Think Twice about Shotguns for Home Defense

Shotguns suck for home defense

I know, I know there are going to be some comments about this post. For a lot of people, shotguns for home defense are either a love them or hate them proposition.

In my opinion, a shotgun is not a bad weapon for home defense. However, it’s not necessarily the best.

We found a good video that talks about why a shotgun is not the best choice for home defense. The three main points are:

• Ballistic capability
• Ease of use
• Maneuverability inside the home

The video makes good points about how either a pistol or rifle give you much better choice for ammunition that will defeat an attacker, especially an attacker with body armor. Check out this post on shotgun ballistics.

I know from my experience it is extremely easy to short stroke a pump shotgun. I saw many guys short stroke and jam a pump shotgun under stress. Now these are experienced shooters I am talking about too.

Finally we already have a post up about long gun retention. You have to be extremely careful inside a building not to have your long gun (shotgun included) taken away from you as you go around corners.

Take a look at the video. Let us know what you think in the comments.

While it isn’t necessarily the best weapon for home defense, a shotgun is a good complement. Check out this handbook.