Ithaca! Ithaca! Hmm…doesn’t have quite the same ring (or connotation) as Attica! Attica! did in Dog Day Afternoon, but we may soon b. hearing chants of Ithaca! Ithaca! from shotgun aficionados across the country because Ithaca (the gun manufacturer) has risen from the ashes to once again produce the Model 37 Defense, the storied shotgun of police and military fame.
Wingmaster 870
I need a new wingman…uh…Wingmaster.
In my continuing effort to come up with a workable home defense strategy, some time back I bought a shotgun. Actually, let me be more specific. Sometime ago, I bought a shotgun to keep a borderline-homicidal, certifiably-crazy, martial-arts expert former roommate of mine from killing me. Curious? Well it was a curious story, and bears directly on my sad personal history with shotguns. To wit…
Coming Soon: Is a Shotgun Your Best Bedroom Defense Weapon?
RF and I got to talking the other day about defending your castle in the middle of the night. Assume that you’re sound asleep and you hear a noise. You’re in bed. NOW what do you do? Let’s also asume you’re armed. What do you have next to the bed? Shotgun? Handgun? Baseball bat? All of the above? (That would be me, actually.) We’ve been talking to the helpful, friendly folks at Taurus, makers of the “Judge” line of revolvers that shoot both .45 Colt ammo and the oft-overlooked .410 shot shells. Our Taurus rep opined that the best shotgun for home defense is a Taurus Judge – because it’s both a handgun and a shotgun. This got me to thinking. What would happen if you had to defend your home, starting from a sound sleep? Could you effectively rack a shotgun and bring it to bear? What about semi-auto or revolver? What about stopping power? And then there’s that aiming thing. What if I miss? Would shooting double-aught buck help?
Get a Grip: Shotguns for Self-Defense
I’m the proud owner of a (rebuilt) Remington Wingmaster 870. I’m not a “shotgun guy” – but I’m learning. I bought it at a pawn shop, to be used for home defense. I immediately took it to a gunsmith I trust, who rebuilt it from the ground up – took it from what looked like an abused weapon to one that runs and runs and runs. He also added a magazine extension tube, shortened the barrel to within an inch of the legal limit, added a front sight, and cleaned it up. That was stage one. Now I’m perfectly happy shooting it as it is. But my dad had trouble dealing with it’s length/weight (he’s 84), and the rest of my family is not built like I am (6’4″, 235 or so lbs.). So it looks like I’m in the market for some parts for the venerable 870. No problem…Midway USA to the rescue. But not so fast, buck-o. The Mighty Wingmaster is apparently the shotgun version of a Jeep Wrangler – or what the AR-15 is to carbines – a platform that allows, nay encourages you to modify it in almost any way you can imagine.
I’m looking at a pistol grip, a folding stock, and an adjustable stock. All three offer advantages – and disadvantages. Here are the three I’m considering:
