THOUGHTS ON DEFENSE LONG GUNS
Part I – Shotguns
By Tom Crawford
Entire Contents Copyright 2012
|
Although the primary defense tool of the private citizen or police officer is normally the pistol, certain
situations call for more power and/or more range than is typically available from standard sidearms. In such
cases, we must consider either the shotgun, primarily for short distance concentration of power, or the
rifle/carbine when longer ranges are needed.
In addition, the pistol can be a difficult weapon to master beyond conversational distances for some, and
handgun skill seems to require more maintenance by means of regular practice than does working
competence with the long gun. This is why armies of the world usually don’t fight wars with pistols. Some
people can simply be brought rather quickly to a level of defensive competence with the shotgun and to a
lesser extent the rifle, but may never achieve or maintain even a minimum competence with the pistol.
The pistol is more heavily regulated than almost any other form of weapon in today’s society. In some
places, long guns such as rifles and shotguns must be considered simply because lawful handgun
ownership is not realistically possible for many. In such situations, the use of a long gun is preferred in
home defense, simply because the possession of such a weapon is legal where the handgun is not. In such
places, legal concealed carry outside of the home generally isn’t possible, so we really aren’t giving up all
that much in going with the long gun at home, except for the advantage of one-hand operation in some
cases. Historically, this country was civilized primarily with long guns, not handguns as TV and movies might
have you believe.
For most private citizens and cops on routine patrol, the shotgun remains the first choice of defensive long
guns. Plentiful, minimally regulated, inexpensive, benign in the public perception and above all, powerful,
the shotgun, when properly selected, serves most of our self-defense needs quite well. Except for the
matters of concealment, and one-hand operation, the person who owns even a standard hunting style 12 or
20 gauge shotgun and knows how to use it has very little to fear from most thugs. It takes an uncommonly
steely-eyed or deranged burglar to attack the citizen who is pointing a shotgun at them, since this is
normally the equivalent of committing suicide.
The shotgun is extremely flexible in a number of applications, owing to the wide variety of ammunition
available for it. Small birdshot, large buckshot, solid slugs, and even tear gas, signaling, and breaching
rounds are available for most 12 and 20 gauge guns. Of course, this flexibility may be lost on you in a fight
if you don’t know how to reload your gun for the situation, or if you don’t know about the various zones of
tactical shotgun employment. You must also understand that the primary role of the shotgun is to deposit
great power on targets at relatively close range that rapidly diminishes over distance. Don’t ask it to do
more than that, and it will serve you quite well in defense.
Zones of Employment
In the first, and closest area of use, called Zone 1, the shotgun acts like a single projectile weapon, no
matter what it’s loaded with. Zone 1 extends from the muzzle, to about 5 yards (some would say 7). Even
with no muzzle constriction, known as choke, shotgun pellets only spread about 1 inch per yard from
common firearms. Even at bedroom ranges, one really must aim a shotgun, or one will miss with the whole
shot pattern. Police involved in hostage situations have known for years that at close range, and even
when loaded with buckshot, they can successfully make head shots on aggressors without endangering
hostages or bystanders. This is only true when the shotgun is well within Zone 1.
Zone 2 begins after 5-7 yards, and extends out to a distance that may be as far as 25 yards, depending
on your gun and its equipment. When loaded with buckshot, individual pellets arrive on target in a pattern,
all at slightly different times. We get the effect of multiple body insults, and the trauma produced is much
greater than the sum of the individual pellets. Zone 2 is the most commonly thought of zone of employment
for the defense shotgun, and gives it the somewhat undeserved reputation as an “alley broom”. How far
Zone 2 extends with your gun is determined by the amount of choke your barrel is equipped with, how tight
the shot pattern is with the load you’ve chosen, and how closely the sighting equipment on your gun
coincides with the weapon’s point of impact. As a general rule, most shotguns can be counted on to
perform in Zone 2 with buckshot out to 15 yards. With a “modified” choke, the tightest muzzle constriction
compatible with slugs, and a good tactical buckshot load, we can extend Zone 2 out to about 25 yards. The
signal that you have reached the end of your Zone 2, during patterning tests, is when you begin to get a
“hole” in the center of your pattern that allows vital organs on a human to go unscathed, and/or you begin
to have pellets miss the target altogether. This “hole” that appears in your pattern at the outer limit of Zone
2 has been called the “donut effect” since it resembles the hole in a donut.
