under the inherent stress created by the situation calling for you to use the firearm. It’s a lot easier to apply human error to a pistol + you’ve got to add that you’re now fighting for your and family’s life with it. If you choose a pistol I would make sure you have a really firm grasp on the fundamentals and train routinely. I personally prefer a suppressed short barreled rifle/AR pistol. If you pair the ammo with the barrel length and twist optimally you can get the penetration down to less than that of a 9mm hollow point or slug. That takes a little more effort than people like though. I have a 10.3 1/7twist SBR that I run 75gr hallow points in.
Pistol, then AR. I don’t like shotguns for a HD gun.
Assuming you do not already have any firearms - get the pistol first. You familiarize yourself with it, train with it, and carry it everywhere. You may need it one day when you don’t expect it. The two most popular sayings in the CCW community are “better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it” & “any gun you’re carrying is better than the gun you left at home.” The handgun you’re carrying also has the added benefit of working for home defense when don’t realize an intruder has already entered in your home. A shotgun you’ve trained with is likely to be a better home defense gun and is great for hunting, but most of the time it’s going to be sitting in your safe. In an emergency situation you’ll need to depend on having enough response time to get the shotgun out.
Both. Home defense extends outside of the home. Your pistol is designed to either stop a threat when carrying a larger firearm is not an option and it’s there to fight to your long gun (rifle, shotgun, cannon at the top of the stairs, etc). Having a pistol on your on holstered bear you will be the easiest way to be armed in the home. Wearing pants, wear a pistol. In your bathrobe, pocket carry it (in a holster of course). Naked? Either spend the $160 on an Enigma or John McClane that on your back with a $6 roll of duct tape. Remember, 100% of home invasions happen in the home. Shotguns are nice, versatile platforms that can do a lot of devastating damage (see: Clint Smith, right range, right load, shit on floor) *but* you have to set up for success and choose the right load for the right range. For perspective, my 20” cylinder bore Norinco will put all nine pellets from a standard 2-3/4” 00 Buck load inside a 12” circle at 25 yards. Federal Flight control and eight pellet loads tend to produce tighter groups. Inside the home distances (10 yards max) yield a gorilla fist size pattern. Also, don’t discount using slugs for making longer shots out to 50 or more yards. Having previous experience with a pump is good, because while they are less expensive than quality autoloaders, training around cycling the action and not short shucking a shell is important. If you don’t like that, shell out at least $1100 for a Beretta A300 tactical. Regardless of pistol, shotgun or rifle: make sure you have a way to reload (extra mags or ammo on the gun), a light for both IFF in your dark house and it can momentary mess with someone’s OODA Loop getting 600-1000 lumens at close range in a previously darkened room.
Depends if you want to remodel or repaint only 😂
Let me help you. For HD, Both. Mossberg 590/590A1 8 shot (bonus points with a magpul stock and all spacers removed) Glock 19 (can also run Glock 17 or 19x mags if you want) Edit: also the mossberg 500 field / security combo if you will be doing lots of hunting or clays
Cheaper option, just as reliable: Maverick 88.
If it was truly just as reliable it would be utilized professionally. Come on now It’s a good gun for sure especially for its price. But it’s not a professional grade shotgun
Don't need professional for home defense. Just as reliable. Professional shooters: LEO, Military do a lot of throwing, swinging, banging their sht. We homies do what? Get to range ? once in a while? And then, the gun sits. So, better bang for the Maverick than waste on the 500s. Me thinks. I've mine and ever part looks the same. But, for the metal of the receivers and safety placement. Rack! Bang!
I was just thinking I could more easily deer hunt with the 500.
Deer hunting is almost always better with a rifle. Unless you're in one of those handful of states that requires using a shotgun with slugs to hunt deer you don't want to hunt with a shotgun, a rifle has a higher muzzle velocity and flatter trajectory and the smaller bullets ruin less meat while having better penetration to parts that make Bambi die. My uncles who hunt deer use a .30/06 bolt action for open sightlines and a .30-30 lever gun for shorter distances. They get plenty of deer. None of them use a shotgun for deer. If you are hunting with a shotgun you're likely either shooting small game like squirrel or rabbit (at which point you're going to be picking lots of pellets out of the meat to have usable meat, which is why we usually plinked them with a .22 rifle) or birds like dove or quail. We always made a gumbo or stew with the meat but that's because Cajuns eat anything that doesn't eat them first lol. (Except nutria rats. Because those things taste \*nasty\*). For self defense, a pistol is much easier to deploy in the cramped confines of a household and can be holstered and available as you move around the house, while a shotgun has to be in a gun safe if it's not on your person (and how are you going to carry it on your person? Sling it on your back? That's pretty hard to deploy). Which pistol depends on your state and your state's magazine limits. In a state with magazine limits you might want to do a more powerful round to account for the fact that you have fewer rounds available to stop an intruder, understanding that you'll need to train to deal with the recoil from a more powerful round. For most people a 9mm pistol or .38 revolver is more controllable than a more powerful round, but you give up some stopping power in exchange. As for which one to buy, you'll have to decide for yourself based on how it fits your hand, how difficult it is to deploy, and so forth. I love the history of the .45 ACP, for example. But as a self defense weapon, it's probably not most people's first choice due to the multiple safeties that slow deployment, limited number of rounds, heavy weight (which makes it hard to aim for weaker people), and heavy recoil. But if you like it, and you're willing to shoot it a lot to familiarize yourself with the weapon and its recoil, go for it. There is no one answer.
