It’s hard to argue that a shotgun doesn’t make an ideal home defense weapon. While capacity in terms of shell count will almost always be less than that of a semi-automatic pistol or modern sporting rifle, each one of those shells delivers a whole lot more impact that most any other choice. Kinetic energy measurements […]
The Wide World of Remington 870 Shotguns
A lot of neato stuff happened in 1950, along with some serious unpleasantries. North Korea invaded their southern sibling, starting a tragic war masquerading as a police action. On the more positive side of things, the first self-service elevator was installed by the Otis Corporation. Zenith introduced the first television remote control and appropriately named […]
Exactly How Precise Is A Shotgun?
At this point, you might be thinking, “He’s using the words precise AND shotgun in the same sentence? Is this guy nuts?” Well, that depends. I’m talking about whether a shotgun can be “precise” or not. We won’t discuss my sanity just yet. The potential precision of your shotgun depends on careful matching of your […]
Mad Gun Science: Is Buckshot Best for Home Defense?
Recently we looked at the pros and cons of using birdshot loads for home defense. Now it’s time to look at the flip side – using big and heavy buckshot for the same purpose. The timing for this topic is perfect as I just returned from Tactical PreSchool at the Academi training facility in Moyock, […]
A Beautiful Beretta: The New 692 Sporting B-Fast Over/Under Shotgun
On this, the 3rd day of October 1526. [To] Master Bartolomeo Beretta of the Brescian territory of Gardone for 185 arquebus barrels [made] for Our House of the Arsenal [given] 296 ducati. So begins the history of the world’s oldest gun maker – Beretta. By the way, in 1526, 296 ducati was a lot of […]
10 Things I’d Look For In A SHTF Shotgun
Recently I received a Winchester SXP Marine Defender shotgun for testing and evaluation, and this got me thinking. Yeah, I know. Me thinking is a big stretch of the imagination, but just go with it, OK? You hear a lot of scary scenarios from the prepper community. Some of them are realistic, others – not so much. […]
FNH Makes A Competition Shotgun? The FNH SC-1 Competition Over/Under
FN. It’s a little confusing if you’ve been around a while. Is FN the same as Browning? What’s Herstal? What’s FNH? Is that different than Fabrique Nationale? Should John Browning win a Nobel Prize? Are Belgian waffles all they’re cracked up to be? Let’s answer these questions with a simple history review. In 1889 Fabrique […]
X-Products Takes Shotgunning a Beer To A Whole New Level
In the “why the heck not” category is the new Can Cannon from X Products. Known for their rock solid drum magazines for modern sporting rifle designs, the X Products folks got a wild hair to bring something just plain fun to market. The Can Cannon is a complete upper assembly with a soda can […]
A Look At The Beretta 1301 Tactical Shotgun
I recently got my hot little hands on a Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun. After checking out the floor model at the 2014 NRA Annual Meeting, I decided I had to have one. Why? Because it handles like a shotgun carbine. If you’ve shot short, light weight and compact rifles, then you know exactly what I […]
Beretta 1301 Tactical Shotgun Review: A “Carbine” Shotgun
Have you ever shot an M1 Garand, followed by an M1 Carbine? Or perhaps a FAL, followed by a Ruger 10/22? Or maybe a full size over and under 12 gauge, followed by a compact coach gun? If so, then you already have an idea of the relative feel of the Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun. […]