Channelview, Texas is a city about 20 minutes east of Houston with a population of about 45,000 people.
One evening, around 11pm, a family was at their Channelview home when three armed intruders forced their way into the house.
When the masked men entered the home there were three teenagers and an adult female at the house.
One of the 17-year-olds grabbed a shotgun and fired several times at the intruders.
Two of the suspects were hit by shotgun rounds and were declared dead at the scene.
The third intruder fled, and none of the victims inside the home were injured.
Surveillance footage showed four suspects arriving and parking next door to the home.
About two minutes later, two suspects are seen running back to the car and driving off.
This is another example of a citizen doing what they were forced to do to protect their home and their loved ones.
Shotguns and rifles are often popular choices when it comes to home defense.
Most shooters are familiar with the different options in long guns (such as size, caliber, and length of the barrel).
Yet, one dimension often overlooked is the length of pull.
What is the length of pull?:
The length of pull of a shotgun or rifle is the distance from the trigger to the end of the stock.
In other words, it’s the amount of distance your arm has to wrap around the firearm to get your hand in a position to pull the trigger.
So, obviously, the length of pull can be different depending on the specific firearm.
How does the length of pull affect shooting?:
One of the most important factors that length of pull affects is the shooter’s stance. The longer the length of pull, the farther back your shoulder will be.
Also, you will need to angle your body more to be able to hold the gun against your shoulder.
A shorter length of pull means your body will be more squared-up on the target.
The length of pull will also affect your sight alignment, as it changes where your head rests.
The longer the length of pull, the further back your head will be on the stock of the gun.
In turn, this changes where your eyes line up with the sights.
Can you change the length of pull?:
Depending on the specific firearm you can change out the stock of the firearm.
Installing an adjustable stock is pretty simple to do and it will give you a chance to find the length that fits you best.
Some guns allow you to change the length by adding or removing spacers that are installed at the end of the stock.
Lastly, if you have a long gun that you love, you can always have a gunsmith custom-make a stock that meets your body size.
How to pick the perfect length of pull:
The ideal length of pull will depend on the gun and what you want to use it for.
If it’s a rifle you plan to use for precision shooting, you will want a length of pull that allows you to acquire your target through a scope.
But if it’s a rifle for home defense, you might not have a scope or you may want a length of pull that allows you to quickly fire rounds.
With shotguns, a shorter length of pull can be beneficial for home defense because you can square up and engage the target quickly.
What length of pull should you start with?:
Each firearm can have a different length of pull and feel better or worse depending on the shooter
The most obvious way to tell if the length of pull is wrong for you is if you can’t get a good position to rest your head.
Also, if you have difficulty seeing through a scope it might be that the length of pull is not right for your body size.
Before getting a long gun, I would try to rent one or find a friend that will let you test their gun.
At the very least you want to put it up into a shooting position to see if it feels right.
If it’s a long gun you already own, you can look into replacing it with an adjustable stock.
Either way, make sure the gun feels right for you because you may need it to save your life one day.
I ensure that I can confidently operate and shoot each gun I own, and that each one fits me well.
This is crucial if you plan to include the gun as an integral part of your mobile weapons arsenal.
