According to PEW Research, personal protection is the top reason people own guns. And since Americans spend most of their time at home (whether for sleeping or leisure), home defense guns are among the most popular class of firearms in the country.

When it comes to home defense, few options are as iconic as a shotgun. Sure, a handgun or pistol caliber carbine (PCC) might be better for experienced shooters. But don’t dismiss shotguns as outdated for home defense just yet. In a high-stress situation, where fine motor skills often go out the window, a shotgun’s spread can make it easier to hit your target without pinpoint accuracy.

That said, not every shotgun is suited for home defense. Many are designed for hunting or competition, and choosing the wrong one could be a costly mistake.

Pro Armory has you covered. This guide will cover what makes shotguns so effective for home defense and what to look for in a home defense shotgun. Then, we’ll wrap up with a list of the best shotguns on the market today for home defense.

Quick Look: The 7 Best Shotguns for Home Defense

(Photo byThomas Tucker onUnsplash)

Why Shotguns Are Great for Home Defense

Shotguns have a special combination of features that make them ideal for protecting your home.

Versatility

Because they can accept many types of ammo, shotguns are some of the most versatile weapons in the world. Shotguns allow you to choose between pellets, slugs, and even non-lethal options.

• Birdshot: You may not want to rely on birdshot for home defense (after all, Dick Cheney blasted a geriatric dude in the face with birdshot and the guy survived).

• Buckshot: Will certainly stop any human interloper in your home. Thanks to its high power and the spread of its pellets, buckshot is a great choice for home defense. We recommend 00 Buck.

• Slugs: If you live in the wilderness, a 12 gauge slug can stop a grizzly in its tracks. However, if you’re a city dweller, slugs may be overkill. They can easily overpenetrate your target and your home’s own walls. At the same time, hollow-point slugs are a thing.

Nonlethal options exist for shotgun shooters, too. Shotguns can accept rock salt, beanbag, rubber pellet, and even plastic rocket rounds to incapacitate an attacker without killing them.

Stopping Power

Movies have conditioned the public to believe that a shotgun blast will knock its target back a dozen feet and through a wall. While that’s not exactly true, shotguns do have incredible stopping power. Thanks to the spread of their pellets, shotguns have a much higher chance of hitting a vital organ than a single bullet, making them extremely effective at eliminating a threat.

Simplicity

Pump action shotguns are some of the simplest firearms out there. These guns don’t automatically eject a casing and load a fresh cartridge using expanding gasses (like an AR-15 does). Instead, you manually cycle the action. This simple design contributes to a pump shotgun’s reliability.

Semi-auto shotguns are a different beast. They actually do use expanding gasses from a round going off to cycle their action. This does make them a little more complex, but since they use internal (instead of detachable) magazines, they’re still usually simpler than a rifle or handgun.

Ammo Availability

You can find shotgun ammo just about anywhere. Even during the height of the COVID-19 ammo shortage, you could still find shotgun shells in a lot of stores.

Shotgun ammo is fairly affordable, too. In fact, you can find 00 Buck for between 40 and 45 cents per round — just slightly more expensive than super-cheap 5.56x45. Plus, cheaper ammo works great for practice, so you won’t need to break the bank to feed your firearm for the range.

What To Look for in a Home Defense Shotgun

While shotguns are great, not every shotgun is well-suited for home defense. Let's look at some features to keep in mind when shopping for a shotgun to protect your residence.

Barrel Length

Barrel length is probably the single most important variable when considering a shotgun for home defense. A home defense shotgun needs to have a barrel that’s as short as possible.

Why? Because the shorter a gun’s barrel, the easier it is to maneuver around corners and through doors. Chances are, your home has a lot of corners, doorways, and tight spaces, so a shorter barrel is critical for any home defense weapon.

However, bear in mind that federal law prohibits civilians from owning a shotgun with a barrel shorter than 18.5 inches. Any less than that, and you’ll need to apply to the ATF to receive a tax stamp. That involves submitting your name to a federal database and paying $200, along with other legal hoops.

Gauge

While any gauge is better than none, not all are suited for defense:

• 12-Gauge: The most powerful and versatile option, offering wide ammo availability and devastating stopping power.

• 20-Gauge: A slightly lighter option with less recoil. A 20-gauge could be okay for smaller-framed or less experienced shooters, but it’s much better suited for bird-hunting.

• .410 Bore: Minimal recoil but lacks the stopping power of larger gauges. Don’t use a .410 for home defense — unless you’re defending your home from coyotes.

Grips and Stock

Even though wood stocks look super cool, you’ll want to stick with a polymer version to reduce your gun’s weight. Pistol grips can also improve a shotgun’s ergonomics for shooters who normally use handguns and tactical rifles.

Capacity

How much ammo does the ideal self-defense shotgun hold? MORE.

