Home defense

[Mc1100Aero]

Want to get shotgun for in the home for wife. I'm thinking 410 or 12 gauge. Friends have recommended I get 20 gauge but I think to much for her to handle. I have 2- 9 mm lc9 and sigma sv9 which she handles pretty well. Any input her is gladly accepted.:fie:

 

[NavyLCDR]

Let her try different guns and pick out the gun she is going to be shooting.

 

[Rockmc64]

I'm a little confused about your post, makes me wonder if it's legitimate. You state that your concerned whether she could handle a 20 gauge but are considering a 12 gauge shot gun?

 

[Paul_of_TX]

I think maybe the guy posting this is confused. The gauge of the shot gun refers to the bore of the shotgun. The smaller the gauge the larger the bore and the more kick it will have. A 10 gauge will have more kick than a 12 gauge while a 20 gauge will have less kick than a 12 gauge. A 20 gauge is common for boys to use hunting since it kicks less than the more common 12 gauge. A 20 gauge would be a good choice for your wife but I would have her try out a 12 gauge with some low recoil rounds to see if she could handle it.

 

[Mc1100Aero]

Sry I twisted the gauges around. It is a legit post. She's never shot a shotgun before.

 

[jameshd]

Best thing to do is let her try out different gauges, different styles, different everything. It will be her gun; she should choose.

 

[NavyLCDR]

The smaller the gauge the larger the bore and the more kick it will have.

That is not universally true. There are many more factors that determine the amount of felt recoil than only the gauge.

 

[bofh]

Coincidentally, I just fondled a Mossberg 590 A1 today (it's past midnight, so yesterday). I really love it and will likely get the Magpul version.

As for handling the recoil, this is mostly a training problem for a home defense shotgun. (If you are shooting skeet, then the 12-gauge recoil gives you a nice sore shoulder.) Proper shouldering and stance are important.

Try before you buy is the best advice.

 

[jtg452]

When you take her shotgun shopping, remember that shotguns are laid out with the average American male in mind. If she's not on the tall side for a woman (5"9" or taller) that shotgun's stock is going to be too long for her. That's going to stretch her arm out and screw up her ability to form the pocket that the butt needs to sit in when the gun's shouldered. Shooting a shotgun that's too long in Length of Pull is like trying to run a marathon in shoes a couple sizes too big. It can be done but it's going to be painful and far from enjoyable. If you get the stock cut to fit her (length of pull, cant, ..), she should be able to handle a 12 gauge easily.

If the recoil is still a bit much for her, along with tailoring the load selected, look into a recoil reducer like a Dead Mule and a good recoil pad. They make 2 kinds of Dead Mules, one goes in the magazine and the other goes in the butt stock. Since this gun's intended for HD, I'd drill the hole and mount it in the butt if you end up having to go this route and get a good recoil pad fitted at the same time. I've seen women that were 5 foot nothing and weighed a buck and change run the crap out of a pump 12 gauge after the gun was set up to fit them.

If you end up having to shoot the gun, having it set up for her is less of an issue. Shooting a gun that's a little too short is much easier than shooting one that's too long.

 

[indyyy]

Those of you suggesting try before you buy - it may be hard to do with a shotgun, - depending on where one lives I suppose. The range I go to allows shotguns, but it's just a range and doesn't sell guns. And the stores I know of that sell guns sell rifles and shotguns, but they only allow handguns to be fired in their indoor ranges. Unless the OP happens to know friends that own shotguns he could borrow and shoot at a farm or in the desert or something it might be hard to try before he buys. I have this dilemna in Indyland anyway - any ideas on how to go about trying different shotguns in this situation? I haven't asked at the gun store if they rent shotguns there, but I can't shoot one there, so I doubt they let people take rented guns out the door - they rent handguns at the store to try in their indoor ranges, not to take out the door.

 

[Rhino]

You don't need a range to fire a shotgun, or even to rent one for that matter. Find somebody that owns one that'll let you shoot it. There are lots of ways to find such a person. Since the OP lives in Ohio, he could probably find someone of the OFCC or Buckeye Firearms forums to accomplish that.

