good point - plus displaying a long gun in a situation can be viewed as an escalation in hostilities... a handgun in a gun bag, concealment holster, etc.
not seen until a hostile situation is unavoidable - can be of some value. sometimes good to have a quiet "low profile" friend at your back if a fight hasn't started instead of starting off asking "Who are you?" with a 6'6" 300 pound line backer grunting hungrily at your side. best to avoid the fight altogether - but be ready if it isn't... no?

it really depends on your point of view. to me, 4 really doesn't seem "rediculously" low. i don't currently hunt or participate in shooting competitions, although someday i might do either. if that were the case, i would increase to what i required.

all in all, i am happy with my collection. i would honestly rather spend the money on training or ammo, if i choose to spend more money on this particular hobby.

thanks! i really have had a great time with this shotgun. first SA shotgun i have owned!

yeah, i agree with what you are saying. i'm definately agree handguns have the advantage of being more maneuverable, as well as some other distinct advantages.

honestly, i was never very good with a pistol. probably you can chalk that up to a lack of practice, but if my life was on the line...i wasn't confident in my performance. with a shotgun, i feel very confident that if i put that bead on the target, i can hit it. in addition, shotguns carry far more stopping power. for me personally, the shotgun is my choice of HD.

i already miss my pistol a little. eventually, i will get another. i will definately check out the browning, everyone says good things about it.

thanks for your input

concealment is an advantage only a handgun gives you, no doubt about that.

however, i don't have a permit to carry and i am not currently considering it.
my handgun was strictly used as home defense. in a home defense situation, i think shotguns have the edge over handguns. for my current situation, i don't have a NEED for a handgun.

want one? well, i want so many things.....

Instead of another gun I say buy some balls and then drop kick that Feminazi to the curb!

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"The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

-Thomas Jefferson

You should just keep the Pistol. It's easier to carry, and easier to conceal.

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"Im ready, how about you?"

wow, another internet tough guy...i've never come across those before.

i haven't spoken toward you, or anyone else on this forum with rudeness or disrespect. one thing i have really enjoyed about this forum is, thus far, i haven't had to tolerate trolls..looking to make immature comments and start "fights"

please don't disrespect my wife or myself for no apparent reason. if you can't refrain from this, then don't respond to any of my threads or comments.

"Internet tough guy"???? That doesn't even make sense, where was the threat???? Rudeness... maybe, but a threat... no. I just can't understand people like you... You expect people that have never met you and know almost nothing about you to make up your mind if you should keep a handgun or not. You said you don't need a handgun... so get rid of it... or don't... who cares! If you can't make such a simple decision for what is best for yourself then maybe you would be better off without any firearms (it would probably safer for those around you). A "Troll"... hardly. I joined this website for knowledge, not to waste time on childish threads like yours.

__________________
"The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

-Thomas Jefferson

i never said you threatened anyone, but by insulting myself (by saying i lack balls) and my wife (by name calling)...all from the safety of your computer?would you walk up to a random man and say these things to his face? i KNOW you wouldn't....thus, "internet tough guy." keep sitting behind your computer and insulting, you know its safe there.

if you think this thread is useless, then why go out of your way to post here to insult me? i was engaged in a polite, repsectful, and meaningful debate with several other posters who WERE interested in this thread. so again, why did you waste your "valuable" time to drop in and insult me?

the answer is simple...you are a internet tough guy and (most likely) a troll.

"i joined this website for knowledge, not to waste time on childish threads like yours."-talshiar ha! well, at least you made me laugh out loud on this one! again, i DID NOT come onto a thread YOU started and INSULT YOU for no reason. now, who's behavior was childish? come on talshiar...you can figure it out!

yeah, that's all i got for you friend. i will ignore you from now on (the correct response to end negative attention seeking behavior), so you can go and try to find someone else to get mad.

have a nice life!

well, i actually have already sold the pistol. (as stated earlier in the thread).

but, i'm looking to get another....for some reason i want a .22 pistol. i think mostly its the appeal of the super cheap ammo!

many have suggested the ruger 22/45 and bowning buckmark. do you have any other suggestions in 22?

