The answer is at least partly that it varies based on the quality. Some ammo manufacturers have better reputations for quality, than others. Based on my experience, if somebody gave me some Remington .22LR ammo, I would politely thank them, then start looking for someone else that I could pass it on to, while making it clear to anyone I offered it to, that it was Remington ammo and I didn’t want it because I had seen too many problems with Remington .22LR ammo (It’s easier to give it away when there’s an ammo shortage).
With the guns, it’s a little more complicated. Some of the higher quality guns will have jams until they get broken in, even with good ammo. Others may work just fine, right out of the box (It’s a good idea to put at least 200 rounds through the gun, to see how reliable it is and get it at least partially broken in). Then there’s the oddities that refuse to be boxed into any rules - the Hi-Point pistols are cheap, heavy, and generally considered low quality, but they have a reputation of almost never having any malfunctions.
I agree. A shotgun is the way to go for HD. Resist the urge to buy a pistol if all you want is HD.
If things go bump in the night I reach for a Mossberg 590A1. That’s 9 (plus 6 in the side saddle for a total of 15) 12 gauge shells full of 00 Buck screaming GTFO of my house!
I’ve seen my Glock 19 jam. I narrowed it down to a problem with a factory magazine, which surprised everyone. After I replaced the faulty magazine, it never jammed again.
I’ve also had 22lr jam many times (Remington Golden Bullet). I discovered though that if I make sure the rounds are backed up all the way in magazine, reliability goes up tremendously. I started whacking the back of my magazines for all calibers after loading them, so that they are all lined up. Never had a jam since.
Handguns are for carrying around in public as a super last-ditch tool. Shotguns are for stopping someone before they can inflict a fatal wound. A healthy person can cover 35 feet and snap your neck before you even know what’s happening. The same person on meth or crack is like an angry 500 lb gorilla.
DO NOT FUCK AROUND with a handgun unless you have absolutely no choice.
The quality control on Remington Golden Bullets is (in my experience) horrendous.
A single shot bolt action, that I no longer have, had a chamber that was a little tight. Shooting Golden Bullets in it, would usually result in “Pop, Pop, BANG, Pop, pop,…”, with vertical stringing on the target. The powder charges were inconsistent, and it was noticeable in the loudness of the shot and the bullet drop at medium ranges. I eventually checked some of the spent brass, and a few had ruptured (and wrinkled) cases near the rim. Turned out that the diameter of the bullets varied just enough that the bolt was crushing the back end of the case as it forced the bullet the last little bit into the chamber, and the crushed section would then get a tiny rupture when it was fired (these were the “BANG” shots). I hadn’t noticed any difference in the amount of force needed to close the bolt.
I tried it in a semi-auto, and out of a 25 round mag, I probably had better than 50/50 odds of at least one round not going farther than maybe halfway into the chamber, before it stopped and wouldn’t go any farther (probably would have crushed the rear section of the case, if they had been in the bolt action and forced into the chamber). Same rifle occasionally has the same problem with some other Remington loads, but not as frequently as with the Golden Bullets.
I like my handgun because I can constantly have it on me. I carry at home, even when I sleep, and I keep it sealed nearby in an ammo can when I shower. I can’t do that with a long gun.
I got a Winchester model 12 12 ga. some idiot NC deer hunter cut the barrel down on for shooting slugs/Buckshot while standing in the back of his truck while the dogs did all the work, it will keep firing by holding down the trigger and keep pumping…lol…it also is pretty light and handles nice, hard to beat for in house distance protection…
In my opinion the ultimate home defense weapon is not a shotgun , at least not for me. Give me a semi-auto rifle with hollow points. I prefer the AR but an AK, Mini-14 , Saiga,SKS, etc are good too. Capacity and follow up shots mean more than absolute impact to me. Just look at that rioters arm in Kenosha.
Another thing to consider is if you ever want to get training then carbine classes are much easier to find. The top instructors views usually look something like this:
The author being head instructor at Viking Tactics and a former SFOD guy that served in Mogadishu/Battle of Black Sea(Black Hawk Down)… I have not trained with him personally but he is on my bucket list of people to take a class from.
This choice is more about personal preference then anything. You have to weigh the pros and cons and see what fits you.
I personally only like shotguns for plinking and see its merits for hunting but as a weapon it just does NOT suit me.
Instagram
FULL30 Blog
Member Map
FULL30 Store
Giveaway Page
Ammo.com Gift
Tactical Reviews
SOG Donations
