A Pump Shotgun For Home Defense; Is It The Right Choice For You?

There is a constant debate as to which type of firearm would make the best choice for home defense. I have friends that believe their AR-15 is all that they need to effectively protect their homes. Others feel that their handgun is far superior to other firearm choices. Then there are those that feel that when it comes to home defense, nothing comes close to the 12 gauge pump shotgun. Then there's also the semi-automatic shotguns.

Pump Shotgun For Home Defense

-This post was originally published on Gun Carrier and has been shared with permission-

In all fairness, I am a fan of all models. As a matter of fact, I integrate all three categories into my home defense plan. But for the purpose of this article, I will be discussing the characteristics of the pump shotgun and its value for home defense.

I am often asked what I feel that the best firearm for home defense is. I have the same answer every time…

The one that you and your family train with the most!

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Keep in mind that as you put your home defensive plan together, you need to take into account the other people that share your home. Where and how you stage your firearms will play a big role in how effectively you can deploy those firearms when SHTF. If your primary firearm choice is your AR-15, but you are the only one in your household that can utilize that rifle in a self-defense situation, then you need to reevaluate your choice. You can also have a tactical shotgun stored in your house but if no one else in your family can use it, it's almost useless. Same holds true for any other weapon or firearm that makes up part of your home defense plan.

Effective home defense strategy needs to incorporate every member of your household. An emergency may occur while you are away and your family will need to fend for themselves. You need to ensure that your family is not only aware of your plan, but can also put it into action. This requires practice with your family and lots of it.

If things are not going well for you and your family while training, what do you think will happen when things go south during an actual emergency situation?

Teach your family the basics of self-defense using a gun or any other weapon. At the very least, orient them on the parts of a shotgun and the functions. Teach them about the stock, action, barrel, pistol grip, ejection port, pistol grip and all other essentials. Take them to a shooting range and train them how to point to a target and take a shot.

Regardless of your choice of a home defense firearm or weapon, you need to practice your marksmanship. Range time is imperative but you need to practice more than just killing paper. In a home defense scenario, there are countless uncertainties. You will be sweating, have trouble breathing, your heart will be beating through your chest… And those are just a few of the scenarios that are tough to replicate at a standard gun range.

Run through various real-world scenarios with your family and try and replicate as many foreseeable situations as you can conjure up. The more detail that you cover in training, the better you will bode when things get real.

I would like to share with you a few reasons why I feel that the shotgun is a valid choice for home defense.

Versatility Of Ammunition:

You would be hard-pressed to find a firearm with as much versatility in ammunition as a shotgun. There are shotgun shells containing:

• Bird Shot
• Slugs
• Signaling
• 00 Buck
• Bean Bags
• Rock Salt
• And many others…

It is simple to integrate a pump shotgun into a home defense plan because of the versatility in ammunition choices. There are ammo options available that produce less recoil than standard shells. This makes it much more manageable for the smaller and/or less experienced members of your household.

Before we delve further, we need to address an aspect that many overlook during these types of discussions; the use of lethal force. We often hear, “if someone were to walk into my home, I would light them up in a heartbeat with some OO Buck.” I can understand that reasoning because of the simple fact that we want to protect our family.

How DARE someone walk into our “castle” with the intention of harming our loved ones!

But what happens when it’s your family member that has to squeeze the trigger on someone that just broke into your home?

• Is your family member prepared to deal with the fact that they just took someone’s life?
• What if the person “breaking-in” was just the neighbor's kid doing stupid shit that kids do on a dare?
• How will you fare during a trial with your local & State gun laws?

These scenarios need to be addressed as part of your home defense plan.

These are tough questions that I have trouble answering for myself. That is why we need to prepare for these concerns now. If we do… It will be much easier to account for our actions later. Luckily, with the versatility of ammunition choices for the shotgun, we can address some of these issues ahead of time. You need to make decisions as to what is best for you and your family members. From there… Just stick with your plan.

Marksmanship:

A pump shotgun is very forgiving when it comes to aiming. This is a valid attribute especially when we take family members into account. We mentioned earlier that practice is imperative when it comes to your home defense plan. However, if your family members are not as excited about going to the range as often as you deem necessary, chances are their marksmanship leaves much to be desired.

