Shtgun Strategery - Running the Pump

[Tensaw]

I am probably doing it wrong so I am looking for some pro tips here.

In my house, I keep a number of firearms "ready to go." Fighting pistols are loaded, chambered, and holstered. Long guns (to include an AR, and two pump guns) are kept in Cruiser Ready status. I have a safe that generally contains the long guns when I leave, and that gets opened when I am home. I place a pump gun near the bed (holstered pistol on the nightstand) which is the designated "bump in the night" gun. But to get it into action, I need to run the pump. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Let's put it like this. If I run the pump hard enough to reliably chamber a round and lock the action, anyone awake in the house is going to hear that. Now, as advertised, this may be a good thing, but I am actually of the opinion that maintaining stealth would be better.

So, my question is, do I abandon Cruiser Ready with the long guns to obtain stealth, or keep Cruiser Ready and just roll with it? I suppose splitting the baby on this would be, to leave the shotgun in CR and only chamber a round if/as the gun is being mounted for a shot. Understanding that this can be done pretty seamlessly and with no time added, it nonetheless seems like a pretty bad idea to go war without a round chambered.
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Also, with respect to slings on HD long guns (specifically a pump shotgun), SME's seem to differ on this. Some (Tom Givens?) say ditch the sling to eliminate the snag hazard, others seem to maintain that every long gun must have a sling. Currently, I am in the "no sling" camp, but I am willing to be convinced otherwise. Again the context here is inside the confines of my residence/on my property around my residence. You may assume that a pistol is along for the ride, but that the SG will not be abandoned unless it is non-functional due to running dry or a malfunction.

[Wake27]

Is there a reason you don’t keep it chambered, like you’re worried about your kids or something?


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[Tensaw]

The safety mechanism on the shotguns only locks the trigger, but does not block the firing pin. Outside the safe, the shotguns are propped up in a corner or against a wall. If they got knocked over, they could fire via inertia to the firing pin. Too, when stored in the (crowded) safe, they are muzzle up. I very much dislike the notion of pulling the muzzle toward me to get the gun out of the safe with a round chambered. I could probably reorient things in the safe to go muzzle down. No small kids in the house.

I have contemplated working out a way to more securely stash the long guns that will negate the likelihood of them getting accidentally knocked over without impeding access. This would involve some sort of "U" bracket and probably a rare earth magnet. Maybe that is the answer; the bracket along with muzzle down safe storage.

ETA: I started with the Cruiser Ready for Fighting Long Guns under the theory that if I had time to "go get" a long gun, I would also have time to run the action to chamber a round. This was also when I designated a pistol as the Go To/primary for inside the house. I recently migrated the shotgun into the "primary" role, so this business of stealth comes up.

[LJP]

I keep my go-to shotgun cruiser ready and I’m not particularly concerned about stealth. Whether it’s the floor creaking as I walk to the quick access safe or the keypad beeps as I open the safe, letting an invader know that I’m awake and preparing to defend is the least of my concerns. If they press the attack after hearing me, it’s for real. If it’s a non threat in my home, much like a verbal challenge, perhaps the racking of the shotgun will illicit a response along the lines of “don’t shoot.” I would also likely verbally challenge anyone in my home before shooting them, so again, stealth isn’t necessarily a big concern. I intend to keep my quick access long guns cruiser ready. It’s good strategy for any number of reasons.


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[BehindBlueI's]

I keep a sling on mine. I've seen the aftermath of people losing their shotgun in a struggle over the gun. I'm sure someone will chime in with "it's a software problem" but a sling can help retain a long gun and lets you free up your hands without instantly giving up the gun.

I also keep mine "cruiser ready" both due to familiarity and due to the height it's stored at giving me similar concerns about inertial discharge. I'm not particularly worried about being stealthy. Anyone who doesn't flee when they find out someone is home is targeting me specifically and expected a fight.

[mtnbkr]

I keep my HD shotgun in "cruiser safe" mode with the safety on. I have children in the house and this gives me a bit of added comfort against accidents (both kids are gun savvy and don't mess with guns, but still...). I'm familiar withe gun and can grasp, unlock the slide, take it off safety (Vang Comp big safety), and start working the action as I mount the gun, so I'm not overly concerned with the delay factor.

Additionally, our house is a 3 story townhouse with the main entrances on the 1st floor and a secondary entrance on the 2nd floor via a deck. We keep all doors locked at all times unless we're actively going in/out, so any intruder will have to make noise (not to mention setting off the yappy dog and likely triggering our external camera-based warnings) and then climb at least one floor to reach us. The design of the stairwell and upstairs hallway (actually a landing between the three bedrooms) is such that anyone coming up the stairs will have no cover from someone standing in any of the three bedroom doorways. Therefore, a slight delay to chamber the gun and take it off safe is a calculated risk.

As for slings, because I expect to grab this gun and "shelter in place", I don't see much of a need to sling it while I do "things". My kids are all old enough to be mobile and listen to commands, so I won't be toting them like I might have when they were infants or toddlers.

It's not a perfect strategy, but I think makes sense for my circumstances.

Chris

[powell556]

Consider a single point sling instead of no sling. Reduced snag hazard if you have time to put the sling on compared to two point. It’s not as good of a sling as a two point for most things but it better than no sling.

[txdpd]

There's more than one way to skin this cat. If you need to be sneaky, and you have the presence of mind to be sneaky, be sneaky.

We tell people to rack hard to avoid short stroking by getting the spent hull out of the gun and a new shell on the lifter, that's on the reverse stroke. Chambering a shell is on the forward stroke and it doesn't hurt to do it with some authority, to make sure you close the action, but being gentle with it is not going to cause a malfunction. One of the advantages of carrying a pump shotgun in the field for police work is the ability to quickly and quietly render a shotgun into an unfireable condition when climbing over or passing obstacles, and quickly and quietly return it to firing status.

If you need to, you can crack the action about half way, reach under underneath, push the shell in the mag tube back over the second latch, finish opening the action and drop a shell in through the ejection port. Starts off as the same process as getting the round out of chamber. BPS and Ithaca shooters need not apply. If you have the presence of mind for that, go ahead. Personally I would go for the noisy approach, and go with the simple process that gets it done right the first time.

[UNM1136]

I would also offer that your defense plan should be a part of that decision. Are you planning to hunt or hunker?

Count me in the sling camp. A shotgun needs 2 hands to work, and door knobs may need to be turned, loved ones shepherded, phone calls made, light switches thrown, etc. I like shotguns. I do like to use rubber bands on my shotguns and carbines to keep the slings out of the way.

Your shotgun has a light on it, right?

Stealth is waaaaay over-rated. Anything worth shooting needs to be identified first, and unless you are using night vision, that means a weapon light, a hand held light, and/or light switches will be necessary about half the time. Light can give you away as much as sound. Stealth is a tool, not a condition. I use stealth a lot when hunting for burglars, but don't refuse to hunt if stealth is denied me.

Sorry for being so long. I am tired, ready for bed, and running on at the keyboard.

pat

[Wake27]

I had no idea so many people still used a shotgun for HD.


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