Ask most moderate gun guys, the kind who belong to the NRA and mostly have guns for hunting and maybe home defense, their ideal gun for home defense and more often that not you will get the same answer: a pump shotgun.
The reasons are many but they come down to a few basics:
- A pump shotgun with 00 buck will make a mess at in-the-house ranges.
- They are simple to operate
- They are reliable
- They are cheap and/or inexpensive (not the same thing)
- 00 buck is less likely to go through your walls, across the street and through your neighbor’s walls (and your neighbor)
- If a burglar hears you rack in a shell he will piss himself and run (not really true)
I would bet that 85-90% of people who read this post have at least one pump shotgun in their home.
But if you were asked, would that be your choice? I thought this video was interesting, Honest Outlaw is a pretty solid shooter and far better than me and likely a significantly better shooter than most/all of my readers.
I grew up around guns. The most memorable Christmas gift I ever got was a Winchester 1300 pump shotgun in 20 gauge. I shot my first grouse with that thing and still have it (the shotgun, not the grouse. I do have the grouse’s tailfeathers mounted). My dad liked to shoot, likes guns and especially liked .357 Magnum revolvers and side by side double barrel shotguns. What he didn’t like: semi-autos. He didn’t like semi-auto handguns and he didn’t like semi-auto shotguns. He often referred to my first Beretta 12 gauge autoloader as a machine gun and something you would use to hold up a liquor store. Like many older shooters he was convinced that semi-auto firearms just jam up all the damn time.
That might have been true back in the day, especially if you didn’t keep the firearm cleaned and maintained. The aforementioned Beretta autoloader would get fouled up after 100 shots at sporting clays and if I didn’t clean it well would occasionally not cycle. Even now cheap semi-auto guns can stovepipe especially if you have a poor grip but if you are shooting a decent quality semi-auto and do some basic maintenance? I doubt you will have any problems.
I’ve been shooting since I was old enough to hold a gun and have shot plenty of pump shotguns in my day and I still will occasionally short stroke. When you consider modern auto-loaders like the Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol, which can be had for under $900….
…and holds 7+1, as well as more expensive tactical autoloaders like the Beretta 1301 and the Benelli M4, it is not hard to find torture test videos of guys blazing through 1000 rounds straight without an issue, the only real advantage to a pump gun I see is cost and maybe shooting those mini shells which I don’t even own. Not to mention that autoloaders tend to have less recoil which is especially important for novice shooters but also for experienced shooters alike. I run a lot of 12 gauge rounds through my guns and there is a significant difference between #8 birdshot in a target load and a load of 00 buck.
On paper a pistol length AR is still the superior choice in my opinion but if I have to grab something for an immediate, up close and personal (in the home or immediately outside) threat? As likely as not I would opt for a tactical 12 gauge. That doesn’t mean those are the best choice for a SHTF situation where the rules of engagement are different, and when that happens rifles will be king, but right here and now if someone is outside of effective buckshot range, they probably don’t fall under the definition of a self-defense shooting.
What say you? Is there still a place for pump guns? What would you recommend to a novice shooter looking for a home defense gun?
Oh, I think so, because I have one. But I weapons all over – mainly where I’m sitting or sleeping. One rule in our house is that the “ready” guns are right next to fire extinguishers, not to put out flaming corpses, but just to eliminate one thing to think about when milliseconds count.
The “fire extinguisher, burglar extinguisher” meme comes to mind.
I have a pump for the house shotgun because it’s a KSG. It’s so short it goes around corners and through doors with a minimum of fuss and it holds 15 rounds. Yes it will short stroke if you try to be gentle with it. It’s a training issue, easily fixed.
FWIW the best scattergun load for defense is arguably #1 buckshot: more pellets, more overall weight, more tissue damage, still plenty of penetration. Federal added it to their Premium Tactical line for a while some years ago but sadly doesn’t make that anymore. The Flight Control wad is magic, that stuff will hold the pattern on a paper plate at 25 yards, it’s effectively a 12g glaser slug at indoor distances. I have read that #1 buck is back in their lineup since last year but without the Flight Control wad. I don’t have any personal experience with it but I hear good things.
I have the Standard Arms DP12. It’s a double pump. One pump, 2 shots. One from each barrel. A bit strange until one gets used to it. Holds 16 rounds. Very short so easy to maneuver with. Heavy (10 lbs loaded) so you dont want to carry it long distances. I haven’t had to employ it in a defensive situation, but I would have confidence in it.
There is no magic gun, and no magic load. It always comes down to training. A person is best off with whatever equipment he knows best. I was first trained on a Remington 870 12, and still keep one at hand.
I recall that Detroit PD’s IOS/detectives were issued hammerless double barrel Stevens 12s. In trained hands, a perfectly fine choice.
When my son was ten or so he started with a 20 gauge exposed hammer 18” single shot. He has, three decades later, numerous quality guns from which to choose. His most common choice is an identically set up single barrel in 3.5” 10 gauge mag. A single round of 4 buck has 54 pellets of .25 caliber, twice the load of 2.75 12 gauge 4 buck.
