[heritage1909]

What would be the ideal Shotgun for Home Defense?
Not sure if I want to get the stamp to get a shorter barrel than the 18" regular barrel? Would it really be better to move around in a house with a 14" barrel or not? Money is not an object for defending my loved ones. Any information would be appreciated.

[USMC-03]

I think an 18" barrel will suit any home defense need you may have. Lot of factors to ask yourself. Do you want a semi auto or pump? What kind of stock and grip do you want on it, do you want to be able to attach a light to it, are you going to want some kind of reflex sight? You can spend a few hundred or a few thousand on a gun. Just depends what options you really want. Best gun to buy is one that feels good to you. Go to a gun store and get hands on with as many as possible to see what you like.

[HighSpeed]

Originally Posted by heritage1909

What would be the ideal Shotgun for Home Defense?
Not sure if I want to get the stamp to get a shorter barrel than the 18" regular barrel? Would it really be better to move around in a house with a 14" barrel or not? Money is not an object for defending my loved ones. Any information would be appreciated.

Hmmm... personally I'm a fan of the Mossberg 500 and the Rem 870 and their many incarnations. Both are proven reliable and painfully simple to operate and strip.

How you outfit your shotgun would be up to you: clearing a house with a long barrel means that if a bad guy is inside he is likely to see the gun come around a corner before you see him, so I guess it would depend on how confident you are of your mobility. On the flip side, nobody knows your house better than you do, so that would be to your advantage... Personally, I wouldn't mind paying extra to have the shorter barrel purely for mobility's sake. The confines of the house and the distances you'd be shooting would make up for the lost velocity.

The choice of stock is very important. I used to have a pistol grip on my Mossy 500, until I took it to the range and realized I couldn't hit anything with it

It now sports a full synthetic stock and its primary purpose is home defense.

[nate]

Anything shorter than 18" and the LEO's are not got be happy with you if you ever do have to use it. I know I'll get roasted for this but I have had 2 870's that I bought both new and had nothing but trouble with them.(FTF/FTE). A friend had a new 870 wingmaster that after you fired a round you had to grab the foregrip and beat the butstock against the ground to eject the shell. The Moss 500 that I've seen are reliable just cant stand how loose the foregrip on them are. I got an older Winchester 1300 that has had 1000s and 1000s of shells without a single problem and nothing has ever been replaced on it. Bad part is I dont think they make the 1300 anymore. Now they have the Super X and I think they are made in Turkey or some place now.

[adjusterr]

I just ordered a Saiga-12 with a 19" barrel. It's a 12 gauge, semi, built on the Kalashnikov frame by IZHMash in Russia. It will shoot 2/34" or 3" shells and comes with a 5 round mag but others are available up to 20 rounds. There seems to be no limit to the modifications and accessories available. For some additional info and videos, Google Saiga-12 and check it out. The guns are difficult to find right now as there has been a run on the market. I found mine at K-Var. I read everything I could find before I decided to get one and most everything was favorable. I couldn't find any postings on this gun. It certainly is not a pretty gun but sure seems dependable plus...it looks wicked.