doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT....The lean times, the mean times

I forgot to say that my home defense system is a sixteen gauge Parker V grade O Frame, choked Cylinder and five thou, with 28" steel barrels, 2-1/2" chambers, and extractors. The stock is 13-7/8 x 1-5/8 by 2-3/4. Original Dogshead butt plate. It weighs 5lbs - 13oz and has double triggers, ivory bead. Honest wear but well worn. Little blue, case, or shellac left.

I haven't shot a house bandit but the cartridges I have loaded for that purpose are low pressure (sub six thousand psi) plastic hull cartridges. I load 18 grains of Longshot with five triple-ought-buck pellets and Grex buffer to make the pattern tighter. Of course I use the standard Gualandi G16 wad. I cut the hulls to 2-1/2". Although the recoil is sharp it is acceptable as the Parker is very lively. I did kill a feral hog whith this combination while out hunting BobWhites. It was a crossing shot. The hog was all out at 30 yards. It proved very effective. There is legitimate concern about the Longshot not performing in low pressure loads in very cold weather but if the home invader makes it outside I am going to let him go.

As far as dependability I think a well maintained quality SxS with two triggers and no ejectors is one of the most reliable home defense systems on the planet. Practically impossible to jam or fail to fire. As I hunt with it a lot I can load it, get it off safety and hit near the mark with my eyes closed.

Parkers are superior guns but I am not saying a JC Higgins or Iver Johnson double wouldn't do just as well.

Best,

Mike

I can almost hear the fashion show music playing in the background as an MC describes your Parker....

You might keep your crushed ice made Mint Julep away from the Parker if you're using Longshot.

Superior to what ?

To the guns I see on the wall at your favorite restaurant!

Best,

Mike

Marlin Guide Gun in .45/70. It will go through that wall that he is hiding behind.

And that's a real problem! A powerful rifle, or a .44 Magnum, is a poor choice for home defense, as is any high-penetration firearm which can pierce interior (and exterior) walls and cause ‘collateral damage’ to family members, neighbors or passersby.

A shotgun sounds like a great idea - but many home invasions begin with an innocuous-looking ‘delivery man’ ringing your doorbell, or someone ‘looking for directions’ or ‘needing to make a phone call.’ Do you answer the door with a shotgun in hand? Or would you be better off with a handgun in your hip pocket?

Chances are, anyone breaking into your home will be a kid looking for cash, guns or stuff he can sell. He’ll be as scared as you are, and any loud noise will send him running. A .45ACP or .38 Special is easy to carry and conceal, handy in close quarters, and plenty for the job. And it won't rip your house apart.

By the time you're worried about shooting someone behind a wall in your house, you're already in over your head. The best 'home defense' plan is to discourage home invasion before it begins. Common sense measures include not leaving a garage door opener in an outside car, securing doors and windows, installing an alarm system, cooperating with police and neighbors and being aware of your surroundings. The bad guys are opportunists and cowards; if your house doesn't look like an easy target, they'll go find one that does.

Jimmy, so will just about any handgun this side of a .22

Jack I don't disagree with you. Yeti was kidding us about having such an off-topic off-topic-thread so I put in the bit about the Parker.

Best,

Mike

Mike - But is it really ethical to use a Parker for ground-swatting an intruder? Or would you have to somehow 'flush' him?