If You Decide to Buy One Gun, Make it a 12 Gauge. Here’s Why

We live in increasingly uncertain times, my friend. It seems that every time we turn on the TV or open a newspaper, there is another catastrophe. Another home invasion. Another natural disaster. Yet, certain items can help mitigate the danger and uncertainty around us. Some of these items include: a first aid kit, drinking water, a cell phone, some extra cans of gasoline, a flashlight, and yes, a gun.

For many of you who may not own a gun and might be considering getting one, one gnawing question persists: If I can only get one gun to protect my loved ones and myself, which one should I buy? What will meet all my needs? Which one is the most practical?

The answer, plain and simple, is a shotgun. Preferably a 12 gauge, pump-action, with a stock. Here’s why, point by point,..

A) A 12 gauge shotgun is extremely versatile. You can choose different cartridges for different purposes. You can use birdshot for birds, ducks and geese; slugs for deer and bear, and 00 (“double ought”) buckshot for self defense. There are also a variety of specialized cartridges available. It’s amazing. You can get 12 gauge rounds that shoot flame (actually ignited magnesium powder), fire pepper spray, launch emergency flares, bean bags, gaucho-style “bolas” (two steel balls connected by a length of cable, for cutting ropes ,etc.),  “bird bombs” (little explosive charges that detonate upon impact), paint markers, flachettes, tear gas, rubber bullets… Google it. The list goes on and on.

You can also get Mossberg shotguns rounds in different sizes. For super powerful loads, choose three inch magnum shells. For more manageable recoil, choose two and three quarter inch shells.

B) The 12 gauge shotgun is one of the most devastating defensive weapons ever devised by man since the dawn of time. With a standard 2-3/4-inch shell in 12 gauge, the number of balls or pellets ranges from eight .38-inch balls in "00 buck" to 27 .24-inch balls in "# 4 buck".  At close range, meaning 50 yards or less, that is incredible firepower in one shot. It’s like sending eight .38 rounds at your target in one shot. The impact of one of these shot shells is essentially equivalent to getting hit with an eight round burst from a submachine gun.

C) The “Chek-CHUCK!” sound of the pump being racked is more intimidating to an attacker than the loudest pit-bull growl! If someone is on your property, intending to do you and your family harm, or steal your possessions, that sound of you racking the slide on your pump-action 12 gauge will, more-often-than-not, send them running in fear.

D) With a one ounce, rifled slug, you can reach out to 75 to 100 yards and take a deer. Slugs are huge hunks of soft lead, grooved on the sides to promote rotation and stability in flight.  They have enormous stopping capability. 

E) With a shotgun, you don’t necessarily have to have precision aim like with a pistol or a rifle. The further the shot travels, depending on the choke, the more it spreads. So you don’t necessarily have to have pinpoint precision in your sight picture. Therein lies one of the shotgun's main advantages:  superior hit probability.


F) You want to get a stock. Trust me on this. Wood, synthetic, even collapsible or a folder. As long as you have a stock that you’re comfortable with. Sure, we’ve all seen the backpack shotguns with the rear pistol grip. Sometimes, you’ll see them in mafia and / or heist movies Sure, they look “cool”. Sometimes they even look downright menacing, but to properly aim, you really need a stock. Not to mention how much more stable and comfortable your shots will be, and how tucking the butt stock tightly into your shoulder and planting your foot rearward on that shoulder’s side will help you control the recoil, which can be considerable, especially when using three inch magnum shells.

G) 12 gauge shot shells and slugs are readily available almost everywhere. Check out the sporting goods department of your local department store. Odds are they have shotgun shells and slugs. Even when other ammo is sold out, there usually are boxes of shot shells on the shelf, available for purchase.

H) The pump action shotgun is reliable. You can pack it with mud, shake the mud out, and it will fire. You can let it sit underwater, pick it up, shake it off, and it will fire. You can shoot it for hundreds of rounds without cleaning it. I don’t recommend that, but it will still fire.

I) It doesn’t take a high level of training or expertise to grasp the fundamentals of shooting, field-stripping, and cleaning a shotgun. There are no complex safeties and loading / unloading procedures involved in operating a shotgun. Within a matter of minutes, even a non-gun person can get the hang of how to safely load, operate and unload a pump action shotgun.

J) A shotgun is durable. Properly cared for , it will last a lifetime. And shot shells and slugs, if kept dry, will last for years and years.

K) A decent, reliable pump-action shotgun can be bought new for a few hundred dollars.

So, my friend, I hope this little article helps clear up your quandary of “One gun… Which one?” These are just some of the benefits of choosing a shotgun. If you do get one, spend a little more and get a reputable brand. You can’t go wrong with manufacturers like Mossberg, Remington, and Browning. Don’t overlook the money-saving opportunities of buying a used shotgun, either. Like I said, if properly cared for, a shotgun will last forever, and sportsmen and gun owners often are very particular about keeping them clean and properly lubed.