From: lriggins@galaxy.afit.af.mil (L. Maurice Riggins)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Shotguns vs Handguns (was: Gun Recommendations Sought)
Date: 6 Apr 92 12:57:48 GMT
Organization: Air Force Institute of Technology

In article <52601@mimsy.umd.edu> bp816@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Stuart Krivis) writes:
|One thing no one has mentioned...  Don't use handloads for self-
|defense. They will make you out to be a monster in court if you
|ever actually have to shoot someone.

Why?  I doubt anyone is going to distinguish my handloads of Remington JHP
in Remington cases from the factory ammo.

|Point 2: Why use a handgun for home protection? Shotguns are more
|effective and safer. Shotguns scare the hell out of burglars!

Shotguns are a bear to manuever with.  Either the barrel goes ahead of you
giving you away, or you have to hold it back and bring it to shooting position
much more slowly than a handgun.  It bangs into walls and door frames if
you aren't careful.  Try getting into shooting position from behind a door
frame.  If you don't have a shotgun, try it with a 42" broomstick.  BTW,
my personal philosophy is not to let the perp see a weapon til I fire it.
Attempts to "scare" seldom work as one wishes.

|You are much less likely to shoot thru 3 houses and kill Uncle Fred's 
|goldfish.

A slug or 00 buck will penetrate just as bad.  For shotguns, you'll use
lighter pellets such as #1 or #4 buck.  The same goes for handguns.
You need to select loads that penetrate less for BOTH shotguns and handguns.

|Kids are less likely to get in trouble with a shotgun in the house.

It's a lot easier to secure a small handgun than a shotgun.  It's also easier
to load an auto handgun by keeping a secured, loaded magazine separate.

|AND it takes less skill to use a scatter-gun. 

Seems you're a victim of scattergun mythology.  At inside house ranges, 
even with an improved cylinder choke, the pellets will all land in a 3-5"
circle, depending on shot.  Aim is as critical as a handgun.  It's also
easier for a stronger perp to wrestle a long shotgun away from a defender
without getting shot than a pistol.

|Get a 410ga or go whole hog and get a 20. Remember, all
|those farmers can't be wrong! 

If you are gonna use a shotgun, you might want to read all the police
accounts where even a 12 gauge load didn't stop a perp.  I wouldn't consider
a .410 or 20 gauge for defense.

I've got a 14 shot 9mm semiauto pistol and a 8 shot 12 gauge semiauto shotgun.
Defending inside, the pistol wins hands down.  I'm one hell of a lot
faster with the pistol (I also shoot both IPSC) inside the house.  Outdoors
may be a different story, especially if all I have to do is keep the fox
out of the henhouse.  But unless a two-legged varmit is trying to burn my
house down, he can have anything I own outside the house... that's what
insurance is for.  No way am I going to risk my life to save material
possessions!  I'll just call the local law enforcement and let them handle it.
So if I'm not going outdoors, the handgun is again my preferred weapon.

Handguns are ESSENTIAL for home defense.  There are many who would ban them,
stating that shotguns are more practical, but it's obvious they have never
tried to actually use one or even train for indoor manuver with a shotgun.

-- 

Maurice          lriggins@blackbird.afit.af.mil (129.92.1.2)