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Originally Posted by Franck
One in six parents say they know a child who accidentally shot himself or herself with a gun [Harvard School of Public Health].
Suicide is nearly 5 times more likely to occur in a household with a gun than in a household without a gun. [Kellerman, A.L. et al., N Engl J Med 327, 1993.]
In 1996, 2 people were murdered by handguns in New Zealand, 15 in Japan, 106 in Canada, 213 in Germany, and 9,390 in the United States. [FBI Uniform Crime Report]
Guns kept in the home for self-protection are 43 times more likely to kill a family member or friend than to kill in self-defense. [ Kellermann and Reay, N.E. Journal of Medicine]
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False statistics..... Anyway, if your method of home defense is to make a stand from your bedroom or something then nothing beats a shotgun. The myth that a shotgun pattern spreads so that you can hit something easier is true, but not at distances so close as to what you would encounter in your home. It doesnt have enough room to spread well. If you are going to attempt to "clear" your house to see if there is any intruder, then you do not want a shotgun. the confines of your home make the shotgun impractical for clearing a house, and easier to have your weapon taken away from you.
A pistol works better for "clearing" an area that is somewhat confined space wise. If you are going to clear your house, then you must be aware of weapon retention. Its much easier to take a shotgun away from someone than a pistol. Head the advise of those who posted previously about ghostring sites and tritium inserts. You WILL need them in a dark environment. Make sure the barrel of your shotgun is 18 and 1/2 inches long, not just 18. Not trying to pick a fight with dice about it, but it has to be 18 and 1/2 inches.
Also know that a gas operated shotgun has less recoil than a pump shotgun, due to the fact that the recoil system on a gas operated gun uses the gas to cycle the next round.
As far as shotgun choices. there are many good brands out there. Mossberg, Reminton, Winchester, Benelli, Beretta, Franchi, are all some great makers of skatterguns. Also make sure that if you go with a pump action gun that you get one with dual slides
Finally, too many people think that as long as they have a gun, then they are safe. Make sure you train with the damn thing on a regular basis. Find a combat firearm training facility in your area. If you are going to own a gun, then it is your responsibility to know how to use it, and when to use it. I have been to a few various training centers. I THOUGHT I knew about using guns. I learned alot from these guys. The tactics they teach are the same things they teach to swat teams and military factions. The reason is because they guys who teach these courses are also teaching the swat teams.
I suggest Thunder Ranch, T.D.I., or Gunsite, I have been to all three. The info they teach puts you so far ahead of other people that it really makes for an unfair fight when it comes to "clearing leather".