Home Defense for Newbies Pistol Grip Only Shotguns vs Pistol Caliber Carbines

[HansGruber]

I think pretty much anything you actually train with can be effective. The only disadvantage I see with a PCC is the " Things that go bump in the night" scenario. You will still be firing a single, small projectile, most likely without aiming. True enough your odds of hitting an attacker are pretty good, but how many bullets are you going to loose to do it?

I see your point, but...at those distances, you don’t have a patten out of a shotgun—you may as well be firing a slug for as tight as they pellets will group.

And all things being equal, a miss is a miss...and with a shotgun, it’s a pretty high percentage of your capacity.

 

[Bassbob]

I see your point, but...at those distances, you don’t have a patten out of a shotgun—you may as well be firing a slug for as tight as they pellets will group.

And all things being equal, a miss is a miss...and with a shotgun, it’s a pretty high percentage of your capacity.

Well, it kinda depends on the length of the barrel and what kind of shells you're using. Also what shotgun you're using.

At 12' the pattern is roughly 4" ( 00B out of an 18" shotgun) . Quite a bit larger than a 9mm projectile.

Mossberg 500 holds 9 rounds, KSG holds 14, KSG25 holds 25.


Nevertheless I think they both are effective HD weapons assuming training is involved.

 

[BangBang]

I think pretty much anything you actually train with can be effective. The only disadvantage I see with a PCC is the " Things that go bump in the night" scenario. You will still be firing a single, small projectile, most likely without aiming. True enough your odds of hitting an attacker are pretty good, but how many bullets are you going to loose to do it?

That’s a good point, and my house, my parents and in-laws and several friends house all have some type of “soft” lighting be it a lamp on a shelf and in the living room ect. It is not complete darkness in my house or theirs. I’m not at a complete disadvantage at not seeing an intruder and I know my house and the occupants in it. As @HansGruber is describing the wad will not open up until a certain distance and I don’t know the layout of everyone’s house plan, but, for me a PCC, where I can get back on target quicker is what I prefer.

 

[Bassbob]

That’s a good point, and my house, my parents and in-laws and several friends house all have some type of “soft” lighting be it a lamp on a shelf and in the living room ect. It is not complete darkness in my house or theirs. I’m not at a complete disadvantage at not seeing an intruder and I know my house and the occupants in it. As @HansGruber is describing the wad will not open up until a certain distance and I don’t know the layout of everyone’s house plan, but, for me a PCC, where I can get back on target quicker is what I prefer.

Absolutely. It is never totally dark in my house. Even awoken in the middle of the night I would be able to clearly see something out of place. The light on my HD weapon is NOT there so I can see, but rather to make it so an attacker CAN'T see.

 

[BangBang]

Absolutely. It is never totally dark in my house. Even awoken in the middle of the night I would be able to clearly see something out of place. The light on my HD weapon is NOT there so I can see, but rather to make it so an attacker CAN'T see.

And another good point, a light, for me is used as a “defensive” weapon more so as an “offensive” weapon. I have been waken by “bumps” and those bumps will wake me up in a different, more alert, eyes wide open adrenaline type way vs. waking up to use the restroom. My alarm went off awhile back and I was up, whitey tightys and all coked and locked in seconds. Just a different “woke” to me at least. But absolutely agree with you and good point on the light.

 

[jfmorris]

A pistol grip shotgun may have its place, but sounds like a horrible weapon for most folks. I'll take my shoulder braced shotgun any day of the week. The PCC is the way to go for most folks looking for a long gun for home defense, if they don't want something that shoots rifle ammo.

I ended up clicking out of that article into one about the Henry Big Boy X - I've been seriously considering a lever action in .357 / .38 just because it would be fun to shoot, and useful for hunting when loaded with the 357 magnum rounds. I've got a Winchester 1873, stored still at my folks house. It was made in the early 1880's based on serial number, and is the octagonal barrel, in .38-40. It's a hand-me-down from my maternal great-grandfather, along with the .38 S&W M&P of 1905 that I have here at the house. I've got ammo for it, but have not shot it, since the last time it was used was likely the 1960's, by my grandfather, before his death. That .38-40 ammo was out of production for decades, and came back into the market due to the cowboy action shooters, so I was finally able to pick some up from Black Hills a couple of years back.

 

[Bassbob]

A pistol grip shotgun may have its place, but sounds like a horrible weapon for most folks. I'll take my shoulder braced shotgun any day of the week. The PCC is the way to go for most folks looking for a long gun for home defense, if they don't want something that shoots rifle ammo.

I ended up clicking out of that article into one about the Henry Big Boy X - I've been seriously considering a lever action in .357 / .38 just because it would be fun to shoot, and useful for hunting when loaded with the 357 magnum rounds. I've got a Winchester 1873, stored still at my folks house. It was made in the early 1880's based on serial number, and is the octagonal barrel, in .38-40. It's a hand-me-down from my maternal great-grandfather, along with the .38 S&W M&P of 1905 that I have here at the house. I've got ammo for it, but have not shot it, since the last time it was used was likely the 1960's, by my grandfather, before his death. That .38-40 ammo was out of production for decades, and came back into the market due to the cowboy action shooters, so I was finally able to pick some up from Black Hills a couple of years back.

I recently swapped the pistol grip for a telescoping AR style butt stock on my bedside shotgun (500) for pretty much the same reasons. It's a combo stock so I could utilize the pistol grip handle and shoot from the hip if I had to, but better accuracy and faster follow up shots seems like a pretty important thing in a lot of situations. ;-)

 

[HansGruber]

Well, it kinda depends on the length of the barrel and what kind of shells you're using. Also what shotgun you're using.

At 12' the pattern is roughly 4" ( 00B out of an 18" shotgun) . Quite a bit larger than a 9mm projectile.

Mossberg 500 holds 9 rounds, KSG holds 14, KSG25 holds 25.


Nevertheless I think they both are effective HD weapons assuming training is involved.

I guess it does, because at 10’, I get one ragged hole, about 2”...Federal Flite Control #1, 20” Benelli M1 w/IC choke.

I would also point out in a miss, that PCC will be back on target faster...particularly when considering a new shooter that hasn’t learned how to master recoil.

But, I do agree—it’s hard to go wrong with either. At the same time, though...I also know from patterning that the pellet spread at realistic in-home distances is often overestimated.

 

[Bassbob]

I guess it does, because at 10’, I get one ragged hole, about 2”...Federal Flite Control #1, 20” Benelli M1 w/IC choke.

I would also point out in a miss, that PCC will be back on target faster...particularly when considering a new shooter that hasn’t learned how to master recoil.

But, I do agree—it’s hard to go wrong with either. At the same time, though...I also know from patterning that the pellet spread at realistic in-home distances is often overestimated.

Certainly nothing I said was meant to apply to new shooters or people who's shotguns have too long of a barrel or a choked barrel. Or using a load designed for a tight pattern.