 

[gclem]

Have you considered the judge by taurus shoots 410 or 45 shells in it is a pistol my be easier for her to handle if she's already familiar with your handguns.

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[Shockwave]

In my experience (yours could be different), the "little lady" doesn't want a .22 or .380 pop gun. She wants something that will pick the bad guy up and spin him around a couple times.

So you go to the range, let her try out some different firearms, and I'll be danged if she doesn't wind up liking the .357. "But the 12-gauge kicks like a mule" you say. And in fact, the 12 gauge is just a fun gun to shoot. Plasters a silly grin on your face and the average woman enjoys it just fine. Go for the big bore and see how it works out. In most cases, a woman will make the same decision you do - knockdown power all the way.

 

[MDT]

Before she goes shopping, she should try different shotguns .410, 12, 20, etc. Realize that fitting a shotgun to a woman is different than a man. Women have longer necks, shorter arm lengths, and of course, defferent upper body designs. Find someone who specifically knows how to fit a shotgun to a woman. That will help. BTW, I do not know WHY your wife needs a shotgun for self defense. The layout of my home does not make using one very easy.

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[NavyLCDR]

Have you considered the judge by taurus shoots 410 or 45 shells in it is a pistol my be easier for her to handle if she's already familiar with your handguns.

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Have you ever shot a Judge? If you have then you should understand how worthless it is for self defense with 410 shells and .45 LC self defense rounds are pretty hard to find unless you roll your own.

 

[tcox4freedom]

I think maybe the guy posting this is confused. The gauge of the shot gun refers to the bore of the shotgun. The smaller the gauge the larger the bore and the more kick it will have. A 10 gauge will have more kick than a 12 gauge while a 20 gauge will have less kick than a 12 gauge. A 20 gauge is common for boys to use hunting since it kicks less than the more common 12 gauge. A 20 gauge would be a good choice for your wife but I would have her try out a 12 gauge with some low recoil rounds to see if she could handle it.

Plus 1+

--- and--- a 410 isn't a gauge. It's a "bore".

Don't readily dismiss a 12ga. Most people can handle them with a little instruction.

The op needs to understand that a 20ga will have less recoil than the 12ga. It is even likely to have less recoil than a 410 depending on the model chosen. IMHO- It's hard to go wrong with a 20ga youth model for most women.

-

 

[Rhino]

In my experience (yours could be different), the "little lady" doesn't want a .22 or .380 pop gun. She wants something that will pick the bad guy up and spin him around a couple times.

I assume you're just using that line for effect, since any gun that will pick the bad guy up and spin him around a couple times would do the same thing to her when she fired it. Guns only do that in Hollywood.

 

[gclem]

Navy LCDR was just giving him options not pushing the judge on anyone , put simply the choice should be left to the lady.

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[Peggy Reist]

Best thing to do is let her try out different gauges, different styles, different everything. It will be her gun; she should choose.

What would you recommend for someone who has never shot a long gun at all and doesn't have the opportunity to try out any? A shotgun, not very long (for close quarters), recoil not a big deal, but something effective.

 

[indyyy]

a 410 isn't a gauge. It's a "bore".

Interesting - I don't know very much about rifle and shotgun calibers / gauges but am starting to learn. I do know what 22, 22lr, and 22 magnum are. I came across these shotgun / rifle combo's while googling shotguns and they call 410 a 'gauge' :

Link Removed

So... maybe some of you could help educate some of us who don't know much. Since 410 is a bore and not gauge, does this mean rifles come in 410 bore in different gauges (12, 20,etc. gauges). Or is it a bore specific to a certain gauge, or a rifling bore for rifles and not shotguns? If I understand these Rossi combo's right - the first rifle on the list is a 410 / 22 combo- this should mean one barrel shoots 22 caliber ammo and the other shotgun shells. Is it likely I would choose what gauge I wanted with the combo, or is the 410 bore made for a specific gauge ?