The Pros and Cons of a Home-Defense Pump Shotgun

By Jeremy Stafford

Is the pump gun still relevant in today’s home-defense toolbox? As an unabashed lover of both flavors of scattergun, my answer might be a little surprising. I think that most people should use something else. To be used effectively, the shotgun must be mastered. It’s not a sloppy tool that merely needs to be pointed in the general direction of the bad guy, nor is it a magical talisman that will send a bad guy running at the very sound of its action being cycled (in the case of a pump action). It has prohibitive recoil, it is slow to reload, its distance is limited and it’s heavy.

While all these things are true, I still love it. You know why? Because at typical home-defense distances, there is nothing that hits like a load of 12-gauge buckshot. One press and the target gets nine to 12 projectiles at once. That’s stopping power.

Most people won’t put in the work to master the shotgun, and for them, this isn’t the right tool. You’ll be much better off with a pistol or carbine. For those of you who want to run the tube, read and heed.

CHOOSE

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Source:: Guns and Ammo