In an emergency, sight alignment and sight picture will be less than optimal. The fact that you can practically point the shotgun at the assailant and take them out of commission, without focussing too much on the sights, makes it ideal for a lesser seasoned shooter. This is where ammunition choices play a key role.

Once again, this is not a substitute for proper marksmanship training but it is a benefit that we need to take into account; especially when other family members are involved.

Can Affix A Blade:

I can already feel a few chuckles coming from this topic. Some may even say that I watch too many Walking Dead episodes. 😉 But I’m not addressing zombie’s here… I am adding much-needed options to a scenario where versatility is not a luxury. Being able to affix a blade or bayonet to your shotgun can be the difference between life and death.

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As a U.S. Marine, I have plenty of training in deploying a bayonet. The bayonet was part of my standard issue and we practiced with it and practiced often. The bayonet was utilized with my M16 but for all intents and purposes, the maneuvers are similar regardless of the long gun that it is affixed to. Once again, the takeaway point here is training. With my training, I gained confidence. I saw and felt the effectiveness of what an affixed bayonet can accomplish.

Once I left active duty, I bought myself an M9 bayonet to continue to practice and refine the skills that I had learned as a Marine. I train with a bayonet during my close quarter training sessions. But this time, my M9 bayonet is affixed my shotgun instead of my rifle.
The 4 things that I gain from attaching a bayonet to my shotgun are:

1. Able to utilize my firearm effectively even if I run out of ammo
2. Can keep the would-be attacker at a distance, buying time
3. I can take the attacker out of commission without firing a shot
4. Can still provide defense even if my firearm jams.

Fits Into Most Budgets:

A post shared by Gun Carrier (@guncarrier) on Nov 8, 2017 at 8:12pm PST

Let’s face it… Quality firearms are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Many of us have far superseded our budgets by customizing our AR’s and buying that latest piece of art in the form of a handgun. But when it comes to pump shotguns, you can address your self-defense needs without emptying your bank account.

We can add a very good pump shotgun, made by the reputable companies such as Remington & Mossberg for much less than your average handgun. This will be a bare-bones shotgun but for the purposes of home defense, you really wouldn’t need more than that. The only other option that I would suggest that you invest in, for both you and your family, is training.

Laws & Regulation:

Keep in mind that I live in the “Republic of New Jersey.” The laws are so confusing in this State that even when I pose questions to NJ lawyers… They are, at times, at a loss for an accurate response. To be honest, I feel that these laws are convoluted by design. N.J. is not the only culprit, there are certainly others. If you reside in these States, you need to be on top of the liabilities that you incur just by possessing standard components of your firearm.

Magazine capacities seem to change with each passing Governor here in NJ. Having an adjustable stock on my AR-15 makes it illegal. Let’s not forget that it is legal to own hollow point bullets for my handgun but getting caught in possession of hollow-point ammo outside my home is a felony.

Hold on… WHAT?! How do I get the cartridges home?

So knowing that the powers that be are always going after us, law-abiding gun owners, makes this game a bit trickier than most. What may be fine today could become illegal tomorrow. But from my experience with shotguns, they pretty much get left alone by most legislation.

So all the time, effort and money devoted to your home defense will continue to serve you well. Whereas when it comes to “assault” rifles or handguns, we may be the ones arrested and brought to trial just for the mere fact that we were defending our homes with a firearm. I know, I know… I need to get the hell out of NJ!

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Bottom Line:

There are many more reasons why a pump shotgun may be a great choice for your home protection. Luckily, we still have our 2nd amendment rights that enable us to have a variety of choices when it comes to home defense.

What I wanted to do with this article is to offer some valid reasons for integrating a pump shotgun into your home defense plan. There is never one-size-fits-all when it comes to an ideal firearm choice regardless of it’s intended primary use. The debate will last a lifetime and rightfully so; it keeps us thinking and experimenting!

The right to protect our homes and loved ones can never be infringed upon. Stand up for you and even more importantly, do whatever it takes to keep your family safe.

After all, if not you… then who?

Up Next: 5 Tactical Tips To Maneuver Like An Elite Operator

What do you think of the Pump Shotgun for home defense? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Editor's Note: This post was first published in April 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.