I have been arguing 20 (my stance) vs. 12 gauge as defensive scatterguns with avowed proponents of 9mm who think that lighter/trimmer guns, lower recoil, and faster follow-up shots are not worth a bit less lead when it comes to shotguns.
My head hurts.
neoconhawk
Butch Cassidy
I say use whatcha brung. Not that anybody asked me… I had occasion to unholster recently upon finding an open door that shoulda been locked at a disabled friend’s home. A long gun of any stripe would’ve been inconvenient. Thank dog the hooligans had confined themselves to the garage and had not entered the house proper AFAIK. Adrenaline gives one the shakes after a bit, I discovered…
When people who already own a non-rimfire gun ask me what to buy for a home-defense piece, I tend to just tell them to get decent ammo for what they already have and practice more.
And sudden adrenalin dumps tend to turn my hands into numb flippers for anything beyond a firing grip.
“get decent ammo” Ah, there’s the rub and perhaps nowadays a reason for a shotgun as the shelves are bare of pistol ammo hereabouts.
“numb flippers” Ya, I’ve read about it and sure enough, my fine-motor skills (none too great in any case) suffered. Pro tip: don’t try to untie yer boots for a while until you’ve sat down. Why? Oh, no reason…