Zone 3 of shotgun employment requires a change in ammunition, to a solid projectile round normally
known as a slug. In this area, we are using the shotgun as a short range, substitute rifle. Zone 3 can begin
anywhere, and runs out to as far as you can steadily hold your weapon, see the sights, and cleanly press
the trigger. For most people, that’s about 50 yards on a good day with the sighting and trigger equipment
available on most shotguns. For an expert with a set of rifle sights (yes, rifle sights) on his shotgun who has
mastered field rifle shooting positions and has an educated trigger finger, Zone 3 may extend to about the
length of a football field. Inside this range, I’ve seen slug loaded shotguns definitively disable General
Motors products with a good hit, and also witnessed devastating results on humans. Much beyond the 100-
yard mark, the rapidly diminishing energy and poor trajectory of the slug make it inferior to just about any
rifle or carbine.
A Question of Gauge
Most shotgun bore sizes are expressed in “gauge”, an archaic system that tells us how many spherical lead
balls of that diameter could be cast from a single pound of lead. Therefore, a 12-gauge shotgun had a
bore diameter such that 12 spherical lead balls of about .729 inches diameter could be cast. A 16-gauge
gun was a bit smaller, you could get 16 lead balls of about .662 inches in diameter, and a 20 gauge smaller
still, resulting in casting 20 lead balls of approximately .615 inches each. The sole exception to this scheme
is the .410 bore, not 410 gauge as it is commonly and wrongly referred to. This one is an actual bore
diameter that works out to about 67 gauge!
As defense guns go, the 12 or the 20-gauge shotgun will do nicely. The old 16 probably would too, but
you have a hell of a time finding any kind of defense-oriented ammo for it, and specialty rounds are non-
existent. However, if you have a good 16 gauge and can get buckshot and slugs for it, don’t feel like you
need to go buy another gun. The two small bore offerings, the 28 gauge and the .410 bore are completely
unsuitable for self-defense use due to the lack of good large pellet rounds for either. Their small size
precludes putting too much buckshot in the case anyway, even if someone wanted to.
As for the choice of 12 versus 20 gauge, I really don’t much care which you pick. There are slightly more
ammunition choices and a wider variety of guns from which to choose in 12 gauge than in 20. There are
certainly more dedicated combat style guns in 12 gauge to choose from. The downside of the full power 12-
gauge loads is that they are so, well, full-powered. Recoil in practice can be distinctly unpleasant, and for
small men or women, finding a 12-gauge gun with the right stock dimensions may involve taking a saw to
your favorite smoothbore. You can fix the recoil problem by proper training in recoil management (mostly a
function of stance) and making sure the gun actually fits you (we may be back to the saw again). You can
also find “reduced recoil” buckshot and slug loads, normally referred to as “tactical loads”. Oooh, the word
“tactical” gets me excited just thinking about it, and is guaranteed to up the price of the ammo. For a small
quantity, it may be worth it.
All Choked Up
In almost all shotgun barrels, except those that have literally been “sawed off”, there is some degree of
constriction manufactured into the last inch or so before the muzzle, in order to control and regulate the
dispersal of shot pellets in a predictable pattern and spread. This constriction is known as “choke”. In most
guns these days, removable threaded tubes made in different degrees of constriction are supplied with your
shotgun, or are at least available for purchase, that will allow you to control the size of your pattern for
special situations. In some older guns, or those made primarily for self-defense, the constriction is built right
into the barrel and no tube is supplied. These are known as “fixed choke” guns. From the loosest
constriction to the tightest, choke sizes are Cylinder, Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified,
Full, and Extra Full. There are probably some other choke selections I’ve missed, but you get the idea. A
Cylinder choke implies no constriction at all, and is the most “open”, while Full and Extra Full give the
tightest patterns.
