Bean Bag ammo...?

[Renfield]

Is bean bag ammo (for shotguns) a good idea for civilian home defense? I have a 5-shot Mossberg, and I'd like to make the first 2 rounds bean bags, and the last 3 bird shot.

Is this a good idea, or am I failing to consider something legal?

 

[towboater]

Why bean bags??

 

[towboater]

I have 00 buckshot in my home defense shotgun

 

[muccione]

Not good.
If you shoot to injure than your life was NOT in danger.
In defensive shooting you must feel your life was in danger.

 

[TacticalPirate]

At typical engagement distances within a home, the bean bag round has an excellent chance of being lethal. You also have to factor in the equation the aggressor's level of pain tolerance, something that adrenaline or drugs can increase markedly. If you are presented in with a threat in your own home, and it requires a firearm to resolve, wouldn't you want to resolve it in a manner that ensures the safety of yourself and your family?

 

[mastrheadhunter]

bean bags?

no offense or disrespect meant, but if someone is breaking into my home, i consider it a threat against my life and my family's life. Bean bags? uh THAT WOULD BE A NO. Use real...live....ammo. I have 3 pistols and a shot gun...first thing im reaching for is my Glock .45 complete with a set of 13 hollow points (not rubber bullets)in the clip and one in the pipe and i wont have a problem emptying the clip into someone that breaks into my home.

so what you are saying to the intruder...i know you are hear to rob me, rape my wife, and possibly hurt my children, but i really don't want to kill you because of that so I'll shoot you with bean bags and when you wake up and get out of jail you can come over and try your luck again. Really? like the guys on ESPN Sunday football countdown say....C'MON MAN.

 

[Glock Fan]

Is bean bag ammo (for shotguns) a good idea for civilian home defense? I have a 5-shot Mossberg, and I'd like to make the first 2 rounds bean bags, and the last 3 bird shot.

Is this a good idea, or am I failing to consider something legal?

Bird shot? Seriously? Anytime you're gonna use a firearm for "home defense", it will be considered "lethal force" regardless of what you have the shotgun loaded with (or even if it's not loaded). Being that one of the cardinal rules of firearms safety is "Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.", one would be safe to assume that ANY gun aimed at them is real and loaded. With that said, why take chances that the BG will overpower you and use your shotgun against you and your family? Load your firearms with the appropriate ammunition for the purpose you're using it. If you're hunting birds, then bird shot is an excellent choice. For home defense, you would want to use 00 or 000 buck shot. Slugs are another option, however may result in over penetration depending on the construction and layout of your home.

If you haven't done so already, take the appropriate firearms courses (basic, personal defense, etc.). Keep in mind that not all courses are offered by the NRA. Many non-NRA courses are excellent for their intended purposes. What you don't want to do is believe a bunch of stuff you've read on the internet. Consider the source and seriously evaluate what you are reading. I've seen a lot of very BAD info posted in various places online.

 

[Firefighterchen]

If you feel taking a life is something you do not wish to do, that is fine as long as that is your decision. Someone breaking into your home, as has been stated, is threat enough for using deadly force. Seeing as you decided against deadly force for a reason, I would suggest using a method you feel comfortable with that has the best chances of incapacitation (just remember all these weapons are less lethal, not non lethal).

Talk with a self defense attorney, instructors, and other like minded individuals, and YOU decide what will work best for you, and what your defense will be like if you have to go to court over your actions.

If you have no problem going lethal, I would suggest going lethal immediately.

Less lethal: tazer, baton, bean bags, large flashlight...you pick.

Lethal: 00 buck if you aren't worried about negligent misses. 04 buck if you don't want to completely penetrate walls (apartment or kids in other rooms). Slugs for anything over 30 yards away (subject to change depending on equipment, doubtful that civilians will be making that shot, but not out of the realm of possibilities)

 

[alduane]

Nothing legal just common sense.You shouldn't fire unless you are in danger of death or serious harm. At that point you should stop the threat which bean bag or bird shot may not be effective at doing. Use a round that will end the threat which to my mind would be buckshot.

 

[gunnerbob]

If you have moral beliefs that prevent you from taking a life, then you are well suited using bean bags rounds and birdshot.

If you do not have beliefs that prevent you from taking a life, bean bag rounds and birdshot probably aren't your best bet. They'll hurt like hell, but unless used at very close distances, not lethal.

 

[Glock Fan]

If you have moral beliefs that prevent you from taking a life, then you are well suited using bean bags rounds and birdshot.

If you do not have beliefs that prevent you from taking a life, bean bag rounds and birdshot probably aren't your best bet. They'll hurt like hell, but unless used at very close distances, not lethal.

I would strongly recommend against using bean bag rounds and bird shot for home defense. If moral beliefs prevent one from employing "lethal force", then other options should be explored. Given the close distances of the average home defense encounter, both bird shot and bean bag rounds are potentially lethal. Maiming a aggressor could lead to a serious lawsuit and cause more legal troubles than they are worth.

