Originally Posted by _Jedi_

For a long while, my go-to weapon for home defense was a pistol. After some thinking and sage advice from individuals who really know of what they speak, I now use a shotgun for home defense. If the laws in my state were not so screwed up, I would use a carbine for home defense. To paraphrase one of the individuals, a pistol (secondary individual weapon) is only good for providing you the defense to get to your shotgun/riflel (primary individual weapon).

Before I give you a few of the reasons shown to me, lets be clear on one fact. As soon as you pick up the weapon (pistol, shotgun, or rifle) you have made a decision to use deadly force against an unknown individual who poses a threat to the safety of you and your family. With that said, here are a few reasons:

1. Pistols are a less accurate and less stable platform. This is just a simple fact. When you have a choice between a 3.5" barrel compared to an 18" barrel, the question of accuracy is a no-brainer. Besides barrel length, think about the number of points of contact between your body and the weapon. With a pistol, you likely have 1 or 2 (your hands only). With a shotgun or rifle, you will likely have 3 or 4 (2 hands + stock + cheek weld).
2. To win the engagement, you will need every advantage you can get. This isn't about having a "fair" fight, it is about out-smarting and out-gunning the bad guy. If they have a knife, you need a gun. If they have a gun, you need a shotgun/rifle. (Most "petty" criminals will use a knife or handgun) If they have a shotgun/rifle, you need to have a shotgun/rifle and friends with the same.
3. A rifle round (30-06, .223, .308, etc...) is more lethal than a pistol round. There are TONS of ballistic charts available to back this up. What many find surprising is that there are many rifle rounds with great ballistics that do not have the over-penetration issues most people worry about with these higher velocity ammunitions.
4. When it comes to shotguns, the reasoning is simple enough.... of one 9mm hole is good, then nine 8.3mm holes (00 buck) are better! Remember that the goal is to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

The shotgun I chose for home defense is the Remington 870 Security. It is 18" and holds 7+1 shells. The ONLY modification I have made to it is the addition of a sling.

One last comment for all the "rack it to scare them off" crowd... WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH AN UNLOADED SHOTGUN????? Without a round in the chamber a pistol, shotgun, or rifle is nothing more than a paper weight. At 3am, when I wake up to breaking glass, the last thing I want to worry about is having a type III malfunction.

No matter what you decided to get, make sure you fully familiarize yourself with it... to the point that you can operate it in the dark while you are half asleep... because that is exactly what you will need to do. While I recommend taking a defensive position, calling 911, and yelling for the bad guy to leave, if you insist on "clearing" your home, make sure you learn how to properly pie a corner and keep your chicken wings in.

Originally Posted by jpfan

870 with 00 buck. Birdshot is for birds!

google the box o' truth. several penetration tests that are suprising.

Originally Posted by arcoleman

We have two shotguns and two pistols in the house. His and hers. My shotgun is a Benelli M1014 (limited edition) and hers is Remmington 870 with a surefire light, pistol grip and shortened stock; she is short. Both are loaded (no racking, just a really bright light to get their attention) with 00 buck. Pistols, hers is in 40 smith and wesson, mine is 9mm. Like it has been mentioned, the pistols are secondary weapons or just long enough to grab one of the shot guns. If they ignore the dog barking, growling, and one of us asking them nicely to leave while they are still upright, then they can be carried out.