This is all fine and dandy so long as we are talking about conventional shot shell loads with multiple
projectiles. However, when we throw the use of slugs into the equation, we quickly learn that any choke
tighter than Modified diminishes accuracy to unacceptable levels with the solid projectile loads. Since a full-
service shotgun must be usable in Zone 3 as a substitute rifle, we rather quickly settle on the Modified
choke tube as our choice for best buckshot performance coupled with acceptable slug accuracy. If you
have a fixed choke gun with a more “open” barrel, don’t despair. Your gun may pattern perfectly well (and
tightly) as is with certain brands of buckshot, and at the worst you will only shave about 10 yards off your
Zone 2 performance with no choke at all. If you really must have the Modified choke, just about any
gunsmith can thread your barrel for choke tubes or you can buy another barrel. Specialized “combat
choke” systems also exist such as the “Jug Choke” and the “Vang Comp” modifications, but I’m not sure we
really need them other than to help support some custom gunsmith.
What Size Shot?
Just about any of the larger shot sizes, called “buckshot” will do. In 12 gauge, the default standard seems
to be 00 Buck, pronounced, “double ought” (just think of Jethro on the Beverly Hillbillies). This load
normally features nine .33 caliber pellets moving out of your shotgun pretty swiftly, perhaps 1,250-1,300
fps. The tactical loads simply reduce the velocity a bit to be easier on your shoulder, but because of
reduced recoil impulse are guaranteed to work only with manually operated weapons. A slightly smaller
load, called #1 Buck, has more pellets of smaller diameter, normally giving us about 16 .30 caliber pellets in
a standard length load. This load works fine too, and is my choice in 12 gauge when the tactical 00 load
just isn’t available, or when it’s a lot cheaper! A burglar will never know the difference. In 20 gauge, you’re
stuck with #3 Buck, which gives us about 20 .25 caliber pellets in a standard length load. The recoil is much
lower than the 12 gauge loads, and once again, no one I know has ever complained when they shot
someone with this load. This load is particularly good in short, light, guns for women and small men. Notice
I’ve mentioned only standard length loads? Don’t even think about using Magnum length loads in your self-
defense gun. The longer length makes them not as feed reliable as the 2¾ inch shells, and if you have
what we call a “short stroke” malfunction in using a pump action gun, you’re likely to get away with it using
short shells. You won’t when using a Magnum. I’d also shy away from the use of birdshot in your guns,
except for cheap practice. At close range almost anything fired from a shotgun works, but the anti-
personnel performance of birdshot beyond bedroom ranges is dismally poor.
Action Style
What kind of shotgun do you want for self-defense? For a number of reasons, I think we’re talking about
the pump action and the semi-auto styles only. Yes, double and single barrel, hell, even bolt action
shotguns can be used, but we have some difficulty storing them safely in semi-loaded condition (called
“cruiser ready”), or in operating the bolt models under stress. Between the two styles I’ve used, I tend to
prefer the pump gun because it’s cheap, eats just about any ammo in the proper gauge, and is tolerant of a
certain lack of maintenance. However, you must have a certain amount of coordination under stress, or you
will almost certainly experience the dreaded “short stroke” malfunction. (Although it sounds like it, you can’t
cure this problem with Viagra.) Other folks whose knowledge and experience I respect feel differently and
prefer the semi-auto. In general, these guys keep their guns really clean, always get to choose what ammo
they’ll be using, and never allow anyone else to use their guns, especially not another family member who
may not be checked out on the self-loader. In short, buy what appeals to you, understand it, and test it with
the ammo you intend to use. Then, keep it clean, and be happy.
Accessories
Watch what you bolt on to your self-defense shotgun. Generally, if it doesn’t need to be there, it shouldn’t
be, but there are some useful accessories and changes that can be made that enhance the utility of your
weapon. Let’s examine what makes sense here.
First, let’s look at magazine capacity. Most pump shotguns and semi-autos will accommodate five shots with
the hunting plug removed. It’s been said that if you have not solved your problem with five rounds of twelve-
gauge buckshot, the problem has probably solved you. There’s a lot of truth to this, so why worry about or
extend your magazine capacity beyond that? The answer is simply this…I like to have five rounds loaded in
the weapon, with the chamber empty, in what is known as “Cruiser-ready” mode. If you look at it, the
magazine spring that came with your shotgun is pretty cheaply made, and keeping a fully loaded shotgun
for any length of time will weaken it to the point where it no longer functions reliably. This is generally a non-
issue for big police departments in which the patrol shotgun is loaded and unloaded at the beginning and
end of each shift, but my guess is that yours will stay loaded with the spring compressed.
