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by PersonalSecurityZone.com
On March 21, 2006 W.P. from Arizona asked us
a really good question...
"Which Mossberg would you suggest for
home protection. I am 72 and my wife is 67 so
we don't want a shotgun that
will knock us on our butts. :) Thank
you very much."
Here's what we replied...
Thank you for your inquiry. Being a small woman,
I am also concerned about recoil when it comes
to a personal defense shotgun! A really good
choice is a 410
or 20
GA shotgun
with an
18-18
1/2 inch barrel and a pistol grip. The Mossberg
Cruiser is a great choice. The shotguns are:
- MS50359 500HS HOME SECURITY SHOTGUN 410/18.5/SPR
BL/SYN
- MS50455 MOSSBERG SHOTGUN 500 CRUISER 410/18.5"/CYL
PISTOL GRIP
ISE
- MS50450 MOSSBERG 500 SPECIAL PURPOSE SHOTGUN
CRUISER 20/18.5/CYL PISTOL GRIP
Click Here to View All Shotguns
with 18-18.5 inch barrels
currently in stock.
To find more shotguns on our site, please
go to our home page and click on Advanced
Search.
Then you can select by manufacturer or otherwise
narrow down your search even
more. For example, you can type Cruiser into
the "Title
Contains" field
to see just the Cruiser shotguns in stock.
For more info. about solving
the problem of recoil,
keep reading. But, first, let's cover some more
basic informaton about shotguns.
The most-recommended
home defense shotgun is a short barreled 18
to 22-inch
shotgun
that
is
a 12 or 20-gauge shotgun. Also most-recommended
are pump or autoloaders, for ease of shooting & maneuverability.
Some examples from our online
store:
- Mossberg 500 Special Purpose shotguns: 18.5-inch barrel pump action (featured
above)
- Remington 870 pump action series, including Remington's Police
model, 870 Tactical and the Marine Magnum
- Winchester pump model shotguns: Defender, Camp Defender, and Stainless Marine.
- Also, we have many more manufacturers with suitable shotguns in stock
Many experts say that high quality
pump action shotguns offer an advantage over
autoloaders, because their operation is mechanically
reliable, even under difficult conditions. This
is why pump action shotguns are more often recommended
for home defense. These shotguns can also be
stored or carried in a relatively safe setup:
with the magazine loaded, chamber empty, safety
on and hammer down. From this state the pump
can be used on The Bad Guy very quickly. However,
for home defense, as a gun owner you always want
to secure any loaded firearm, including a pump
action shotgun, in a responsible manner.
It is often said that there is
no sound in the world quite as identifiable or
as intimidating as the "rack-rack" of
a pump action shotgun! However, we at Personal
Security Zone don't recommend relying on scaring
the wits out of The Bad Guy with the sound or
look of your shotgun. Instead, we recommend being
prepared with a gun that is reliable, that you
know how to use, and that you hopefully will
never have to use to defend yourself.
Price is always consideration.
A reliable, well made pump action shotgun can
usually be purchased at a cost less than a comparable
quality handgun. Other advantages of the shotgun
include:
- There is less danger of a poorly aimed shot
harming family or friends through walls.
- The stopping power is greater. The potential
for inflicting wound trauma to a criminal assailant
is maximized with a shotgun, hopefully with
the effect of stopping a violent confrontation
quickly.
- For many people, it is easier to aim a shotgun
when compared to a handgun, especially in a
tense situation.
A high quality autoloader is an
alternative to the pump shotgun. The action of
the finer autoloader models tends to be flawless.
However, as with any autoloader, you must be
careful after the initial shot not to inadvertently
discharge the already-loaded firearm.
In order to familiarize yourself
with making-safe a loaded autoloader, you should
practice unloading a cocked autoloader with a
shell in the chamber. Practice again and again,
until this becomes second nature. Of course,
you will practice in a safe place, such as the
shooting range, to allow for the potential of
accidental discharge. Or, use Snap Caps if you
are practicing at home, so that you will never
have to worry about the gun going off during
practice.
Always remember the most important
rule of gun safety. Never touch the trigger until
you are ready to shoot. This rule is followed
by all marksmen, from experts to novices.
For versatility, it is desirable
to select a shotgun with a receiver chambered
for at least 3-inch Magnum shot shells. This
receiver will accommodate both 2-3/4-inch Standard
and 3-inch Magnum shells, a worthy feature
in the event ammunition ever becomes scarce.
The "Super
Magnum" receivers now available will function
with 2-3/4-inch, 3-inch, and 3-1/2-inch shells
interchangeably.
