SxS defense shotgun

I have an O/U HS-12 and love it...I think of it as my so-called "first response HD" gun, realistically it'd be more of a rural wildlife predator gun but that's splitting hairs lol. Besides being ###y as hell I like that it's small, simple easy to load and the big one -it breaks down for storage or carrying and puts together FAST.

Go and build a SXS, it's fun, you did something, helped the gun economy and it has a use and you can still go buy a pump. Very easy decision really.
 
Greenhorse six said:
Love that picture , was hoping you'd show up with it , IIRC , it was Jeff Cooper , who said that a double-barreled shotgun with exposed hammers was the best homestead defense gun , because you could keep it loaded with the hammers down .
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In nearly all short-range shotgun engagements one properly delivered charge is sufficient, and a short double gun has much to be said for it. The classic "lupara," with its 18-inch barrels and exposed hammers, still keeps up with the best as a house gun.
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Jeff Cooper's Commentaries Previously Gunsite Gossip Vol. 3, No. 14 November, 1995

I remember someone recommending coach guns to people in retirement communities for home defense, since there was nothing to confuse the non-firearms enthusiast.
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madashell said:
"because you can keep it loaded with the hammer down" ......

There goes that theory.
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Heisenberg's safe storage:
A string down each barrel with a round at one end. You step back, the rounds get pulled into the chambers, the strings break. Where do I collect my Nobel Peace Prize?

Overhead locker containing unloaded shotgun with strings through barrels. Open locker (bluetooth optional), loaded shotgun falls into your hand.
 
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Another scheme would be shotgun stored open, with strategically placed speedloader
SHELLFINGERMOUNT_preview_tinycard.jpg
attached to a wooden strip attached to the container. As you pull the gun out the shells go into the chambers. You could rig a simple wooden frame to hold the gun and shells in position.
So you can store your gun virtually loaded.

I can load my mag-fed pumps pretty quickly :).
 
Juster said:
Another scheme would be shotgun stored open, with strategically placed speedloader
SHELLFINGERMOUNT_preview_tinycard.jpg
attached to a wooden strip attached to the container. As you pull the gun out the shells go into the chambers. You could rig a simple wooden frame to hold the gun and shells in position.
So you can store your gun virtually loaded.

I can load my mag-fed pumps pretty quickly :).
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That's cool , had to look up "speed loader for SxS" and found something else that should fit the bill almost as good , TUFF QuickStrips , 6 rounds lined up and ready to load , might have to get some and try it .
 
Ive had both short SXS's and short pump guns dedicated to home defence. I regularly took them to the range and practiced. Here are my thoughts:

Your INITIAL time to be ready is way faster with the double barrel. I had a small, 2 round shell holder screwed to the back of my night stand. Grab the gun, swing it open, drop in 2 shells and bang.

A pump on the other hand requires you to remove the round from the saddle and load it, individually, into the tube. Even if your REALLY fast, I could have 2 rounds already fired before you'll get your 4 into your short pump. Unless you have one of those 3 gun shell holders, but where would that be mounted?

I would argue that in a race to fire 4 rounds (most short pumps can hold 4) your probably going to be VERY close with both guns. However, in a race to fire 6 rounds, I would think the double barrel would be faster. Especially if you have those awesome double barrel quick loaders. I need some of those.

The ergonomics of loading a pump gun, simply put, are slow.

Now, if you really want to have a gun at the ready FAST... like, FASTEST... get a mag fed. A 12 inch grizzly thats been smoothed out. You simply CANT get 5 rounds into a gun faster than you can with that one.

My final thought is this, The likely hood of you being invaded by a group of 5 or 6 well trained people is next to zero... unless your someone important. Im not. Its more likely that youll be running into a group of 2 or 3 disorganized people who wont likely expect you to have a gun at all. One warning shot would %90 of the time, be enough to scare them off. One warning shot INTO one of them and the other one is GONE.

You can't argue "realistic" home defence shotguns by imagining "unrealistic" scenarios. If your facing a group of 5 trained guys, your SXS or pump aint going to be enough and, theyre trained... they have you neutralized before you even get your gun unlocked and loaded.
 