How I handle this is to extend the magazine capacity, generally to seven, by means of an extension such as
those available from Tac-Star or Choate, and then continue to load five in the tube. The spring is never fully
compressed and suffers much less wear this way. In an emergency, if I need the extra two-round capacity, I
still have it available. These extensions are available for most quality guns and are pretty inexpensive.
Remember to test your gun thoroughly after installing one, or any other accessory for that matter.
Speaking of ammo, I like to have some spare ammunition attached to the gun. It's not that I think I will really
need more than five rounds, but this is where I stash the “specialty rounds” such as slugs that I might need
if things get really hairy in a fight. Let’s face it…I probably won’t be able to get back to my ammo supply to
switch up, if it’s not with me when the fight starts. Generally, in my setting, my magazine tube is loaded with
good buckshot, and my spare on-gun ammo supply contains at least three rifled slugs. You can use a
couple of styles of ammo carrier, the cheapest and easiest being the nylon butt-stock holder from Uncle
Mike’s. This is a pretty good option for most guns, is ambidextrous, and requires no tools to install or
modifications to the gun. If your shotgun is equipped with a sling swivel stud, it also stays in place pretty well
if you put a small hole in the nylon to allow the stud to poke through. About the only downside I can see to
this set up is that if you should have to shoot your shotgun from your non-dominant side, the spare shells
are going to be up against your cheek. However, if you find yourself shooting your shotgun weak handed in
a fight, you are already having a pretty shitty day. I don’t see this as a big concern.
The alternative to butt-stock positioning is the hard plastic spare ammo carrier that mounts on the receiver
of your shotgun. This type of carrier is known as a “Side Saddle”, and it sure does look really cool bolted to
your gun. Just about every Wannabee Ninja I’ve ever seen has one stuck on his gun, and they do work, but
you need to be careful. For example, they come in two sizes that hold different numbers of rounds, and if
you install a long one on say, a Remington 870 Express instead of an 870 Police, since the fore-ends are
different, your gun will not feed shells, although it appears to work perfectly in dry fire! These units will
sometimes change the functional characteristics of some semi-autos too, especially with lighter loads. I saw
one “Tactical Chihuahua” dressed in cammo from head to toe at a combat match who couldn’t get his
thousand-dollar Benelli combat gun to function. He sold it to me in frustration for three hundred bucks and I
“fixed” it by removing the Side Saddle. In all fairness, Tac-Star prints a warning on their packages about
these potential problems, but I suppose in the rush to look cool, our boy could not be bothered to test his
gun.
What about stock options? No, not the financial kind, I’m talking about your gun’s stock. I really don’t care if
you go with synthetic or wood. They’ll both break if you club someone with them the wrong way, but this is of
small concern. It really is pretty much a matter of appearance. Synthetic starts off looking like crap, and
stays that way. Wood starts off looking good, and wears down to looking like crap if you use it hard enough.
If you are a woodsy sort, you can go with camouflage stocks, but I think I would rather apply cammo when
needed with tape and take it off later.
I would not waste a dime on pretty walnut, or checkering on a combat gun. However, if the demands of your
situation demand a “softer”, less militaristic look, plain wood is probably best. On the other end of the
spectrum, anybody with a combat shotgun of any kind in their hands demands a certain level of respect,
and looks pretty damned official. I have shotguns in synthetic and in wood and like them both. I think the
synthetic stock is slightly more intimidating. If you have unusual body dimensions and need to either extend
or shorten a stock, it’s easier to do it with wood.
On the issue of the stock, there are a few more considerations. Do you want a pistol grip on your shotgun?
Unless you are working as the point man on an entry team, I don’t think so. The pistol grip instead of a butt-
stock makes your gun much easier to take from you in a struggle, and limits its utility as a substitute rifle
when employed in Zone 3. I’m not wild about the pistol grips that are used in conjunction with full shoulder
stocks either, but if you feel you really must have one, knock yourself out.
Do make sure that your shotgun stock has quick detachable sling swivel studs if you plan to tote it much.
