Long time lurker here. Recently had my home broken into and robbed by 3 Latino meth-head teenagers (Southern California, if you couldn't guess). I've decided that maybe now is about time I get a gun for home defense. In the next couple of days I'll be visiting gun shops around the area to get a shotgun. Now I just need to decide on which one to get.
From my time here I've gathered that the most reliable shotgun is probably the Ithaca 37, and its probably what I'll be looking for first and foremost in the coming days. Are there any objections to this?
Bump for lack of reply.
>>29820130
In cali?
They care more about the criminals than you. Your best option for home defence is to move, buddy.
>>29820130
The Ithaca 37 is one of the fucking best shot guns ever made. You cant go wrong. Good choice
>>29820421
>>29820130
But, yeah. Ithacas are great. It's a shame you never really hear much about them.
>>29820421
Moving is not an option. I'll be staying here for at least a few more years.
>>29820130
Any cheap pump gun will do fine, I can't think of any that will flat out fail on you. But be advised if you're going to get away with a lethal home defense shooting in CA you'd better have an airtight case.
>>29820130
IF you're set on a 12GA, go with the Mossberg 500. It's the gold standard.
>>29820440
Well, best of luck man. I'd trust the Ithaca through anything.
You might also look into a Mossburg 590 too if you want another good HD shotgun
>>29820447
Doesn't California have a rudimentary castle-doctrine type law?
>"Any person using force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily injury within his or her residence shall be presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily injury to self, family, or a member of the household when that force is used against another person, not a member of the family or household, who unlawfully and forcibly enters or has unlawfully and forcibly entered the residence and the person using the force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry occurred."
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=198.5.
>>29820447
I'm fairly sure California has a castle doctrine law in all but name.
>>29820447
bullshit. this is still america amd cali has castle law.
it's common knowledge in cali that home invasion = okay to use lethal force. what you're thinking of is when you merely wound the attacker and he sues you civilly; therefore, make sure if you are defending your home in cali that you shoot to kill.
>>29820130
Ithacas are fucking hard to find, OP. They haven't made them in a long time.
I'd recommend the remshit 870, mine has never failed me.
A shotgun, while excellent for house to house fighting, is less than ideal for either home defense or your first firearm. Out of a cylinder choke shot spreads roughly 1" per yard, so unless you've got some long hallways you're not going to get much benefit from it. Buy a pistol caliber carbine and practice with it a couple times a month until you feel the need for something rowdier.
Advantages:
Low/no recoil
High capacity
Cheap ammo
High accuracy under 100 yards
Lightweight
Pic unrelated.
>>29820421
As long as the dead criminal tried to attack you it's all good
>Since it appeared to be a case of self-defense, police stated the homeowner was not taken into custody.
http://abc7.com/news/homeowner-shoots-kills-attempted-burglary-suspect-in-ontario-police-say/1200746/
>>29820130
>Meth head
The word you want is tweaker. Meth head refers to a dental condition.
>>29820490
But they still make them actually
Just about any basic 12 gauge pump with a 5 shot capacity is a great start. Use 00 buck.
Ithaca- I own one. You can't toss a loose round into the chamber- I'm not sure that's important to me. It's a little harder to check the chamber being loaded or unloaded- which IS important to me.
Don't get sold on the "hold the trigger back and keep shucking" thing...aimed fire, every shot.
Ithaca pumps are usually a little lighter and more lively handling than the usual 870 or Mossberg 500. They usually have a touch more drop at the heel, so the recoil might feel sharper than it really is. The upside is they handle more naturally.
>>29820130
Maverick 88.
Couple boxes of 00 buck.
Range trip.
These three things will cost under $500 total and they will serve you well for home defense, it's easily the best bang for your buck.
>>29820491
Except one blast from a 12 gauge lands a half/whole magazine worth of pistol rounds in one shot depending on what kind of load you use
One center mass hit from 00 buck should finish someone before they hit the floor
>>29820491
>high capacity
OP is from Cali. He can only have 10 rounders.
That negates the advantage of a centerfire carbine in the fighting scenario. It certainly negates any advantage presented by a PCC.
Why would you ever recommend a PCC over an AR?
>>29820532
Nobody is ever going to argue with the stopping power of a good shotgun, but it's pretty easy to miss with the entire load of buck under 20 feet. The harsh recoil might deter regular practice to avoid this, especially with a new gun owner, and follow up shots will be much slower.
>>29820598
OP here. This shotgun will be specifically for home defense. I'm definitely not going to be shooting anything further than, at most, 10 feet away.
>>29820559
I somewhat support the bigger hole theory.
>>29820450
This. Ithacas are good but any ones you can find for a reasonable price are going to be pretty well worn at this point. Plus when they do jam they're a royal pita to clear.
Go with the 500 can't go wrong there.
>>29820649
>>29820511
>>29820491
>>29820490
It turns out that Ithacas are in fact very hard to find, at least ones that aren't used and worn.
Guess I'll be going for either the 870 or 500, then. What are the noticeable differences between them, if any?
>>29820130
Dude leave the state, why are you still living there?
>>29820613
Well a lot of people think a shotgun will help them hit stuff in a stressful situation, but at 10 feet you'll have a 2-3 inch spread, at most. Might as well just use slugs. I think you should lean towards a carbine but that's just my 2 bits, and I have no idea what's legal in Cali in that regard.
>>29820466
>>29820475
>>29820488
Yes, every state has some form of castle doctrine, but CA in general is very hostile to self defense and if the prosecutor decides he wants to try to pin you for murder he'll try his damnedest and we all know what the state is capable of when it comes to fucking over innocent citizens. At the very least they can give you a hell of a hassle and waste a ton of your time and money.
What's wrong with Semi-automatic shotguns?
I also live in California, and it seems like 8+1 semi-auto shotguns are the best defensive weapon.
I say semi-auto is because If I get nervous I might have a hard time pumping a shotgun. But with semiauto you just fire away. I'm I wrong?
>>29820745
Is there a type of shell that spread more than 2-3 inches?
>>29820677
The Mossberg 500 has a tang mounted safety. 870 has a crossbolt safety.
>>29820598
That's why you pump and shoot again
Field loads are cheap enough to get regular practice in with your twelve gauge and plentiful at Walmart
One might argue a smaller diameter pistol round would be easier to miss with. After all the recoil doesn't make your first shot miss, stress and improper fundamentals do
>>29820819
Nope just make sure your choice of ammo cycles well
The problem with pumps you might be referring to is 'short shucking "
here op
>>29823016
this needs updating and the PPS-43C is trash, utter trash
