Josh L. lives in Pennsylvania. One day he was chopping up furniture with an ax so that it would be easier to dispose of.
While Josh was outside, his neighbor Ken P. walked up the driveway and struck up a conversation.
The two men had been longtime friends, so it wasn’t unusual to visit when working outside.
But their friendly conversation quickly took a deadly turn.
At first, the two men started arguing. Then Ken followed Josh into his garage, where Josh shot him in the back with a shotgun.
Ken, who was unarmed, crumpled to the floor and died. Josh called 911 and said, “I’ve been attacked by a Hell’s Angel.”
Defense attorneys argued that Josh was defending himself. They said that Ken had picked up an ax and was about to strike Josh.
An attorney said, “The garage is a mess of tools and junk. There are machetes, hatchets, knives, axes, and pieces of wood.”
In addition, defense attorneys said that Ken had multiple drugs in his system, including methamphetamine.
Before the incident, Ken had taken off his shirt, even though it was a snowy day. At one point, Ken also lowered his pants and exposed himself to Josh.
People said the two men were like brothers, but Josh claimed that Ken was acting strange before the attack.
The defense attorney added, “It’s self-defense. The castle doctrine. A man has a right to use a gun or a deadly weapon if he fears for his life.”
A jury found Josh not guilty of first-degree murder.
Now, shotguns are popular firearms for home defense, but one type of shotgun that’s often overlooked is the semi-auto variety.
There are many reasons to get a semi-auto shotgun for defense, so let’s look at some things to consider if you’re thinking about getting one for your home.
Why is semi-auto a good option?:
The biggest advantage to a semi-auto shotgun is that there is no pumping (racking the shotgun).
You’ve probably seen folks who are fast at firing pump-action shotguns, and with enough practice you could likely get quick at firing a pump action.
But a semi-auto shotgun is still going to fire quicker because there is one less step.
So, even if you are skilled with a pump action, a semi-auto is still going to get shots off quicker.
Another benefit of semi-auto shotguns is that they do a better job of absorbing recoil.
It’s not that there is less recoil, but semi-auto shotguns are heavier compared to pump action, so the shooter feels less recoil.
Drawbacks to semi-auto shotguns:
The biggest drawback to a semi-auto shotgun is that they are not as reliable as pump actions.
It’s true that there are quality companies making semi-auto shotguns, but the semi-auto function simply isn’t as reliable.
With more moving parts to enable semi-automatic firing, there is more to break and go wrong.
Semi-auto shotguns also need more care than a pump-action.
A semi-auto needs to be cleaned and oiled regularly. You can’t spend the day shooting a semi-auto and not clean it. It will lead to future issues.
Another drawback is that some semi-auto shotguns cannot fire birdshot. That’s because the round doesn’t have a lot of power and won’t always cycle the action.
And even if you don’t plan on using birdshot it’s a good shell to use for training.
Finally, semi-auto shotguns are usually going to be more expensive than similar pump-action shotguns. It’s not a big deal but something to keep in mind.
Which semi-auto shotgun should you get?:
The first semi-auto shotgun to consider is the Beretta 1301.
This 12-gauge semi-auto cycles very fast without added recoil. In addition, it has oversized controls and a large loading port for fast reloading.
The Beretta comes in tactical and sporting models with barrels from 18.5” to 24.”
Another semi-auto shotgun to consider is the Mossberg 940 Pro, which is a 12-gauge with an 18.5” barrel.
This shotgun is reliable and comes with a drilled and tapped receiver, adjustable stock, and a fiber optic sight.
Now, if you haven’t shot a semi-auto shotgun you should give it a try. They can be a lot of fun to shoot and can do so quickly.
Regardless, a shotgun should be one of the guns in your collection.
