Pump vs. Semi-Auto Shotgun for Defensive Purposes

[esrice]

All of the recent semi-auto shotgun threads got me to wondering. . . . .

How would YOU compare a pump-action to a semi-auto shotgun, when the role is primarily self-defense?

I've heard many instructors and respectable folks say that the pump is the end-all in shotguns, and they prefer them to semi-autos. What I have yet to fully understand is, why?

In this day of high-capacity magazines, red dot sights, and the popularity of the AR platform, it would seem that semi-auto shotguns more closely mimic that type of shooting. We've traded lever-action rifles for semi-autos, so why haven't semi-auto shotguns been more widely adopted?

Thoughts??

 

[Andre46996]

Hunting and Range Play give me that semi-auto shotty!!!

HD where my life will count on it I'll stick with my pump... Why you ask??

Few possibilities of something going wrong, I know there is one ready and waiting in the chamber and when I use it a simple movement brings the next one into play. No worrying about a $.03 O-ring Fing things up and it not cycling the next round.

 

[sporter]

The pump is better because simply racking the slide action will scare off anyone who intends to do you harm.

 

[Jstier]

My Instructor (NRA Certified) prefers Pump. We have had that discussion many times. He is fine with either. He looks at it from a cost and reliability stand point. I am on the other hand am looking for a FNH SLP.
Just my

 

[VERT]

Hunting and Range Play give me that semi-auto shotty!!!

HD where my life will count on it I'll stick with my pump... Why you ask??

Few possibilities of something going wrong, I know there is one ready and waiting in the chamber and when I use it a simple movement brings the next one into play. No worrying about a $.03 O-ring Fing things up and it not cycling the next round.

Have to agree with this idea. While I own semi-auto for all around versitility, it is hard to argue with the reliability of a good pump. Couple this with the lower cost, wide assortment of accesories and overall availability of the guns...it is easy to see why they are a popular choice.

 

[Andre46996]

The pump is better because simply racking the slide action will scare off anyone who intends to do you harm.

If you have a HD shotgun and you need to chamber a round you are going to be in trouble. SOUND gives away position. Time to "rack" a round equals badguy .5 sec to empty the magazine in his FoTY.

Sorry if you are in my home uninvited you are a threat to my life and I do not want to scare you I want to protect my life and the lives of family.

I apologize for the thread jack I just had to comment on that.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

 

[esrice]

reliability of a good pump. Couple this with the lower cost, wide assortment of accesories and overall availability of the guns...it is easy to see why they are a popular choice.

If the aftermarket caught up and produced an equal number of accessories for semi-autos, do you think they would still be less popular? (I realize this is an odd question, as why would they supply accessories for a less demanded platform)

I'm seeing you guys say "reliability" as a reason, and I've heard that before. Are semi-autos known to be less reliable in general? Why is this? The gas system?

 

[Mr. Habib]

Many 'experts' claim that a semi auto is not as reliable as a pump gun. Yet these same 'experts' happily carry semi auto pistols. While a pump gun can possibly handle a wider range of ammo reliably, that won't be an issue for a strictly defensive shotgun. These same pundits usually conveniently overlook the very real possibility of short stroking a pump gun under stress and the ability to run a semi auto one handed if necessary. FWIW I keep a semi auto for home defense and it eats anything from 3" 000 to #8 bird shot just fine.

 

[JeremySS]

Failures in a modern well made semi-auto are rare to the extreme. Some early versions of semi-auto shotguns did fail, often, and it made a lot of people "gun shy" to ever take another look at one.

 

[Mrmonte]

I prefer the 870 for HD for the same reason I keep a S&W Model 15 on my night stand. Its always going to go bang when I pull the trigger. For me, semi-auto's are basically cool range toys. I do not carry a gun for a living.

I dont think the lever gun or bolt action are going away either. High capacity and faster follow up shots(sometimes) are no substitute for knowing how to use a rifle or shotgun.

 

[JohnP82]

Hunting and Range Play give me that semi-auto shotty!!!

HD where my life will count on it I'll stick with my pump... Why you ask??

Few possibilities of something going wrong, I know there is one ready and waiting in the chamber and when I use it a simple movement brings the next one into play. No worrying about a $.03 O-ring Fing things up and it not cycling the next round.

i like the pump as well for reliability.

 

[hickuleas]

I own several pumps and semi-auto shotguns but my favorite is the 870 police.

 

[esrice]

I own several pumps and semi-auto shotguns but my favorite is the 870 police.

Why do you prefer that one to your semi-autos?

 

[rhino]

Thoughts??

Once a specific self-loading shotgun has been verified to function 100% with the chosen ammunition, it can offer some distinct advantages over a pump-gun.

• A self-loader (with some exceptions) delivers less felt recoil to the user. This is not an insignificant fact, especially for practice with buckshot and slugs.
• A self-loader can be used effectively if one limb is unavailable for some reason. This is far more difficult with a pump gun.
• A self-loader may be fired easily from positions other than standing in the open such as prone and around cover. While a pump gun may be fired one time easily, cycling the action when prone or from some improvised positions is far more difficult.
• For most people, firing second, third, fourth, etc. shots with a self-loader is faster than with a pump gun, especially since felt recoil is reduced. This is especially true when more than one shot is fired to the same point of aim where there is no target-to-target transition time to minimize the time lost for cycling a pump gun.
• Easier to fire and manipulate while moving
• Self-loaders are far easier to manipulate and operate for people with certain body types (such as stubby t-rex arms).

The advantages I see to a pump gun are:

• Allows a wider range of ammunition to be used
• Allows the buttstock to be shortened to any length since there are no moving parts located in the buttstock (which is not so for many self-loaders)
• Less maintenance intensive than a self-loader

As far as the reliability issue goes, I'm not buying that pumps are effectively more reliable than self-loaders. I've seen a lot more malfunctions induced in pump guns because of short stroking or some other user error than I have seen malfunctions of self-loaders. Certainly that's partially a training and practice issue, but it's also a reality and more likely to happen under stress.

 

[hickuleas]

Pump or Semi-auto

I prefer the 870P because its simplsitic design and even though none of my semi-autos have had any issues i have a deep trust of the 870P. Kinda hard to explain.

 

[Dss21]

I keep a 11-87 police for home defence. I has fired everything from low brass target loads to 00 buck with no failures. The problem I see with a pump is short stroken it. I have taken several freinds skeet shooting and they try and use a pump gun. Very often they short stroke it because of the pressure of hitting the double birds little lone the pressure of protecting your family !

 

[rhino]

I keep a 11-87 police for home defence. I has fired everything from low brass target loads to 00 buck with no failures. The problem I see with a pump is short stroken it. I have taken several freinds skeet shooting and they try and use a pump gun. Very often they short stroke it because of the pressure of hitting the double birds little lone the pressure of protecting your family !

Indeed.

Your 11-87 is an excellent choice for your application too!

 

[mkbar80]

• A self-loader (with some exceptions) delivers less felt recoil to the user. This is not an insignificant fact, especially for practice with buckshot and slugs.

This should be in big bold print.

 

[GIJEW]

Rhino I'm with you on this, given the ability of many newer shotguns to reliably fire all kinds of loads there really isn't anything a semi auto shotgun can't do better except for it's recoil on your wallet.

 

[figley]

I am just beginning to delve into the applications and usefulness of shotguns. Ergo, I am planning to run one of each at the practical shotgun match in Atlanta, in order to gain some knowledge, and a more definitive answer to this question.

I'm not going with the intention of getting a "winning" score. I just want to have fun with my shotguns. In addition, if I may borrow from Old Painless (box o' truth ), "shooting things is fun"!