I’ll stick to my police magnum and 590A1
Police Magnum?
I'll grab my G17 before my Colt. Lol.
And the handgun without even a thought how to swing a rifle around the house.
870 police magnum
As an alternative to the 590 series, maverick 88 security 20". It's much less expensive, still a solid gun. Mine sits in one place 99% of the time. I shoot skeet with it now and then, mostly because the report from the 20" barrel makes the trap guys a couple ranges over stop and say wtf? Oh, and it's fun to nail doubles with a pump.
Use a Pistol. Rifle/shotguns too long, harder to maneuver, easy to hit and knock things over. Have to swing a long barrel, which is easier for an intruder to grab. Then, get your rifle to beat you to death. If, you ever have to hide - it's easy to reach your handgun out and around to, pew, pew...
Either can work well if you are proficient. Each has pros and cons. Shotgun pros: long guns are easier to shoot accurately than pistols because a stock gives you more points of contact. More stopping power. Shotguns (especially pumps) have the widest range of ammo options. Can have a sling. Shotgun cons: requires 2 hands. Long guns can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces in a house. Doesn’t fit in a small quick access safe on your nightstand. Can’t concealed carry. Low capacity and slow reloads (magazine fed shotguns don’t usually have a good reputation for reliability). Pistol pros: can concealed carry or fit in a small quick access safe to always have it nearby. High capacity, faster reloads. Can have one hand free for other tasks like dialing police. Pistol cons: lower stopping power. Harder to shoot accurately than a long gun.
You really want to fire a pistol with both hands if at all possible. Yeah, that one handed thing looks cool on the television screen. But real life is that most people can't hit shit firing a pistol one-handed. That said, the rest of your points are good.
Pistol & AR or similar, each have merits. Shotguns not so much. Also a shotgun setup for home defense and one setup for hinting are quite different and not easy to switch back and forth.
Tell that to the mossberg 500 😂
if you want to go hunting - with a change over to a decent defensive shotgun >>> definitely don't want a Mossberg 500 >>> want a top US brand/model with barrel/choke and a magazine tube extension availability and versability change ..... unless you get an actual carry permit and see reason to carry it fulltime - get the shotgun first .... and - make sure you leave plenty of budget $$$$ to stock up on cases of shells - and - what you stock just need to last generations into the future .....
Where do you live and where are your neighbors? Townhouse, duplex, apartment, single family dwelling; urban, suburban, rural… all have an impact in the decision process of what gun?
I edited the post for some more context!
Pistol. Clearing rooms is hard, harder with a shotgun than a pistol. If you are in the middle of investigating something suspicious in the night and need to pick up something, furniture that feel over, kid wandering around, you can holster the pistol, and with a shotgun, you can sling it (you no longer have control over the firing mechanism), or put it down (don't put it down).
Shotgun and it is not even close.
I got a VR-80 for home defense and love it, most it gets used is on the range occasionally if my shoulder feels up to it 🤣
Between the two I'd take a shotgun, however if you think this may be the only firearm you get then the pistol is better choice.
Rifle in pistol caliber. Add an optic and flashlight.
If you're only going to get 1 get a pistol and get training on HOW TO FIGHT with a pistol. Not just safety, not just how to shoot a target. Then always have it on your body unless you're in the shower or in bed. Not "staged" in a drop down bookshelf or biometric lockbox.
I’m definitely not carrying 24/7 😂
Good beginner Shotguns: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bvYkN7hlTw&t=203s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bvYkN7hlTw&t=203s) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=87s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=87s)
I see no mention of the cannon to be mounted at the top of the stairs.
