Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Semi vs pump for defense

Ok guys looking to add another shotgun and I’m prettt sure I know the answer but what the heck
Pump or semi ? PSA has Blake ace semi for $220 and a pump with 2 barrels extended mag for $230
Pro
Pump very reliable
Semi rapid follow up
Con
Semi reliable
I also believe a semi would be easier for wife to handle instead of pump
I’m leaning towards pump but thought I’d get others opinions
Thanks

Not a gun writer but no way would I trust a semiauto shotgun under $300 for a home defense gun. I use 870s for that purpose if I were to use a semiauto it would have to be a Benelli or Beretta.

I would look at lots of reviews on the black Ace before I made a decision.

I couldn't agree more.

I used a Rem 1100 with a slug barrel for the better part of 40 years, and never had a problem. The only time it malfunctioned was on something like a 3 day dove hunt where I was firing cases of ammo.

Pros V Cons: a semi is heavier, but that helps with felt recoil. The gas operation also reduces recoil somewhat.

Don't feel you need super-duper loads for a shotgun. 2 3/4 high brass buckshot is fine.

I don't know whose shotgun you're thinking of buying. However, I will say that the US consumer has been seeing a lot of low priced shotguns come into the market from places like Turkey. It's real hit-or-miss on quality. My buddy bought a 20 GA semi that looked really nice, but the bolt shattered on the 3rd round of turkey loads and no one would touch it for repair. My son bought a Hatfield shotgun that would only fire if the barrel was pointed up.

Were I in the market, I'd probably choose a Mossberg 500 pump and be done with it. That's been my turkey and deer rig since '96 and I have nothing bad to say about it. We have 2 others at turkey camp and 1 Rem 870. All 3 work flawlessly.

I once watched a documentary about polar bears. A man was studying them close up and personal. He used an auto loading shotgun to scare away close encounters that got too hot with the option of impact fire if needed. A stubborn bear required a nerve rattling amount of scare, finally being detoured at the last second. The gun was set down to gather gear. Upon retrieval, it was observed that the last shell fired was stove-piped jammed in the ejection port.

I'd use a semi for indoor use, if extensively tested with the select ammo. But I'd opt for a pump outdoors. JMO

I'd hope my wife would divorce me if I gave her a discount, 3rd world county shotgun for self defense.

if I wanted to go on the economy end of a shotgun for self-defense it would most likely be one of the newer Mossberg Maverick 88..

as far as semi-auto goes I have a stoeger m3000 tactical. I trust it with my life. I have shot it quite a lot and have never had one single issue SO LONG AS IT IS BEING FED THE MINIMUM AMMO THE MANUAL STATES.. which if my memory serves correctly is a 3 dram equivalent or higher..

Not a gun writer.

The pro/con between pump/semi is well covered. That part is up to you.

Regardless of which you choose go with something that has a vetted track record of quality and reliability.

Personal defense is not the time to pinch pennies.

A high end tactical shotgun is far cheaper both monetarily and emotionally than the funeral costs of a family member.

Semi auto- Browning A 5. IMO Most robust reliable semi auto around. A Benelli youth model is good too. I like the 870 Special Field and the model 12. Saw a SPAS I really liked but choked at the price! All that being said, I have a 97 Repro riot gun close by. Too old to fight, too fat to run, 70% disabled. Just hope I am not first.

For defense I would trust a well made pump. I would almost trust a well made semi-auto. I have seen both jam in hunting situations though.

This is what I have along with an 870 Marine magnum. Late 70s Wingmaster 2 3/4" , extended magazine for a total of 7+1 , tritium front bead, puts a full load of Federal flight control 00 in a pattern of about 10 " at 25 yards. I shoot 870s quite a bit, have full confidence in them and they flat out work.

I pushed the easy button, Remington 870. It's one of the most reliable shotguns ever made.

Either a pump or a semiauto can work for defense purposes. The biggest issue with pump shotguns is people short stroking them or otherwise not working the action correctly under stress. Unless your wife has lots of practice this would be a concern. In any case you want a quality gun for defense purposes.

Top quality semiautos are very reliable but are not cheap. I would personally probably choose a Benelli although I shoot a Remington Versamax in 3 gun and it's been reliable and light recoiling.

If it were me, I would not choose a shotgun. I prefer an AR-15 with a relatively short barrel and ideally a suppressor. AR-15's are much easier to handle indoors and are easier to shoot quickly. If you want more power/bullet weight than 5.56 then .300 Blackout, 6mm ARC and 6.5 Grendel provide that. A dot sight makes quick hits easy. With 30 round magazines reloads are generally not needed but are easy to execute compared to a shotgun.

Have you ever done speed reloads with a tube fed shotgun? They take a good deal of skill and are much harder under the adrenalin dump of stress. Plus you need some sort of caddy for shells if you are doing full reloads.

Just my thoughts.

I like a pump. You can shoot one nearly as fast as an auto and it will reliably shoot anything you put in it as long as the gauge is correct. Plus the sound of racking a pump can stop a situation before it gets to a shooting event. Hollywood has ingrained that sound in society. My nephew stopped someone trying to break into his apartment by racking a pump. Guy hauled ass out of there and my nephew didn't have to shed blood.

For home defense there are a few things you should consider......First and foremost is do you have a family that lives with you? If you do a shotgun is a terrible defense weapon since an intruder could very easily get a family member of yours in between them and you. In this case I'd much prefer an AR with a laser sight.

If it's the shotgun I prefer the pump

There is something frightening about the sound of a pump shotgun being cycled.

Jim

I see enough malfunctions with cheap, mostly Turkish repeaters of both types at our club’s clays range. Some may just need breaking in, but some have also just broken. Not for me.

Reliable ones of both sorts would suit me fine, but pumps require less maintenance, which might make a difference with a gun that mostly sits in a corner waiting for trouble.

Another option, though more expensive, might be a pistol caliber carbine, like the Ruger PCC, or S&Ws new FPC. 9mm, easy on the shoulder, cheap to feed. Just a thought, a 12 gauge is the last thing I'd put into my wife's hands, she's pretty small and couldn't handle one anyway.

TroutNut. That is sharp.

I may have to grab some wood furniture for my 870 Marine.