5 Best Home Defense Shotguns

Home defense is a crucial aspect of protecting your family and property, and choosing the right home defense shotgun is an important decision. A shotgun is an excellent choice for home defense as it is easy to use and has more power than a handgun. However, selecting the right shotgun can be overwhelming, especially if you have little or no experience with firearms. In this article, we will provide some tips on how to choose a home defense shotgun that fits your needs.

Gauge

The gauge of a shotgun refers to the diameter of the barrel. The most popular gauges for home defense are 12 and 20 gauge. The 12 gauge is a popular choice as it delivers more energy on its target, and ammo is readily available. The 20 gauge, on the other hand, delivers less energy but has less recoil. This can be important for individuals with smaller builds. For the majority of people, the 12 gauge is the best home defense shotgun.

Barrel Length

The barrel length of a shotgun is also an essential factor to consider. A shorter barrel makes the shotgun more maneuverable in tight spaces such as hallways and rooms. For home defense, a barrel length of 18.5 to 20 inches is recommended.

Action

Pump Action: The pump action is usually the cheapest option for a self defense shotgun. Pump shotguns are also considered to be more reliable than their semi-automatic counterparts. Home defense pump action shotguns usually have the greatest capacity among all action types. These make the pump action the most popular home defense shotgun.

Semi Auto: Semi auto home defense shotguns allow a faster fire rate and don’t require the shooter to manually pump to chamber a new shell. Typically, they are more expensive than pump action shotguns and seen as less reliable.

Break Action: The double barrel shotgun is a home defense classic, although it has become outdated. The main draw back for the break action is capacity. Typically, a break action shotgun will have a capacity of either 1 or 2 rounds. Most people prefer a shotgun with greater capacity for home defense.

Capacity

The capacity of a shotgun refers to the number of shells it can hold. Shotguns come in various capacities, ranging from two to eight or more shells. A shotgun with a higher capacity allows for more rounds to be fired without reloading. For home defense, a shotgun with a capacity of at least five shells is recommended.

Weight

The weight of a shotgun is also an important factor to consider, especially for individuals who may have difficulty handling a heavier firearm. A lighter shotgun is more manageable and easier to aim, but it may also have a greater recoil. A heavier shotgun has less recoil but may be more challenging to handle. A shotgun that weighs between 6 to 8 pounds is recommended for home defense.

Accessories

Lastly, consider the accessories you may need for your shotgun. A good quality sling, flashlight, and laser sight are popular accessories for a home defense shotgun. A sling allows you to carry the shotgun hands-free, while a flashlight and laser sight help with aiming in low-light conditions. If you’d like a flashlight or laser sight on your shotgun, you’ll want to be sure the shotgun you are getting has a way to mount one.

With the right training and the right shotgun, you can protect your family and property effectively. Here are our choices for the 5 best home defense shotguns!

Mossberg Maverick 88 Security Pump Shotgun

The Mossberg Maverick is a versatile firearm that can configured for many different applications. The Maverick 88 Security Shotgun is built for home defense. With the cylinder bore there is no worry about shooting various loads through a tight choke.

What Customers Are Saying

Best utility shotgun value

I have owned 2 of these in the 20" version and neither ever failed me once. Only real difference that I can tell between these and the Mossberg 500 is the position and style of the safety, and these aren't drilled and tapped for mounts. I beleive the forend has the plastic molded around the actuon bars too, which makes changing out your forend a little more difficult. The Maverick line has some imported parts from what I understand too. All in all it is a great shotgun.

- Damer, 6/9/2018

About Mossberg

Founded by Swedish immigrant Oscar Frederick Mossberg in 1919, Mossberg has been manufacturing reliable firearms for the working class for over 100 years. Mossberg started with the .22 caliber Brownie Pistol and exploded into one of the most popular firearm manufacturers on the market. In 1962, Mossberg released the legendary Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun and has since released many other popular shotgun and rifle models like the 590, 835, and Patriot. Today, Mossberg offers a full line of shotguns, rifles, and pistols to fit the needs of hunters, precision shooters, tactical shooters, and law enforcement. MidwayUSA carries all of Mossberg’s most popular shotguns in pump-action, semi-auto, and break-action, bolt action and semi-auto rifles, and semi-auto pistols. We also carry parts and accessories for popular models that include barrels, sights, magazines, choke tubes, and more. Mossberg is still family-owned, family-operated, and committed to offering “more gun for the money.”

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Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Semi Automatic Shotgun

Elevate your tactical set-up with the Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol – engineered to be ultra-reliable and easy to manipulate. Featuring the classic mechanisms of the venerable A300 platform, this defense shotgun includes enlarged controls, an enhanced loading port, a thinner forend design with multiple m-lok and qd sling mounting points, and a 7+1-shot extended magazine tube secured by a custom barrel clamp with integral m-lok capability.

What Customers Are Saying

Excellent for the money - A300 Patrol vs 1301 Tac.

I own both, the Beretta 1301 Tac and A300 Patrol. Each shotgun has its own gas system that are not alike. The A300 Patrol is made in the USA while the 1301 is made in Italy. Yes, the 1301 is a better-quality shotgun with great features since the price is much higher (like $600 more). However, the A300 Patrol delivers and will cycle everything you throw at it. The A300 Patrol has less accessories available than the 1301 Tac since the A300 Patrol has a different design with the recoil assembly in the stock and not on the mag tube like the 1301. The 1301 has a few different stock options and even for end choices that are not seen on the A300. I cycled nearly 1000 rounds of trap, slugs, and buckshot through the A300 with no problems. Recoil between both models is nearly the same to me. I mounted a red dot on the A300 Patrol and using a modified choke, Federal Truball rifled slugs were about 3-inch groups at 50 yards off the bench. If you are occasional shooter and enjoy the range on a monthly basis,...

