870 tactical with tube extender and lower recoil loads is a great home defense firearm.
Hard to argue against if you ask me.
Sorry...ARs are so much more fun!
There is nothing that beats the shotgun in utility, so yes still relevant
Every weapon has its niche.
Still got mine!
Remington 870.... for when things go bump in the night.
I don’t know about you but ‘racking’ a round is pure Hollywood nonsense - a medium that relies on audio and visual to build drama. I would rather be that silent dog that has a viscous bite rather than the menacing bark and growling ...clicking off a safety is all the noise drama I intend to employ. So for home defense a one shot blast of 00 buck is probably the most effective bang for the buck.
I remember hearing that during WW1, the Germans had a bounty on any soldier carrying a Winchester M97.
I worked in Baghdad from ‘07 to ‘12. the Iraqi’s were scared sh*tless of the 870’s we would carry into the venues. Which is precisely why we carried them. Some venues, they wouldn’t let us in if we had one.
As a cop, I learned that there is no more universal sound that the racking of a pump shotgun.
So, while having an M4, tricked out to look like it came out of the armory from CIA’s Ground Branch or Delta Force, with all those bullets, there’s nothing more intimidating and easier to use than an good ol’ fashion shotgun.
My 2 cents
I prefer long guns.
>> So, is there really still a place for the defensive shotgun
Oh, HAIL yeah! Certainly out in the country. A shotgun is not merely an excellent tool for social work; there are multiple day-to-day applications in the animal husbandry field as well.
(But who says you can’t have both a shotgun and a 5.56 rifle? Let’s not argue about it, y’all; let’s head over to the gun shop!)
Hard to miss with a Mossberg Close Quarters Tactical 12 gauge. I’ll keep mine. I like it just fine thank you.
Speaking as a non expert owner of a Savage 350 pump with interchangeable barrels, it is more than just relevant. It’s a damn good show stopper.
AFAIK the military still uses them, as do the police. My daughter was in the top of her class in the academy in the shotgun portion.
Assuming you are 100% accurate with center mass shots with your handgun (unlikely), it’s been shown many times that the bad guy can just keep coming after multiple hits. I’ve not seen one story of a single 00 buckshot hit at 12 feet that didn’t do the job. #4 Buckshot is supposed to be good because the pellets are still substantial and the odds of hitting a vital organ are excellent.
The bad guy may believe that he is not automatically going to die from a handgun (Hollywood culture), but even the dumbest of the dumb knows they are dead in the water when a shotgun is pointing at them.
I am a cheap SOB, so I have had to add to my arsenal slowly.
Started with a Stoeger 12 gauge shotgun with stock and pistol grip.
Added a Ruger 10/22 Takedown for when we go camping and hiking.
Bought a S&W Governor hand cannon for security at the office. Got the wife a Ruger 38 revolver for herself at the same time.
Got a Hi-Point 45 carbine with laser site for Christmas last year.
I think I pretty much have the bases covered. Maybe a Glock G43 just to round things off.
Of my three working shotguns, one is a fixed-barrel Winchester M97 and my Mouseburger 500 is not arranged for quick replacement, nor do I have a second barrel for it. My 870 is a Special Field model which isn't interchangable with the millions of *ordinary* 870s out there, so that's not a big consideration for me either.
On the other hand, the feature can be handy for maintenance, especially for cleaning the barrel of melted plastic from plastic wads, especially after 100 round-plus range sessions. I've still not worked up a semiauto shotgun in the configuration I want, with the features I want. My next attempt will likely be either a Saiga or a Mossburg semiauto, but we will see.
Just picked up my first shotgun since my dad bought me a single shot CIL when i was 14.
Purchased a Benelli Nova Tactical, very nice little gun.
It’ sure is relevant when you are staring down the barrel of one.
45 ACP 500 ft-lb on a good day
12 gauge 3,000 ft-lb
In my home, I like the idea of responding in a manner that will solve the problem, without the level of over-penetration that a rifle (whether .223 or .308) might bring to bear. I like pistols for their maneuverability, but defending your bedroom with a 12 gauge strikes me as the best option in a bad situation.