Double-barrel vs Pump for self-defense ?

[hogdogs]

I am quite certain that by the time I silently cycle a round to the chamber of my Mossberg 500 and drop the hammer... All will be safe here... i will have a fresh pot of coffee brewed for the folks in uniform to sip as they do their "follow up" work.... The only thing that sucks, is I doubt I will be allowed to return to bed as the wife supervises cleanup.... I will be a grumpy little princess all the next day and when I finally get to my own bed, mrs.h-dogs will throttle anyone who tries to wake me! She knows just how important "BEAUTY SLEEP" is to me... and she really hates to see me pouting!
Brent

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Think Clint Smith has said a few positive words and had his picture made with a double-barrel shotgun lately.

Yeah, I liked how the light was rubberbanded to the barrels.

 

[NeroBrandt]

Yeah, I liked how the light was rubberbanded to the barrels.

Only the best...

 

[WVfishguy]

Hammer1: There were some of the new Stoeger double-barrels with picatinny rails for lasers and such. They also have the barrels ported.

I was looking at one of those the other day, but I didn't notice the ported barrel.

I LOVED the way the Stoeger handled; light & handy. I may end up getting one, eventually.
I feel fine with a double barrel for HD.

In the meantime, I have my pumps.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I go with the pump. 2 rounds is great if there are only one or two BGs. but as is often the case in my area, BGs travel in packs, we call 'em gangs, maybe the term will catch on.
Anyway, I feel much better about 5 or 6 shots before a reload versus only 2.

 

[Gary L. Griffiths]

Anyway, I feel much better about 5 or 6 shots before a reload versus only 2.

Plus, you can reload (top off) a pump without disabling it.

 

[TylerD45ACP]

How bout an AA12 with the drum magazine. ( I would love to be able to get one.)

 

[Jo6pak]

"racking the slide" does two things:

1.) escalates the scenario

2.) gives away your position

What if there's more than one bad guy?
What if he/they're armed as well?

After racking the slide, you better be ready to put up or shut up

My situation was this....
About fifteen years ago
I awoke to the noise of my apartment door being roughly forced open. I first thought it was my roomate coming home (perhaps a little "hydrated") I sat up in bed and yelled "***?" (I could see the front door from my bedroom.)
It was not my roomate, but rather two rather shady customers entering the living room, undeterred that someone was home. My bedroom is dark, the light is on in the living room. I can see them, they most likely, don't see me very well. I shout "Who the F are you", roll over, grab my 870 and jump out of bed. The first guy is still moving slowly towards my room, trying to see into the darkness.
I shoulder the scattergun, and pump the first round into acton.....
The guy stops in his tracks(I can still see his saucer sized eyeballs bulging out as he hears the sound of impending doom), yells "F@#k man, run!" as the two beat feet out the door.

No fear, no reaction, untill they hear "That sound."
And yes I was ready to "put up"

I agree there are times when you don't want to announce your position, but if you're going to issue a challenge, there is aren't many better ways to make it clear than with the "sound of security"

 

[WARRIOR I]

I rest my case.

 

[TX Hunter]

To me it would be hard to beat a Compact Mosberg 12 Guage Pump for self defense.
The controlls are in all the right places, and it is easy to top of extra rounds.
With my Mosberg I can go from empty shotgun, to fired round very quickly.
I would rather use one of these than a double barrel.

 

[Hammer1]

.

Do those of you who depend on the sound of the racking of the pump action slide to change the scenario...

Also carry your 1911 without one in the chamber and rack the 1911 slide to alter the scenario ?


.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I keep the chamber of my shotgun empty for safety reasons (kids in the house) and my pistol the same way. Still, in the event of an intruder, I still give a warning just to make sure it's not family dropping by unexpectedly. Be kinda hard to explain to mom why her other son is dead because I jumped the gun.

I don't expect the sound of the action to scare away the BG, but the sound does harden my resolve. If I'm willing to rack it, I'm willing to blast it.

Bottom line, the only way I'm going to alter a scenario for sure is firing the weapon.

 

[Scattergun Bob]

Hammer1

I try hard not to enter into arguments on this forum. It is not worth the time on my part. However at a point enough is enough.

First, in my days as a combatant in the military, 1911's WERE carried in a condition of hammer down, chamber empty, loaded magazine. SO I am not sure what your point is.

Cruiser ready, (LOOK it up if you do not know what condition of readiness that is), has been in effect with every large agency and local LE for over twenty years, for a very simple reason, People make mistakes under stress!!!

The act of charging a pump action fighting scattergun IS the way professionals prepare the weapon for combat, it is not for the effect of the "sound". If in fact it causes a passive response of the enemy, so much the better, it is, what it is, an escalation to ready for war status.

Any individual who believes this is folly, is simply a "want to be". enough said.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

A short double sure handles better than a pump with extended magazine!

 

[Scattergun Bob]

Bill

I agree, the plus of a double is that folks don't get carried away with hanging all kinds of stuff on them. What you are left with is a quick, light, point-able weapon. Everything is a trade off or a compromise, it's up to the individual to figure out what best fits his needs.

Good Luck & Be safe

 

[Fifth Wheel]

I'll stick with my ardent belief that, if I am facing a life-threatening situation, I plan to deal with the threat as quickly and quietly as I can. I don't plan to pump the action to notify "Here I Am!" I also carry my 1911 cocked and locked.

Re pumping the action and giving away your position, the following is from a member of Get Off the X Forum:

I have seen literally hundreds of fatal gun shot wounds on people that came into the State Medical Examiner's Office. Of all of the wounds the shotgun did the most damage compared to all of the other caliber/weapon types that I have seen. As to the myth that working the pump on a pump action shotgun will scare the bad guys to death I had an old police officer set the record straight. He had worked a shooting where the homeowner tried the work the pump on the shotgun to scare the bad guy away. The homeowner was in his bedroom with the door closed. Right after he worked the pump on his shotgun he heard a metallic click then several rounds came flying through the door from the side where the bad guy was located. The metallic click was the safety on an AK being switched off in response to the home owner chambering a round in his shotgun. The guys here are right the only sound the bad guy should hear is the report of the weapon when you shoot them. Sorry for the long post.

 

[TylerD45ACP]

1911 is alway in Condition One. Cocked and locked, baby. I dont know why carrying like that makes people uncomfortable honestly.

 

[Casparado]

I've got all 3 types:
Double barrel side by side, total safe queen
Pump 2+1 long barrel for hunting
and my favorite, the Mossberg 930-SPX 7+1 semi-auto for HD/SD
You can probably guess which gets the most use/play

 

[hardworker]

I would feel just as confident with either honestly. I don't envision myself getting in any epic shootouts where more than a shot or two is needed. Besides, who's gonna stick around after that first barrel goes off?

 

[headbangerJD]

I was always under the impression that a 12ga pump shotgun was the ideal HD weapon. But, I've recently purchased a SxS shotgun and besides the fact that it is limited to 2 shots, i think that it would make just as good a HD weapon as my Mossberg 590A1. The reason being is that SxS are usually shorter overall than similar pumps (except for pistol grips), extremely reliable, and offer a higher rate of fire. The downside is capacity.

So, what's the better shotgun for home defense? Well, it's all up to you.