If you’re faced with multiple attackers, you don’t want to hear your gun going “click” instead of “boom.” When shopping for a home-defense shotgun, prioritize models with higher capacity.

TIP: Aguila, one of Mexico’s best ammo manufacturers, has enhanced the capacity of modern shotguns with their own minishells. These shells are about 2/3 the size of a regular shotgun, with relatively similar stopping power. This effectively increases the capacity of your 12-gauge by 3 shells, which is great when you’re in a don’t-panic-just-blast scenario.

Sights

Iron sights are a great option for a home-defense gun. They can never break, and with a little practice, acquiring a proper sight picture is a breeze.

That said, optics will make your job even easier. Even a decade ago, shotguns with optics were rare, but that’s changed. If you’re going to put an optic on your home-defense gun, stick to red dots. Pistol red dots are a great choice (even for shotguns), since they’re small and lightweight.

Weight

Weight isn’t as much of a factor for a home-defense shotgun as it is for a hunting rifle. You won’t be humping this thing through the backcountry — just down your hallway.

But, you should still consider weight when looking at home-defense shotguns. Guns are generally heavier than you might think, and holding them steady can be tough if you’re not trained. Since you’re looking for a weapon with maximum ease of use, go with something that doesn’t tire your arms.

Top Picks for Home-Defense Shotguns

Now, without further ado, the main event. Here are our top choices for shotguns to protect your pad.

(Source: www.mossberg.com)

1. Mossberg 500 Tactical

The Mossberg 500 is the “Glock 19” of the shotgun world. It’s sort of classic, and everyone uses them, but for good reason.

This shotgun sits perfectly at the intersection of price and functionality. Coming in at around $700, it’s a bargain that’s hard to beat. It has a nice, short barrel that’s perfect for maneuvering indoors. Plus, its pistol grip gives it great ergonomics for improved controllability.

One really cool thing about the Mossberg 500 Tactical is its tube magazine. Unlike some shotguns (like Winchester), all Mossberg shotguns have 5-round magazines. This means that you can easily swap out barrel lengths, turning your home-defense shotgun into a sporting clays or bird-hunting shotgun, should the fancy strike you.

This gun’s only pitfall is its action. You have to pump between each shot to cycle the weapon. It would be nice if the Mossberg 500 Tactical were semi-auto, but nobody’s perfect.

(Source: www.sportsmans.com)

2. Remington 870 Express Tactical

Nothing says “you picked the wrong house” quite like a Remington 870 Tactical. The Remington 870 Express Tactical brings a lot of the same features as the Mossberg 500 to the table. With an aggressive pump action and single bead sight, it’s great for quickly acquiring targets and popping off angry blasts of 12-gauge power.

It does edge out the Mossberg 500 in one area, though. With a 6-round capacity, you can fit one more round into the Remington 870’s tube. This can be critical in home-defense scenarios, when every shot counts and you may not have the chance to reload.

Another thing to love about the Remington 870 is its price. You can regularly find this gun for $450, making it another affordable option on this list. If you’re looking for a gun to protect yourself without dropping too much coin, it’s a great option.

(Source: www.benelliusa.com)

3. Benelli M4 Tactical

The Benelli M4 Tactical is one of the most iconic shotguns in the world today, and the workhorse of the US Marines since 1998. It’s not hard to see why.

The M4 has a 5-round capacity and features an integrated optic rail. It’s also one of the few semi-auto guns on this list. That means the gun automatically ejects an empty casing and inserts a new one into the battery. This allows you to fire simply by pulling the trigger — no pumping required.

This shotgun also features a proprietary gas system that simplifies the autoloading process. The end result is a gun with less moving parts than most semi-auto firearms, making it more reliable.

Oh, and did we mention that the M4 has a pistol grip, too? That makes it edge out the Beretta 1301 (later on this list) as the premier shotgun for home protection.

Are you sitting down? Good. Because this gun costs $2,000. That’s a borderline exorbitant amount of money for a home-defense gun. But, with all of the features packed into the Benelli M4 Tactical, you can be sure your money is buying a truly high-quality weapon.

(Source: www.mossberg.com)

4. Mossberg 590 A1 Tactical

The second Mossberg to appear on our list is the 590 A1. This is a gun with a pedigree that speaks for itself. It’s currently the go-to pump action shotgun for the US and its allied militaries, a spot it earned for several reasons.

A big one is the 590’s ergonomics. With a pistol grip and adjustable buttstock, this shotgun is comfortable for anyone to carry. It’s also highly modular: you can swap out parts like the pistol grip and stock if you’re so inclined.

Its capacity is another reason for the success of the Mossberg 590 A1. It holds 7 rounds (with an extra in the chamber), giving it more firepower than almost any other gun on this list. Plus, with a price ranging from $500 to $700, it’s relatively affordable, too.

