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Hemphill · March 10, 2000, 10:47 AM

If home defense is the primary reason by a good amount, then get a shotgun. A good pump action with a short barrel and decent mag capacity can be had for about $300 in most areas. If just having a carry or just plain fun gun is the more realistic use, then a pistol could be a viable option.
The shotgun would be easier to learn to use in defensive situations, and cheap birdshot practice loads can be had for about $5 a box of 25 pretty routinely. Buckshot and slugs can be purchased for about $5-10 for 5 rounds and are good for defensive use. If you get a pistol, the ammo runs between $10 and $15 for practice ammo in boxes of 50, and about $20-40 for the same number of rounds of premium hollow points.
To achieve a good level of competence in the defensive use of your chosen weapon, you will shoot a goodly amount of ammo. With the shotgun, you will probably need less ammo to get to the same level with the pistol. Add that cost to the lower cost of the shotgun, and it is obviously the lower cost option of the two. But if cost is not that big of an issue, learining to use a pistol defensivly is not an impossible task. Whichever route you choose, I advise you to get some training. But before you do any of this you need to ask yourself some serious questions ie if you can use a firearm in a defensive situation, ie can you kill your attacker if need be and why do you want a lethal weapon.

March 10, 2000, 10:47 AM	#3
Hemphill Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 1999 Location: Reno, NV, USA Posts: 116	If home defense is the primary reason by a good amount, then get a shotgun. A good pump action with a short barrel and decent mag capacity can be had for about $300 in most areas. If just having a carry or just plain fun gun is the more realistic use, then a pistol could be a viable option. The shotgun would be easier to learn to use in defensive situations, and cheap birdshot practice loads can be had for about $5 a box of 25 pretty routinely. Buckshot and slugs can be purchased for about $5-10 for 5 rounds and are good for defensive use. If you get a pistol, the ammo runs between $10 and $15 for practice ammo in boxes of 50, and about $20-40 for the same number of rounds of premium hollow points. To achieve a good level of competence in the defensive use of your chosen weapon, you will shoot a goodly amount of ammo. With the shotgun, you will probably need less ammo to get to the same level with the pistol. Add that cost to the lower cost of the shotgun, and it is obviously the lower cost option of the two. But if cost is not that big of an issue, learining to use a pistol defensivly is not an impossible task. Whichever route you choose, I advise you to get some training. But before you do any of this you need to ask yourself some serious questions ie if you can use a firearm in a defensive situation, ie can you kill your attacker if need be and why do you want a lethal weapon.