The Backup!

[KBCraig]

Handguns exist only because it's not very handy to carry a long gun everywhere you go. You carry a handgun to give you a chance to fight your way to your long gun.

[EJinCT]

Think I'd rather have a pistol for a bedside g.t.g.

Handguns are for carrying. Home defense takes a long gun

I worked in a gunstore when I was a teenager. Whenever someone came in for a handgun for home protection, we would steer them towards a shotgun.

Interesting; why?

Even with all the advancement in firearms do you think that policy would still be appropriate?

It is hard for me to come to any general consensus on which is best for all situations; too many unknown factors.

The best weapon, is the one that we can use best, no?

All other things being equal, the long gun (shotgun, rifle) is *much* more powerful, hence capable, than a handgun. One double-ought buck shell, for example, holds around nine .33 calibre pellets. At 1600 feet per second, this is roughly the equivalent of nine shots from a 9mm handgun... with ONE trigger pull from a shotgun.

Projectiles fired from rifles can be even more devastating - above a certain velocity (2000 fps? I forget), the shockwave from a bullet entering and passing through a body can do permanent damage by itself, without the bullet ever touching all the damaged areas. I believe the term is 'hydrostatic shock'.

I see, thanks for the info.

Handguns exist only because it's not very handy to carry a long gun everywhere you go. You carry a handgun to give you a chance to fight your way to your long gun.

Has someone been watching too many action/horror flicks? 

[porcupine kate]

There are several reasons most gun stores recommend a shotgun for home protection.  The first being the noise of loading a round in the chamber will often scare the intruder off.  If you have a real psycho on your hands the fact that more than one projectile comes out of the gun means you are more likely to hit the bad guy under stress.  The final reason I can think of is the projectiles will not go through your walls and into your neighbors place.

[BaRbArIaN]

Well, buckshot probably will go through.  If you use something like #4 shot (bb sized) maybe not.   

[EJinCT]

I typically load/shoot 00 or 01 buck.

Over-penetration and being disarmed ( if clearing is needed.) are my main concerns with S.G.'s in a home defense scenario.

I definitely do not want to be responsible for injuring/killing someone other my intended target; but I also
want enough effective stopping power to stop the unusual perp. ( base-heads/tweakers, body armor wearing thugs, etc...)

[BaRbArIaN]

load your shotgun in the following order: #4 shot, 00 buckshot, slug, buckshot, buckshot, slug.   

If the first shot doesn't stop him, the next should, the slug is to be sure.  :-)

[penguins4me]

Handguns exist only because it's not very handy to carry a long gun everywhere you go. You carry a handgun to give you a chance to fight your way to your long gun.

Has someone been watching too many action/horror flicks?  ;D

I know the last part of KBCraig's post sounds pretty macho, though the core statement is even more applicable in this day and age of "A gun! Eeek, evil!" crazy people: long guns are superior weapons, but they are not nearly as portable as handguns. Thus another old adage comes into play: it is better to have _something_ rather than nothing.

To reiterate: handguns are indeed powerful tools, just not as powerful as long guns.

[penguins4me]

load your shotgun in the following order: #4 shot, 00 buckshot, slug, buckshot, buckshot, slug.   

If the first shot doesn't stop him, the next should, the slug is to be sure.  :-)

The problem with mixing rounds is that most people can't remember how many rounds they've fired even when they're NOT under life-and-death stress. Off the top of my head, here's an example: you're so horribly unlucky that you're the target of a breakin. You hear the thug, hit him with the birdshot which doesn't penetrate enough to stop him, but he ducks into the kids' room to get away from your next few shots, which miss due to the higher traversal speed of your target. In desperation, he grabs one of the kids as a shield. Is your next shot a slug, or is it buckshot?

Then there's the matter of some ammo shooting to different points of aim through the same firearm (buck doesn't go exactly where slugs go, etc.).

It's mostly advised to just pick one type of ammunition per firearm and leave it at that... or at most, one type per magazine.

[Lloyd Danforth]

load your shotgun in the following order: #4 shot, 00 buckshot, slug, buckshot, buckshot, slug.   

If the first shot doesn't stop him, the next should, the slug is to be sure.  :-)

The problem with mixing rounds is that most people can't remember how many rounds they've fired even when they're NOT under life-and-death stress. Off the top of my head, here's an example: you're so horribly unlucky that you're the target of a breakin. You hear the thug, hit him with the birdshot which doesn't penetrate enough to stop him, but he ducks into the kids' room to get away from your next few shots, which miss due to the higher traversal speed of your target. In desperation, he grabs one of the kids as a shield. Is your next shot a slug, or is it buckshot?

Then there's the matter of some ammo shooting to different points of aim through the same firearm (buck doesn't go exactly where slugs go, etc.).

It's mostly advised to just pick one type of ammunition per firearm and leave it at that... or at most, one type per magazine.

In the distances inside a house, a hit with birdshot ought to be enough. In that short distance the different loads wouldn't vary much.  If they planned enough to wear armor, they will have started in the kid's room.

[Riddler]

Think I'd rather have a pistol for a bedside g.t.g.

Handguns are for carrying. Home defense takes a long gun

I disagree w/ this bedside s.g scenario..picture lying in bed & having to maneuver a long gun into a firing position, while chambering a round. A semi-auto sidearm w/ laser sighting would be much better. They make a bed-mounted holster as well. Boo-yah

[EJinCT]

load your shotgun in the following order: #4 shot, 00 buckshot, slug, buckshot, buckshot, slug.   

If the first shot doesn't stop him, the next should, the slug is to be sure.  :-)

The problem with mixing rounds is that most people can't remember how many rounds they've fired even when they're NOT under life-and-death stress. Off the top of my head, here's an example: you're so horribly unlucky that you're the target of a breakin. You hear the thug, hit him with the birdshot which doesn't penetrate enough to stop him, but he ducks into the kids' room to get away from your next few shots, which miss due to the higher traversal speed of your target. In desperation, he grabs one of the kids as a shield. Is your next shot a slug, or is it buckshot?

IMO, it doesn't matter what the next round is, if the perp has a hostage. As long as that hostage remains unharmed, I'm not sending any shots downrange. That is where I would switch from force to reasoning; especially in the case of a child ( not that it's an issue for me    )

Situations like the one presented are examples of why I feel situational awareness and threat assessment seriously trump hardware.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Fences, alarms, dogs are the place to start

[Riddler]

...still....going around a corner in your house w/ gun barrel sticking out in front of you also gives the perp a chance to grab it & poss. wrestle it away from you. I still say a semi-auto w/ hollow-points & laser sights will be much more effective.. scumbag seeing a red dot on his chest is certainly gonna crap his pants...plus no guessing on placement of rounds.

[penguins4me]

Situations like the one presented are examples of why I feel situational awareness and threat assessment seriously trump hardware.

I agree completely with you. If you can avoid the conflict or cause the would-be intruder to pass you by (thorny hedges, big or loud dogs, lots of lights, simple awareness, etc.), then that is infinitely better than having to confront a thug.

The only reason "fantasizing" comes about largely because when someone wants in, they get in, and split-second decisions under life-or-death stress is not the time to think out a last-chance contingency plan. ;)