That’s not my personal choice, but he is formidable with it. With a small bead sight he can throw slugs to minute of venison at 70 yds.
Get a gun that fits your needs and physical realities. Practice with it until you know you are performing as well as your gear.
Go with what you know.
Mikes pretty well covers it.
Like Chuck Yeager said, “Its the pilot, not the plane”.
Honest Outlaw does a pretty good job and his shotgun argument stands to reason.
When I worked in a gun store about once a week or so we’d get one of those “My cousin/brother in law/neighbor/best friend/boss/whatever said that the tacticalshootemup chambered in .747 extramagnum is the best gun ever so I want one of those.” That was always fun.
Plus we all know THE BEST GUN is the super cool looking gun your favorite action hero uses in his movies.
I thought the best gun was always the one you needed/wanted to buy😉
That is always true.
When I first got into guns it was whatever gun Garry Johnston or Ross Seyfried or Jan Libourel was stumping in Guns and Ammo. Haha.
The best gun is the one you have when you need it…
The best home defense gun is the one you are comfortable with and practice with on a regular basis. I still use a pump shotgun, Mossberg 500. Been using it for years. I don’t have any issues with semi-autos, I’m just more comfortable with pumps. I figure it just comes down to comfort and practice.
Benelli M2 Tactical. If it’s good enough for door kickers it’s good enough for home defense.
That one issue, short cycling, really isn’t a show stopper. I can load my pump shotgun and cycle it blindfolded. I’ve never had it fail to cycle. It’s benefits outweigh that one issue. It’s simple as a butter churn.
My go-to nightstand and office guns are revolvers. Simple, powerful, squeeze the trigger and it goes bang.
I have more than 12 guns of all the regular calibers and the one I have the most experience with and is always close by is a Beretta 92FS INOX.
It’s just my wife and me here and she knows to hit the floor and stay there if things get nasty.
Shotguns are wonderful. https://vangcomp.com/ is one of my favorite shotgun places.
Train with what you carry or have next to your nightstand. Two axioms: 1) The first rule of a gunfight: HAVE A GUN! 2) A shotgun lends dignity to what otherwise would be a vulgar brawl. Merry Christmas and a safe, happy 2026, my friends.
Nice.
I prefer my 50yr old Remington 1100.
My house Remington 1100, is a 1st year gun with 2 round mag extender. Near mint.
It’s loaded with reduced recoil, 00 buck. My 68 year old wife can handle it fine.
For home defense we now have two Irish Wolfhound/Black Lab mixed pups(100 lbs at 9 months and look like they come from a long line of muppets) and a Black Lab/Border Collie Mix that live outside (strays that people abandoned as puppies on our road that we cleaned up and adopted). They will bark if you ignore them and don’t pet them, otherwise you’re good, but they will slobber you to death if you don’t die of fetch first.
Indoors we have a pair of dobie/shepherd mixed males with a strong propensity for FAFO if Dad doesn’t know you. The door isn’t locked for our safety. Its locked for your safety.
If you get past the dogs we got a couple or other high speed rock chuckers handy. Honestly though, the one we keep by the front door is the Henry .22 lever action we use for critters trying to eat our chickens.
Lifelong upland game hunter. I would NOT want to be caught in my home without permission. model 500 leaning against the headboard, 1911 hangin next to it. Pick yer poison…
In the Honest Outlaw review, the way the pump guns are being operated is not at all how I was trained. Instead of break the shot then cycle the action, I was trained to cycle the action hard on recoil then follow through to get sights back on target. With practice you can shoot as fast as a semi auto.
No. 1 buck is your deadly friend. All we ever used hunting deer in VA back in the day.
I was taught the same way. There is a gentalman named Ted Cruz that teaches this technique. You can watch him on you tube. His vids are pretty good. No tac-a-cool BS. Just straightforward running the gun and reloading it.
Lucky Gunner has some useful drills to practice.
The key is practice.
Mini shells really only work reliably in Mossberg pumps with an Opsol adapter on the 590S model. I think they serve a purpose for small people, women or for training a new shooter.
I’ve got a bunch of shotguns including a 28ga pump, a 20ga pump and a 12ga pump as well as a couple of doubles. I disagree just a bit with the 00 loading, respectfully. I think a load of bird shot at household ranges might be equally disuasive and, if the visitor survives, it’ll give the ER staff something painful to do for a few hours. Plus the drywall repair will be a bit easier. On the other hand, as my kids will tell you, Im often wrong about even simple stuff,
Ithaca Deer Slayer is a classic but don’t use magnum slugs in the old guns.
S&W Model 66 is a fave .357 the proven one shot stopper.
Gentleman.
Greg Cruz not TedCruz
Or the 590S not on the 590S.
Should probably proofread before I hit send. What a knucklehead.