12ga noise level
One post expressed concern over shotgun noise indoors. A while back I had posted the same concern - don't remember which thread, it wasn't recent. Anyway, another poster came back with a table showing actual noise levels for common SD weapons.
If I remember correctly, the 12ga from 20" barrel came in around 155dB, and a .357mag from a 4" barrel came in around 161db; in any case there was a 5 or 6 dB increase from the shotgun to the magnum.
A shorter barreled .357 would be even louder.
So, if you're worried about shotgun noise inside, you might want to reconsider that .357 unless it's downloaded to .38+P.
In response to the original question, I'm still undecided as to whether I'd grab an 18.5" 12ga pump or a 16" 5.56 AR for a bump in the night. Given that the house is in the country (pasture and forest), the AR has a range advantage. The EOTech sight on the AR allows for very rapid sight acquisition, too, and its brightness is adjustable for ambient lighting conditions. Hard to beat a 30rd mag, and I've had a reasonable amount of training on M16 and M4... Guess for me, the AR is a better choice.
However, my significant other is a farmgirl, and is more comfortable with shotguns. I usually have a handgun and surefire available near wherever I sleep.
So, guess which one stays in the bedroom overnight, and which is in the safe?
(Can anybody say, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy?)
Besides, the safe isn't all that far.
Cheers,
M
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