With all the talk about the castle doctrine and home self-defense, many people are considering the question of how to protect themselves, their family, and their property. Handguns are good for concealed carry but if you want a weapon that is multipurpose, easy to use, and very dependable, a short barreled shotgun is very hard to beat. My choice is the Winchester Model 1300 Defender.
The 1300 Defender was last sold in the Winchester catalog back in 2006, it has been replaced by the Super X Pump Defender. As good as the new Super X defender is, if you are on a tight budget I would advise you to look the older defenders. There are many good examples of the model 1300 still for sale in the used market and they are very reasonably priced. I myself own one of the older style defenders and it has proven to be built well and it has never failed to fire or feed correctly. Going online you can find all kinds of accessories still available for this shotgun.
I have found that the model 1300 is easy to pack and carry, it is compact and very rugged. This shotgun will handle buckshot or bird shot efficiently through the fully chrome plated, 18″ fixed cylinder choked barrel. This open choke is also fairly accurate when using Foster-type slugs, although I have tried sabot slugs and found them not to work well. Sabot slug are made for rifled shotgun barrels so that is no big surprise the defender is not accurate with a sabot slug. My defender came with a non-glare metal finish sporting a nice looking wooden stock and forearm. The forearm is deeply grooved for good control and stability. This weapon comes with a five-shot tubular magazine (plus one in the chamber), fully loaded it holds six rounds of 2 3/4″ or 3″ 12 gauge rounds.
Pump action shotguns always have the advantage of ease of use and simplicity inherent with that type of action. These shotguns can shoot any type of 12 ammo without jamming, either light field loads or heavy magnum tactical buck shot. They of course do not cycle as fast as a semi-auto shotgun when fired and do take more energy for the shooter to use. Also they do beat up the user a little with the recoil, any 12 gauge will kick very hard but a defender is light weight and the action does nothing to negate the recoil. I attached a soft recoil pad to my defender and that has helped a great deal, but you still know that you are firing a 12 gauge.
I have never had to use this shotgun in self-defense, and for that I am thankful. By the same token if I ever have to use it for self preservation I know that I would have the advantage of fire power and quick point and shoot handling. I do carry it a fair bit around my parents property when we are cutting wood or working on something. It is good piece of mind to know that the defender is close by if I need it. Loaded with bird shot it has stopped many varmints who have crossed my path. In the fall and winter I do use it for coyote hunting when I don’t feel like lugging my 10gauge or my rifle, it is a pleasure to carry compared to most shotguns and the tactical sling I have attached makes it even better.
The bottom line, the model 1300 defender is the right price, it carries easily, and is a more than capable shotgun used as a tool around property. Hopefully you will never have to use this weapon in self-defense, but I am sure that this shotgun would perform perfectly and that is what really counts in a self preservation situation.
