The age old debate among shotguns has always been the decision to buy a pump action or semi-automatic. There are several things to consider when choosing between them. Both types work just fine but depending on the application you may want to sway towards one side over the other. Here we go...

What is the primary use for the shotgun? Are you bird hunting, skeet/trap shooting, or buying for home defense? Pump action shotguns are generally cheaper than the semi-autos and they also make a great home defense gun. They come in various barrel lengths, some with shoulder stocks, some with pistol grips. The infamous "click click" from a pump action shotgun is recognizable by nearly every human and often times that sound alone is enough to scare off any would be intruders.

Semi-autos are popular among hunters because follow up shots are generally faster because you don't have to operate the pump action. The same concept applies to skeet/trap shooting. However, some experienced shotgunners can fire a pump action shotgun just as fast as semi-auto. See this video (start at 10:10):



How much are you willing to spend? The age old question, there are many options out there ranging from around $200-$1800+. Like most other guns, if you aren't an experienced shotgunner you probably won't benefit from a $1600 Benelli over a $700 Remington.

Do you need all the bells and whistles? If you want things like side saddles, slings, and lights some shotgun models will be better suited for such add-ons. Some models are sold as "tactical" which include things like a pistol grip stock, integrated light, and upgraded sights. If you are using a shotgun for home defense I strongly recommend a weapon light. Every year many people are shot in their own homes by their loved ones because they were mistaken identified as an intruder.

What gauge should I buy? There are many different gauges (sizes) of shotgun ammo. The gauges are numbered with smallest numbers being the biggest. The most common gauges are listed below (smallest gauges first):

• 410
• 28
• 20
• 16
• 12

12 gauge is the most common and the easiest shotgun ammo to find. 20 gauge and 410 gauge are also common and many different companies produce several lines in those calibers.

My Favorite Shotgun List(ranked by price - cheapest first)

1. Mossberg 500
2. Remington 870 Express
3. Saiga 12
4. Remington 1100
5. Benelli M4

In the great state of Florida open carry is NOT legal. We can only carry concealed with a permit. Florida permits also cover knifes. However, many states do allow open carry. Some of these states require NO permits at all and will even allow the carry of long guns. I'm all for the 2nd amendment but here is the problem with open carry.

People who don't know anything about guns freak out when they see them. This goes back to my post about why people are scared of guns.

I've seen several videos of people walking around with video cameras carrying everything from holstered sidearms to AR-15s. Eventually, the police confront them and explain that people freaked out and called 911 once they saw someone walking down the street with an "assault rifle."



While open carry of guns may be legal some areas, it attracts negative attention. Walking down the street with an AR-15 or MP5 is not going to make people more aware of gun rights. It also ties up the limited 911 and police resources.

The creator of the videos says he is trying to create awareness so we don't lose open carry privileges. However, if everyone started walking down the street with long guns hanging from their backs it wouldn't be long before the anti-gun fanatics would push to have open carry outlawed.

Keyhole is a term used to describe rounds which are fired that do not remain concentric once they leave the barrel. Meaning, once fired the round starts wobble like a poorly thrown football or even tumble like football at a field goal. The marks which are left on paper are not round, they are oblong looking much like an old style key hole. Keyholes can be the result of several things:

• Wrong barrel twist/bullet weight ratio
• Wrong amount of bullet crimp
• Bullet defects

Keyholes will obviously decrease accuracy. It is also very dangerous to shoot rounds which are known to keyhole through a suppressor. The openings and baffles in a suppressor are very precise to allow very little gas to escape. Firing a keyhole round can possibly strike a baffle or the end cap of a suppressor thereby damaging or destroying it. Not to mention, the obvious safety concerns with shrapnel or bullet fragments coming from the end of your gun.

The twist rate of the barrel and bullet weight used is important. If a barrel does not have enough twists, a heavy bullet will not spin enough to stabilize. When the bullet is not stable, it will wobble or even tumble towards it's target as seen in the picture above.

The use of match barrels or short barrels (NFA short barreled rifles) may require special ammo due to the amount of twists that it was manufactured with. Shooting any other type of ammo than what it requires will almost certainly fire unstable projectiles.

Ammo that was loaded with bullets crimped to tight or to far into the casing may also keyhole. So will bullets with defects, regardless of the correct twist ratio. A bullet with an uneven surface area will be unbalanced once it starts to spin and may also keyhole.

Last, once a bullet hits something the energy displaced can throw the balance of the bullet off. Once the bullet is no longer stable, it will start to fly like a poorly thrown football and may produce a keyhole upon impact.

The best way to ensure your gun does not shoot keyholes is to use quality factory loaded ammo or correct load data for reloads. You must also use the correct bullet weight suggested by your guns manufacturer.