crippled_viper

So you're considering a shotgun for home defense?  That's generally considered a solid choice, but there are some myths and misunderstandings out there.  Let's walk you through the pro's and con's, and then we'll do some general tips.
 
Pro
 
1) Cost.  A quality shotgun is cheaper than a handgun of similar quality.  Why?  Because shotguns are dead simple to produce, they have few moving parts, the barrel isn't rifled (except slug guns, we'll get to that later), and they generally have looser tolerances because of that "have few moving parts" thing.  This is also why semi-auto shotguns tend to be much more expensive.  They need more moving parts, closer tolerances, etc.
 
2) Effect on target.  A 20g shotgun or larger is devastating.  It makes a large ragged hole.
 
3) Ease of aiming.  Any long gun is easier to aim than a handgun because of the concept of "sight radius".  Basically the longer barrel makes it easier to line up the sights, and a little deviation from having it centered creates less deviation between point of aim and point of impact.  Most shotguns only have a bead sight on the front.  Put your cheek where its supposed to be, put the bead on the target, pull trigger.
 
4) Ease of maintenance.  Any idiot can oil a shotgun, and they are very simple to maintain.
 
5) Ease of use.  Shotguns at close range are fairly easy to get proficient with.
 
Con
 
1) Sucks to practice with.  Remember how I said the shotgun is devastating?  Physics says that also means it sucks on the shooter's end.  Shotguns are high recoil.  Its not something you are going to want to put 50 rounds down range in one practice session with.  You can mitigate it a bit with recoil reducing stocks, reduced recoil loads, and a padded shirt...but it still sucks.
 
2) One handed operation sucks.  A pump shotgun is slow to run one handed, impossible if you don't practice and know how.  If your home invasion plan requires you to move around the house, this is a concern.  Ideally you will be holing up and ambushing the intruder, but if you've got kids you need to get to and the layout of your house dictates opening doors, this is a concern.
 
3) Ease of use.  Yeah, I know, its in the pro section as being easy to become proficient with.  It is.  The shotgun is easy to gain a base proficiency with, but difficult to master.  Reloading sucks.  Controlling recoil for faster followup shots sucks.
 
Ok, now that you have a base understanding, let's clear up some misunderstandings.
 
1) Shotguns are "point and shoot".  No.  The shot is only slightly larger than the end of the barrel at 5-10 yards.  It doesn't spread that quickly.
 
2) Birdshot is good for self defense.  No.  Fuck no.  Shot sucks for penetration.  Shot is round, which means shot has a terrible sectional density, which means it won't penetrate as deeply as a bullet of the same weight.  Buck shot relies on having a butt ton of power behind it.  Bird shot is simply too light, so even with a butt ton of power behind it, it loses inertia very quickly.  Birdshot will rapidly slow and lose penetration and it is unlikely to get to anything vital.  Bird shot is for birds and small game.  Buckshot is for people.
 
3) Shotguns are safer in the house because they won't penetrate walls.  No.  Drywall ain't stopping buck shot.  Know your background.
 
 
Which shotgun should I buy?
 
Stick with a pump if you are a beginner.  Semi-autos are pricey and can be very finicky on what type of ammo they run.  The last thing you need in a self defense shooting is a stuck shell that won't extract and your gun is down.
 
The market leaders are the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500.  I like the Mossberg because the safety is up on to where its easy to see and can be ran with either hand.  I carry the 870 because that's what my department mandates.  Differences in quality are minor.
 
Smooth bore only.  SMOOTH BORE ONLY!!  No rifled barrels.  Rifled barrels are for slugs.  Running shot through a rifled barrel will result in a doughnut shaped impact, because imparting spin on the shot shell imparts centrifugal force which makes the shot spread out too much and in odd patterns.  There are slugs you can safely run through smooth barrels.  There are no shot shells you can run through rifled barrels.
 
Sights?  Personal preference.  Traditional bead, two beads, rifle sights, ghost rings, they all have their place and all have pro's and con's.  If anyone is real interested, I can walk through them.  For short range use, a bead set up is fine and will likely be the fastest to acquire.
 
You bought your shotgun, now what?
 
Take it to the range.  The first thing you need to do is pattern it with different kind of shells.  This will show you how much it spreads at various distances, and also what types of shells it likes.
 
Now run some drills.  As you work on your speed, learn the feel of your gun.  Pump actions can be "short stroked", where you didn't move the pump far enough forward to cycle it correctly.  Try to stress yourself and make sure you don't short stroke under pressure.
 
What type of ammo should I use?
 
Depending on how it patterns and how recoil sensitive you are, 00 buck or #1 buck are the preferred rounds.  #4 buck is the absolute smallest you should go.  Understand that #4 buck =/= #4 bird.  000 buck is available, and gives you bigger shot in exchange for less pellets per shell.  I haven't tried 000 myself, I think 00 is the sweet spot.
 
How should I store it?
 
SHOTGUNS ARE NOT DROP SAFE!  Modern handguns are designed so that if you drop them, they won't go off (when everything works like it should).  Shotguns have free floating firing pins and can discharge when dropped.  Keep this in mind when storing.  *I* store mine in a wall safe near my bed with the tube full, the action mostly closed, and the chamber empty.  If it tumbles out of the safe, its not going to go off.  The action isn't locked, so there's no button to push before I can work the pump to chamber the first round.  This can be done quietly by going slow.
 
What accessories do I need?
 
