OK, let’s talk shotguns.
The shotgun is the ultimate in close quarter combat and home defense. It is basically a point and shoot weapon that even a novice shooter can become proficient with in a relatively short time. Now then, there are several different calibers and many wonderful brands of shotguns available commercially. You can also wind up spending a considerable amount of money trying to purchase the “best” brand of shotgun. The truth of the matter is that you don’t have to spend a boatload of cash to purchase a really good shotgun (you don’t even have to buy a new one). The main thing is to get one that is in good shape and has a good smooth action.
Before picking a shotgun, let’s talk about picking a caliber. Shotguns are designated by gauge (ga). The most common shotgun calibers are the 12 ga, 16 ga, 20 ga, and 410 ga (moving from largest caliber to smallest caliber).
In my opinion, the best two calibers are the 12 ga and 20 ga. The 12 ga is the standard caliber for police and military. 12 ga shotguns are popular for hunters and sport shooters worldwide. The 20 ga is more common for female and youth hunters and sportsmen and is a slightly lighter round. Both caliber shotguns can be chambered either 2 ¾ inch or 3 inch and the 12 ga can also be chambered in 3 ½ inch. (Upon purchasing any shotgun check to make sure the weapon will chamber a 3 inch or 3 ½ inch round as some shotguns are chambered for 2 ¾ inch rounds only).
Both calibers can be purchased in single shot, pump, bolt action, semiautomatic, and even revolving cylinder. For practical purposes, I prefer either a pump action or semiautomatic. Both setups have their advantages and disadvantages.
Pump action setup- The operation of the weapon is simple. A round is loaded into the chamber from the tube magazine located under the barrel by cycling the weapon. Once the weapon has been fired, the operator pulls the forearm to the rear, ejecting the spent cartridge. As the operator pushes the forearm forward, the next round is simultaneously loaded into the chamber. The action is repeated as the operator fires and cycles the weapon.
The pump action setup allows for good control and management of ammunition expenditure. Also, there is no wasted energy from the round as the weapon is cycled manually. The most obvious disadvantage is that the weapon is dependent upon user familiarity and this can cause problems under high stress conditions.
Semiautomatic setup- The operation of the weapon is similar to that of a semiautomatic rifle or handgun. Rounds are loaded into the tube magazine under the barrel and once the weapon is charged it will fire with every pull of the trigger.
The semiautomatic setup allows for rapid fire and fast target transversal without interruption. This feature is a double edge sword as accuracy can be affected due to the weapon’s recoil. Ammunition management also becomes a factor due to the automatic cycling of the weapon. Additionally, the semiautomatic shotgun relies on energy from the round to cycle the weapon so you lose some of the projectile’s muzzle energy.
Alright, so we’ve covered calibers and setup, now let’s talk about barrel length. If you are going to invest in a shotgun, it’s important to make it as versatile as possible. The best way to do this is purchasing a couple of barrels when you buy a shotgun. I suggest buying an 18 inch barrel and a 28 inch barrel for each shotgun. Most barrels are easily switched out and require no tools; it is simply a matter of unscrewing the end of the tube magazine, slipping off one barrel and replacing it with the other. The reason that I recommend two barrels for each weapon is that it will allow you to get the most out of the weapon.
The 18 inch barrel allows for maximum round dispersion on close up targets. Whether you’re hunting for small fast moving game on the ground or in the air the short barrel allows the round to disperse rapidly at close range giving the shooter more of a chance at hitting the target with a fast shot. You can see where this would also be beneficial in a self-defense scenario. The ability to simply point and shoot at close range gives the shooter an advantage in high stress situations and allows for a larger margin of error.
The 28 inch barrel pushes the shotguns accuracy out considerably and allows the shooter to engage targets at a greater distance. This is beneficial for hunting larger or more elusive game. From a defensive standpoint, the longer barrel allows more accuracy at greater distance when firing multi-shot ammunition.
Now let’s talk brands, I prefer Remington, Mossberg, and Browning in that order. All are good shotguns, and very reliable. Mossberg is the most reasonably priced, with Remington coming in slightly higher. Browning is a quality shotgun but will put more of a bite in your wallet, Browning is also vastly more complex when it comes to breaking them down for maintenance or repair (and that’s something to think about). There are other good shotguns on the market, Benelli and Beretta are two that come to mind, but in my opinion they function no better than my reasonably priced favorites.
I guess this means rifles are next..............
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