This is my BOOMSTICK!, Benelli M2 w/Tactical Barrel

I recently came across a very nice used Benelli M2 barrel for a couple hundred under the price of a new one. I have a 28 inch smooth bore skeet barrel which was original to the gun, it is less than ideal for home defense or hunting with slugs/buckshot because of its length and its lack of solid iron sights. When I saw the tactical barrel listed online I jumped at the offer. I went to the range a few days ago and the results are better than expected.

I used some old Wolf 2 3/4 rifled slugs that were swimming around in the bottom of my ammo drawer, and I had surprisingly good accuracy for offhand shooting with iron sights at 50 yards. If I can achieve this shot placement at 50 yds, home defense ranges should be no problem.

12 ga (Big Holes) VS. .223 (little holes)

I like these clear shells, they allow me to see what each shell has inside before I add it to my setup.

Now it's time for my soap-box...

I've heard the following disturbing/incorrect statements during the recent gun craze

"I want a pump shotgun because the sound alone is a enough to deter criminals..."
"Semi-auto shotguns are unreliable and often jam, pumps never malfunction"
"Why use a rifle for home defense? I can just fire from the hip with my shotgun"
"I'll just load it with rocksalt, to scare em'" (Rocksalt loads will kill just like birdshot at close range, don't be a dummy)

Be wary of anyone who tells you that a shotgun with slugs or buckshot is a point and shoot weapon for home defense. You can't just point it in a direction, squeeze the trigger and expect results. It also won't blow bad guys through walls or destroy everything in a 9 foot radius. With that being said it is a devastating weapon if used correctly (Those small holes on the target are .223 (AR-15) ). The combat shotgun puts a heap of power into each shot, and if "Wound Cavitation + Bullet Penetration = Cessation of Hostilities" then the shotgun can be a clear winner.

I'd like to take a moment to discuss my thoughts on Semi-auto (Shells are loaded into the chamber automatically by the internal mechanics of the shotgun, and one shot is fired every time the trigger is pulled until the shotgun is empty) vs. Pump (Shells are loaded into the chamber by the action of "pumping" the shotgun, and one shot is fired every time the user pulls the trigger then "pumps" the shotgun to eject the spent shell and insert a new one). There are advantages and disadvantages to each, I will highlight them and explain.

Semi-auto:

Pros:
- Fast/nearly instantaneous reloads, when you pull the trigger, before you can physically pull it again you already have another shell in the chamber.
- Lower recoil, some of the recoil is mitigated through the ejection of the old shell and the reloading of a new shell. This can have a very positive effect for smaller shooters. I can easily shoot several boxes of slugs from my semi-auto.... I usually limit myself to one box of slugs through a pump gun. With less perceived recoil, the shooter can usually make faster follow-up shots.
- Reliability, the higher end semi-autos are very reliable, you take away some of the problems of user error, ie. short stroking or forgetting to pump under stress.

Cons:
- Expensive, A well built reliable semi-auto will most likely cost you twice that of a reliable pump gun. With the price of a Benelli, I could have bought three reliable pump shotguns.
- Finicky, I say this only because there are numerous semi-auto shotguns that will not function reliably with all shell types, my Benelli M2 will eat anything I feed it, but this isn't the case with all semi-autos.

Pump

Pros:
-Reliability, most all pumps, from the pretty cheap bargain basement, to the high end tactical pumps, are reliable, they will digest any load that they are chambered for and if you do your part they will do theirs.
-Price and availability, almost anyone can afford a good pump shotgun, a nice Remington 870 Express Home Defense can be had for about $350 and a Mossberg  Maverick can be had for about $200. There are plenty of used guns on the market and I've bought several very nice home defense shotguns for less than $200.

Cons:
- Training, while having more training is not a bad thing, the pump shotgun does require more muscle memory and user interaction to operate. Sure everyone says that the sound of a pump shotgun being racked is a universal deterrent, but under stress if you fail to make sure the pump is fully forward, or short stroke the next shell into the chamber, you just lost precious seconds in a dangerous situation.
- Recoil, some home defense pump shotguns can be deceptively light weight, I won't be an armchair commando and tell you that after a box or two of heavy slugs my shoulder isn't sore (This can lead to an aversion to training with your shotgun). I'm no glutton for punishment and in the realm of home defense I want lighter recoil for a faster followup shot.

In my situation the win goes to a well built Semi-auto, I prefer Benelli, but Remington, Beretta, and Mossberg as well a quite a few others make a fine home defense semi-auto. I find nothing lacking with a good pump shotgun for home defense, and I have owned several in the past, but you need to make an informed decision. I do not rely on "the sound of a pump shotgun being racked" as a home defense measure, and neither should you! If the bad guy turns and runs from the sound that's a plus, but I won't base my shotgun choice on that factor by any means. I think this rumor was started by the pump shotgun industry to shore up sales lost to semi-autos. If you are confident that the sound alone will deter a home invasion, I suggest you save your money and purchase an audio track of the sound to play when you feel threatened, or better yet get a police siren to deter violent attacks.

Don't get duped, the shotgun is a powerful, awesome home defense weapon, but it won't work like in the movies, and it isn't a carpet bomb that needs no aim. It will punch some really big holes, but only if you get the shells on target...Train like you fight, so test your setup before you need to use it in a bad situation.