Broken out to this page since 11-15-05
Broken out to this page since 11-15-05
Chokes, Comps, and the
Elusive Tight Pattern
I think we often fall into the ALL OR NOTHING mentality with this issue of
setting up a proper shotgun. For example, some would say, "Your shotgun either
puts all pellets into a coffee cup at 25 yards, or it is an alley broom.". That
is a mistake in my opinion. Just like sights or no sights, moving or stationary
issues, there are degrees.
A shotgun...for me is a weapon. I don't play gun games, or hunt birds or any of
that stuff. Neither am I delivering less lethal or breeching door with frangible
rounds. Nothing wrong with them, but its just not my current mission.
Much of the shotgun lore today comes from the efforts of Jeff Cooper and his
school. Cooper was first and foremost a rifleman. And he looked at every small
arm from that perspective. That is not meant as a dig of any kind, but rather a
simple statement of fact relayed to me by several of the instructors at the
time, and verified in discussions with Cooper himself. For example, take a look
at the doctrine for pistol use. The entire Modern Technique is basically an
effort to run the pistol like a rifle. In the days I trained with him there was
very little shooting done inside of 7 yards...
(New 09-21-08)
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SHOTGUN
If I were
writing the Shotgun Doctrine today, in the same manner as Cooper did in 1990, I
would say this as a mission statement for the scattergun -
The shotgun is intended for
proactive use in close range combat where the dynamic tempo of events may
surpass the operator's ability to use traditional sighting concepts, and where
the probability of a hit with a single projectile may also be affected by these
events to include reduced visibility. Anything not fitting this performance
envelope is far easier handled with a rifle.
The natural loading for the
shotgun to manage these events is buckshot. Thus while the weapon may be pressed
into service to other things (such as launch less lethal, gas, breaching, and
other jobs), or used with slugs for special circumstances involving the
destruction of cover, or reaching beyond its intended envelop via the use of
slugs, we seek to optimize the weapons for their intended use with buckshot.
If such a mission statement had been made, the development of the shotgun
nearly twenty years later would have taken an entirely different path. The
shotgun would be seen as a special-use weapon and trained thus, rather than the
currwent attempt to turn it into a ballistic Leatherman's Tool.
The shotgun is not a rifle and seeking to turn it into one will yield
a shotgun that is not useful for shotgun
problems and a poor performer at rifle problems. True, there are
police officers that are not trusted with anything else. For them there may be
little choice. But why would a free american that can choose any weapon and set
it up as he pleases, want to be limited in the way the untrusted, shotgun armed,
policeman is?...
Captured from the internet:
The best home defense firearm is a 12 gauge pump shotgun. Remington 870 is commonly available and at a reasonable price. No reason to get one with a long barrel either. A 20-inch barrel is plenty.
A shotgun would be a good choice but, whatever weapon you chose, you need to maintain proficiency and the weapon itself. Keeping it in the crawl space does neither. In general, however, you do have the right idea - be prepared to protect yourself.
Remington 870 Shotgun.
It's all you'll ever need.
Agreed the Remington 870 is the best for home defense. I'd suggest the 870
Marine Magnum version 18" barrel and 7 shot capacity. A 9mm or .45 Glock would
be ok for a back up weapon.
A NOTE of WARNING: It is a common myth that the "sound" of a pump action shotgun will scare an intruder and possibly cause them to flee. A word of caution must be added to this tactic. The sound of the action immediately reveals your location to the intruder and also removes the element of surprise that you may have to your advantage. The best scenario if an intruder is heard in your house would be to secure yourself in a room with your shotgun and telephone/cellphone. If the intruder starts trying to break down the door...rack the shotgun and tell them if they try to come in that you will cut them in half. Hopefully the cops will be on the way... Do not buy into the fantasy illusion of chasing burglars around your house with your scattergun blazing.
Racking a shotgun just because it "sounds mean" will definitely get the intruder's attention. It will also immediately give away your position and take away your most powerful weapon - the element of surprise. An intruder in your home is facing unfamiliar surroundings. In the dark. You, however, are (or should be) totally familiar with your home environment. Anonymity, along with a measured and intelligent plan of action, gives you almost total control of your immediate situation. In giving away your position, that control is lost or at least seriously comprimised.
In a home invasion it's a safe bet that the intruder's adrenalin level is as high, or higher, than yours. You will both be in a "fight or flight" state. Emotional reactions in this state are very unpredictable, and the sound of the shotgun might actually cause the intruder to be MORE agressive rather than turning tail and fleeing. Don't take the chance. Let them stay focused on just finding their way around, instead of being focused on you. If it comes to the point that you feel there is no other choice, THEN rack the slide and announce that you've called the police. If the intruder makes even the slightest hostile move towards you at that point, pull the trigger. I'd much rather have you answering a few questions downtown than have to attend your funeral.
All that being said, I'll add that I don't particularly care for the "rack the slide" technique anyway. When you rack the slide, one of two things has happened - A)you've ejected a perfectly good round onto the floor, or B)you had to rack a round into an empty chamber. Either way, you have one less round at your disposal than the gun is capable of holding. If my life is at stake, I want all the advantage I can get. I'm not willing to give up that extra round just because I want to make a "mean" sound that might - or might not - scare away the intruder. If a crook is too stupid to turn around and leave once I've announced loudly and clearly that I have a gun, well, that's just too bad. I hope he has a nice casket picked out....
The Mossberg line of pump action Military & Police shotguns is one of the most extensive in the industry. 12, 20, and .410 gauge versions are available. They have proven to be reliable and durable and can be had in a variety of configurations, including a special marine model. The available options are too numerous to detail.