Some good points there pavmentsurfer , But ,a speed loader for a tube fed pump shotgun would give the pump action a good running start in that race , load one round in the chamber , then dump the speed loader in the tube for 5 rounds ready .

There are definitely other choices that can be made in what would be best , and with out going to much in to the Legalese aspect of it , aside from not being able to have the firearm loaded before hand , other wise this is another case of a good thread turning in to something useless , as so often happens on here , went to a fight and a hockey game broke out .


So ,I'm thinking a SxS , barrels no longer then 20" , shorter better , with extractors , not ejectors, reason being if you only fire one round , you can open the action and reload that one round with out losing a live round , if circumstances allow , a couple of thoses 2 shot reloads that Juster pointed out , and a small rail for a light .

If you could keep it loaded , I'd say exposed hammers might be better .
Hell , I still think a single shot with a ejector would be enough , very cheap for a basic gun to do bad things to , google some of the set ups that have been done to the poor old single shot .
 
Greenhorse six said:
Some good points there pavmentsurfer , But ,a speed loader for a tube fed pump shotgun would give the pump action a good running start in that race , load one round in the chamber , then dump the speed loader in the tube for 5 rounds ready .

There are definitely other choices that can be made in what would be best , and with out going to much in to the Legalese aspect of it , aside from not being able to have the firearm loaded before hand , other wise this is another case of a good thread turning in to something useless , as so often happens on here , went to a fight and a hockey game broke out .


So ,I'm thinking a SxS , barrels no longer then 20" , shorter better , with extractors , not ejectors, reason being if you only fire one round , you can open the action and reload that one round with out losing a live round , if circumstances allow , a couple of thoses 2 shot reloads that Juster pointed out , and a small rail for a light .

If you could keep it loaded , I'd say exposed hammers might be better .
Hell , I still think a single shot with a ejector would be enough , very cheap for a basic gun to do bad things to , google some of the set ups that have been done to the poor old single shot .
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Sounds like an Outlaw - flame proof suit on.
 
870P said:
My only real reservation would be that most of the non vintage SxS' I've seen that are actually affordable are rough and cheapish.

I'm not saying that a bespoke grade item is needed, but I'd be a bit leery of running some of them as a defensive gun without a tuning job at least.
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The older Stevens 311's can still be found by the barrel for less than $300 in excellent shape all day long.
I have one myself. They are amazingly reliable. No frills. No fancy etching. No checkering. Just a solid, made in 'Merica in the good old days SxS.
It's rock solid, built like a tank. 40 years old at least and still breaks, locks and fires like the day it was made. It's the only shotgun I own and I trust it fully. I can reload her pretty damn fast now after handling it much over the years.
 
madashell said:
right .... and what if the person didn't have the money to properly defend themselves ? There goes that idea eh ?

Far as I'm concerned at this point politicians need to be hung for treason.
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$95 annually...$85 with a CSSA membership....Firearms Legal Defence insurance...no gun owner should be without it.
 
If you ask "how many reports of defensive shooting in per year involve the homeowner firing more than 2 shots" I don't know what the number would be, but if it happend 35 times a year that would be one in a million for each inhabitant. So if my only shotgun was a double, I'm not sure I would spend $600 on a pump for a chance in a million per year of needing higher capacity. Spending the $600 on lottery tickets to buy my own island would be in the same ballpark.
Clint Smith has some entertaining "run the gun you have" shotgun videos, and he also is a advocate of the defensive fire extinguisher.

Disclaimer: This is coming from a Grizzly Mag owner.
 
I don't even know what kind of gun this is. I bought it for $100. It worked perfect but was ugly.
I cut the barrels to 18.5, sanded and painted the stock, installed a side rail at the end of the barrels and a lower rail under the hand guard. I also installed a 2 round shell holder on the side of the hand guard area.

All in expense for this gun was about $150. It shot great and was fast to load. Ultimately, I sold it because it wasn't pretty. But it was a great example of how you can get a useable home defence shotgun for SUPER cheap.



 
If Joe Biden were to read this thread, I'm sure he'd feel vindicated. Lol

I can't wait for the inevitable, "single shot defense shotgun" thread.
 
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