General I bought my first gun TME

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

Yossarian

TMMAC Addict
Oct 25, 2015
13,489
19,127
That's one stray hardball vs 12 stray hardballs if I miss with the shotgun. Personal preference, I guess.
It is much harder to miss with a shotgun, and if you do, you shouldn't have a gun in the first place :). Aim at general direction and at close range, per shot, the shotgun is much more devastating, and will stop the threat immediately.

So more accurate, and more effective in hitting the target multiple times. I'd say much less expertise needed to handle one, and they are generally a cheaper option as home defense weapon. Also, it's a specialized weapon for close range, a range in which most self-defense situations arise. So I guess it is preference as well, but based on expertise, and economics.
 

jason73

Yuri Bezmenov was right
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
72,781
134,158
Before some got into a pissing match there was an actual question by the op:
1. Treat EVERY weapon as if it is loaded. Ive seen really dumb shit happen because people think its empty.
2. NEVER point a weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire. No bullshit, I do this with everything including windex!
4. Know what it beyond your target. Bullets dont stop where you want them to.
everyone who grows up hunting knows this by 5 years old.this is the basic rules of fireams.if you dont have the common sense to be safe then you have no business owning a gun.i had a few different hunting buddies that i just wouldnt hunt with any more just because of how they arent consious of where the muzzle is pointed or had no trigger discipline..
 

psychicdeath

Member
Jan 21, 2015
955
1,521
Which is why I really like Glocks.
During the winter, I always carry a Glock 21. For warmer weather where lighter clothes make it hard to conceal a full size .45, I have a compact 9 mm. For home defense, I'll go with a 12 gauge pump every time (and probably have one of the pistols on me for backup).
 

psychicdeath

Member
Jan 21, 2015
955
1,521
I decided to buy a shotgun for home defense. I live in a pretty good area but better safe than sorry?




what do I need to know?
Getting back to the original post, good choice. The Maverick is basically a budget version of the Mossberg 500. I'm a Remington 870 guy myself, and I've never shot the Maverick. I hear they're reliable, though. That's the most important thing. If you need it in an emergency, it has to go Bang every time you pull the trigger, Just make sure you get to the range and practice regularly, so you don't have to think about racking the slide and it comes automatically, and also so you know the pattern of the buckshot at home defense ranges.
 

Left Hook Larry

3x Undisputed Monsters Champ/King of Buttertooths
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
12,562
17,019
If you live with others or in a shared building check out the round penetration stats. If you have a kid in the room next to yours you risk overpenetration with something like 00 buck.

Get an under the barrel light as well for night scenarios.
 

DiSmAnTLeR

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2016
906
890
1) That's true of any firearm. 2) If you're in a circumstance where those positions are relevant you fucked up a long time ago.

1) It's a lot easier with a pistol than a short barrelled shotgun

2) If you are in a circumstance where you are drawing a firearm on an intruder in your own home, you fucked up a long time ago. Crop cop couldn't kick my doors in.

I'm not saying that a pistol is the best choice for anyone. I'm saying that there are merits to having a pistol over other choices. Another one in Canada is the higher magazine capacity allowed. Everybody has their preferences and their reasons.
 

Simpleman

First 100
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
1,157
1,662
I like to do this every once in awhile because I dont keep logs of what I shoot:
Go to an outdoor range with some drywall, 2x4s, cinder blocks, bricks, books or anything lying around and shoot it. This sounds nuts but your house isnt made of paper people targets. See what your ammo will do. You might want a more power round or a less powerful round. Each person wants different things.
Think of it as your own version of mythbusters.
 

Splinty

Shake 'em off
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
44,116
91,095
That's a really nice shotgun.

Be safe and go skeet shooting. So much fun.
 

psychicdeath

Member
Jan 21, 2015
955
1,521
Passive Jay's post inspired me. I already have a pump shotgun, but it's a field model with a long barrel. Adequate for home defense, but not ideal. I looked online, and saw that Cabella's has all Remington 870s for $40 off, plus Remington is having a $50 mail in rebate on them this month. Add in another $20 for applying for the Cabella's credit card, and a 5% military discount, and this one listing for $389 ended up costing me $264.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
27,507
29,834
use that savings to smother that shotty in some Tacticool shit.
 

mysticmac

First 1025
Oct 18, 2015
14,905
17,647
Passive Jay's post inspired me. I already have a pump shotgun, but it's a field model with a long barrel. Adequate for home defense, but not ideal. I looked online, and saw that Cabella's has all Remington 870s for $40 off, plus Remington is having a $50 mail in rebate on them this month. Add in another $20 for applying for the Cabella's credit card, and a 5% military discount, and this one listing for $389 ended up costing me $264.
Where do you see the Cabela's discount? I only see the Remington rebate.
 

psychicdeath

Member
Jan 21, 2015
955
1,521
Where do you see the Cabela's discount? I only see the Remington rebate.
Check under store flyers, specifically the "second amendment classic". Unless it's a regional thing pertaining to my area only, it should be there. If you just search the inventory, the $40 off may already be deducted from the price.