For home defense, 2-3/4-inch shells
are recommended. The Magnum and Super Magnum
loadings offer little incremental benefit in
this type of application. Their tremendous recoil
makes shooting uncomfortable for many, a factor
which inhibits follow-up shot accuracy. For the
12-gauge, shoot Standard 2-3/4-inch, 00 buck.
Shells for the 20-gauge should also be 2-3/4-inch
Standard, loaded with #3 buck.
How can you be prepared in case
you need to use your shotgun for self defense?
Make sure you have all the right equipment
readily available and that you practice with
it.
If you haven't been out to the shooting range to
practice in the last few months, then it's time
to go out and renew your shotgun shooting skills.
Or, if you are buying your first shotgun or don't
have any friends to teach you the in's and out's
of shooting, you can find licensed firearms instructors
in your local phone book. Take a class and gain
a wealth of information.
You will need to have enough
ammunition for practice, plus you need it handy
in case you need to use your shotgun for self
defense. In addition to having at
least
100
rounds
of
your favorite
buck shot load, you might also get five or
six boxes of rifled slugs to keep on hand. This
will give you
some
ammo to practice with, and it will also provide
you with the ammo you need just in case.
What other equipment or accessories
are useful for a home defense shotgun?
At PersonalSecurityZone.com we
think accessorizing your shotgun has value beyond
just "what you need." This is because buying
accessories provide you with more incentive to
practice more with it, which is the only
way to maintain
your shooting skills and increase your preparedness.
Some common accessories for shotguns:
- Synthetic stock and fore end
(if your shotgun did not come with one),
- Pistol grip,
- Shotgun scope (like hunting rifle sights),
- Bead sight,
- Sling
(if your shotgun did not come with
one),
- Holder for additional
ammunition: bandolier, shell-holding stock
or side caddy,
- Extended magazine,
- Tactical light to
illuminate your target
in the dark. Tactical lights
are very popular items, and we sell a lot of
them.
Bandoliers are useful for keeping
extra ammunition handy. Shell-holding
stocks are also useful. Or, side saddle shell
caddies are another alternative, however many
experts say that these may actually get
in the
way under tense circumstances.
You
may
want
to attach
an extended magazine to your shotgun, to increase
its ammunition holding
capacity. These extensions are installed
without any special tools, because they are
machined to fit a shotgun's existing tubular
magazine once
the end cap is unscrewed. An extension can
add up to five additional rounds of capacity
to the
existing magazine on some makes and models.
What about tactical lights? Is
illumination desirable? Yes. In defending your
home, especially
at night,
you need to be absolutely sure of the intent
of any intruder and identify your target. You
need to find out if a criminal is actually invading
your home, or is it just one of your kids' friends
playing
a
prank?
Could
it be a family member who
is coming home late, instead of The Bad Guy?
Of
course, you want to be able to answer these questions
quickly in order to be certain of your need for
self defense.
Tactical lights mount to the shotgun
forearm, providing a way for you to positively
idenfity (and possbily blind) any night-time
intruder. A tactical light may also allow for
hands-free operation, in case you really do need
to use your shotgun to defend yourself or your
family.
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Here are great tips
from Giovanni Cidranes, Western Sales
Manager for Legacy Sports.
"Regrettably 12
gauge shotguns are pretty much
12
gauge
shotguns.
"The
Knoxx (recoil absorbing) stocks are
viable solutions to the dilemma.
To find Knoxx stocks on our site,
please go to our home page and click
on Advanced
Search. Then you can select Manufacturer:
Knoxx.
"My other recommendation along with
the addition of a Knoxx product
is to have
the consumer
use "light
recoil" ammo:
- FEPB127LRS
Federal Premium Ammo 12GA
2.75" LOW
RECOIL SLUGS 5/box
- H8624 Hornady
Ammo 12GA OO BUCK LIGHT MAG
5/box
- PMCBSL1200 PMC
Ammo Buckshot 12GA 2.75 00
LOW RECOIL 5/box
"Lastly, especially for older
or not-very-large consumers,
other
gauges are perfectly
acceptable. Mossberg makes a
great home defense .410,
the 20 gauge shotguns will work
just fine. Sometimes
there are perceptions that need
to be addressed.
"Remember, it does not
matter how powerful your weapon of
choice is if you cannot hit your
target.
"I hope this helps."
-- Giovanni
Cidranes |
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We hope this article has provided
you with helpful information about choosing a
shotgun for self defense. Just let us know if
you would like to purchase a shotgun or accessories
from our online store at PersonalSecurityZone.com.
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