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For most of my life I have been considered a "gun guy" by my friends, family and neighbors. The discussion about which weapon is best for home defense is one I have had many times. My answer is always the same... pump shotgun. No ifs, ands or buts in my personal opinion.
Imagine, if you will, you are startled awake at 3:00am by the sound of someone crashing through your front door. It doesn't matter how familiar you are with the handgun in the drawer beside the bed, your disorientation will lessen your effectivness with it. The beauty of a shotgun is that even if you are close you still score a hit.
Everyone has their own preference, and I can respect that, but for me and those who ask my opinion, you can't go wrong with a nice little pump shotgun.
I would also recommend one with a short barrel. 18" to 20" at the maximum. It is awful hard to Grandpa's 28 inch goose gun through a doorway in a panic. Don't believe me? Give it a test run some afternoon.
Mossberg 500
Pistol grip or stock is going to depend on personal preference and shooting ability. If you are new to guns, stick with a stock, otherwise, a pistol grip isn't bad if that's what you like. I prefer a stock, but that's just me.
Remington 870
No matter what weapon you choose to defend you loved ones and home, take it out and practice. When you are shocked awake in the middle of the night you want to rely on muscle memory. It's not in your best interest to make the first time you shoot your gun the time that your life depends on it...
by Richard Johnson - Guns & Patriots
Countless hours have been spent arguing what makes the “best” home defense gun. The reality is there is not a single gun that meets the requirements of every person and household.
Frequently, when talking about home defense guns, the shotgun is brought up first. The shotgun can make a very good home defense weapon, but it does have limitations that should be carefully considered.
Power
Shotguns offer devastating stopping power. From a 12 gauge shell, a homeowner can put nine 00-buck (.33 caliber) pellets into an assailant with each pull of the trigger. While this is not guaranteed to stop a determined attacker, it is certainly an attention getter.
By comparison, a 9mm pistol fires a single .355 caliber bullet at typically slower velocities than the shotgun. You would have to pull the trigger nine times on a pistol to put the same kind of stopping power into an assailant as a single shotgun shell.
But there are a number of drawbacks associated with the shotgun including recoil, size and unrealistic expectations regarding performance.
Ouch Factor
Shotgun recoil is stout. A smaller statured shooter is less likely to want to shoot a 12 gauge pump. The very thing that makes the shotgun so effective — power — is the same thing that makes people shy away from using it.
Shotgun recoil can be tamed in a variety of ways. For example, consider using a 20 gauge instead of 12 gauge shotgun. A 20 gauge shotgun loaded with #3 buck (20 .25 caliber pellets) is nearly as effective on human targets in across-the-room distances as a 12 gauge loaded with 00-buck, but has significantly less recoil.
Also, the use of a semi-auto shotgun can reduce felt recoil since the operating system uses some of that energy to eject and chamber shells. Moving from a 12 gauge pump to a semi automatic 20 can really change a reluctant shooter into a willing one.
If you decide to go with the 12 gauge shotgun, consider using the reduced recoil loads offered by most manufacturers. These loads have been used to great effect by law enforcement agencies, with no noticeable loss in terminal performance. In other words, less recoil but same stopping power.
A Knoxx recoil reduction stock from BLACKHAWK! significantly reduces recoil. As a former cop, I carried a shotgun in a patrol car for more than 10 years, and I state without any hesitation that the Knoxx stock is the best accessory ever designed for a combat shotgun.
Size Matters
Size matters in two important aspects: length of barrel and length of pull.
The length of the shotgun barrel typically ranges from 18” to 28”. Anything shorter is illegal without the proper tax stamp from Big Brother.
A long shotgun barrel, such as would be used for wing shooting, is difficult to tactically maneuver through a house. I would never suggest leaving the relative safety of an entrenched position to go looking for home intruders, but reality is you may have to move from your room to go protect your children or other family member.
An 18” - 20” barrel is optimal. If you have a shotgun with a longer barrel, you can easily purchase a second barrel that installs in about five minutes. When you get ready to go hunting, simply swap the barrel back. Shotguns are very easy with which to work.