Totally new to guns and I have a few questions.

[mikegideon]

18 or 20 is fine. I lean toward 18 since you'll have 2" of extra maneuverability.

...and it will spray a lot less

[Guest Victor9er]

Yeah I use an 18" on my HD shotgun as well. Any classes you can take help, its a lot harder to move trhough tight quarters with any kid of long arm than people think.

+1

Before you buy, get an old broomstick or something that you can cut down to about 38" (or the overall length of the gun you want) and try moving around your house with it. It may seem silly, like you're 9 years old playing commando or something, but it'll give you a good idea of what it's going to be like trying to maneuver around your house with a long gun.

Edited June 10, 2012 by Victor9er

[East_TN_Patriot]

As far as the issue of "scatter" (or fliers or whatever you want to call them), a handgun isn't necessarily any safer since any round good for self defense will easily penetrate the interior walls of a dwelling (assuming they don't hit the studs straight on). The point is, shotgun or handgun, one needs to always be aware of what is behind their target.

I would opt for a regular shotgun stock myself rather than a pistol grip stock. I had a Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip stock and I thought the grip made the shotgun a little less handy. When I started in law enforcement I switched to a Remington 870 and I still own it, wood stocks and all. I also prefer a handgun in the home because I can keep it in a small safe in my nightstand drawer and don't need to worry about my toddler getting a hold of it.

[TMF]

Yep, the shotty used to be the primary HD weapon 'til the kids came along. There just is no good place to put it where they can't get a hold of it so it stays locked up. Even with a trigger lock I just don't like the idea of a toddler putting their hands on a firearm.

[BigK]

Yep, the shotty used to be the primary HD weapon 'til the kids came along. There just is no good place to put it where they can't get a hold of it so it stays locked up. Even with a trigger lock I just don't like the idea of a toddler putting their hands on a firearm.

+1 to that!

I am so glad my oldest is 15 yrs old now and goes with me to the range often enough to be proficient. It's nice to have my 1st choice in HD weapon available again with no little ones running around.

[Guest BungieCord]

...what are the laws for owning a shotgun, can you take them out on your own yard? Can shotguns be transported in your car in TN with no permits? When going to a gun range must the shotgun be in a carrying case? I don't want to look like I'm about to rob the place or anything. Thanks if you can give me some info.

So long as you aren't doing anything provocative, "menacing" someone with your gun or whatnot, you can toodle around in your own yard armed to the teeth. A neighbor can still complain, and a cop still might give you grief over it, but TCA 39-17-1308 says you are within your rights to go armed on your own property. You are not breaking any law.

When you leave the confines of your property, the situation changes. TCA 39-17-1307 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to carry a gun, a club, or a knife (>4") "with the intent to go armed." It's obvious by the simple fact that you're transporting a gun in your car that you are armed, so it's the "intent" part you have to be careful of. That same statute says there is no demonstration of "intent" if the gun is unloaded and there is no ammunition "in close proximity." You're also golden if you put the (unloaded) gun and the ammunition both in the trunk, unless you're also carrying a passenger in the trunk. No permit required.

When you go to the range, you will need a gun case (soft or hard, makes no difference), but not because of any law. You can never tell what knuckleheads you're going to run into at a public range, so to hold down on the accidental shootings, at all public ranges, there's only one time when you are allowed to handle your gun: when you are at the firing line and the firing line is "hot." That obviously does not give you opportunity to carry a "naked" gun from your car to the firing line, so you need some means of carrying the gun without directly touching it. That's why you must have a case ...unless your name is David Copperfield and you can levitate the gun from the car to the firing line.

There is no law stating the gun must be cased when in the car, regardless of where you're going.

Civilian firing ranges try to mirror the manner in which the military runs their ranges, to include using the same verbal commands and the same basic safety and gun handling rules. When you check in, if they ask whether you've used that range before, and if you answer "No", they'll give you a long list of rules to read. Which is fine, as far as it goes, except the rules are written assuming you understand all the jargon, and can absorb all their rules and put them into action five minutes later. That's a tall ask if you've not spent much time around shooting ranges, so it'll help a bunch with your learning curve if you find a friend who is familiar with how ranges operate who can come with you as a sort of rules coach. There will be Range Safety Officers there, and they can answer the odd question, but they've got more important matters to tend to than coaching a noob who can't follow basic range commands or doesn't know to always keep the muzzle pointed downrange. It will really help you catch on faster, and make better use of your range time, if you go with someone who's been there, done that.

Edited June 11, 2012 by BungieCord

[MattCary]

Just to clarify in case I missed it in all the excellent replies above...

You can shoot on your property if you are in the County. If you are within City Limits or are in a subdivision with lots of houses nearby, that may be against the law and/or a very bad idea.

[Jonnin]

Lots of good responses ... I will add my 2 cents.

The laws were covered

The number of rounds a defensive shotgun can hold is generally tied to its length (exception for a couple of mag fed guns) --- a tube that runs down the barrel. As others noted, a pistol grip gun is a bear to control ---- and it really helps to get a forend (vertical) grip on those if you insist on getting a pistol grip. In my opinion you want the biggest gun you can manuver inside your home with. If you cannot do that with a full sized gun, then you will have to go to a pistol grip.

My defense gun is in a large room that controls the home (it covers the front, side doors and the stairway from downstairs). No one can get past that room to hurt us if I control it. It is a full sized gun and holds 11 rounds of short 12 ga or I think 9 rounds of magnum. If I were going to go room to room with it, I would get a smaller one.

The size is the most important thing, and it must be usable in YOUR environment. If you go with a pistol grip, I would at least consider a 20 ga as an alternative. It is still quite powerful, but managable recoil in the smaller platform.

[Spots]

This is my home defense shotgun. I was goofing off at home with my wife showing her how our flak jackets worked, and she told me to grab the shotgun for a picture. After that I tried moving from room to room with it, something I have trained to do in MOUT towns with a full length M16A4, and let me tell you, it was a real bear to keep the gun up, proper sight picture, in a 1200 sq ft apartment. After that I started training with some guys out at the range, practicing until I was a lot more proficent, but taking the time to do that was the biggest eye opener every. I guess what I'm saying is, no matter what you end up with, practice, practice, practice, then practice some more, until every move with the weapon, including reloads, is as natural as breathing.

See, this is what happens when the government gives Marines $1,000's in military gear, and to much down time between deployments to play with it.

[Hershmeister]

I've got a nice mossberg for sale on the trader