We live in a time full of options. Technology, particularly when it comes to firearms, has advanced significantly. With every fine tweak, reliability and functionality increase in the gun world. Yet, sometimes the simplest things really are the best. Long touted as the best home defense weapon, the shotgun has certainly earned its reputation. Today we’re going to examine self defense shotguns. Are they the right option for your needs?
Types of Shotguns
For simplicity’s sake, we’ll break down types of shotguns into three categories. There are pump-action shotguns, the most prolific. There are semi-automatic shotguns, which function just like any other semi-automatic firearm. Lastly, there are break-action shotguns. These include side-by-side, over-under, and single shot models.
While a break-action model is certainly better than nothing, these shotguns are optimized for sport over personal protection. For the time being, we’ll discount those models and focus on the other two; pump-action and semi-automatic. Either of these options are great self defense shotguns!
Pump-Action Shotguns
These are probably what most people envision when they hear ‘shotgun’. You load rounds into a magazine tube. To chamber a round, the action, controlled by the ‘pump’, is slid down toward the butt of the gun and then driven forward to its starting position. You must do this to chamber each individual round. At first glance this may seem like a significantly slower option than any semi-automatic firearm. Yet, with proper training, you can achieve impressively fast speeds with a pump-action shotgun. Similarly, reloading a pump-action shotgun(with a little bit of practice, of course), is far from slow.
Another advantages include reliability. You work the action of a pump-action shotgun manually. This means there is less to go wrong mechanically. This reliability can be crucial in a self-defense situation. The last thing you want is your gun to malfunction while you are protecting yourself and your family. Reliability is a top priority when looking at self defense shotguns.
Semi-Automatic Shotguns
As was stated above, a semi-automatic shotgun functions just like any other semi-automatic firearm. You pull the trigger once to fire one round.. You don’t need to manually work a bolt or pump to chamber the next round. The advantages of design are clear. You only need to worry about keeping the shotgun loaded and pulling the trigger. You don’t need to balance working the action and keeping the shotgun on target.
So Which One?
As with so many of these things, the ultimate deciding factor is personal preference. Practicing with whichever shotgun you choose is the most guaranteed way to improve! There are other considerations, however, when talking about self defense shotguns.
You want a weapon-mounted light for your shotgun, especially if you are keeping it for home defense. You are responsible for every round you fire from your weapon. Properly identifying your target is imperative. You also need a way to carry additional rounds. Most shotgun magazine tubes only hold between five and nine rounds. Having backup ammunition, whether stored in a pouch or on a holder on the butt of the gun, is important.
Practicing with any firearm is the key to success! There are a ton of great gear options available, but without proper practice, none of it matters. To help with all your firearms requirements, head over to Spring Guns and Ammo. With three convenient locations, and a team of knowledgeable experts, we’re ready to help with all your self defense shotguns needs!