The ability to quickly attach or detach a carrying strap is really handy at times. If you find yourself standing
a post somewhere with a shotgun, you are going to love that carry strap. On the other hand, if you are
negotiating a tight corner in close quarters with a shotgun looking for a bad guy, you don’t want it. The so-
called “tactical slings” are, in my opinion, insufficiently flexible for other than SWAT or military use.
Finally, if you have a Remington 870, you should be aware that models intended primarily for hunters, such
as the Express models, have one style of fore-end, while the police guns have a shorter one. The
advantage of the police fore-end’s shorter length is that it allows full access to the loading port with the
action open, which I feel is a big plus from a safety standpoint. I typically install a police fore-end on all of my
870’s.
Gun-mounted lights are in the “nice to have” category, because it’s a mortal bitch to try to use a shotgun
and a separate flashlight at the same time, although it is doable. But, before rushing out to add a halogen
headlight to your scattergun, ask yourself, “do I really want to light up something or someone in my home by
pointing a loaded gun at it or them?” Also, if your defense shotgun does double duty as a hunting weapon,
you are going to have to remove the light before you hit the woods, or you and a game warden are
probably going to have an unpleasant chat at some point. Personally, I’d consider a light if my shotgun work
forced me to do building searches for my living, but it doesn’t. I’m content with my shotgun used in
conjunction with a small, high-intensity light such as a Scorpion, in what I have come to think of as a “Long
Gun Harries Technique”.
What about sights? I think we can state conclusively that a general- purpose combat shotgun should have
rifle sights, either the conventional notch and post style, or so-called “ghost ring” sights. These are
essential in maximizing the potential of your weapon in Zone 3 employment, and also help, if properly
regulated, with the precise placement of buckshot at closer ranges. Which type of sight is best for you?
Personally, if you want slug precision, I like notch and post styles, but if you want quick pick-up of your
sights at speed, or have “old eyes”, the ghost rings, while less precise might be better. The good news is
that you can buy these sights on the gun at time of purchase, or add them later. Buying them on the gun is
usually less expensive.
How about your barrel? You know, standard hunting barrels seem to work just fine. After all, this is not
rocket science, despite what some custom gunsmiths try to tell you. You can have barrel work done that will
subjectively reduce felt recoil, and objectively reduce muzzle lift, but I suggest you try someone else’s gun
who has had the work done before you commit, just to see if the benefits are worth it to you. I have
shotguns that have had this type of work done, and I like them, but if the truth be known, I could get along
just fine with a more-or-less standard barrel. I do feel that a barrel that either accepts or has a permanently
attached Modified choke is a good idea in the full-service combat shotgun, since this level of constriction
still works well with slugs, but adds perhaps 10 yards to the extreme range of Zone 2. Don’t go any tighter
than Modified choke, since it will give problems with slugs, and don’t even consider using a fully rifled barrel,
since buckshot performance is dismal, even at short range.
While we are talking about barrels, do buy yourself a sporting-length barrel that will install on your defense
gun, let’s say 26 or 28 inches. These barrels are available used, and even new are at times dirt-cheap.
Then, you can shoot clay targets or hunt game with the same weapon, increasing familiarity with a defense
weapon that is not used very often. None of the modifications I have suggested that you make will diminish
your shotgun’s utility as a hunting arm in any way, except that you will have to make a longer plug from a
wooden dowel rod for the extended magazine when you go hunting to comply with state and federal laws.
Summary
So, there you have it, some background information and thoughts on what is most probably the most
effective and flexible, but least understood weapon in our defensive arsenal. Read and absorb the material,
think about your setting and how you will use your shotgun, buy a good, reliable unit with a recognizable
brand name and good reputation, and don’t over-complicate it with gadgets or other extraneous crap that
don’t have to be there. Then, practice, practice, and practice some more, in a safe setting, loading and
unloading your gun, experimenting with ready positions, acquiring sights, and learning the trigger. Do live
fire practice in all three zones of employment so that you know exactly where and how your gun shoots.
When you have done this, consider yourself very well armed with a good shotgun.
With minimal care, when you are gone, hopefully having died peacefully in your sleep, your grandkids can
still use your shotgun when they are your age for recreation, self-defense, as an emergency signaling
device, or to put food on the table. Some things never really change, and a good shotgun is one of them.