Why You Need a Shotgun for Self-Defense

Shotgun Most Effective Short-Range Weapon in Combat

Is the lowly shotgun the best self-defense weapon?

Check this out. Real-world combat use of the shotgun shows

• 45% better hit probability than a submachine gun (yes, a real one)

• 200% better hit probability than an automatic rifle (yes, a real one)

The facts show the shotgun is the most effective short-range defensive firearm a civilian can own. And yes, it's safer for innocents in the area -- especially in urban situations.

What the British Military Says About Shotguns

"Shotguns and shotgun cartridges are designed or chosen to

produce a desired projectile pattern at a specific distance. Their

military purpose is the simultaneous projection in the direction

of a close-range target of a number of projectiles in order to

increase the probability of striking the intended target.

This objective has been borne out in combat. British examination of

its Malaya experience determined that, to a range of thirty yards

(27.4 meters), the probability of hitting a man-sized target with

a shotgun was superior to that of all other weapons. The probability

of hitting the intended target with an assault rifle was

one in eleven. It was one in eight with a submachine gun firing

a five-round burst. Shotguns had a hit probability ratio twice as

good as rifles.

A 1952 British study by the Commander of British

Security Forces, compiled from combat action reports, tests,

and other studies (including medical), reconfirmed the previous

finding that the shotgun was a highly-effective combat weapon

at ranges out to seventy-five yards (68.6 meters).13 Traveling at

velocities one-third to one-half that of a modern military rifle

bullet, with a poor ballistic coefficient (particularly when compared

to the good ballistic coefficient of modern military rifle

bullets), shotgun buckshot also diminish risk of injury from

projectile over-penetration (through walls or doors) to civilians

who are not taking a direct part in the hostilities or to friendly

force combatants during military operations in urban terrain.

These reasons confirm the military necessity for shotguns."

Source: OCTOBER 1997 THE ARMY LAWYER ï DA-PAM 27-50-299

http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/10-1997.pdf

This makes us rethink our use of the pedestrian shotgun for self-defense.