Is it round capacity?
Shell size handling?
Optics availability?
Barrel Length?
Choke(s)?
Action (pump/semi-auto)?
Accessory mounting?

Or a combination of several of these???

I would argue that any shotgun could be employed as a home defense shotgun, but my preference is my Remington 870 Wingmaster with a barrel that was cut down to 18.5" and tapped and threaded for a hi viz fiber optic bead. Plain, simple, effective.

I agree. I think overall length as it pertains to manuverability is the most critical.

Would agree with this. The rest is marketing...

I will add that my son's Mossberg Bantam youth 20 gauge is also effective. Being a youth model, overall length is the same as my 870, yet both he and my wife can handle the 20 gauge better.

So, the trend for us is a pump, short overall length, either cylinder bore or IC for the Mossberg and nothing else.

side by side cut down for anyone who dosnt shoot much...or a cut down pump would be more of what i would like..and some #4buck

Short gun, past that its a point and shoot at close range if you need more than one or two shots you did something wrong.

matt

To me it needs to have a short barrel, pistol grip only, 5 round mag tube or more, and 20 guage or smaller. So something along the lines of the mossberg 500 JIC

IMO Any shotgun will work. My choice is a 12 gauge pump with full wood furniture. Pump because it is less likely to jam and the distictive sound it makes racking a round. I prefer a 18.5 inch barrel for manuverability and distance from attacker. Full wood to make a better club if need be. Extended magazine for more rounds would be great. An attached weapon light would be nice as well. If there are budget concerns many manufactures make short barrels so you could swap barrels when it needs to be used for hunting.

Loaded and within reach... none of the rest matters

same goes with pistols and rifles. being loaded and near by makes them home defense

18-20" barrel, possibly longer mag tube, proper shells (no birdshot!)

If you'd like a professional opinion, pickup this dvd...



I think Mr. Haley puts the "scare them with pump" B.S. in its place.

I concur with the others, main thing is short barrel and something you are comfortable shooting. Pump is the most reliable.

Here's my opinion of the ultimate home defense shotgun:



8" Saiga 12 with 20 round drum

Nothing makes the neck hairs stand up like the sound of a pump jackin in a round in the dark.
Not likely to have to pull the trigger.

How about the sound of her husbands truck pulling into the driveway an hour early?

Yeah, but nothing makes the bowels move like the sound of 20 rounds of 12 gauge being unloaded in 5 seconds

You know i guess thats a sign of old age, I hadnt thought of that one in a while. Keep purrdy close to the nest now.

You definatly got a point there..

Short (18-20 inches) and a flashlight. Nighttime defense guns must have a light in my opinion or they aren't anywhere near as useful.

Not trying to start anything, but I cringe every time I hear someone say that a pump is a good option for HD because of the distinctive sound it makes when you chamber a shell. That is ridiculous. That may deter a couple of teenage kids, but if someone is in your house with the intent to rob you and/or injure you and your family, racking the pump on your 870 ain't gonna do anything. Pick a gun because you're comfortable with it and you know you can use it when the chips are down, not because it makes a scary sound.

Shorter bbl with a mounted light to identify, disorient intruder. Proper ammo, some version of buckshot. Practice/tactics to utilize shotgun.

The most important this is that you and everyone in the house know how to use the damn thing. If you shortstroke a pump it then becomes a very expensive boat paddle. If you give your wife a sxs telling her all she has to do is "point it in the general direction" and pull both triggers, then what happens when the 6" pattern misses its mark both times and she doesn't know how to reload it? Overall length, lights, optics, etc can be argued ad nauseum but nothing replaces experience behind the thing putting rounds downrange.

wide pattern of buckshot follwed by a sure kill shot to the head with a revolver or same shotgun. dont want nobody to live to sue you or file silly a** charges against you.

I'm actually considering something just like this.
Kel Tec PMR-30 and Veridian XL5. 30 rounds of 22mag, one
or 2 of them are bound to hit between the light, the laser and the light recoil.

I use my mossberg 930 spx. Plenty of rounds and semi auto. 18.5" barrel hard to beat in my opinion