James Rummel points to a posting about a “21st Century Tacti-cool coach gun“. All I can say is the gun makers must be out of ideas… like Hollywood, we’ll just take some old concept, add some modern twists, and viola! It’s just not for me. This is what’s for me.
But what I wanted to point out was some entries from the comments on TFB’s article.
As a home defense tool, you can load your shotgun with less than lethal ammunition (like rubber pellets or home loaded salt cartridges). It’s still rather effective to stop an agressor, you avoid overpenetration, you leave the recoil at bay, and your agressor can’t know if your gun is loaded with wildboar hunting slugshot or self-defense ammo, so as a non-verbal mean of communication, the two wide mouthes of your gun are very effective.
It beats one, two or ten Tasers everynight. And even if it doesn’t work, reloading with Brenneke cartridge is pretty fast, even in degraded conditions, thanks to the big size and weight of the cartridge and hole of the chamber.
“As a home defense tool, you can load your shotgun with less than lethal ammunition (like rubber pellets or home loaded salt cartridges).”
When is using a firearm for defense legal? When one truly thinks that they need to defend their life, or the life of another innocent person.
I’m curious as to what you are going to say to the judge after you shoot up a home invader with rock salt. “Yes, I deliberately loaded my gun with a load designed to maim and cause extreme pain instead of reliably stopping a violent criminal assault. That way I could shoot the perp with the scarring, disfiguring ammunition if I wasn’t sure that I needed to use lethal force, and then reload to kill them with the effective rounds if I needed to. My plan is on the Internet for all to see!”
Let us know how that turns out for you.
If you’re a cop, I can see a case for less-lethal ammunition (e.g. crowd control). If you’re a private citizen defending your home, your self, your loved ones, when/if the time comes that you must resort to use of a firearm, then it’s time to use a firearm in all of it’s capacity. You don’t use weak rounds, you don’t bluff, you don’t count on weak tactics (even the best competitive shotgun shooters are slow on the reload because reloading a shotgun is slow; add in the context if your life being on the line and your reloading skills will be a lot worse). But hey, it’s your life. Value it however you wish.
If you do wish to use a shotgun for home defense, I would recommend reduced-recoil buckshot. For the ranges involved in home-defense (typically up to 25 yards, but your house may be different), reduced-recoil is good because it does kick you less which allows for faster follow-up shots. Plus if one of your residents is of smaller stature, it’s more controllable for them. Buckshot is demonstrated to be most effective (visit this link and scroll down). If you’re using a 12 gauge, use 00 buck (some say #1). If you’re using a 20 gauge, #3 or #4 is about the largest you can get. I’d also recommend some sort of “side-saddle” to carry additional ammo, and in that side-saddle you might want to put a few slugs in case you have to take longer shots.
Stuff From Hsoi 
Excellent article although I still prefer the use of non lethal weapons such as pepper spray, as I’m not prepared to take someones life. Sometimes your lethal weapon can be used against you. <A HREF=”UBackOff.com”
The chances of your weapon being used against you are actually extremely slim. I’ve seen the data to back this up, and if I can find it again I’ll post it.
Nevertheless, if you choose non-leathal that’s fine. There’s no question that to carry a gun you have to be prepared to take someone’s life. You try to avoid it at all costs, and if you do shoot you shoot to stop (not “to kill”). Nevertheless, the bad guy could die and you just can’t bring yourself to deal with that then it’s wise that you know that about yourself and do what you can within what you find acceptable for yourself.
I have about 4 boxes of 20ga 3″ shells in #2 shot. Got ’em locally. I figure that’s plenty good.
Never seen 20 gauge with anything larger than #3 buck, but cool to know such things exist! But then, those are 3″ shells so that explains it. To that end tho, one must consider if using 3″ shells vs. the 2.75″ end up reducing your capacity by 1 round… maybe, maybe not, depends upon the gun. For me, given how anemic a shotgun’s capacity is in the first place, I might be more willing to stick with 2.75″ and #3 buck and have the extra round. What can I say, I like capacity.
Project Tactifudd will be getting an extension on the mag tube one way or the other.
I’ve had some perverse ideas with this project. This thing will make Jim Zumbo cry when I’m done.
Oh and btw I changed my handle on the blog. Went to an old handle of mine, I kind of missed it.
Can’t wait to see it (and try it) whenever you’re done. I do love the name… Tactifudd.
Can I still call you Doc tho? 🙂
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