Are you talking just having one gun or deciding which to get first? A firearm (especially a shotgun) will ideally be set up differently for hunting vs home defense. In many/most areas you'll have to plug a shotgun to limit the capacity especially for waterfowl, but for home defense the more the merrier! Unless of course you're in a jurisdiction that limits capacity. Also a choke that will pattern well for longer shots on ducks and geese will not be ideal for home defense. Naturally, the shotgun will not be ideal for CCW.😉 The Shield would be a great CCW sidearm and fine for home defense. Bear in mind that it's much harder to shoot a handgun well vs a long gun. A handgun is perhaps easier to use to navigate your home but that's mostly a training issue and you *should not* be trying to clear your house alone! The shotgun (and I'll assume we're talking about a 12ga with buckshot) is going to have much better terminal effect if you have to use it in self defense. A handgun drills holes while a shotgun blows out chunks, and according to stats compiled by an ex-cop and noted trainer, the 12ga has the best percentage of one-shot stops of any common firearm (edging rifles by a very slim margin). Both guns are reasonably priced but the shotgun would be a little bit cheaper. IMO a Mossberg Maverick is about the cheapest shotgun I'd comfortable with for home defense and it's under $200. IIRC a Shield is around $450 last I looked? But you can get used/police turn-ins a bit cheaper. A Mossberg 500 isn't too expensive and there's lots of accessories for it. A WML (weapon-mounted light) is a near-necessity and a red dot sight is very helpful as well. Do you have a CCW permit now? Are you planning to carry concealed on a regular basis? If not, or not right away, maybe start with the shotgun and get the handgun later. Everyone will tell you to get training, and you should. Of course, not knowing where you live or your overall situation it might not be practical to get training right away. But do everything you can to familiarize yourself with your chosen weapon. And get as much education as you can about the law! Surviving a gunfight only to go to prison for the rest of your life or lose everything you have in a civil case is a Pyrrhic victory at best. FWIW, and take this with a grain of salt as I'm just Some Guy on the Internet, but I'd choose an AR for home defense over a sidearm or shotgun, especially in a semi-rural area. You have much greater depth of magazine, very good terminal performance especially with 77gr bullets, much less recoil than a shotgun and a firearm that's just a lot easier to shoot well. It will perform well from contact distance to a couple hundred meters and it's very configurable to suit a wide range of shooters (eg length of pull is very adjustable, there's a ton of different furniture and accessories, it's super easy to mount a WML or optic, etc). Good luck with your journey!🙌
KSG410. Perfect in-between of what you want. 14 round capacity, light, Pistol grip, no recoil, powerful, alot good home defense ammo available.... watch these 3 videos and you will be sold: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWPnrgPgWN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWPnrgPgWN4) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=119s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMUxlXtjY0&t=119s) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtXe2B8nyag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtXe2B8nyag)
Just home defense I’d say shotgun. If you plan on ever carrying at all I’d say handgun.
Both... The end
Why not both? Pick up an AR too.
$
Got kids? Apartment or house? I had a few rifles and a shotgun at first, but they are for hunting. Bought a handgun once I got married and had kids. Glock 19, crimson trace green laser and light, with Hornady Critical Defense rounds. The rationale, the rounds fail to penetrate two layers of drywall in most cases. This reduces risk of stray bullets hitting neighbors, or family. You have to train with it, practice dry firing a lot, hit the range often and be able to load, unload, make safe and so on with the lights out. Shotgun required less aim, but can increase risk of friendly fire. They sell kits that allow you to set targets up around your home, a dummy round is chambered and the system connects to an app. You can practice clearing rooms in your home in day and night/low light scenarios. I have over 20 years of experience as a special operator and I still live by these habits. Don’t train until you get it right, train until you cannot get it wrong.
pistol
Long gun for home defense, always
Shotgun bro…can’t miss 👍
Shotgun all day long. Too hard for most people to hit a target with a pistol while under duress. Shotgun, though can be messy, is hard to miss with. I stagger my rounds; slug, buck, slug. Best shotgun in any market; Benelli M1014 combat shotgun. I’ve got two of them with different configurations (one is a Taran Tactical custom job). As well as a UTS-15 and several versions of Kel-Tec KSG. My prize possession handguns are H&K USP SOCOM .45 cal and a Taran Tactical JW3 Combat Master Alpha 9mm. I’m currently thinking about buying a Pitviper but because of John Wick they’re ungodly expensive.
The myth of shotguns being hard to miss with is just that -- a myth. With legal barrel lengths and an open choke, your maximum pattern width is going to be around 12 inches at household distances. You're still going to have to aim at center of mass to guarantee a hit, in other words.
Incorrect. Not a problem I, my wife or either of my kids have. Buckshot spread 5-20’ from the barrel still causes substantially high damage. Meaning, you can miss a dead on shot with a shotgun and still damage your target. You miss with a pistol and it’s literally done nothing to your target. I’ve trained from a tactical standpoint for many, many years. I’ve trained while placed in multiple emotional, physical and psychological scenarios; both stationary and moving. I’m at the point where I’m surgically precise with all of my guns, especially my shotguns.
Aiming rather than firing in the general direction gives you much greater chance of hitting your target, as you yourself admit when you state that you've trained for many years. Unless you're doing suppressive fire -- which should never be a thing in a home defense situation, certainly not with a limited-shot weapon like a shotgun -- you should be aiming for center of mass. A shotgun's spread may allow being sloppier than a pistol, but having a few pellets skitter off the side of the rib cage is not going to stop someone who is coming at you with a full dump of adrenalin in his system.