(Source: www.winchesterguns.com)

5. Winchester SXP Defender

If you’re looking for a great budget option for a home-defense shotgun, look no further than the Winchester SXP Defender. With a 5-round capacity and proven reliability, the SXP Defender may be one of the best sub-$400 shotguns available.

The SXP Defender does have some pitfalls, though. For example, it has a pump-operated action, giving it a fairly slow rate of fire and requiring more work from you (the operator).

But one of the biggest is its lack of barrel customization options. The Winchester SXP series has different magazine tube lengths for the Defender and Field series. This means that you won’t be able to swap between short and long barrels like you can with the Mossberg 500.

At the same time, a working shotgun is better than no shotgun at all. So, if you’ve got a tight budget and need a self-defense shotgun, you could do a lot worse than the SXP Defender.

(Source: www.beretta.com)

6. Beretta 1301 Tactical

Much like the Benelli M4, the Beretta 1301 is a high-end tactical shotgun. It has all the bells and whistles: semi-auto action, an integrated top rail for optics, and a whopping 7-round magazine.

The 1301 also has a patented gas system that allows it to cycle 36% faster than other semi-auto guns. That’s a huge advantage in home-defense scenarios, when you might need to engage multiple attackers at once.

But you pay for what you get with the 1301. With a price tag north of $1,700, this shotgun is the second most expensive on our list (after the Benelli M4 Tactical).

TIP: If you’re looking for a similar option that’s a little more affordable, check out Beretta’s A300 Ultima Patrol. It has a lot of the features you’ll find on the 1301, but without the proprietary gas system and a price tag closer to $900.

(Source: stoegerindustries.com)

7. Stoeger M3000 Tactical

Here’s another budget tactical shotgun for holding down the fort. Stoeger is a household name in the shotgun world, and although they’re generally known more for their old-timey coach gun replicas, the M3000 Tactical is nothing to scoff at.

First, the M3000 tactical’s pros. Its semi-auto action helps you spray lead at an impressive rate, and its pistol grip improves overall control of the gun.

Unfortunately, you can’t unload too many rounds, since this gun only holds 4 shells in its magazine.Clocking in at about $450, the M3000 ties the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 as one of the most affordable guns on this list. However, it still can’t beat the wallet-friendly Winchester SXP.

Best Home-Defense Shotgun Tips

To wrap things up, let’s look at some best practices for home-defense shotguns.

Dry Firing

Lots of newer shooters ask themselves “can I dry fire my shotgun?” The answer is a resounding yes. You can (and should) practice dry firing your home-defense weapon. This will help you develop muscle memory to use under high-pressure situations. Just remember the rules of firearm safety before you start pulling the trigger around your house.

Want to learn more about dry-fire training? Check out our guide to dry fire training drills to develop your tactical skills at home.

Proper Shotgun Grip

Shotguns have a lot of recoil, but the right grip can help mitigate that. Make sure you pull the stock of the gun tightly into your shoulder. This will help you control the weapon better, and also reduce bruising in your shoulder. You may consider adding a special grip attachment to make it easier to hold. Bear in mind, though, that if you do so and the resulting weapon is under 26 inches in overall length, you’ll need to apply for a tax stamp from the ATF.

What Happens if My Home-Defense Shotgun Jams?

As long as you follow these rules, your shotgun shouldn’t jam:

• Keep your shotgun well-maintained

• Practice with it

• Use good-quality ammunition

Most shotguns use internal magazines instead of detachable versions like AR-15s. Since external magazines are the main cause of gun misfires, a shotgun will rarely jam. But if it does, don’t panic. Follow these steps:

1. Ensure Safety: Point in a safe direction, finger off the trigger, and engage the safety.

2. Unload: Open the action and remove all rounds.

3. Inspect: Check the chamber and ejection port for obstructions.

4. Clear: Gently remove stuck shells or rounds with fingers or a tool.

5. Check and Test: Inspect for dirt or damage, cycle the action without ammo, and reload once clear.

TIP: Make clearing jams part of your dry-fire practice routine so you can quickly clear it by muscle memory in a home-defense situation.

Final Thoughts

You have a lot to consider when selecting the perfect home-defense shotgun. We always recommend starting with your needs and working backwards from there. Are you prioritizing a high rate of fire, or do you want to maximize reliability? How much do factors like price or weight affect your choice?

Once you determine what you’re looking for, you can use the info in our guide to make your pick. But that’s not the end of the process.

After you choose your home-defense shotgun, you need to buy the right ammo. Pro Armory has you covered there. Stock up on shotgun ammo for home defense, hunting, practice, and more — all at a price you can afford. Plus, check out our selection of firearm accessories to make your shotgun the badass home defense weapon it was born to be.