Friday, May 04, 2012

A Shotgun for Self-Defense


Chicago, IL—The greatest defensive firearm ever is the .12 gauge shotgun.  A semi-auto beats a pump anytime.   The promise of civil unrest and a long hot summer seems to be in the cards for the Windy City.
They call this type of shotgun a “riot” gun because it’s very effective against mobs or multiple assailants.  For business owners a shotgun to supplement your handgun may be a needed addition. 
The chilling sound of a shell being racked in a pump shotgun is great for the movies.  The reality is a knowledgeable adversary will know the sound and will realize he must act quickly to neutralize you.  The sound also gives away your position.  The only sound you want them to hear is the last bang they will ever hear in life.
The drawback of the shotgun is the range but in an urban environment that’s not a problem.  You should always keep a loaded bandoleer with a combination of buckshot and slugs nearby. 
When the chips are down and you feel it necessary to draw your handgun the feeling of impotence quickly will overcome you.  The shotgun is definitely a confidence builder.   
I love the discontinued HK-Bennelli M-3 convertible pump/semi-automatic the best.  It has a bit more weight and that makes the recoil more tolerable.  They are out there but exceedingly rare.  Production of this model ended with the HK and Bennelli had their corporate divorce about a dozen years ago. 
These guns are around but are anything but inexpensive if you find one. 
In the video below I send some 0 buck down the range at the target. 

5 comments:

  1. Been saying this for years. Schwarznegger made it look bad-ass in the Terminator movies, but in real life, you may not have time to pump. I stand by my Remington 11-87.

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  2. Benellis are great shotguns,but too $$$ for the average guy,They require alot of dedication/training to their unique manual of arms.
    http://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/benelli-m3.php

    Get a Remington 870 Wingmaster/Police(18-20") or a Mossberg 500/590(a1),these can be had between $150-350 on the used market.The Benelli is $1200+ and not found used that often.

    Federals Tru-Flite oo buck is the round of choice in buckshot,tight patterns at 20-40 yards.

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  3. "I love the discontinued HK-Bennelli M-3 convertible pump/semi-automatic the best."

    I was just talking about that shotgun with my cousin the other day, I didn't know the model # let alone that it had been discontinued, so much for my advice!

    Lloyd Benson was Sec of Treasury for Bill Clinton. I saw him on Meet The Press back then and he had declared the "Streetsweeper" Revolving Shotgun made in South Africa as a "destructive device" just by decree and so a viable self-defense shotgun was a Class 3 firearm. Or whatever the classification is for a "destructive device" How effectively banning the law-abiding civilian from owning such a shotgun helps in the struggle against violent crime was never explained. I had talked, back then, to a South African policeman and he said that he had one for his home defense and spoke highly of the shotgun.

    NOTE: I was doing OK concentrating on self-defense and then I see the pic of the BLONDE on the rightside of the page, OH YEAH, good thing the wife isn't looking over my shoulder. ;)

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  4. "but in real life, you may not have time to pump."

    Anon:

    From my experience, and I've been hunting ducks with shotguns since I was six, an automatic shotgun-such as the Rem. 1100-is often slower than a pump-depending on the shooter, but at best the rate of fire is not much different. This is because much more must happen between the trigger and the re-load, so a skilled pump shooter can usually beat the auto action. Go to a skeet range and observe if you don't believe me.

    A self-defense gun would always be loaded.

    While I like automatics, I've seen too many feed issues to ever consider one, including high-end, for self-defense, or anything else, frankly.

    For myself, since I was born with only fully usable arm, I've always used double barrels, and do so now for self-defense. I've tried many automatics, but once you are used to a double, you are used to it. I have more than one loaded in my bedroom...

    All of them are considerably more expensive than the Bernelli auto in question-sad fact of being a double gun lover.

    If I could effectively use a pump, that would be my choice for defense. No question.

    Bernelli's are beautiful weapons, and very high quality, but I'd really have trouble justifying the cost if the only use is self-defense. Better, I think, to get a sporting model that won't look silly if you take it skeet or bird shooting if you are going to spend that kind of money.

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  5. Problem with the Remington 1100/87 platforms is that they are gas operated.These are sporting guns desinged for duck/goose hunting or for trap and skeet shooting.
    The gas system on the various Remmy barrels are desinged to run on certain loads.

    They do not like low recoil tactical buckshot or slug loads.The Remmy gas system can be tempramental with ammunition.It needs maintenance with o-ring changes and gas ports cleaned.
    Even the 11-87 Police model is flakey.

    The Benelli is the best auto-loader out but costs.Its recoil/inertia operating system is more forgiving.Ive run cheap Wally World promo loads thru my M1/M4 Super 90s.Tactical loads may vary and were really designed for a pump guns.

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