So I go to my LGS to buy a shotgun

[BigMoneyGrip]

Am I the only one that keeps a round in the pipe?

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Winchester 1200 Defender.

Haven't had a burger stolen yet....

 

[Aticus]

I normally don't get too enthused about threads such as this but this one I did. I would have been and have been one of those who recommended a pump shotgun for defensive purposes. But then I read this thread. My shotguns have always been semi-auto or doubles. I'm one of those who would forget to rack the slide. I have given thought to getting a shotgun for defensive use recently and would have gotten a pump. Now I probably wouldn't.

Thanks for the good thoughts, guys.

 

[Zelig]

As kid working in a local pharmacy in a rotten area of NY, LEOs just warned us that the the pharmacist on the next corner was recently murdered. A week later two dudes that met their description came in. They were just waiting for a couple of last customers to leave before closing.

We had shotgun in the back and I told the pharmacist to get it and come out front. They made a move on us as the last customers left but when they heard the sound of my boss racking that shotgun, they bolted. It was pump shotgun.

 

[Squarebutt]

For those of us in the injured shoulder/arm club, myself included on both counts, a 20 gauge has been recommended by Massad Ayoob, among others. It also may be slightly faster to bring to bear for follow-up shots, due to reduced recoil. There are plenty of defensive rounds available for it.
While the sound of a slide racking may or may not send the bad guys out shopping for new BVD's, it definitely means that you start with one less round than you would have had if you had one in the chamber.

 

[MAJPATT]

Nice. Here is my HD shotgun. A Scattergun Tech 870 SBS. I like the Winchester Ranger low recoil buckshot.

 

[Muss Muggins]

The danger of a pump action shotgun for self defense, if you leave the chamber empty, is short stroking the action due to the stress of deploying the shotgun under duress. I've seen more than one live round on the deck during training evolutions . . .

 

[Gamecock]

The problem with shotguns is limited mag capacity. If you can rack it, that's one less round you could have had in it to start with.

How does the perp react to the sound of racking it vs the sound of it going off?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I personally think racking the slide after a home invasion........IS PURE BS!!!! It just gives the invader notice where you are and a point to shoot at. Your defense gun should always be fully loaded and ready to go.
Racking the slide after a forced entry is for the movies only.

 

[Rastoff]

Am I the only one that keeps a round in the pipe?

No, you're not.

 

[RJJ 1971]

9mm in my nightstand is my first line of defense to get to one of these.

* Hi Point 995 Carbine
* NEF Pardner Pump 12 Gauge
* Tri Star Raptor Atac Semi Auto 12 Gauge

Last thing the home invader should be worried about, is me racking the action.

 

[tops]

How does the perp react to the sound of racking it vs the sound of it going off?

If you use shells that are faster than the speed of sound he won't hear anything. Larry

 

[Jerry N.]

Thanks for all the responses. Yes, a lot of practicing is in my future.

Probably another thread, but as for a round in the pipe, the set up I have with the ShotLock has a hanger that goes into the ejection port, so no, one is not in the pipe.

The gun is open and a round is in the "basket" ready to be loaded with the slide being racked into position. It's one motion and I'm more comfortable knowing that the gun is not fully loaded. Having it this way does not reduce the amount of loaded ammo. The magazine is full and the round that is queued up is no different than if it were in the pipe. The slide is back and pushing it fully forward will load the round. It does not take a full cycle to get a round loaded. Maybe not ideal by some standards, but unlock the ShotLock (fully mechanical, four buttons, twist a knob, go), push the slide forward and be ready. This seems like the most prudent situation for me given that grand kids are in the house from time to time.

Again, thanks for all the responses. I've enjoyed the read and the picks.

 

[Rastoff]

I think you have a good set up Jery N.

The reason I like to have one in the chamber is to ensure the first shot. Trying to load a round can lead to a malfunction. If my gun is going to malfunction, I'd at least like to get that first round off.

This is just my logic. I'm not trying to change anyone with it. Just explaining why I do what I do.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Also in a stressful situation you might drop the shell out of the open action as you acquire and move the gun. I would suggest a higher than little fingers can reach storage.

 

[ersiii]

I have lots of shotgun experience. I have put thousands of rounds through my Benelli auto shotguns in the states and overseas in high volume situations.
I have no problem trusting my life on the reliability on my M4.
My son's brand new 870 jams all the time.
Unless a person has trained extensively with a pump, the Benelli auto wins hands down IMHO.

 

[Mainsail]

Am I the only one that keeps a round in the pipe?

I was thinking about this yesterday because I would answer no to your question.

There are two reasons I keep the chamber empty on my auto shotgun.

First, it's in the safe on the third floor of my townhouse. The front door down on the ground level has a security bar that will significantly slow down any entry- it's not going to open with one or two kicks, and it won't be quiet.

Second, and more importantly, I really don't like leaning over the barrel while retrieving it from the safe. The long-guns sit on the floor of the safe, and the shotty is in the outermost position, so to get it out from under the pistol shelf I have to tip the barrel out- which points it directly at the moneymaker. My double-barrel coach gun has two in the chambers, but I store that one with the barrels down. I suppose I could do the same with the auto, but right now I'm comfortable with it.

 

[Mainsail]

My son's brand new 870 jams all the time.

A friend of mine bought an 870 and tricked it out- so we went out to put some shells through our pumps. My 590A1 ran flawless, his 870 jammed on almost every shot. He had to hold the pump handle and slam the butt on the ground to get the shell to come out. I've heard that certain low-brass shells don't play nice with the 870.


All that to say; make sure whatever you choose will run with whatever you're going to feed it.

 

[2ndAmendmentNut]

A friend of mine bought an 870 and tricked it out- so we went out to put some shells through our pumps. My 590A1 ran flawless, his 870 jammed on almost every shot. He had to hold the pump handle and slam the butt on the ground to get the shell to come out. I've heard that certain low-brass shells don't play nice with the 870.





All that to say; make sure whatever you choose will run with whatever you're going to feed it.

A friend bought a brand new 18" 870 with the magazine tube that is even with the muzzle. That gun would not eject any low brass shells. After polishing a few tooling marks out of the chamber the gun ran like a charm with any ammo.

 

[Rubone]

I've never had a problem with ejection on an 870 and own several including a tactical and a Marine magnum.