You might be wondering what type of gun to by for your self defense. While conventional wisdom suggests buying a pistol, opting for a 12-gauge shotgun might be the wiser choice. There are a few very compelling reasons for this.

A 12-Gauge Shotgun Is Easy to Operate

A basic pump shotgun has, essentially, two parts required for operation. The first is the pump that feeds a shell into the chamber and the other is the safety. If a round is already in the chamber, simply pressing the safety button on or off allows you to pull the trigger.

Unlike the double-action semi-auto pistol with a safety, trigger guard, and hammer, you have no complicated features to deal with. You could even have handle grips affixed to the pump and stock making the weapon easier to hold and aim. You can put a laser sight on the top of it making it very easy to aim the shotgun in a high stress self-defense scenario.

A Wide Variety of Ammunition

It has been said that a 12 gauge shotgun is the most versatile of all weapons a person could own. This caliber of shotgun could literally be used to hunt for ducks and just as easily be employed to stop a charging grizzly bear. The great range of 12-gauge ammunition makes this possible.

Target loads (also known as birdshot) are perfect for those who worry about over-penetration. Also, the recoil on birdshot is minimal making this ammo perfect for those with limited experience. At close range, target load does not spread out very wide and dissipate. Honestly, most self-defense scenarios are at close range anyway.

For those who to feel more confident about stopping power, 00 Buck ammo might be the better choice. This load fires 9 pellet balls designed to take down deer and other large animals. For home defense, there are “no recoil” rounds offered so you do not have to worry about a huge kick.

Rifled slug shotgun shells do provide a massive kick, but these slugs can stop pretty much anything. These shells deliver the load capable of killing a grizzly bear.

12 Gauge Power

No matter what type of ammo you put into a 12 gauge shotgun, the muzzle velocity is over twice that of a .44 magnum. In short, a shotgun is a massively powerful, easy to handle weapon. So, why not make a 12 gauge your number one choice for a home defense firearm?