Sell 20 gauge,get 12 auto.Keep pistol To may SHTF things could happen,were you would REALLY would need a handgun.Or maybe sell wife!!

it stated earlier in the thread that i had already sold the pistol and got the semi shotty. i don't regret it at all, but i do miss my pistol a little. i'm using one of my shotguns for home defense, which i think is better than a pistol anyway.

the main conflict i was having was basically; does another shotgun fill MY needs (and wants) better than a pistol? and for me (right now), the answer is yes.

when the economy becomes less scary, i will invest in a 22 pistol most likely. but considering both our jobs are moderately threatened, i'll hold off and save some coin for awhile.

definately could'nt sell the wife.....i'd never make my
money back on that deal J/K

I understand about putting a personel limit on number of firearms you own,I have done it to myself in the past to keep a handle on myself,so my collection doesn't become my obsetion.In the future,may I suggest,less on number of guns,and more on total dollar amount of the collection.In hard times in my younger years 1979-1986 I worked 2 jobs and was an E-6 in the reserves to make bills.Sold over 90% of my guns to feed,put roof over head of family.Guns are 2nd to your family's basic needs.When things got better"which they will"I slowly rebuilt my collection.Remeber,you only can shoot 1 gun at a time!!

The limit actually describes the purchase limit per year, not total.

Maybe it is because I shoot my pistols more than I shoot my shotgun, but in the close quarters of my house I'll take a pistol any day over a shotgun. Trying to get around my house going after an intruder personally swinging a big ole shotgun around I would feel like a clumsy bull in a china shop. Besides that in general people have a HUGE misconception about shotguns. Watching too many movies has made people think all you need to do with a shotgun is point it in the general direction and yank the trigger to send the target flying through a wall into the next room.
Realistically in the close confines of your home that shotgun pattern is gonna be fist sized at BEST. You still better be a decent shot with it under pressure.

This is just my humble opinion....my advice would be stick with what feels comfortable to YOU not me.
I have a pistol in the night stand....and a big safe with plenty of long gun/shot gun options just a couple of steps across my bedroom in the closet.

I know this is an old thread, but I'd keep MY handguns because I want to carry on my hip or ankle .. heh. You can't really carry a shotgun or a rifle. Practically NOR legally. With that said, I will always at least have one handgun, one shotgun, one tactical carbine, one hunting rifle and one .22. That's the bare minimum for me. I'll sell my plasma before I sell and lose the bare essentials!

__________________
John 3:16

Keep the pistol and buy another shotgun...


...for your wife!

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thanks for your input. i'm only going off personal experieces, but i shot my mossberg 930 at a splatter target maybe something like 10-20 feet away & the pattern was more like plate sized (open fixed choke).

from my experiences it is MUCH easier to hit quicker and more consistantly with a shotgun than a pistol. (especially if under pressure). but i will openly admit i have had no training. my little coachgun is short and points quick. i think it has been UNIVERSALLY proven that shotguns carry FAR more stopping power than any pistol.

but i agree with you, it all comes down to personal preference & skill.

so, how much for the plasma?

state budget deficits have recently put my job on the chopping block (haven't been chopped yet though....thank GOD) when things are a little less concerning, i want to get a 22 auto pistol, its all approved, but i'm holding off till i'm sure i can feed the ol rugrats this coming year.

lately, i'm thinking my wife would prefer an M1A scout model. she has such expensive tastes

and while i'm dreaming, would a pony be the next appropriate wish....

hawkguy, this is a great question.

With the nuclear crisis in Japan and the real possibility of radioactive material making it into the jet stream I've recently found myself packing up certain items IN CASE I need to take my family elsewhere fast. This is because prevailing winds would carry much of the radioactive material straight across the Pacific to California, Oregon, Washington, several states east of the Sierra Nevadas and up into Canada and Alaska. We are watching the radioactivity monitoring stations in Hawaii and San Francisco closely right now. This threw a lot of my normal assumptions out the window. Suddenly I wouldn't be able to hunker down on my property (where I have carefully planned resources) and ride this one out. My family might be on the road in a few days and the situation is different than protecting the homestead.

