Pump vs. Semi-Auto Shotgun for Defensive Purposes

[historian]

This is a great thread for me. I am starting to look at HD shotguns and was leaning towards a Mossberg 590, but this thread has me thinking about semi-auto. My only concern with a semi-auto is a runaway gun. I have two small children (and one on the way) and don't want to worry about an extra round going off or it accidentally firing. I am also wondering about the durability of the clips for a semi-auto shotgun, as I'm not planning on shooting it often. Do they wear down or do the stay springy for a long time?

 

[gunman41mag]

I like the semi-auto, cause I can keep shooting without lowering the shotgun to pump it for the next round

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I like the semi-auto, cause I can keep shooting without lowering the shotgun to pump it for the next round

If you can't pump a slide without removing it from your shoulder... then chances are the gun doesn't fit you well, your technique needs tweaked, or both.

That said... if anyone has an absolute POS 870 12ga...ltd me know...

 

[Robjps]

Its mostly a price issue anyone can spend $200 and get a pump shotgun that works. Not everyone can drop $800. So many people also have some i own it so its the best attitude.

I have a M1 and i wouldn't go back

 

[gunman41mag]

If you can't pump a slide without removing it from your shoulder... then chances are the gun doesn't fit you well, your technique needs tweaked, or both.

That said... if anyone has an absolute POS 870 12ga...ltd me know...

I don't have loooooong arms

 

[femurphy77]

This is a great thread for me. I am starting to look at HD shotguns and was leaning towards a Mossberg 590, but this thread has me thinking about semi-auto. My only concern with a semi-auto is a runaway gun. I have two small children (and one on the way) and don't want to worry about an extra round going off or it accidentally firing. I am also wondering about the durability of the clips for a semi-auto shotgun, as I'm not planning on shooting it often. Do they wear down or do the stay springy for a long time?

I would hazard a guess that most people using a semi auto shotgun do not use clip fed varieties or detachable magazine fed for that matter. My 930 spx is tube mag fed and my vepr is detachable mag fed. The 930 is more nimble than the vepr although the badass appearance of the vepr could possibly make it more effective in the "didn't have to fire a round and he ran off anyway" classification.

930SPX

VEPR 12

 

[Hookeye]

I like the semi-auto, cause I can keep shooting without lowering the shotgun to pump it for the next round

You don't lower a pump or lever gun to chamber the next round.
Lots of people do, even when the gun fits well.
My guess is that it comes from trying to see what their shot did.
Bad habit.

 

[IncendiaryGunner]

Rhino pretty much ended the thread... but I feel the same.

I love pump action shotguns... An 870 wingmaster was the first gun I fired and hunted with, and a pump action shotgun can be a reliable and capable defensive weapon. One of the biggest advantages of a pump action shotgun is the price tag... for a couple hundred bucks, sometimes even less, you can get a used Maverick 88 and have a very capable self defense weapon. Many people buy a shotgun for self defense, never even shoot it, and prop it up somewhere in their home. For these people, a pump is a strong choice, although an inexperienced shooter short stroking the action may lead to issues in a stressful situation.

That being said, a semi auto well scrutinized for function, loaded with ammunition that cycles reliably, has advantages that make them the better choice. A semi auto like my VEPR 12 or M4 lends itself to firing from concealment better than a pump. If an intruder is in my home, I will likely be trained on a choke point while hiding and calling the police - and semi auto shotguns allow you to fire from concealment/cover more easily. In states where it is legal to register short barreled shotguns (curse you Indiana!), a well crafted Saiga12/Vepr12 SBS can be extremely handy while gaining major capacity and reload speed advantages over a traditional pump.

The idea that a pump action shotgun is "more reliable" than a semi auto is one of those exaggerated concepts stemming from specific situations (less range of loads) and outdated firearms. It goes hand in hand with not needing to aim, because shotgun blasts "spray". It is kind of like the belief that an ar15 is not a reliable platform, because the original design coupled with the original ammunition choice had issues that have since been addressed.

 

[downlinx]

Semi autos are fun, i have both. One for fun and a pump for home defense, people always stop what they are doing when you hear the distinct sound of a pump.

 

[B6240]

I prefer pumps primarily 870's I have 3 and am on the hunt for another.

 

[LarryC]

Truthfully I doubt there is a dimes worth of difference. Personally I like pumps better, just from hunting with them starting about 55 years ago. I once challenged a friend (also pretty skilled) with a Browning semi-auto to see who could hit more clays faster. He was always bragging about the semi-auto being able to get more rounds off. I beat him every time as I retained control of my shotgun when I "pumped" it I pulled it down and was on target faster than he was with the semi. It took him longer to "point' the second and following rounds than I did. I use a Colt Double Eagle for Home defense - but if I wanted I could use my Winchester 1200 or Mossberg 500 shotguns. I just (personal preference) like the maneuverability of a handgun.

 

[Jordan]

I want a Mossberg SA-20 for HD use. I would be fine with my pump. My wife and kids however are not going to want to train on a 12g pump enough to be 100% confident in a high intensity situation. I like the idea of the SA-20 for reduced recoil, faster follow up shots, and semi-auto simplicity.

 

[96firephoenix]

Pump. No need to relocate a hand to clear a jam. had a halfway-FTE in a semi-auto once, kinda soured my taste for something that would be defending my family.

 

[88E30M50]

Semi autos are fun, i have both. One for fun and a pump for home defense, people always stop what they are doing when you hear the distinct sound of a pump.

I know we've all seen this in the movies, but is there any real evidence of someone running off just at the sound of a pump shotgun being racked? I'm talking about a real SD situation, not a scraggly boyfriend running off when hearing his girlfriends father rack the shotgun after that father caught him copping a feel on the front porch. I don't recall ever reading of a break in where the burgler fled when the home owner racked his/her scattergun.

This sounds like movie lore that sure sounds like it would work. Kind of like shooting a car's fuel tank to make it explode like a 500lbs bomb.

 

[Hookeye]

Beside my bed are 870 and 1100 magnums

 

[Fordtough25]

I started out with a single shot years ago, 12 gauge and it worked great for deer hunting. Moved up to a pump years later and I own 3 different kinds of them now, all work great. I enjoy shooting a pump, and I am comfortable with them. I've had one semi auto 12 gauge, an Mossy 930 SPX. It kicked ass to be honest, but I didn't "need" it per say and I traded it towards a 1911 I wanted at the time. I do long for another at times, and I do agree that a semi auto would be easier to handle in an ackward position. Also think that if I was tip toeing through the dark the sound of a shotgun racking a round wouldn't be comforting. But I am not a hardened criminal either so...