what do you gungeun folks think of 'coach gun' shotguns?

[taxidriver]

i just bought a sweet little 20 gauge coach gun for home defense (my g/f wanted something as simple as possible that she could point at whatever she needed to die) and i'm pretty pleased with it. its a lot more compact than other shotguns i've handled. the only downside i can see is that it holds only two rounds.

[Union Thug]

1. IMO, shotguns are the best for home defense...

1. Point and shoot, you are unlikely to miss.

2. Shot/pellets won't pentetrate outside walls and kill neighbors.

3. That big hole is pretty damned intimidating!

[taxidriver]

2. all reasons i bought it. point and shoot is very appealing.

[Upfront]

3. Ok

But a Remington pump would be better. Holds 5 shells. Poor mans street sweeper.

[TX-RAT]

4. Pretty much a novelty weapon.

Just a little bit better than nothing.

[CO Liberal]

5. And I Prefer Nothing

Haven't fired a gun since I was a Boy Scout in the '60s. Have no desire to own one, see no need to own one.

[FatSlob]

6. Thank you for updating us.

What do you think of coach guns?

[CO Liberal]

7. Don't Know Enough to Comment

Other than to say I personally would not own one.

[FatSlob]

8. They are quite cool.

They are modeled after the double barrelled shotguns used in stage coaches in the 1800s. Watch old western movies and you'll get the idea. Perfect for use against maurading Apaches on the Santa Fe trail, or against the average home invader.

On edit: The current prevalent use of these old-time shotguns is in the SASS, the Single Action Shooting Society. These folks compete in "Cowboy Action Shoots" in which they dress in old-west clothing and use old-west gear or reproductions. I understand that a competitor needs two single action revolvers (Wyatt Earp types, you cock each time), a lever action rifle, and a coach gun.

[skippythwndrdog]

10. Au contrare'!

I find that my litle 12 ga. coach is dandy for quail and rabbits in thick brush. It's much easier to get into action than my 26" barrel 1100. It's quite effective out to around 40 yards on the little buggers. Home defense is another matter.

The double triggers can be a problem for anyone who is not well practiced in their use. I also prefer more than 2 shells avalable. All in all, for home defense, I prefer something along the lines of the Mossberg 500 or Winchester 1300 (both pump action) in an 18 1/4" barrel loaded with #8 shot. The #8 is plenty in the confines of the home as it doesn't have time to separate before it hits either the intruder or a wall, so you get the net effect of a slug without having to worry about it travelling through several walls or over to the neighbor's house. I keep two 1300's ready to rock in the house. No kids now or ever so keeping a loaded firearm handy is not a safety issue. On the rare occasion that copany with kids is in, both go into the safe before the guests arrive.

All that being said. I enjoy my coach gun. I hope you like yours as well as I do mine.

[TX-RAT]

11. Your probably right

Thats why in all my years of hunting I've never seen anybody use one in the field. Come to think of it, I've never seen a assault style weapon used in the field either.

[gatlingforme]

9. The double barrel is interesting. for a protection shotgun it is good

to see if the the point of aim is the same for both barrels. (from shoulders) I think for a woman that wants a simple shotgun, a single barrel is fine.It's novelty I think more so than anything. sounds like fun though.

[happyslug]

12. The New York Police Department issued such weapons to their Detectives

The rationale being as follows:
1. Unlike Pumps and Auto loaders you can see instantly if the weapon is loaded or not.
2. With the same length barrel, it will be 3-4 inches SMALLER than a pump or auto (No action needed to work a round into and out of the Chamber.
3. Given most situations, two shots is all you need, if you need more than two shots you are over your head anyway.

Additionally the "Double Barrel" looks more like the gun old farmers had and thus do not look as "bad" as a pump or Auto. Think Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny, Elmer is always shooting Bugs with a Double Barrel Shotgun (Which at times is a Double Barrel Pump when it was needed for a Joke). The Double has that "Appeal" of NOT being a weapon of attack. Something you have to think of when buying a weapon. Remember if you have to use the weapon, a double Barrel will look Less like an "assault Weapon" to every member of a Jury than a Pump or Auto. You want every edge you can get and the additional rounds Pump or Auto has will rarely be used.

All told the "Coach Gun" would be my ideal defensive weapon.

As to the lack of Double barrels over the last 50 years, that has more to do with Manufacturing methods of the last 50 years. Double Barrel were popular till WWII, but the mass production system adopted during the early 1900s finally reduced cost of pumps and Auto way below the cost of making a tight fitting double. With the interchangeability's barrels for pumps and Auto, you could change a barrel to do the kind of hunting you wanted to do. This was almost impossible with a Double Barrel. These two "events" meant that the pump and the Auto would be the Shotguns of the post WWII era.

With modern Computer driven machines, the tight fits needed to make a good double can now be done by machine with minimal hand fitting (What every double needed prior to advent of Computer assisted design and machining machines). Thus I have seen a return of the Double over the last 10 years (With many coming out of Russia where the hand tooling is still done but at lower rates than in the USA).

Note, I did not address the over/Under Doubles. Popular to this day and easier to mass produce than side by side doubles but still expensive. Over and Under survived do to skeet shooters who liked a double but wanted to look over only one barrel. Still more expensive than pumps or auto but held on to its share of the market do to the Skeet and Trap shooters. Price tend to be double the price of the Pump or Auto.

Just my opinion as to Double Barrel Shotguns and why they are making a comeback after 50 years.

[gatlingforme]

13. Interesting, do these detectives keep the double under their belt?

[happyslug]

14. I do not know if that is still the practice

I last time I heard the story was in the early 1980s (Ithaca Shotguns of Ithaca NY Made the Shotguns for the NY Police). Ithaca went out of Business about that time (To expensive to make Double barrel Shotguns) but I have NOT heard if the NY Police Still follow this policy (Through I did see episodes of "Kojak" in the 1970s that showed the Detectives using the Doubles, but again that is the 1970s NOT today).

Remember they were given to people who rarely used a shotgun (It is hard to find a Shotgun range in New York City). My point was the double was a good choice for people NOT FAMILIAR WITH WEAPONS AND WHO DO NOT HAVE EXTENSIVE TIME TO TRAIN ON A WEAPON.

[gatlingforme]

15. hee, hee, egg on my face then, I thought you were talking present

time. I think Kojak caught most of his criminals by hitting them with his lollypop. LOL

[happyslug]

16. My understanding is the NYC Detectives still use double barrels

For the reasons Stated Above, I just have not read or heard (or seen) such use since the 1970s (I do NOT live in NYC or even New York State). Ithaca went out of business in the early 1980s and the NYPD may have changed their policy not only for that reason but the general switch to more lethal weaponry since that time (I.e. the switch from Revolvers to Automatic Pistols).

My point as to mentioning the NYPD detectives was to show why such doubles could be advantages in situation where training time is short.

[John BigBootay]

17. It's hard to out-argue the classic simplicity

of a vintage coach gun. If you get a good old one, it will appreciate in value as well.