Here is when I bought my first gun

[MicaelS]

105. What is so fucking special about a shotgun?

I see this all the time "buy a shotgun", "buy a shotgun", "buy a shotgun", "buy a shotgun ". It's like a mantra some people chant.

"Buy a shotgun instead of an evil handgun."

"All you have to do is rack the slide on pump gun, and the intruder will run screaming into the night."

I would much rather have a handgun for home defense because:

(1) The handgun is smaller, and thus able to more easily secured in steel lockbox that can be secured to wall studs, bed frame, nightstand, drawer, etc. I have my home defense .45 automatic secured in a lockbox bolted to the nightstand. The gun is loaded, cocked and the safety is on. I can access the gun in under 5 seconds. I can point and fire while lying in bed. With a shotgun, you either have a have a gun safe, or gun cabinet which might take 30 seconds to open.

(2) The average defensive handgun is about 9" long. Thus it is smaller, and thus more easily maneuvered in the confines of an apartment or home than a 40" long shotgun with a legal 18" barrel.

(3) Yes the shotgun is more powerful, but that power comes at a price. You can't shoot the shotgun one handed. The recoil is more severe on a shotgun, especially for women or small stature men.

(4) The handgun is cheaper to practice with. I can buy 50 rounds of .45 ACP for as little as $20. 50 rounds of 12 gauge 00 buck is going to cost me at least $50.

And if I HAD to buy a shotgun for home defense, I'm not getting a pump, or a double barrel, I'm getting a semi-automatic shotgun with a magazine extension like a Remington 1100 TAC 4, or a Benelli M2 Tactical. And someone is going to want to ban those because they're "semi-automatic" or "holds more than 5 rounds".