The Firearm Blog

Snowflakes in Hell is hosting a very interesting discussion about the pro's and con's of handloading ammunition for self-defense.

There is also a smaller discussion on the same topic at SaysUncle.

A few days ago Remington announced their line of 12 Gauge HD Ultimate Home Defense Shotshells. What intrigues me is that these shells are not loaded with buckshot, but with bird shot.

The HD Ultimate Home Defense comes in two loads. The one load contains BB bird shot and the other has a mixture of #2 and #4 sized birdshot. The shot is made from the Remington HD (High density) tungsten alloy.

Both contain 1.25 ounces of shot (547 grain) which is launched at a velocity of 1250 fps. That works out to be 1898 ft/lbs of energy.

Just a few months ago Federal launched a line of self-defense .410 Shotshell, also loaded with bird shot. There was a long discussion on The Firearm Blog about the suitability of these shells for self defense. The consensus was, to borrow an old maxim, that birdshot is for the birds!

The fact that a two major ammunition manufacturers are selling bird shot for self defense makes me wonder if they know something we do not?

The HD ammo is loaded with very hard, but dense, tungsten alloy shot which would give it greater penetration than lead. On the other hand, 00 (”double-ought”) buck shot is .33″ in diameter, much larger than BB birdshot (0.18″) and more than twice the diameter of #2 (0.15″) and #4 shot (.13″). It is almost universally accepted than bigger == better for self defense.

For the sake of those who purchase it, I hope it performs well. Remington and Federal could certainly ease our fears by releasing their test data for public scrutiny.

If any of your want to test the ammo and do a write up for The Firearm Blog, get in touch with me.

UPDATE: I forgot to list the price. Both loads cost $34.99 for a box of 10 rounds.

The Coach Gun is the name given to the relatively short double barreled shotguns which were popular for self defense in the Wild West where they were issued to the drivers and security personal of stage coaches. If you have ever seen a Western movie you have probably seen a coach gun.

They were effective and simple to operate self defense tools back in the mid 1800’s and still they are today, although they are almost never mentioned in self defense literature. Hollywood movies reinforcement the perception that autoloader pistols are the only effective self defense option.

Maybe today this attitude will change. Stoeger, a Benelli brand, have unveiled their new tactical shotgun which drags the coach gun, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century

Double Defense 12 gauge. Click to expand image.

Double Defense 20 gauge. Click to expand image.

The Double Defense has a picatinny rail on top for red dot sights, and under the barrel for lights, lasers or pistol grips. Another unique feature for a coach gun is a fiber optic front bead. The photos above show red dot type sights and flashlights – these are not included.

The barrels on both the 20 gauge and 12 gauge models are 20″ long and have a fixed improved choke and can chamber 2.75 and 3″ shells.

It has single trigger which is more convenient than a double trigger in a self defense situation and a tang-mounted safety that is automatically applied when the action is closed. The hardwood stock and metalwork is matte black in color.

I think this gun is a winner for those who are not “gun” people and who are not likely practice at the range. The only problem will be convincing people that it is a better option than a pistol. James, a self defense expert and trainer who blogs at Hell in a Handbasket, often laments that he cannot convince his clients that a shotgun is better than a pistol. A few days ago Jay emailed me a link to this news article where a woman could not shoot a home invader because she did not know how to operate the safety on her semi-automatic pistol. Chances are that a round was not even chambered. From VolunteerTV.com:

“He had that gun pointed and he was hollering ’sit down, sit down,’ ” Graves told WVLT.

Next came a struggle. Billy went for a gun in the bedroom. That’s when Vickie heard gunfire.

She says she had nothing to lose at that point, so she reached for another gun kept in the living room.

“I kept pulling the trigger and just pulling, pulling, pulling. I couldn’t get the safety. I don’t know. I hate guns.”

If your spouse, grown-up child, parent, girl or boyfriend “hates guns” or simply has no intend to practice but needs one for self defense consider getting them the Double Defense, it is simple, reliable and effective.

There a a couple of things I would change if I had designed the shotgun. I would have preferred a synthetic stock, a 18″ barrel and a butt stock shell carrier for quick reloading. A shell carrier is an essential accessory for a double barreled shotgun that will be used for home defense.

Thanks to Joe from Benelli for emailing me the photos.

RAFAEL is planning on introducing an electro-optical gun shot locator that they claim is able to:

initiating threat warning, detection and localization within few seconds from a gunshot, rocket or a missile being launch, well before the threat reaches its target.

A few seconds seems quite a long time, I suppose it depends on its range but in an urban environment it seems useless when mounted on vehicles or buildings.

The RPG-7 used in Iraq is typically used at 50-100m. Its extreme range is about 300m. After 4.5 seconds of flights it self detonates. I cannot see how this optical locater device will help vehicles in Iraq against RPG fire.

Read more here.

Hat Tip: Danger Room