The Shotgun Is The Most Neglected Weapon In Our Arsenal

[ericire12]

http://www.ammoland.com/2009/04/29/the-shotgun-is-the-most-neglected-weapon-in-our-arsenal/

Berryville, AR - -(AmmoLand.com)- Have you been to your local sporting goods or gunshop lately? Have you tried to find 5.56 or 9mm ammunition? Likely it was a frustrating experience.

My local WalMart who normally has a fairly well stocked sporting goods section now has bare shelf space where once was a wide variety of ammunition. Management confirms that the warehouses are empty and that what little does come in is allocated to several stores in the region so everyone gets a little.

If WalMart, the nations largest ammo retailer is in this fix what does that say for the small Mom and Pop gunshops? The frenzy that is driving this shortage is not likely to get better in the near future either.

The one thing that is available however, at least at present is shotshells. The shotgun is one of the most neglected weapons in our arsenal of defensive firearms.

We think of the Carbine and Pistol as being more fun or sexy to shoot and tend to leave the scattergun at home when range time comes around. With the price of rifle ammo skyrocketing many shooters are forced to cut way back on their consumption. I was used to shooting a couple hundred rounds of 5.56 a week and now only shoot around fifty in carefully selected drills designed to get the most out of my training.

    Many trainers are seeing attendance drop and classes not filling due to the rising costs and availability of ammo.

Back to the shotgun….., at least for now we should take the opportunity to stock up on training ammo and dust off the shotguns and get back up to speed on this very versatile tool.

Think about it, the shotgun from the days of Leonardo DaVinci has fed our families, patrolled our streets, defended our homes, and fought our wars for hundreds of years virtually unchanged in concept of a multiple projectile weapon.

Given the wide variety of ammunition available, the typical defensive shotgun can do a fine job either protecting the homefront or putting food on the table. I feel that the best training ammo is birdshot either 7 ½ or 8 shot. This can also be used for small game so putting away a goodly supply will serve you well.

At this time it is still found at decent prices as all the manufactures have promotional ammo for sale in bulk. This could change at any time so if you are even remotely thinking of buying a shotgun for defensive use you should act now and stock up.

Another consideration is politically, the shotgun will probably be the last weapon to be regulated if another AWB should take effect. So take advantage of the chance to get the scattergun to the range.

Rob Haught:
Veteran Law Enforcement Officer
Firearms Trainer for civilian, law enforcement and military
IDPA National Champion

[Texas_Bryan]

I was totally think the same thing, in fact, I've been researching a shot gun build to compete for the role of an AR.  When you think about it, a 8 round shotgun can put down more lead in a shorter time than any AR15, now how a shotgun compares to an AR in delivering that lead is up for debate, but I don't think that a shotgun would pursue the same role as an AR to begin with.  But you take a Remington 870, Mesa Tactical sight and shell rail, and your choice of holographic sights and you've got quick on target, 12 pellet, or 1.5 oz slug monster.  But again, I understand that the delivery of those rounds is much different than a rifle or carbine.  But if you fight is 75 yards or closer, why not?

P.S. at Wal Mart last night, Winchester Super X slugs 5 rounds  $3.17.

[tumblebug]

1100&1187+1

[Texas_Bryan]

1100&1187+1

I've never really looked at the semi auto shotguns.  Ever sense I was little my old man always told me never to get one, to always go with pump action.  Maybe he's old school, but he has always slammed them for their lack of reliability.  Then again, he's LE and all they've only ever carried 870's.  A person can get pretty quick with a pump action.

[tombogan03884]

I've never really looked at the semi auto shotguns.  Ever sense I was little my old man always told me never to get one, to always go with pump action.  Maybe he's old school, but he has always slammed them for their lack of reliability.  Then again, he's LE and all they've only ever carried 870's.  Are person can get pretty quick with a pump action.

The reliability prejudice is as obsolete with shotguns as with rifles and pistols. HOWEVER, they do require a certain level of pressure to function reliably that may not be provided by specialized munitions such as bean bags that present no problem with pump guns.

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

Prejudice is hard to shake!  I hunted with my uncles and used their guns - mostly Ithica 37.  Their words were always slamming the unreliability of semi-autos in the field.  They worked fine on the range, but take them in the dusty field or sleeting blind and you were in for trouble.  And, don't even ask about the cleaning of the little gas ports.

Today's semi-autos are a different breed, but I am still slow to switch.  I do have a couple Benellis.  I was sold on them by the reliability claims by many owners that I know use their guns on the edge of abuse - that by the way is my way of using a gun.  I want a tool I can take out and use for its intended purpose without pampering it.  Benelli has only let me down once, and that was at the end of a long dusty day in Montana.  I mistakingly over oiled it in the morning, the oil collected dust, and it jammed.  I put the butt on the ground, used my foot to open the action, and poured what was left of the coffee down the muzzle.  A quick blast of WD-40, and away we went.  That evening I stripped it down, dried, cleaned and SPARINGLY oiled, and it has never acted up again.

By the way, I have jammed my pumps on sleet filled mornings in the blind also, and a long day of hunting that involves many load and unload cycles will also jam a pump with plastic shavings.

[tfr270]

Not in mine...I posted up for home defense shotgun advice. Guess what? I have a 870 Wingmaster in the safe. Swap out the vent rib 28" barrel and stock forearm with a new 18" barrel, mag extender, tactical forearm, sidesaddle, and Viola! Home defense shotgun for less than $200. I have a few hundred shells of 2 3/4 12ga and now my safe room has it's artillery piece. And there is still lots of ammo out there locally.

 

[TAB]

I have several 1100  they range from the 60s to modern production.  The only probs I have had were do to lack of maintance( AKA cleaning)  those only come up every once in a blue moon, normally have sveral thousnad rounds between cleaning of the gast system.

[Rob10ring]

My Benelli M1 has never acted up. Luckily, even with light loads.

At last months pistol competition, we had 2 stages that utilized shotguns with slugs. A good number of the guys with pumps had problems with short-stroking as I've mentioned. Some were cops. A couple of guys had problems with forgetting they hadn't racked a round, but pulled the trigger anyway. Under pressure, the pump gun was very reliable, the users weren't. Again, this included cops and retired cops.

About half of the users were using Semi-autos of all types. Among them, there was only one problem and that was a newer Benelli with a low-recoil round.

The shotgun has become my number one home gun, but with primarily birdshot with 2 rounds of 00 at the end. Has anyone seen the Best Defense outtake that was posted, where Rob fired birdshot through the simulated walls? Great stuff! Does anyone have the link to those videos?

[Rob10ring]

I found it.

http://www.downrange.tv/bestdefense/wall-penetration.htm