Besides clothes, fuel and food/water - the first things I prepared were the shotgun and the semi-auto rifle. Then, I actually paused and thought hard about bringing handguns with us. What use might they be? I have limited room in the van and the ammo for 45ACP and 357Magnum isn't exactly light stuff given all the other stuff we might take. To abide by the law, I need to bring a lock box for them. I don't have a CCW. They could be very well be a liability if not used smartly. If I took them, what under what circumstances would they be useful?

Well, if we decide to leave I assume others will be thinking the same. We might be on the road with people in various states of mind. How would I safely fuel up the van if there was some civil unrest (hey, can I borrow some gas and some cash man)? If I have to take my kids into a restroom at a rest stop, I can't take a shotgun. If I have to stand in a food line or take refuge in a communal shelter a long gun would very well be frowned upon. I imagine in a situation where there is a mass exodus of people that there will be some lawlessness and some people looking to take advantage of others. There will also be police trying to enforce laws and they probably would be less discriminating than in a normal situation. The point is I can't generally carry around a long gun around in public without scaring people. I don't want to scare people unless my life depends on it.

A handgun allows me to walk that very fine line between providing some base level of security for my family while trying not to panic others as well as appear to be law abiding at a casual glance. A handgun gives me options I don't have while mobile with a long gun.

Best wishes.

all good points, brickman. a handgun as a JIC weapon makes sense. as i stated way back in this thread, concealment is an advantage ONLY handguns posess. sadly, also, the reason they are the most often used firearm in crimes. imo, concealment is the only real advantage pistols have over other firearms. if things got bad enough, i imagine, carrying longuns around might be no big deal. i've seeen several pics of store owners packing guns openly in the streets during the LA riots.

hopefully something we will never have to worry about other than hypothetically. good luck.

all valid arguments....but there is nothing that says "dont mess with me" better than a nice looking AK with a banana clip. hahaha

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Good? Bad? Im the one with the (Assault Rifle).

if it's shtf, what if you are attacked while in sleeping bag? what if have to climb a tree or crawl a tunnel? Longarm SUCK in such circumstances. for so called "home defense", do you ALWAYS answer the door with your longarm in hand? YOu can routinely ccw a pistol everywhere in your home. what makes you so sure that an attacker will LET you run from living room and GET your shotgun out of the bed room, eh? Do you carry your shotgun as you take out the pets or the garbage? get the mail or the paper? as you mow the lawn, etc? Hell no you dont, yet you can ccw a pistol as you do all those things, easily. Nearly all attackers "back down" when facing a gun that is held by a knowledgable, disciplined shooter, so WHAT advantage does the shotgun have, really? Have you tried working a pump action while prone? how about holding a child, light, or phone while also holding a shotgun, ever TRY that? How about using a shotgun while opening doors or looking under beds, hmmm?

ok...where to start.... ...i wasn't talking about shtf for my needs. i was talking about home defense and also simply my preferences.

do i always answer the door with my longarm in hand? ummmm..nooo...but i never answer it with a pistol in my hand either if i ever thought i had to answer the door with a gun, well...time to move somewhere else.

what advantage does a shotgun have? how about UNIVERSALLY accepted stopping power? a shotgun hits with the power of two (powerful) handguns, requires less skill to hit (ESPECIALLY under pressure & moving targets...ever try to hit a bird with a pistol?)

handguns have some advantages. but the vast majority of first and second shots from pistols miss (even by experienced shooters like police). 80% of people shot with handguns survive. so pistols have disadvantages too. low power, short range, harder to hit target.

but..since this thread was started...i have actually bought a new pistol
a ruger 22/45...not for home D...just for cheap plinking cheap fun!
i never had anything against handguns, actually they are great fun, but about the only advantage they give you is the ability to conceal...jmo.