“That is one of the only defensive situation(s) where (a shotgun) shines above an AR-15, the other being an attack on your home by people made up of sporting clays.” So sayeth Patrick R. at The Firearm Blog.As you’d expect, his article Have Shotguns Jumped The Shark? I Think So has baited many a click. Patrick takes one look at the spate of newfangled bullpup scatterguns (e.g., a snake-skinned DP-12 above), throws up a little in his metaphorical mouth and pronounces T.O.D. on the home defense shotgun.
Not so fast, Mr. Bond.
I understand the advantages of a rifle for home defense: capacity, accuracy, portability, etc. But a shotgun is a fearsome weapon for defending kith and kin. Loaded with double-ought buck, it’s as close to a one-shot conversation stopper as money can buy. If you’re using a gun to defend a space — as opposed to gathering friendlies or room clearing — a shotgun is ideal.
Shotguns are also relatively cheap and relatively foolproof (I recommend a good semi-automatic). As someone who’s stared at the business end of a 12-gauge — whose barrels resembled the entrance to the Holland tunnel — I can tell you that they’re the dictionary definition of commonly available ballistic intimidation. And you can use them for sporting clays.
In short, The Firearm Blog’s report of the home defense shotgun’s demise may be a little premature. As if you didn’t know.
