Need to decide which firearm to get

[yearofthenick]

OK - Here's what I'm struggling with.
1. Mossberg 500 Series 12-gauge shotgun with two barrels
2. Smith and Wesson Sigma .40 Handgun
It all started when we wanted to get a gun for home protection. The shotgun is the best bet for that because you don't need to really aim it for the gun to shoot the bad guy. Plus, when the shotgun fires, the pellets are much less likely to go through walls and hit neighbors or other people in adjacent rooms.
With a handgun, however, I can still use it for home protection, but it's not as effective. If i end up having to fire it, I would need to be very careful where I shoot, because if I miss the bad guy, the bullet may travel to the neighbors or to someone in the next room and injure/kill them.
Plus, with a shotgun, the bad guy will most likely go down with one hit of the shotgun. It may take a few hits of the handgun for the guy to go down.
But the biggest issue I have is that shotguns can't really be shot anywhere unless you know someone out in the country. No gun ranges in my area will allow a shotgun to be fired. With a handgun, I can use it more regularly for firing practice and working on my aim. I have a few friends with the same exact gun and it would be fun to go shooting with them every now and then.
SO....
1. Do I get the shotgun for the best home protection and let it collect dust in my closet until the day comes when I'd actually need it?
- OR -
2. Do I get the handgun, which is less effective as home protection, but can be used more regularly as a shooting range/activity with friends type thing?

 

[yearofthenick]

My wife would be comfortable with shooting either, but in the middle of the night, I would most likely shoot it.
I will eventually get both, but I want to know which one to get first.

 

[deadly_legend]

personally, id get the handgun, its smaller, lighter, and you can move faster with it if you needed to. Also, you could get a concealed weapons permit and just carry it around with you. But, thats just mu $0.02

 

[dragonzim]

I've been thinking along the same lines lately, getting a gun for home protection. Personally, I am leaning more towards a 12 gauge pump action shotgun. The reason you gave with it being much easier to hit a target is one thing, but also take into consideration that there is no mistaking the sound of a shotgun being cocked and I have heard from a number of people, all veteran gun owners, that that sound would often be enough to make a would be home invader think twice. Also, not sure about your state, but here in NY, there are no licensing requirements to owning a long gun. We do also have a number of ranges that will allow shotguns as long as you are shooting slugs and there are a few outdoor trapskeet shooting places around.

 

[oscardeuce]

Get the handgun, frangible ammo, laser sight grips.
Take the CCW course and a compat pistol course.
Practice at least monthly, exchange ammo monthly.
Get a good under the bed gun safe you can open in the dark with your eye closed.
Drill your family in what to do if something does happen. Where will they be, where will you hunker down to defend? The family should be in a safe place behind your cone of fire. Practice the drill.
I would not wander the house looking for the bad guys, rather defend an area while the police are on the way. Let the police know where you are, and you are armed.
I reality they can have my stuff, but not my family or me. That's how I defend my castle.

 

[reefraff]

If you live in a housing development the shotgun is better. Even the best shot in the world can miss a moving target in the heat of the moment. With a shotgun you are less likely to miss and more importantly your errand shot is much less likely to go through a wall and hit someone else.

 

[socal57che]

Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/3223209
With a shotgun you are less likely to miss and more importantly your errand shot is much less likely to go through a wall and hit someone else.
hence the frangible ammo

 

[shrimpy brains]

This is an interesting thread! I have been thinking along these same lines. Right now, I have a 22 rifle(don't laugh at me if that's not the right name for it, but you get the idea) I don't think it's the best for home protection.
So I have been thinking of getting something else. I also don't want to hit a family member/neighbor, but I am also concerned about hitting one of my fishtanks.

I guess when there is an intruder involved, this isn't important, but it would be later.
So, would the shotgun be less likely to take out a tank??

 

[socal57che]

I recommend the handgun. Besides home protection, it is more likely that you would use it for recreation. Also, you are more likely to go to the range and practice shooting...it's harder to take the shotgun for target practice, but as you mentioned, it's more pointing it in the general direction and blasting away.
I have never had to use any of my guns for protection, but in my home I prefer my handgun.
Everyone in my home knows where the guns are, that they are loaded at all times and how to use them. An empty gun = a rock to throw. My kids were taught to shoot and clear a firearm from about age 6. IMO, if you have guns in the home, everyone needs to know how to use them and how to clear (empty) them. My wife is a better shot than I am most of the time.
I have an exterior door knob on our bedroom. When kids come over to play, I simply lock the guns in my bedroom with the key.
Benelli has released some very nice shotguns as of late. Well worth the time to look at.

 

[bionicarm]

If you get a handgun, don't get anything smaller than a .45. A 9mm would only tick off an intruder, unless you put at least two or three rounds in him. Go by Academy Sports and look at the TAURUS PT1911 .45 ACP. I saw one there a few months ago, and it even had a laser sight on it. Think it was around $525. Someone comes in, put that red laser dot on them, and you'll pretty much know where the bullet is going.

 

[socal57che]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/3223233
If you get a handgun, don't get anything smaller than a .45. A 9mm would only tick off an intruder, unless you put at least two or three rounds in him. Go by Academy Sports and look at the TAURUS PT1911 .45 ACP. I saw one there a few months ago, and it even had a laser sight on it. Think it was around $525. Someone comes in, put that red laser dot on them, and you'll pretty much know where the bullet is going.
Look at energy. The .40 is a very capable cartridge.

