Stoeger Double Defense
Shurefire 6p
Blackhawk Shotgun Sling

Despite having a bunch of pumps, over and unders, and yes a Mossberg 590 complete with give a liberal a heart attack bayonet lug, I like this gun.  Its small in size, two very fast shots, handles magnum shells, ported so to keep the barrel down, and slings over  your back so the shells cross your chest like a Poncho Villa movie.  The light is side mounted so both an easy simple left hand index finger to activate and a comfortable riding position when back slung.  

I have a whopping a little over $500 in the gun, $439 tax and background on the actual shotty and picked up the Shurefire LED for $54 on Amazon.  The rounds pictured are the Italain Buckshot Law Enforcement which is 1290 fps, 12 pellet, 00.  

This will stop a bad guy and will stop a bird.

Tj

Haven't weighed it with the goodies on it.  The base gun is 6.5 lbs and the light and sling both clip on and off fast.  

Though light, the ported barrel keeps the barrel down which helps with the recoil.

The guns actually a joy to shoot, small for a shotgun, light, and a round selection where the aim close enough counts.

Its what I had in a the box in the floor when I came in from shooting it.  

Its a fixed IC choke and 3" chamber so slugs are not a problem.  I'm actually thinking of keeping stocked with a combination of 4 and 6 shot, both good enough for defense but not so over powering that you'd be lucky to find fur for your rabbit stew.

Tj

I hadn't thought of "Zombieland".  Another reason to like it.

I'll try to address a couple questions that came up.  

First on the trigger, it works like a semiautomatic first one side then the other side, very fast, think Skeet gun.  Firing order is right to left and resets upon opening the breech.  Its pretty easy and come natural.  Two barrels, its not hard to remember how many shots you made.

The safety does reset every time the breech is opened.  It is however a Mossberg style thumb safety not a Remington style finger safety.  In other words for someone use to Mossy's it doesn't cost you anytime at all.  Its literally a one motion fire, thumb and finger moving at the same time twist of the wrist.  Though I've had an offer to remove safety feature for me, I have declined.  I've been hunting with Mossbergs since I was a boy and am old enough not only have I learned the technique but back then every gun had a safety.  

Now I'm going off topic just a little on safeties.   Where with holsters one can discuss safeties till the cows come in, you really can't on long guns.  Unless you carry a gun in a scabbard/case, there's just way too many opportunities in the real boonies for something other than your finger to pull that trigger.   When I was a boy that was the most common hunting accident not Dick Chaney shoot your buddy.  Its as simple as leaned the gun against whatever, it falls, and a twig sets the trigger off or that tree limb reached out and grabbed the trigger.  On a long gun that safety really isn't to keep the stupid safe and in the real woods its the stupid that doesn't use them.  Guns don't have minds but in an environment where billions of things are shaped like your finger, shit happens.  

Last but not least, no guys this isn't my first gun.  This isn't my 10th gun, its not even my 10th shotgun.  Its not even my first two barrel shotgun or gun.  It is my first side by side double barrel 12 gauge since I was a boy.  

ACman about summed it up as well as it can be.  There's just something wicked about this gun design.  Its both physiological and physical.  Sending 9-14  .32 caliber balls down range at 1,100 to 1,300 fps, wicked is the only word one can use.  We all know a .22lr is not the best choice in defensive caliber.  What would you think of 27 .22 lrs bullets going out in one shot?

These guns are damn expensive.  They're slightly harder to make but people still really want them.  The Stoeger is like half as much as the sporting doubles.  If you are going to go inexpensive, might as well have it look tactical.  You're not going to impress the skeet shooter with his $7,000 gun with a Stoeger.  I just don't bother.  They're reliable shotties good enough for home defense and hunting.  My first Stoeger was a Condor, an over and under 12 gauge.  Having worked in skeet/trap club as a house monkey as a kid, I pretty much got that out of my system young, however the need arose over the years to occasionally go skeet shooting and I needed an inexpensive gun.  The Condor fit the bill and surprisingly has been very durable over the years.  

Yes, this gun is not a charge the line running and screaming like a mad man slinging bullets type of gun.  I hope you all do know, there was a time when a person was considered a fool or a dead man if they fired more than two shots and didn't seek cover.  While our dreams may be storming the beach and instant headless zombies, reality is we live in a world where the bad guy gets the first move by law and application and we're lucky to get a shot off let alone two.

Coming up with an application where its identify your target, point and shoot, shouldn't be too hard.  

Tj


Oops, I forgot one other point.  Both those options, the sling and the light literally come off and on in seconds.  Though ideal for an over the back carry of the Double Defense, that shell sling is not really for my Moss 590.  On that gun, I like to left arm wrap the sling to help hold it down while doing a fast from the hip.  That's not necessary on the double.  There's no pumping between round 1 and round 2 and while there's no debate which of these two guns has the most shells, there's no debate that double is going to get a second round off faster. The Double Defense is ported which works very well in keeping the barrel down when firing. I keep a 10 shot stock sock around for carrying spare ammo.  Its just fugly as as hell but practical so not worth taking a picture of.

