LogFAQs > #893135879

I carry a pistol because you can't carry a long gun with you in public, concealed or otherwise. And it would be obnoxious to, even where legal. However, a handgun is not an ideal weapon. It is a backup/concealed gun. As such:

I own a 12 gauge pump shotgun with a flashlight built in for home defense, because it is one of the most ideal close quarters / home defense weapons. 00 Buckshot still has to be aimed, and WILL penetrate dry wall (the extreme spread of shotguns in video games is a myth, unless you specifically have a choke/shell arrangement to get wider patterns earlier) but slightly less so than a rifled slug (such as one fired from a pistol/rifle/carbine.) In addition to that, 3" 00 Buckshot has a lot of stopping power (not "knockdown power". That is also a myth) even against a fit male when hit center mass. I choose pump over the speed of a semi-automatic for the home defense shotgun because the manual bolt control allows me a better chance of clearing a rare jam in a life or death scenario.

I own an AR-15 carbine for extreme scenarios where I need a little longer range than a shotgun, and lots of ammunition that can accurately be laid down. I would almost always go for my shotgun if I heard someone breaking in, but there have been instances on the news where 8+ armed intruders broke into a family's home, and in that case, the 40 round magazine of 5.56mm would give me a better fighting chance.

The rest of my guns are just for collecting, and are all locked up in a safe.
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