Quarter Shotgun

Personal Defense: pistol, shotgun, or other?

Alright, first of all I am a twenty year old college student. I live away from home in an off campus apartment. I live in a relatively small city, but I can’t help but notice an increase in crime rate. Especially break-ins and other crimes of that nature. A few weeks ago two students were held at gunpoint a few blocks from my apartment. What would be the best option for me when it comes to personal defense? I am and always have been a hunter so I am familiar with shotguns and rifles. I’ve never shot a pistol but thought about purchasing one and taking a training couse next year when I turn 21. Another option for me would be to purchase a home defense shotgun. One that is tailored specifically for close quarters combat. A third and cheapest option would be to go home and get the youth model 20 gauge that I used when I was younger and load it up with oo buckshot. I own two 12 gauge shotguns, but the length on the barrels make them ideal for duck hunting, not home defense.

If its within the confines of your own place, its hard to beat a shotgun. Even a 20 gauge will deliver energy roughly equivalent to two .44 magnum slugs simultaneously hitting someone at the same time if loaded properly. If your worried about being robbed outside of your home, then yes you should look into getting a pistol. I’d recommend that you take a NRA basic pistol course in order to familiarize yourself with the various options, since they’ll usually show you a few different varieties that you can get used to. So in summary, get your shotgun and load it up with #3 shot and you basically have an ideal home defense gun. If you want to protect yourself on the street, take the NRA course. I’m not going to specifically recommend a handgun because each person is looking for something different and you should go into it with as open of a mind as possible.

quarter plus shotgun equals fail