Well if I need to go to storm the beach in the war of zombie independence, it probably won't be a double barrel.  

As for a serious answer to your question, you may want to try watching a few hunting shows or skeet shows on TV.  Not much storming the beach but a hell of a lot of moving while reloading break down guns.  

They've kind of been around a few decades.

Kind of use to it from skeet guns, however this is different.  That short barrel twists real easy and while broken open the shells drop right out.  

Right now, I'm pocketing the empties to reload so it saves bending over.  

No its not a storm the beach gun, but its pretty easy to nestle that stock in your arm pit, hang the break over your forearm, hold the sling with your right hand, pull the shells or twist it as you do the nestle over the arm so they drop, then pull the new rounds with you left and load with your left.  Its just like what you do hunting or skeet shooting with a breakdown gun and pretty easy walking.  

No its not a run at a crowd shooting like crazy changing mags type gun, but then chucking 18-24 32 caliber bullets with two trigger pulls that spreads like a Claymore isn't quite like a mag gun either.

The problem is these doubles are damn popular, cost a tad more to make than over and unders, and the cost is through the roof.  The Soeger is the low cost option.  I wanted this one first mostly for the ported barrel and IC choke to run the bigger shells and slugs.  I've shot the crap out of it already and like it so much, I think I'll buy the Coach Supreme next just to get the two triggers so I can loose both barrels at once.  Throw some number 4 in there, that's 54 pellets about .22 caliber size all going out at one time and truly like setting off a mini-Claymore.  That'll be a hoot.  I can also use the Coach Supreme for Cowboy action.  It'll be a nice match for my .44, handgun and lever action carbine.  

I plan to use this gun besides fun, for my wife home defense and me for some hunting.  My nephews even talking about a night hog hunt, I may give this gun a try at.  That Shurefire high visibility bead sight is a great night combination.  Night, you're going to be pretty close anyway.  My wife's always been partial to double barrels.  The coach gun size suits her better and the idea of getting two off without having to pump appeals to her.  (I don't know if I care to be first one out the door with your backup having a scatter gun. )  

The Double Defense, the whole thing is geared towards night use.  

I like this thing.  

Tj

Well do  yourself a favor, before you write it off and settle with what you feel is less, research the ammunition some.  

Though most of us tend to think shotgun, point and shoot, and that's about it, it really is one of the most complicated guns there are and its not the gun but the ammunition.   Depending on application and ammunition is can be as ineffective as throwing rocks or an overkill like going hunting with a Claymore mine.  

Though the pellet sizes are pretty standardized, the muzzle velocity and numbers of pellets is all over the place.  

Let me give you an example, the pictured ammo has 12 "OO" pellets at 1,290 fps.  That's .33 diameter  54 grain led balls traveling at the same speed as 9mm bullet at point blank range or the equivalent of about 12 5.56mm bullets hitting your target at about 600m which 650m once was the effective combat range of the M16.  

Following the M16 example, then you see the 12 gauge "OO" is pretty much already at its effective combat range  when you pull the trigger or within 50m using the US Military Standard.  

Yes, its close in work, but that particular shell is a SOB within its effective range.  

Now you think of odds.  What's the odds any of us is going to be in some firefight greater than 50 yards?  I think you will find it very small but then it brings up the guns number one shortcoming, which it shares with all long guns even a .308 or 5.56mm, its size.  If you give that some thought, that limits even more the potential of an application beyond 50 yards while coincidentally showing a short coming of hanguns, >50 yards.

Keep in mind, defensive tactics is not the military so greater the distance the better the odds of using movement to take cover.  This is my comments regarding storming the beach.  The effective range limits our tactics to close in defense and in that the shotgun excels.  

Number of rounds is an obvious limitation, but once again one must weigh that against the odds and unless its some story of some nut shooting innocent people, actual stories of one lone defender taking out multiple armed targets is about as rare as finding a diamond in your back yard.  Its just a simple matter of numbers and if more than 2 or 3 people are shooting at you, physics, in the time it take to aim at each target.  We need to realize in a crime event, odds are not we will be in a foxhole.  This is why criminals concerned with offensive tactics,  saw these babies down.  For home defense though, it buys us nothing.  

I was asked on another board why would I chose something with only two shots?  Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the weapon, I found the question quite amusing.  

I think my answer summed it up, "Exactly how many rounds do you expect to get off in the hallway of your house?"  

You see given the application and an understanding of the system, a 12 gauge can be your first choice and if we really think about it and look at our odds, we go straight from shotgun to handgun bypassing rifle.  

Anyway to sum up, a shotgun can be as ineffective as throwing rocks or as effective as a claymore, it depends on the guy behind the trigger and his understanding of the system.  Its not going to be a main battle rifle but then every war the US has fought in for over 100 years, its been there.

Tj