I'm with Joe. I don't know any police officers, firearms trainers, people who keep firearms for home defense, or fellow shooters who would recommend a shotgun over a handgun for most persons interested in home defense firearms. I own (and have shot both at non-human targets) both home defense shotguns and handguns. I also teach courses on use of force. No way I'd choose the shotgun. If someone has some preexisting skill level with shotguns, it might be worth considering for them, but for them only. The recoil from 12 and16 ga. shotguns is uncomfortable for most people. They will thus be resistant to training/firing this weapon. The 20 ga. Is better, but the length is still a problem. The .410 would be the best choice as the recoil is small. However, the length and weight are problems. There are a few .410 pistols, but they seem to be mostly for snake and close-varmint hunting. It's the handgun-hands-down. A tremendous variety of choice for caliber, action, size, weight, capacity, etc. (You can even get some in colors like pink if desired). There was at least one brief submitted in Heller before the S.Ct. on the point that the handgun is, overall, the best choice for most people for home defense. The idea that the shotgun is superior for home defense for most people is complete B.S. The only potential advantage for the average person is the greater intimidation factor of the shotgun. However, the intruder would have to see the shotgun, which might place the homeowner at risk, or "rack" the shotgun to create that unmistakable noise. However, the racking may also, for better or worse, give away the homeowners presence and location. However, I suspect that most people who are confronted in their home by an armed, or otherwise threatening stranger are, for better or worse, going to shoot first and ask questions later.
Ray Kessler Prof. of Criminal Justice Sul Ross State Univ. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Joseph E. Olson Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2009 1:43 PM To: Eugene Volokh; [email protected]; Philip F. Lee Subject: Re: Shotguns as recommended for self-defense for some people overhandguns Oh. Absolutely not, IMHO. A shotgun has TOO MUCH recoil for anyone with "limited experience" to safely handle. Many female (small stature) police officers cannot handle an 870 even after dozens of hours of training. Virtually anyone (my wife, for example) can pick up a 36 ounce S&W model 65 loaded with 38+P ammunition (the "FBI Load") hold it at waist level pointed straight ahead and blast the center out of a B-27 target at 9-12 feet distance. Body index work at this distance. Point and shoot until he goes down and stays down. With a 12 gauge shotgun, she'd be on her ass and have dropped the shotgun after the first shot. She'd miss that shot anyway because she would have "jerked" the gun out of fear of the recoil and muzzle blast she knew was coming. ************************************************** Professor Joseph Olson, J.D., LL.M. o- 651-523-2142 Hamline University School of Law (MS-D2037) f- 651-523-2236 St. Paul, MN 55113-1235 c- 612-865-7956 [email protected] >>> "Philip F. Lee" [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]%3e%2002/07/09%201:11%20PM%20%3e%3e> > 02/07/09 1:11 PM >> Also, the shotgun should have a superior hit probability to the handgun for those with limited experience.
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