 

psychicdeath

Member
Jan 21, 2015
955
1,521
use that savings to smother that shotty in some Tacticool shit.
Nah. I'm not a fan of hanging a bunch of stuff on guns. Maybe it's just because I'm an old-timer, but a lot of things hanging off rails strikes me as silly. A red dot sight or something, fine. But flashlights, vertical forend grips and stuff like that just aren't me.

As far as mounting a flashlight on a gun, I have two reasons beyond just being an old fart and not going with the current trend.

1. Something goes bump in the night. You grab your gun and flick on the attached flashlight to go investigate. You move through the house sweeping the area with the light. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Something! Whew, it's just 8 year old Suzy. ...but because your light is attached to your gun, YOU ARE NOW POINTING YOUR GUN AT 8 YEAR OLD SUZY! Seems to me to be a very bad idea.

2. Something goes bump in the night. You grab your gun and flick on the attached flashlight to go investigate. You move through the house sweeping the area with the light. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Before you get to "something!", the bad guy in the corner shoots at the light. Because the light is attached to the gun, and you're behind the gun, you just died.

I'd much rather have the light move independent of the gun. Because of reason 2, I prefer the old FBI tactic of having the light away from the body.



It's more a handgun thing than for a rifle or shotgun, and not really much in favor these days, but it just makes sense to me. For long guns I'd have to take the chance that I see the bad guy before he shoots at the light and keep the light closer to the gun in the non-trigger hand. A bit more awkward, but it allows moving the beam independently of where the gun is pointing with just small wrist movements. For me at least, it's worth it to avoid the possibility of blasting 8 year old Suzy.
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,413
57,814
Ah.....I love the smell of Hoppe's #9.

Cleaning some of my guns and the house smells awesome.
 

BeardOfKnowledge

The Most Consistent Motherfucker You Know
Jul 22, 2015
60,547
56,268
Nah. I'm not a fan of hanging a bunch of stuff on guns. Maybe it's just because I'm an old-timer, but a lot of things hanging off rails strikes me as silly. A red dot sight or something, fine. But flashlights, vertical forend grips and stuff like that just aren't me.

As far as mounting a flashlight on a gun, I have two reasons beyond just being an old fart and not going with the current trend.

1. Something goes bump in the night. You grab your gun and flick on the attached flashlight to go investigate. You move through the house sweeping the area with the light. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Something! Whew, it's just 8 year old Suzy. ...but because your light is attached to your gun, YOU ARE NOW POINTING YOUR GUN AT 8 YEAR OLD SUZY! Seems to me to be a very bad idea.

2. Something goes bump in the night. You grab your gun and flick on the attached flashlight to go investigate. You move through the house sweeping the area with the light. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Before you get to "something!", the bad guy in the corner shoots at the light. Because the light is attached to the gun, and you're behind the gun, you just died.

I'd much rather have the light move independent of the gun. Because of reason 2, I prefer the old FBI tactic of having the light away from the body.



It's more a handgun thing than for a rifle or shotgun, and not really much in favor these days, but it just makes sense to me. For long guns I'd have to take the chance that I see the bad guy before he shoots at the light and keep the light closer to the gun in the non-trigger hand. A bit more awkward, but it allows moving the beam independently of where the gun is pointing with just small wrist movements. For me at least, it's worth it to avoid the possibility of blasting 8 year old Suzy.
It's fallen out of favor because it's now generally taught that you don't use a weapon mounted light to sweep a house with it. Sweeping a house with any light would give away your position and in turn the tactical advantage you have of being intimately familiar with the layout of your home. Your light would only be turned on momentarily and the muzzle and light pointed toward the floor. You use the splash of the light to illuminate things as necessary. In the event you come across an intruder you blind him with said light while you shoot him in the face. I'm not sure how realistic a concern it would be that someone would focus their gaze on a 500+ lumen light source. I saw someone try to do it for a second or 2 once. His vision went back to normal after an hour or so, lol.