I highly recommend a light.  You need to identify your target and using a flashlight and a shotgun is impractical.  A forestock light makes this a much simpler proposition.  A side saddle for more ammunition is optional.
 
Questions?

damn you chris, I wasn't thinking about being out of context when I was replying. But good catch.

Dedicated servers for all consoles

I have some tips if this game is pissing you off.
 
 
Smoke weed first.   Then play.

I apologize now to Brede and anyone else that is here bashing this game. GET THE FUCK OVER IT!!! If you don't like, stop fucking playing it. Trade it in and get something else. The game has been out for well over 2 months now and you are still complaining about the same fucking things/ It's getting real old.
 
I play this game and quite frankly, I'm having a blast playing it. Are there issues? Certainly but there have been issues with every COD, YES, every COD. Get over it. One thing that I have learned as I continue to enjoy playing this series, is that there is a learning curve for each game. Quite honestly, with all the bullshit that is in the game (spawns, IEDs, maps too large, re-skinned map, etc, etc etc) this is by far the easiest CoD to date. Fuck Campers, quick scopers and all the fucking douche bags that play this game. If you get in a lobby and you get destroyed by a bunch of campers, find a new lobby. Don't stay and aggravate yourself. Better yet turn the game off.
 
So once again, I apologize but I'm just tired of reading all the bitching and moaning. By the way, you run into bullshit no matter what game you play. It's just the nature of gaming. Funny how you never hear the pros bitching about this stuff. And if they have I'll shut the fuck up.

So anyone interested in new electronics and gadgets? I am and I will be attending the CES for the first time. I'm going to try and take pictures if I can if I don't get hung up with the toys all around me. I may borrow a GoPro and take short clips of cool stuff I see and the put it into a compilation.
Anyone interested in any new things that are coming out? Let me know and if I see it I try and produce pics/vids of that new thing.

Ok I'll do my best

So anyone interested in new electronics and gadgets? I am and I will be attending the CES for the first time. I'm going to try and take pictures if I can if I don't get hung up with the toys all around me. I may borrow a GoPro and take short clips of cool stuff I see and the put it into a compilation.
Anyone interested in any new things that are coming out? Let me know and if I see it I try and produce pics/vids of that new thing.

So anyone interested in new electronics and gadgets? I am and I will be attending the CES for the first time. I'm going to try and take pictures if I can if I don't get hung up with the toys all around me. I may borrow a GoPro and take short clips of cool stuff I see and the put it into a compilation.
Anyone interested in any new things that are coming out? Let me know and if I see it I try and produce pics/vids of that new thing.

I truly liked the Fast and the Furious series. I liked the different cars and the story line wasn't too bad. But this afternoon Paul Walker died in a horrific car crash. He was in the passenger seat of his friends brand new Porsche GT when the driver lost control and hit a tree. The car caught fire and both victims died inside.

I tried the shotguns and couldn't kill anyone! Much prefer the shotguns from MW3.

Yeah, the try and fix the spawns and utterly ruin the connection.
 
Go fuck yourself IW.

I really like this idea. If I had a stable job and had some extra income I would totally be up for this. But maybe next time you U.S. guys want to do this again.

I really like this idea. If I had a stable job and had some extra income I would totally be up for this. But maybe next time you U.S. guys want to do this again.

It's the CoD community that ruins good games. I love this game so far, but of course there are the usual complaints about the spawning behind

Well, I recently put this in my PPR, but it made me so excited I want to contribute it to this thread. 
 
Background: When I was 16, I got into a bad car accident (not my fault) which in the end made me an epileptic. Because of that, I wasn't able to drive anymore, doctors orders. It gradually got worse and I ended up having a temporal lobectomy done (which was all documented in my PPR on the MW2forum). I had some seizures through the healing process of the surgery, but I haven't had a seizure since. So now onto my happy story!
 
Just this past Friday night, for the first time since I was 16 years old (the night of my accident), I actually got the courage up to drive at night. I drove for about an hour with my relative and it made me really happy. For the first time, I wasn't scared of the lights and even though I was really tense the whole time, it made me feel at peace. Needless to say, I can't wait until my next nighttime outing. 

Ok after about four hours on this game I have to say this may be the best CoD game to date. Love the guns I have used so far. Love the squad points. Buy what you want when you want to. Maps are really good. They look good and play very good. The Scottish castle map is amazing looking.
Connection was amazing. Can't believe this was launch night it was so good. Tomorrow night may be a different story.
I have had one lag spike during the four hours I've played. Connection is sharp. Hit detection is spot on. TTK is very low. Don't see a need for hardcore what so ever.
The create a class system is good but will take some time to get used to.
It cost a lot to buy things and leveling up seems a little slow but I mostly played KC with a few TDM games mixed in.
Cranked is really good. I did get a lot of XP in it.
Played with Trevor and Occams Razor and we had no problem partying up. Trevor said the connection felt good for him and is was my host on the east coast and he lives on the west coast.
All and all I am so pleased with this game thus far

I.W. pulled through, delivered a kickass game, good connection and nice kill time.
 
Ohh and cranked is FUN!

I'll have to post a picture later of the beard I got going on

My boy Sheldon a Weimaraner

 
My two cats:
Here is my Gaming Kitty
And my other cat the trouble maker

Around his ears and face he is really soft, plus I just bathed him two days ago, so his hair is really soft at the moment

My boy Sheldon a Weimaraner

 
My two cats:
Here is my Gaming Kitty
And my other cat the trouble maker