Is that a Pocket Shotgun in your Pants or are you just happy to see me?
 

True enough, these little 'toys' have been around for a while now...

http://www.guns.com/wp-content/uploa...efense-ps1.jpg


SOURCE



What a joke this thing is, .410 rounds, penetration and energy transfer would be, bad.
That's an understatement.

During one of the eternal arguments between fans of 9mm and .45 ACP, Gunsight Academy founder Colonel Jeff Cooper, himself a .45 fan, quipped "In a street confrontation a .22 in your pocket is far more effective than a .45 in your bedroom drawer."

I think given the purpose for this gun it could be a good thing to have when the need arose.

Most definitely...would hate to be on the receiving end.

It's a belly gun, up close and personal defense weapon. Say, a couple feet away maybe, or worse yet, pressed right up to your attackers gut. You definitely wouldn't want to get hit by it. Maybe a bit too close for taste, but it is better then nothing.

A .410 wouldn't be the first choice for self-defense.

This thing is more a novelty weapon than anything else.

Sure, it's better than nothing, 410 ammo was designed for hunting, not self-defense.

Ammo designed for long barrels but used in short barrels doesn't really gel.

I hazard a guess but this particular model has shallow rifling? If so, they are not true smoothbores, ie the shots spread out too much. Not really what you want in greater ranges.

Gimmick gun, good for a novice.

Total energy of a loadout is important, as you gun nuts know of course.

The only advantage of this thing would be the low recoil.

Edit: As Ducimus points out at close range it may be ok, ie 3 yards or nearer, which is the key number for self-defense, in relation to this model.
Anything outside of that, and a guy wearing a leather jacket coming at you from a range greater than 3 yards, (keeping in mind the scattered shot pattern) getting hit by 6 pellets, rather than 9 (from a 12-gauge) may still keep on coming. May is the word i stress, that's the issue, not a certainty.
Which then defeats the purpose o self-defense. You don't want the doubt of something that MAY stop an attacker.
A 12 or 20-gauge on the other hand? Well....

Well its not my first choice either, but as any firearms enthusiast will tell you, some guns work well for some people for varying reasons, and some don't.

Haha yea, maybe if you have squirrels or rabbits invading your appartment.
Fair point.

Well, let me ask you this, what would you give someone to defend themselves with who was elderly, had frail limbs, poor eye sight, wears simple clothing, extremely recoil sensitive, and didn't have access to a shooting range to become proficient with the manual of arms for a standard semiauto handgun?

See what I mean? We are all different, with different considerations.

They call it a derringer, and that's what it is. Ever since Henry Deringer created the first muzzle-loading pocket pistol the misspelled "derringer" has been a generic name for a single-or-two-shot personal weapon, small enough to be carried in a jacket or pants pocket and only for last-ditch use. They have always been popular and likely always will be.

Dismiss it all you like. If you need one it's better to have it than not.

I would not call a .410 a "shotgun".

I can buy multi-projectile rounds for my 9mm, but that does not make it a shotgun either.

In California you'd be wrong; my Derringer is illegal now (as are my .30 cal 30 round M1 carbine mags) as it is a shotgun under 18 " length. There is a solution: the replica Lemat with a center spindle shotgun is considered a blackpowder replica and is exempt under the law which with 9 .44 rounds makes it a suitably nasty solution to the niceties of our over-regulated police-state violations of our right to arm bears...!?

No, this is not a shotgun in my pocket and yes, I am very happy to see you.:03:
This thing won't take a life, though wife 1.0 might have a differing opinion.
:haha:

let's give Mae West a little credit for the thread title here!

These 410's are indeed designed for self-defense.

http://www.hornady.com/assets/images...n-above-lg.jpg

http://www.hornady.com/store/410-Critical-Defense-Ammo/

:yeah:^