[Cajundaddy]

I like shotguns. I prefer 12GA. I think we should be able to own them and we should regularly qualify at the range so we are skilled with their operation and pretty damn accurate. That said I think they should ALWAYS be a last resort for home defense.

I like layers of protection far better than just my 12GA. My property is gated, I have 2 big black dogs for early detection, I have motion sensor lighting, my cars are inside a locked garage, I have very secure doors and windows, I have a big fat can of bear spray under the bed.

If some bad guy wants to do wrong at my house, he has a lot of hurdles to jump. If he gets past all of my layers of protection I have been up for a while, made a pot of coffee, called 911, and my 12GA with duck load followed by a slug is ready to go. I am now fully alert and I have the tactical advantage of knowing where he is while he does not know where I am. After all this, if he keeps coming, he has earned two in the chest on my terms.

Get your house in order first. Once you have multiple layers of protection in place to make yourself a hardened target, to buy you time, and give you the tactical advantage , go pick out a nice 870 if you still feel the need. Make that 12GA your last resort, not your 1st groggy reach at 2AM.