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Home defense impulse buy.

4968 Views 50 Replies 1 Participant Last post by  ShotgunPro, 
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I've been thinking about getting a 12 gauge shotgun strictly for home defense for awhile and so I got an email from GalleryofGuns.com - Gun Genie advertising an ESCORT MarineGuard 12 gauge (5+1 pump) for what looked like a decent price I did a quick internet search to see what people said about the shotgun. Most thought it was a decent shotgun for the price range so I decided to do the impulse buy.

I picked it up the other day and it looks like a well made shotgun for the price. It's relatively light. I haven't test fired it ...or even picked up any ammo for it yet but I'm already second-guessing myself as to whether I should have either bought a used shotgun for the same purpose ...or went a few extra bucks and picked up a Serbu Super Shorty instead.

The MarineGuard has a maximum of 6 (5+1) and I will most likely only load it with 5 rounds so I will have to chamber a round before firing it. Two reasons for that. One for an added level of safety (although there are no kids in the house) and the other is for the racking 'scare effect'.

The Super Shorty (which I wasn't aware of until just today) is about twice the price, only holds 2+1 rounds but should have a larger spread pattern for home defense.

Will somebody please tell me I made a smart decision! ...or at least a reasonable one. :confused:
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It's smart and reasonable if you're happy with your choice.
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sorry, research before buying does not an impulse make




Grats on the gun BTW :)
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You did good.

It is Human nature to second guess ourselves all the time. If you're happy with it, then you did good.

Now go buy some ammo for it and practice with it.

A Lot of Good information on this website below for ammo and such.

Shotguns and more Shotguns! ShotgunWorld.com is Your Best Source for Shotgun Information

Be Safe.
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There are very few bad purchases in firearms, impulse buy or not. If it doesn't say "Lorcin", "Bryco-Jennings", or "Sigma" you probably did okay.
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Why not go with 5+1 (one in the chamber)? That way you're ready to go if you need it . . . and if for some reason you want the "racking effect" you can always just rack it and eject the chambered round. Best of both worlds.

Safety-wise, it's just like carrying a pistol with one in the chamber . . . keep your finger off the trigger. :)
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its a home defense gun ... it will not see extensive use ... you'll prob put less than 200 rnds through her in a year ... the rest of the time its gonna sit in your closet and collect dust

Its a good buy for what you intend to do with it
-Load her up
-Fire her
-then stash her somewhere and you're good to go
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Congrats! I say you're good to go. I did a similar thing a month or so ago. Was looking all over for an 870 HD gun, but couldn't find an open store that had one in stock. Rather than wait til the next day, I bought a Mossberg instead. Felt kinda dumb for rushing to buy a shotgun instead of waiting for the other, but after that first range trip all is good in my world! Go shoot that thing and your worries will fade...;)
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I think you made a good choice!!
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welcome to the club!!! i did this the other day as well, was looking to buy a used mossberg 500 with a pistol grip and a stupid riot handle on it for 230...instead i went and bought a mossberg 88 with full stock and pistol grip brand new from ace and then thought man i spent too much,...i say post pics and congrats with a 12 guage!!!!






so where are the pics?
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Good job. Buying a gun is always good. I wouldnt worry too much, its a hd gun, who will care what it looks like?
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did it come with a toe attachment?
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With respect,

An intruder in my home will never hear the "racking scare effect." This is a dangerous notion promoted in the movies and has no place in the mind of an individual who is preparing to defend his life or his family. Do you really think someone who is disturbed enough to enter an occupied home in the middle of the night, or day, will be afraid of a noise?

Racking an unloaded shotgun in a dark room may not only let the bad guy know just where you are, it may just give him the time he needs to take your life. A self defense firearm should only be taken up with the intent of applying deadly force.

A person that says, "maybe I can scare them away" by racking a shotgun or showing a handgun is not one who is mentally prepared to use deadly force.
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Biggun Stump said:
With respect,

An intruder in my home will never hear the "racking scare effect." This is a dangerous notion promoted in the movies and has no place in the mind of an individual who is preparing to defend his life or his family. Do you really think someone who is disturbed enough to enter an occupied home in the middle of the night, or day, will be afraid of a noise?

Racking an unloaded shotgun in a dark room may not only let the bad guy know just where you are, it may just give him the time he needs to take your life. A self defense firearm should only be taken up with the intent of applying deadly force.

A person that says, "maybe I can scare them away" by racking a shotgun or showing a handgun is not one who is mentally prepared to use deadly force.
Click to expand...
You make a pretty good point, however...The pump doesn't have a "loaded chamber indicator", thus you can't guarantee that it is indeed loaded at this stressful time. How are you gonna check it in the dark?
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Biggun Stump said:
With respect,

An intruder in my home will never hear the "racking scare effect." This is a dangerous notion promoted in the movies and has no place in the mind of an individual who is preparing to defend his life or his family. Do you really think someone who is disturbed enough to enter an occupied home in the middle of the night, or day, will be afraid of a noise?

Racking an unloaded shotgun in a dark room may not only let the bad guy know just where you are, it may just give him the time he needs to take your life. A self defense firearm should only be taken up with the intent of applying deadly force.

A person that says, "maybe I can scare them away" by racking a shotgun or showing a handgun is not one who is mentally prepared to use deadly force.
Click to expand...
Exactly!

In all the years I have shot a pump shotgun, I have never witnessed anyone lose control of their bowels whenever I racked it. That is a false notion promoted by Hollywood and does not work in real life.

Besides, like you stated, I have no desire to let a home invader know where I am or whether I am armed or not. If I ever have the misfortune of being involved in a home invasion scenario, the only sound I want the BG to hear is the sound of #1 buckshot or .40 S&W rounds headed his way.
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Frenchy said:
You make a pretty good point, however...The pump doesn't have a "loaded chamber indicator", thus you can't guarantee that it is indeed loaded at this stressful time. How are you gonna check it in the dark?
Click to expand...
That is why mine always has one in the pipe. ;)
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RayMich said:
That is why mine always has one in the pipe. ;)
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It's good that you never doubt that.
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Not a bad purchase.

I would've just bought a Rem 870 and a 18.5" barrel as an accessory(which I did), but it seems like a decent gun.

Take it out and test the snot out of it. I'm sure it will work just fine.
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Frenchy said:
You make a pretty good point, however...The pump doesn't have a "loaded chamber indicator", thus you can't guarantee that it is indeed loaded at this stressful time. How are you gonna check it in the dark?
Click to expand...
Again with respect,

Every gun I own has a "loaded chamber indicator." It is located between my ears.

My shotgun is kept loaded with the safety on. I KNOW it is loaded because I KEEP it that way. I have also practiced, practiced, practiced picking up the shotgun, fully loaded and safed, from the same positon I keep it in at home. Safety off and fire. Over and over and over again.

I make no claim of being any kind of self defense expert, hell I'm just a 60 year old fat guy out here in fly-over country. But I do believe self defense is as much mindset as it is mechanics. Both require practice.
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as I've said before, its about odds, if you rack most will run away for they aren't willing to loose control and don't want a fair fight.

The ones that will stay might kill you now

If you don't rack, you win either way but your odds of shooting someone and all the bad of that going with it increases dramatically.

So in the case of I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six (and I'll definitely take this with the castle doctrine) I carry hot.

I have an easy way to know if my guns are loaded, 100% are loaded 100% of the time they are in my safe. I have the only key, I will never hand it over. The other safe has the orange little plastic things holding all the bolts open. But in my emergency safe, ak47, maverick 88, ruger P94/sigP6 are always loaded to maximum capacity with the body armor at the feet. End of story.
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