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by Shrimpy Brains
http:///forum/post/3223222
This is an interesting thread! I have been thinking along these same lines. Right now, I have a 22 rifle(don't laugh at me if that's not the right name for it, but you get the idea) I don't think it's the best for home protection.
So I have been thinking of getting something else. I also don't want to hit a family member/neighbor, but I am also concerned about hitting one of my fishtanks.

I guess when there is an intruder involved, this isn't important, but it would be later.
So, would the shotgun be less likely to take out a tank??
A shotgun would probably be more likely to take out a tank accidentally with the pellet spread.

 

[fishtaco]

If your just looking for something for home protection you can go pick-up a single shot 12 gauge at Wally World for about 110.00 dollars. Cheap, effective and you can still find 12 gauge shells for it easily. I have done a little hunting with mine even and it has never given me a problem and I actually prefer it to the pump I used to own.
Fishtaco

 

[bionicarm]

Originally Posted by socal57che
http:///forum/post/3223234
Look at energy. The .40 is a very capable cartridge.
Haven't kept up with all the various loads out there for quite some time. So do they put more powder in a .40 than they do in a .45? My rationale, "Bigger slug, bigger hole". And if I'm not mistaken, most .45 loads won't penetrate an exterior wall, so less worry about hitting a neighbor's house.

 

[socal57che]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/3223240
Haven't kept up with all the various loads out there for quite some time. So do they put more powder in a .40 than they do in a .45? My rationale, "Bigger slug, bigger hole". And if I'm not mistaken, most .45 loads won't penetrate an exterior wall, so less worry about hitting a neighbor's house.
"The .40 S&W cartridge has become a success in the United States because, while possessing nearly identical accuracy,[15] drift and drop, it adds almost 50 percent more energy over the 9 mm Parabellum with a more manageable recoil than the 10 mm Auto cartridge.[16] With good JHP bullets in the more energetic loads (> 500 ft•lbf) the .40 S&W can create hydrostatic shock in human-sized living targets. [17][18]
The .40 S&W has been called “the ideal cartridge for personal defense and law enforcement,”[19] and a ”lot more than a 9mm.”[20] The energy of the .40 S&W exceeds standard-pressure 9x19mm Parabellum and .45 ACP loadings, generating between 350 and 500 foot-pounds of energy, depending on bullet weight. Both the .40 S&W and the 9 mm Parabellum operate at a 35,000 psi (240 MPa) SAAMI maximum, compared to a 21,000 psi (150 MPa) maximum for .45 ACP"

 

[bionicarm]

Originally Posted by socal57che
http:///forum/post/3223243
"The .40 S&W cartridge has become a success in the United States because, while possessing nearly identical accuracy,[15] drift and drop, it adds almost 50 percent more energy over the 9 mm Parabellum with a more manageable recoil than the 10 mm Auto cartridge.[16] With good JHP bullets in the more energetic loads (> 500 ft•lbf) the .40 S&W can create hydrostatic shock in human-sized living targets. [17][18]
The .40 S&W has been called “the ideal cartridge for personal defense and law enforcement,”[19] and a ”lot more than a 9mm.”[20] The energy of the .40 S&W exceeds standard-pressure 9x19mm Parabellum and .45 ACP loadings, generating between 350 and 500 foot-pounds of energy, depending on bullet weight. Both the .40 S&W and the 9 mm Parabellum operate at a 35,000 psi (240 MPa) SAAMI maximum, compared to a 21,000 psi (150 MPa) maximum for .45 ACP"
So does that extra energy equate to the possibilty of a .40 slug penetrating an exterior wall, which is one of the concerns the OP has about shooting a handgun in his home?

 

[socal57che]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/3223245
So does that extra energy equate to the possibilty of a .40 slug penetrating an exterior wall, which is one of the concerns the OP has about shooting a handgun in his home?
No more than any other cartridge. A .22 rimfire will penetrate walls just fine.
The key is hitting the target. Any round that misses the intruder must be accounted for. This is why oscardeuce recommended frangible ammo. In the case that you miss, which is not uncommon in a heated firefight, the odds of causing harm to people outside the room are decreased.
Practice is necessary to be sure that we hit what we aim at.

 

[bang guy]

My home protection is a shotgun but I don't think it's a good choice for most people. There's no significant pellet spread at the 15' range so if you don't practice often you're probably going to miss. The spread on my shotgun at 15' using #2 steel goose shot is only 4". That's not even close to the 3' spread you see in the movies. The concept that pointing in the general direction is going to score a hit is a myth. When I load up it's going to be with a slug, not bird shot.
If you're going to get something only for protection the handgun makes a lot more sense in my opinion.

 

[louti]

I love my sigma 40 S&W. I also have a 500 for hunting. If it's strictly for home defense, I would go with the handgun for maneuverability. As Socal stated TWICE, you can use the fragmenting ammo if you are worried about wall penetration. As a side note, many people complain about the long trigger pull of the Sigma, and this was my biggest concern before getting it. It took a few clips to get used to, but now I think I am more accurate with it than with shorter, crisper triggers I've shot.

 

[darthtang aw]

If this is for home defense, something to consider...the shotgun could possibly limit your options if a perpetrator is in close vicinity to a family member.