Many members of TTAG’s Armed Intelligentsia — your correspondent included — keep a 12-gauge shotgun for home defense. As I’ve pointed out many times, it’s a fearsome weapon. But it’s not without its disadvantages . . .
Set aside questions about using a two-handed weapon for self-defense (in terms of having a free hand to call the cops, push friendlies out of the way, turn on lights, etc.). A 12-gauge shotgun is louder than a jet engine, heavy and recoil intensive — making follow-up shots “problematic.”
The lighter, less recoil-generating “humble” .410 shotgun is a viable alternative. But don’t take my word for it. lcvalley.dailyfly.com:
The alleged murder of a 23-year-old Orofino woman Monday evening centered around a boyfriend that the victim and alleged suspect had in common, according to Clearwater County Court documents . . .
Culpitts is accused of knocking on the door of a residence in the 12000 block of Laqa Avenue and immediately shooting Samantha S. Fignani in the pubic area with a .410 shotgun that is described in court documents as “sawed off.” The incident happened at about 7:23 p.m. Monday. Colpitts has reportedly denied doing the shooting, officials say.
According to court documents, an autopsy found that Fignani was “shot in the abdomen with a .410 shotgun round which…severed an artery, and entered a lung and the stomach.”
Did I say cold-blooded? Yes I did.
“[Getaway driver Cassie] Madsen said [Colpitts] was laughing as she walked back to the car and stated, “I got her.” Madsen said Colpitts told her that Sam would live though because she shot her in the groin area,” according to reports.
Not so much. But the point remain: a .410 is a perfectly viable shotgun alternative to a 12-gauge, and easier for practice.