The Fighting Shotgun

[Rex G]

I took my agency's slug course a few years ago, and when we qualed at the end of the course, as I recall, the guy who shot the best at 50 yards was using a plain bead sight. I was trying to adjust my Benelli's rear aperture when a screw broke, yet I managed to fire a passing score with only the front sight. This was also the last time I fired that Benelli, and immediately switched back to an 870, due to reliability issues.

[4layers]

...and obviously not trying to pick any arguments but offer some slightly different perspectives.

Things You Need:

GS - A fast handling lightweight weapon that you can get into action very quickly, and that has at least 5 shots available.

4L - A weapon that you handle quickly and can confidently put effective hits on target under stress with sufficient capacity for the threat situation understood or potentially realized.

Nice To Have - But Not Essential:
GS - A Light: Many fights happen in low light. Having a flashlight mount makes sense. Its not essential as in most situations, there will be sufficient ambient light to tell what is going on and who is doing it at CQB-CRG distances. For those times when there is not, a light will help.

4L - Individual circumstances may also influence, e.g. addressing a 4-legged "intruder" in rural/semi-rural situations. A light out there can be a big help in target identification.

GS - A Magazine Extension: Some guys like these so they can download it by a couple of rounds to transition to slugs. This is silly. Who wants to go to a gunfight with a weapon not loaded to full capacity. Not me. The load/switch to slug concept may have merit, but its use is so limited that I would much rather have an extra round of buckshot.

4L - Also consider implications of competition extensions which can extend past the barrel, influence weight/balance/manueverability AND reliability.

GS - A Sling: For class its essential. For fighting its a nice-to-have item in the event you need to transition to pistol (much more likely than transitioning to slug).

4L - Agreed, the type of sling desired may differ based on individual circumstances.

Things You Do Not Need:
GS - Ghost Ring Sights: In my opinion, the shotgun is NOT a rifle, nor should it be turned into one. The idea that you must somehow be able to reach out past CQB distances with a shotgun is a silly idea. Even the much discussed North Hollywood Bank Robbery involved shots within pistol range, and not way out there in rifle land.

4L - The great thing about the GR is that the rear ghost...well, ghosts...it's nearly invisible unless you focus on it. At CQB distances, guys with old eyes (like me), have something nice and fat to put into COM and quickly verify, the front post. At longer distances (e.g 50 yards off-hand), you can reliably hit COM. Prone with my Nova and it's smaller front post, I can get solid COM out to 100 (all with slugs). If for whatever reason your shotty is what you have with you at the time, the GR MAY provide additional versatility that a bead won't.

GS - Sidesaddles/Butt Cuffs: Many use these for slug switching. We've discussed that already. If your gun holds 7 or 8 shots and you need more than that, tactical withdrawl may be a better bet than anything else. How many shots are fired in pistol fights? It will be the same in shotgun fights. Sidesaddles make the gun heavy. Add a butt cuff in addition to the sidesaddle and it become heavier yet. Will you have lots of ammo? Sure. Will you be able to shoot and hit as accurately with a light fast gun or an overweight gun? I think you know the light fast gun will allow you better likelihood of NOT NEEDING a reload.

4L - I find that 6-8 shells in a side saddle don't weigh that much. I'm 5-7, 165lbs. I still drive my 590 pretty hard. With a completely loaded side-saddle, I can reliably mount the 590 (which also has a SF forend) and get COM hits against a random start timer under .50 at 5yds. With a lighter weapon I can get into the .35 time splits. I worked up to this and train VERY HARD with my shotty. Getting back to my original feedback, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE YOUR GUN. Don't add on anything to the base platform that doesn't provide a net benefit to you that YOU HAVE VERIFIED.

GS - Want extra ammo? Ok, get a belly bag with two compartments. Fill one with buck shot and the other with slugs. Keep that with the shotgun and take it when you grab the shotgun. Its not as sexy as a sidesaddle and no elite bitchin guy SWAT dudes use it, but it makes more sense than a weapon you can't even bench press.

4L - As mentioned above, your ability to drive the gun is the determining factor. If you can drive a gun with slightly more weight (e.g. and gain some additional on board capacity). Go for it. The proximity of spare ammo' to the chamber can make a side saddle attractive, but only if it doesn't materially reduce your effectiveness.

GS - Ports/Choking, Special Barrels: Close Range shooting boys. Any shotgun barrell with any ammo will do just fine inside of 7 yards. At 15 yards it will open up slightly, but 15 yard shots are rare.

4L - I'm aligned with GS on value proposition on Ports/Choking/Special Barrels for a slightly different reason. As a slug guy, I'm effectively carrying around a .70 Cal' rifle. I feel good out to 25 COM with VERY RAPID acquisitions and hits. Need a little more time at 50 as with 25yd head shots. The additional pattern benefits these items may have are irrellevant to me as I'm not a buckshot fan. Rather a Brenneke Black Magic devotee .

Bottom line, I'm very much in agreement with the concepts GS presented. I only offer some additional insights based on what I've experienced in my individual training regimen.

The novice shotgunner should take GS at his word and build a solid foundation. From there, consider some of the insights I offered and only adopt if you get a net benefit for your situation.

Stay safe,

Nate