The models with 6 shot magazines will accept regular M 500 sporting barrels, making them dual-purpose guns. 590 models have extended 9-shot magazines. Stocks can be wood or plastic, or dispensed with entirely in favor of a handgrip. A Pachmayr replacement grip will noticeably reduce wear and tear on your hand and wrist if you favor the latter configuration.
The Vang Comp System
The Vang Comp System
(VCS), designed by gunsmith Hans J. Vang, is a set of modifications to shotgun
barrels. The alterations to the barrel consist of lengthening the forcing cone,
back-boring the barrel, and adding compensating ports. With the VCS, accuracy
significantly improves, felt recoil is dramatically reduced, and muzzle rise
diminishes. By lengthening the forcing cone, the pellets have a smooth flow from
the chamber to the bore. This prevents the pellets from bunching up in the
barrel and reduces the felt recoil. In addition, the pellets do not become as
deformed and keep a more consistent shape.
With less deformation and a less
turbulent flow, the pellets achieve a higher rate of accuracy. Back-boring the
barrel is accomplished by boring the barrel from the chamber towards the muzzle
creating a choke where there was none. Back-boring is a key portion of the VCS
modification and aids in both increasing accuracy and reducing felt recoil.
Probably one of the most important and
most obvious parts of the VCS are the compensating ports. Some of the gases,
created by the burnt powder exiting the muzzle, vent upward through the ports.
This redirected gas flow helps prevent the muzzle from rising and allows for
both increased accuracy and a more rapid recovery time between shots. Also, the
ports reduce muzzle flash, which in turn helps to retain night vision and keep
the shooters location less conspicuous in low light conditions.
In combination, the lengthened forcing
cone, the back-boring, and the compensating ports make up the Vang Comp System.
The VCS has been estimated to reduce felt recoil by about 15%. The increase in
accuracy is dramatic. For example, patterns using 9 pellet 00 buck are as tight
as 2 3/4" at 15 yards and 10 to 12" at 25 yards. Also of note, all
modifications, except the compensating ports, are internal.
No extra parts are added to the barrel.
Thus, the VCS barrel requires no maintenance other than normal cleaning. Also,
other types of specialty ammunition, such as slugs, can be used in the Vang Comp
System. The VCS, developed to maximize performance of the tactical shotgun for
Law Enforcement and Military applications, is covered by three U.S. Patents.
Currently only Mr. Vang's California facility produces the VCS.
http://www.vangcomp.com/
It was modified to an 18.5" barrel, 6 shot with 1 shot extension magazine to 7 shot.
18.5" barrel is more manageable than the original 20" barrel. The photo below does not show the longer magazine tube below the barrel.
Note 0f 10-09-05: I shot the 590A-1 conversion this last Friday evening to calibrate the weapon with Bird Shot and 00 Buck Shot.
With Bird Shot, I kept within the body silhouette out to 15 yards.
With 00 Buck Shot, I kept a good pattern out to 25 yards - well within the body silhouette.
This is great!
Includes all of the following!
Parkerized 18 1/2" Barrel
with Vang Comp System; Factory Ghost Ring Sights; All Metal Trigger Group;
ported barrel,
Standard Stock; VCS Safety $800.00
We have (5) Mossberg 590A-1's
at this price, plus we will pay the shipping!
*This offer only applies to the (5)
590A-1's in stock.*
Added to above:
Mossberg Tube Extension, 1 shot; Wilderness Tactical Sling; 6 shot Side Saddle
#50668 590® 12 gauge Pump Action w/ Speed-Feed® synthetic stock, Ghost Ring Sights, 9-shot capacity, 20" cylinder bore barrel, parkerized finish. MSRP $591
#51663 590 A1™ same as #50668 pictured above, except features heavy-wall barrel, metal trigger guard and safety button and field synthetic stock. MSRP $558
NEW FOR MOSSBERG, REMINGTON, WINCHESTER: THE SHOTFORCE PRODUCT LINE FROM ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Price/Purchase SHOTFORCE Mossberg, Remington and Winchester
Slug:
Slug: For 2005, Winchester is taking Foster slug performance to a new level with the introduction of the 12 ga. Super-X® Power-Point® rifled slug. The new slug is designed to deliver both superb accuracy and awesome knockdown power.
Shot:
Use #7 1/2 shot, it will work well on the intruder at close range. It won't travel nearly as far as heavier shot (less liability).
12 GA 2-3/4" 4B 27-pellet Tactical Federal Box (5
rds) $3.50
4102160 Federal low-recoil tactical buckshot H132 4B 2-3/4" loads. Excellent
choice where over-penetration is a concern.
12 GA 2-3/4" 4B 27-pellet Tactical Federal Sleeve
(50 rds) $32.95
Federal low-recoil tactical buckshot H132 4B 2-3/4" loads. Excellent choice
where over-penetration is a concern. 10 boxes per sleeve.
Federal H132 12GA 00 Buckshot
12 GA 2-3/4" 00B 9-pellet Tactical Federal Box (5
rds)
$3.50
4102555
Federal low-recoil tactical buckshot H13200, 00 2-3/4" load.
12 GA 2-3/4" 00B 9-pellet Tactical Federal Sleeve
(50 rds) $32.95
Federal low-recoil tactical buckshot H132 00 2-3/4" load. 10 boxes per sleeve.
Hornady 12 GA 00 BUCKSHOT TAP-FPD Item No. 86278
Price $3.76 Ballistics: Superior tactical buckshot designed specifically for protection from deadly threats. Loaded specifically to ensure proper functioning in semi-auto and pump shotguns, Hornady's TAP FPD Buckshot delivers the tightest patterns of any buckshot on the market.