 

[Caribou]

You obviously want to protect your family but don't want to hurt anyone. that is a good place to start. Now that you have started you need to develop a defensive mind set. First, realize that you may not get a second shot let alone the third that would, in your example, be the likeliest to stop an intruder. Next, don't assume that because you worry about hurting someone that a felon has the same worries. While you are jacking another bean bag into your shotgun he may well be sending lead toward you. I too prefer buck shoot. Take a class in defensive shotgun. While you are waiting for the class to start read "In the Gravest Extreme" by Massad Ayoob. This is a great book and should be in the library of every gun owner.

 

[Firefighterchen]

I feel that what glock fan and caribou have said something that should be repeated and intensified...

No one here should be telling you that you have to kill someone else. But I do side with the majority here and recommend you reconsider lethal force...until then..

There are better choices for less lethal defense than bean bags. I highly recommend a tazer platform. Have a couple to make sure the bad guy has no chance to get back on his feet. Get one that has projectile barbs and one that you can keep close to your body so the guy can't get close to you or lay a hand on you. Get one that has multiple charges per battery so you aren't lowering the capacity of your defense.

Also take into consideration what Caribou said. The bad guy does not share the feelings you are having. You mean less than whale **** to him. I do not mean to sound like I'm attacking you, but this is the reality of what a criminal thinks of you. You may feel his life is worth something, and you don't wish to end it...but he will not stop from hurting you or your family. I recommend you sit down, and think about how much pain he will do to your family if he gets the chance and not think twice about it, and reconsider using lethal force. If you fear you will regret taking someone's life, remember the bad guy will not regret taking your families life. In all reality, he won't even remember your family during the next robbery. This is your home and family we are talking about. If it's not morals but confidence, train and train and train. Again, no one here should be telling you you should kill someone else...but you need to do what you feel is the best way to defend your family, and not the criminals life.

 

[kelcarry]

Not good.
If you shoot to injure than your life was NOT in danger.
In defensive shooting you must feel your life was in danger.

Thank you muccione for stating the obvious on a ridiculous thread. What is it about imminent danger and using your firearm that Renfield was missing when he authored this waste of time.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Not good.
If you shoot to injure than your life was NOT in danger.
In defensive shooting you must feel your life was in danger.

Thank you muccione for stating the obvious on a ridiculous thread. What is it about imminent danger and using your firearm that Renfield was missing when he authored this waste of time.

Some people aren't wired to kill another. Its really not that hard to understand.

But seeing as how the OP hasn't come back...I guess this thread will die off now.

 

[kelcarry]

Some people aren't wired to kill another. Its really not that hard to understand.

You really can say this with a straight face?---unless I am missing something, this forum is dedicated to talking about firearms and CC and imminent danger. If you cannot kill another who is about to kill you then you are wasting your time replying on the thread and you are wasting other members' time with inane comments. Sound like our dear king who is so happy happy having a dialog with maniacs in the moslem world who cannot wait to cut our throats. If you want to talk about defensive tactics that avoid confrontation, such as SA, or less lethal weapons such as knives, pepper spray etal fine, but when you have a shotgun and someone has broken into your house, you do not invite them to tea and crackers and you do not use bean bags--why you ask? because you will die.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Some people aren't wired to kill another. Its really not that hard to understand.

You really can say this with a straight face?---unless I am missing something, this forum is dedicated to talking about firearms and CC and imminent danger. If you cannot kill another who is about to kill you then you are wasting your time replying on the thread and you are wasting other members' time with inane comments. Sound like our dear king who is so happy happy having a dialog with maniacs in the moslem world who cannot wait to cut our throats. If you want to talk about defensive tactics that avoid confrontation, such as SA, or less lethal weapons such as knives, pepper spray etal fine, but when you have a shotgun and someone has broken into your house, you do not invite them to tea and crackers and you do not use bean bags--why you ask? because you will die.

Apparently you are missing something, that something is that this part of the forum is for less lethal posts. The only one complaining about wasted time is you, and you are more than welcome to not post.

No one is asking for hugs, or tea and crackers. You want an extreme one sided mindset for your argument, go right on ahead, I choose to expand my mind more than that.

 

[walt629]

Okay... I'm the politically incorrect one in the crowd. Bean bag = injury to the bag guy = law suite for bad guy on you for everything your worth. You really need to consider how the judicial system really works in the US. Bad guys are the victims. Didn't you know that?

Slug or buck shot = dead bad guy = messy clean up but no law suit from bad guy. Maybe lawsuit from bad guys Mom claiming Bad guy "was a good boy" but that's a civil issue and not criminal.

Something you really need to take to heart is the decision to have a gun for home defense. You are making a decision that you are willing have made a decision that while defending what is yours you are willing to terminate someone's life who has invaded your space.

If your first thought is to use less than lethal force (bean bags) you haven't fully thought out why it is that you have a gun in the house. You may as well have a fishing net you're going to "snag' the invader with.

 

[longslide10]

00 or #1 buckshot, leave the bean bags to bounty hunters and cops

 

[Firefighterchen]

00 or #1 buckshot, leave the bean bags to bounty hunters and cops

I don't believe 00 or #1 buck are considered less lethal. Only because that's where this thread is, in the less lethal forum.