Best Choice for Home Defense AND 3-Gun Shotgun?

[Nalapombu]

Hey all,

I would like to ask you guys and gals your thoughts on what would be the best choice for a shotgun that is a capable performer in 3-gun as well as HOME DEFENSE? A lot of us can't go out and buy a dedicated 3-gun shotgun and would like to start with a home defense shotgun. I am currently looking for a HD shotgun and have always wanted to shoot 3-gun and try it and I have read a few posts here about some of the lower cost shotguns.

I don't see why a good HD shotgun couldn't serve as your 3-gun shotgun for quite a while if you choose that route. In fact, for someone like me I think it would be better to have a shotgun for HD that you also use in these gun shooting matches on occasion. What better way to get familiar and used to operating your HD shotgun in a tense situation than in a match?

Of course I know there have to be some out there that use pump shotguns, and I wouldn't mind doing that too. If I can though, I would rather go with a semi. If I later find that it is not in the budget, then I can go with a pump.

So, if you all wouldn't mind, can you tell what low cost shotguns out there would be a good fit for what I am describing? If you have pics of your shotguns that would also be great.

Any info and advice you care to post would be appreciated.

Thanks for the time and help.

nalajr

[ClintDismore]

I like my versa max for both purposes. It is gaining popularity in three gun and I believe it would be suitable for home defense. It is reliable and can be fired from less than perfectly supported positions. I let my brother's idiot friend shoot it and he fired it from his hip. I thought it was silly but I have heard people say that semi auto shotguns will not cycle properly when unsupported. He proved the versa max will but that is my only experience. I'm sure there are others that would work too

[alma]

I think HD pump shotguns are usually less than $300 so it might not be too expensive to get a dedicated one.

I would worry about length of the typical extension tube in my hallways. It's also nice to have a light of some kind mounted on the HD so the setting up might be quite different.

If you were going this route then you could pick up a 21 inch 1301 that could do double duty. I think Benelli also has a short tactical model with a pistol grip that might work well but in ether case I personally would want a shorter tube than the typical 9-10 rounds.

[Alaskapopo]

Hey all,

I would like to ask you guys and gals your thoughts on what would be the best choice for a shotgun that is a capable performer in 3-gun as well as HOME DEFENSE? A lot of us can't go out and buy a dedicated 3-gun shotgun and would like to start with a home defense shotgun. I am currently looking for a HD shotgun and have always wanted to shoot 3-gun and try it and I have read a few posts here about some of the lower cost shotguns.

I don't see why a good HD shotgun couldn't serve as your 3-gun shotgun for quite a while if you choose that route. In fact, for someone like me I think it would be better to have a shotgun for HD that you also use in these gun shooting matches on occasion. What better way to get familiar and used to operating your HD shotgun in a tense situation than in a match?

Of course I know there have to be some out there that use pump shotguns, and I wouldn't mind doing that too. If I can though, I would rather go with a semi. If I later find that it is not in the budget, then I can go with a pump.

So, if you all wouldn't mind, can you tell what low cost shotguns out there would be a good fit for what I am describing? If you have pics of your shotguns that would also be great.

Any info and advice you care to post would be appreciated.

Thanks for the time and help.

nalajr

A three gun shotgun would be find for home defense just add a good weapon light like a rail attachment for a Surefire X300 ultra. Our shotguns tend to be longer than you would want for moving around but frankly you should not be trying to search out your house playing a one man swat team anyway. Hold up in the safe room with the shotgun pointed at the door. A Benelli M2 or a Remington Versamax would do fine.

Pat

Edited December 23, 2013 by Alaskapopo

[co-exprs]

Same opinion here. Any 3gun shotgun is suitable, but don't run the magazine too long, or it becomes unwieldy in the tight confines of the home. My personal preference is my do it all 24" Benelli Super Nova. For several reasons. It's extremely reliable and easy to maintain. The pump action gives you just enough time to think before putting another hole in your house and the pumping sound is really scary. Also... If you do find yourself in need of using it to defend your home, you are only out $400-$500, because it will be confiscated as evidence. It also makes a great hunting shotgun. I use mine for ducks and geese. Novas are ugly, but they are the Glocks of the shotgun world.

[Moltke]

Pick the right tool for the right job.

The problem that you may run into is size / length issue. Personally I have a dedicated competition shotgun, and a dedicated HD shotgun, and decided that a "do all" gun truly optimizes nothing.

If you want to go this route then pick a tactical shotgun you like and buy a high capacity extension to use in competitions for additional capacity.

[CHLChris]

I'm very interested in this topic because my current--and only--shotgun is a Mossy 590a1. Without any choke at all, it really wouldn't be very effective in 3-gun for targets a little farther off. I think a shotgun with a removable/changeable choke would be best for 3-Gun.

On the other hand, I'm looking at what I've done to game my Glock 35 for competition and now it ain't all that great for home defense. If I bought a shotgun for 3-Gun, I'd probably end up wanting to adjust it for gaming, making it a little less than perfect for HD.

[Alaskapopo]

The size issue is over stated a bit in my opinion. Yes it harder to move around with a longer gun. But it can be done with training and like I said earlier you should be if at all possible holding up in a room and letting the bad guy come to you if he is stupid enough to do so. When you go looking for him you lose the advantage.

Pat

[chevyoneton]

Trick out your 3-Gun shotgun to your liking for the game, and pick up a used Rem 870 or Moss 500 for HD, and add a light to it. And yes, this is exactly what I did.

[rtp]

Alaska and others pretty much got it all covered.

FWIW, I went through the same thinking process, as I don't particularly want numerous shotguns - I'd rather spend $ on more pistols, rifles, or optics. If I come across a $150 590 one day, I'd surely jump on it, but meanwhile, my 3 gun 22" JM pro serves both roles, although it may be beaten out by my bull pup rifle. I added a tiny rail section onto the JM (Nordic made) barrel clamp, so have light covered..but it's still a ~42"+ long weapon.

Pick your compromise...'ideal' might be something like a 20"-ish barrel holding 8+1, which would probably work out to closer to 21"...then be a bit less than ideal for 3 gun, depending on who you're competing against..

As Alaskapopo said, though - in reality, if we hear a bump in the night, most of us wouldn't/shouldn't be considering house clearing if at all possible, so failing that, barrel length just isn't as relevant.

[Jesse Tischauser]

I won't run an inferior gun in a match why would I use anything but my match guns for HD? Or guns similar to my match guns without all the raged edge of reliability mods. I run an M1 Benelli for HD. It's an SBS with a compact XRail on it.

http://www.gunzoo.com/vault/JesseTischauser

Edited December 29, 2013 by Jesse Tischauser