- Scooby, 12/5/2023

About Beretta

Established in 1526, Beretta is the longest-standing dynasty in the world, tracing its roots through 15 generations of continuous family ownership. Beretta balances precision, tradition, performance, and innovation in every product it offers. Whether it's for tactical and self-defense, waterfowl hunting, upland hunting, big game hunting, or competition shooting, Beretta offers a full range of guns, accessories, clothing, and more for today's modern sportsman. MidwayUSA offers top Beretta products like the 92FS Pistol, M9 Pistol, 1301 Tactical Shotgun, A400 Shotgun, and many more! Beretta has stood by its core value, “Quality Without Compromise” since the beginning, which has been a key to its long-term success.

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Benelli M4 Tactical Semi Automatic 12 Gauge Shotgun 18.5" Phosphate Barrel Black Pistol Grip

The Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun is a semi-automatic, tubular magazine fed weapon chambered for the 12 gauge (18.4 mm) shotshell cartridge. The operating system employed in this weapon is the improved ARGO (Auto-Regulating Gas Operated) Twin (two gas pistons/cylinders/ ports) System with rotating bolt head with dual locking lugs.

The Benelli Armi S.p.A. line of semi-automatic M4 shotguns is a result of painstaking work at Benelli’s Research and Development Center and of Benelli’s extensive experience in precision engineering and technical know-how. A number of military and police forces, domestic and foreign, have chosen the M4 special version to be used where the greatest reliability of service in required. The small number of components, an extremely simple operating principle, make the new shotguns highly reliable and practical, easy to strip and upkeep to the extent that the M4 can be considered are of the most modern, accurate, safe and fast shotgun available today.

Features

Auto-Regulating Gas-Operated
Ghost-Ring Sights
Drilled and Tapped Receiver

What Customers Are Saying

If I had more hands and it made any sense, I'd buy another

Owning this Italian sports car of a shotgun has been a decade long pursuit of mine since I first handled one in the corps so I might be somewhat biased but whatever. The neutered version you're likely to encounter thanks to 922(r) (not hard to circumvent incidentally) is pretty impressive by itself. Upgrade your tube, switch out the foregrip and a part or two, and refine the process of reloading and this thing becomes an absolute war machine. Do yourself a favor and forget about the collapsible stock because they're nigh impossible to find for less than double MSRP and there are several substitutes that are arguably better including pretty much everything sold at Mesa or Freedom Fighter Tactical. Out of the box, your average Benelli M4 may have trouble cycling certain loads but once the shotgun is broken in, this will most likely stop. The breaking in process can take I think between 20 and 100 shells. I had stoppages initially with target loads but once I fired probably a box of the good stuff out of i...

- Mack, 4/2/2021 Shop Now

Remington 870 TAC Tactical Pump 12 Gauge Shotgun 18.5" Black Barrel Black Field Stock XS Ghost Ring Sight

Like all Remington Model 870 shotguns, this workhorse features a receiver milled from a solid billet of steel for maximum strength and reliability. The silky-smooth twin action bars prevent binding and twisting so that you'll always have the chance to get off a second shot. The Remington Tactical Choke Tubes are designed specifically for the tactical firearm and home defense shotgun, the tactical choke tube from Remington is extended and features multiple ports, a series of rigid points as well as a knurled ring around the body in order to facilitate faster insertion and removal from the barrel. Cylinder constriction.

Features

18.5" tactical barrel with XS front blade sight RC tactical
XS Ghost Ring sight rail (mounts to receiver)
Sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation
Tactical style fore-end
2 shot magazine extension
Receiver drilled and tapped for scope mounts (XS picatinny rail with ghost ring included)

What Customers Are Saying

Awesome

This is the best variant of the 870 I've ever owned. It has a great finish, great sights and legendary 870 reliability. I went through this whole shotgun and everything was perfect, I couldn't find anything wrong with it. The option to use chokes is a nice touch. If someone was looking for a great home defense shotgun I'd recommend this 870.

- The doctor, 6/16/2023

About Remington

We’ve been here since 1816. Together, Remington and America have fought and won wars, put food on millions of tables, and brought countless generations together at the range and in the field. We are proud of each and every round that rolls off our factory line. Bringing a renewed focus to ammunition, innovation, and quality, we are reinvigorating our company so you can continue to trust our brand and our products – all while staying true to Remington’s legendary heritage and stature as an American icon. Remington is a world leader in ammunition and firearms and is trusted by militaries, law enforcement, and hunters around the world. MidwayUSA is proud to offer Remington Ammo like the UMC, Core-Lokt, and Express series, and firearms like the 700 rifle and 870 shotguns. In addition to ammunition and firearms, Remington also offers gun parts, cleaning kits, safes and storage, apparel, and more. Remington has a focus on building dependable firearms that Customers can enjoy for a lifetime.

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Mossberg 590A1 Pump 12 Gauge Shotgun 20" Parkerized Barrel Black Field Stock Ghost Ring Sight

Selected by the U.S. Armed Forces after passing the rigors of Mil-Spec qualification, the 590A1 is the duty weapon of choice for military and law enforcement agencies worldwide. Features include Mil-Spec construction (the only pump action shotgun to pass Mil-Spec 3443E), parkerized finish on heavy-walled barrel, metal trigger guard and safety buttons.

About Mossberg

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