Hi everyone, flexible here.
I'm trying to help out a co-worker, he's new to shotguns and has been skeet & trap shooting with me.
BUT
He wants something that can be used for clays but also home defense.
I don't have a lot of experience with defensive shotguns.
I was thinking of a used Remington 1100 or 11-87 with two sets of barrels. One longer one for clays and a shorter one for home defense.
If anyone has some ideas please let me know.
thanks
flexible

I think an 1100/1187 with 26 inch with choke tubes would be fine for everything he does. Insisting on having an 18 inch barrel for defense does not make much sense to me. The odds you will ever need it are about 1 in 100,000. And when that day shows up, if it ever does, the gun is probably sitting there with the longer barrel on it because that is the one he will always actually be using.

Any shotgun can be used for home defense, just feed it the right ammo. It's non-sense this tacti-cool notion that a shotgun has to be all black/plastic-stocked/short etc or has to have this sight or that one to be successfully used for home defense. Years ago when I had a neighbor come pounding on my door seeking refuge from an old boyfriend who was chasing/threatening her with a knife, I grabbed my Model 12 with a 30" barrel and was prepared to use it if he tried to break into my house.

Exactly this. Any scattergun that reliably goes bang will be a good deterrent. I'd probably just shop around for the right sporting model.

BINGO!

Ideally, home defense means you are holed up in a room with only one way in, gun pointed at that entrance while talking to 911 and waiting for the cops. If the intruder comes through the door before the cops get there then BOOM! In that scenario, barrel length doesn't matter. But not all scenarios are ideal. What if you have kids at the other end of the house or on a different floor of your house and you have to make your way to them to ensure their safety with the possibility of encountering the intruder along the way? In that scenario, a shorter barrel is more maneuverable when navigating hallways, doorways, etc. However, even in that scenario a 18" or 20" barrel shotgun is not ideal. If you are jumped at close range, the intruder can grab the barrel and keep it directed away from him. For that reason, and if scenario 2 is a potential for you (or your buddy), then a handgun would probably be a better option in my opinion. If scenario 1 is more likely or if an encounter is likely to happen outside (think living in the country with out buildings and such) then a standard 26"-30" shotgun is fine with no need for the shorter barrel. If his situation is more like scenario 2, I would get the shotgun I wanted with 26" or longer barrel to shoot clays and get a handgun for home defense. YMMV.

Ah, you left out what to do when confronted by dozens of flesh-eating zombies.

That happens so rarely that I wouldn’t worry about it. In 73 years that has only happened to me twice.
____________________
"Well, you know, my shotgun will do better for you than your AR-15, because you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door." - Joe Biden

A old rem 870 field model, one that also has the shorter 18.5 barrel or get a aftermarket barrel (if you can find it). Second choice would be a Mossberg 500 with the combo barrel. #2020 these items may be hard to find ATM. You may have less choices when you go gun shopping. Make sure he can get ammo for what he buys.

Good point. My safe is in the basement however whatever gun I've been shooting for clays is usually in the mudroom entrance from the garage. Right now it's my hunting gun since it's duck season.

Benelli SuperNova

That happens so rarely that I wouldn’t worry about it. In 73 years that has only happened to me twice.

It happened to me countless time only we didn't call them zombies, they were called Black Flies. This was my time in the U.P. of Michigan. They were certainly flesh eating.

My idea is to convince your friend to stop thinking about 1 gun that will equally perform both functions as he will end up with a gun that will be mediocre at both and excellent at neither.

I would focus on getting a gun that will work great for trap and skeet with no consideration whatsoever for home defense. Any shotgun he can buy, will work fine for home defense.

All my guns except one are kept in a safe. I have an 870 express leaned in the corner next to my bed, the magazine is full,but not one in the chamber.
If someone comes in, I want him to hear that pump ratchet one up in the chamber. If that don't scare him away, then I figure he needs to get shot.

Lupara.....and a mean look?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupara

If whoever is breaking in even knows what that sound is



cdb

Who doesn't?

>>I want him to hear that pump ratchet one up in the chamber<<

I hope to have a round chambered before he gets that close.