They say there’s no greater deterrent to a burglar than the sound of a pump-action shotty being racked. Maybe Robby Blount was hard of hearing. Maybe the home owners used a semi-auto. Or maybe they like to store their gun with a shell already in the chamber. Whatever the case, it was about 1:00 a.m. Monday morning when Robby decided he needed something that didn’t belong to him inside a Marshville, North Carolina home. “The residents shot and killed Blount when he allegedly forced his way in the house with a small handgun. Blount ran from the house but collapsed in the yard, where he died.” It can be difficult to get far with a thorax full of OO shot. Or so we hear. He apparently wasn’t available for comment.

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109 COMMENTS

    • Perhaps we have to change the adage to, “Never bring a handgun to a shotgun fight.”

  2. I don’t give the warning sound either. Birdshot first and in chamber, then progressive shot size. My dtr’s room is across from mine with entrance in the middle.

    • That’s an interesting way to load a shotty. Just curious what your reasoning is. Birdshot = less penetration? If that doesn’t stop, then kick it up a notch?

      • Same reason people do all kinds of dumb things with any firearm.

        Load a consistent defense round – 0, 00, or #1 buck, and train with it. The whole progressive load thing is as dumb as people who alternate FMJ and HP in handgun magazines, or any such kind of sounds-cool bullshit.

        • I load up with whatever stops them in their tracks in the quickest manner. Unfortunately, Michigan doesn’t provide civil liability immunity for those involved in DGUs–the more it takes to stop the perp, the more $$ I’m shelling out to a lawyer to defend my butt when I’m sued. No chance for birdshot as a defensive load in my house.

        • WarsawPactHeat,

          Michigan’s Castle Law does provide civil immunity to the homeowner as long as the prosecutor determines that the homeowner acted legally in self defense. Note that Michigan’s Castle Law also applies to the owner of a vehicle if the owner is the victim of a carjacking. Look it up.

        • Actually, I load alternate FMJ and hollow point in my TT-33, for good reason.

          Sometimes, a foe is wearing armor. Don’t laugh; it happens.

          The idea is that if I have to shoot, I double-tap. On a relatively naked thug, he takes two pills. If he’s armored, at least something’s likely to happen with one of ’em and he who shoots first tends to shoot last.

          With an 8 round magazine, this works well.

          Your mileage might vary, but it gives me comfort to do things this way.

          Not everything with which you disagree is stupid.

        • What I do is I go on the internet to a forum or a blog such as this, and I just do (buy/load/carry/shoot) whatever they say is cool. I find it’s best to get tips and advice about defensive gun and use from guys who’ve never used a gun defensively but who have strong opinions on the matter based on what they read on the internet from other people whose only experience comes from reading what other people posted on the internet.

        • I usually carry a Ruger LCP. I have thought it through and decided that I want the benefits of both types of bullet. Especially in a small, short barreled .380. I don’t see how an informed, as well thought out a decision as I can make, is BS. When I carry my .45 then it is Buffalo Bore, 230 grain, hollow points only.

    • Depending on the size of the rooms in the house, and therefore the distance you’ll be shooting, birdshot is absolutely lethal at close range. If shot at point blank or contact distance the shot won’t have time to expand and will act as if it were one solid projectile. Anything more than 7 yds though and the lethality drops of significantly.

      I don’t personally use birdshot for home defense, but I have been considering using wax slugs. It provides the same effect as a point-blank birdshot plast while providing enough accuracy for an indoor situation. Plus the ballistics gel vids on youtube looked devastating.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_966NVdjoI

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdk2V7X8bWU

      And this vid shows what regular birdshot can do to meat.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97sjv11yesc

      • Personally I’d prefer not to bank on point-blank or near point-blank range. If the chips are down I want the first shot to have maximum effect – shut the show down asap.

    • The warning sound in my opinion is a dangerous myth. Can i really count on a perp hearing it through a door?

      You would load less than lethal only if you don’t believe your life is in danger, which can open you up to liability, unjustified force and whatnot. For me it’s slugs, slugs, slugs, gotta make sure they get what they deserve.

      • Hence why I said my daughter sleeps across the living room, exactly 7 yards so no #4 bird will do the job without as much chance of penetration into her room.

        • At my last home where there were multiple doors near my room and lots of walls and little chance of shooting towards my daughters bedroom I only loaded Pdx1 slugs with the 3 pellets. And 55 grain Hp in .223 in a standard cap mag. And like I have said before not all home defense is a result of two legged baddies, coyotes and livestock don’t mix.

        • I caught that & get it
          I do not have just one home protection arm loaded & ready – big house never want to be too far away from a gun. I have a couple of police trade in 12’s loaded & ready to go at all times.

      • I like 3″ 00 buck. I would go bigger, but 000 and 0000 are hard to find where I live. 12 pellets does the job fine though. It worked for boars, it’s better for burglars.

    • Interesting method but to each their own.

      Empty chamber then I cut straight to the chase. The 590 has eight 00 in the tube and a side-saddle with six Brenneke SFSM slugs.

  4. Interesting slant from the paper. They note that the residents shot and killed Blount, yet Blount “allegedly” forced his way in.

    • That’s because the homeowners rudely interrupted Mr. Blount while he was in the process of getting his life back on track.

    • They’ll take every little opportunity they can think of in the cause of disarming peaceful, responsible people.

    • Well, in all fairness the defender probably came clean, whereas Blount ain’t talking, so “alleged” by the defender.

      Yes, it’s silly but no, it’s not necessarily slant.

      • Yeah, “allegedly” is just a standard CYA word that the news media use to convey their… *snicker*… impartiality.

        • No, “allegedly” is a word used to be able to report on a crime and talk about the people involved before they have gone to trial and been judged by a jury.

          It has nothing at all to do with bias or impartiality.

        • [quote]No, “allegedly” is a word used to be able to report on a crime[/quote]

          and ruin lives for those ultimately found innocent.

    • Plus, you have to remember that Blount “was a good boy”, according to his greiving relatives. [Your definiton of “good” may differ.]

  5. Died while trying to victimize someone. Society saves the cost of temporary lockup prior to Robby likely victimizing someone else. Net winner-Society. No tears for Robby.

    • To hell with criminals. Libtards love ’em cause they all vote Democrat. At least Republicans have the stones to stand up to the bastards.

  7. “Blount is the seventh person killed by someone else in and around Marshville in the past year.”

    Well done media. Count him as a victim.

    • Mr Blount, the most recent “victim”, apparently did not get the six previous memos.

  8. The only warning someone breaking into my home may get is the sound of the safety switch going from “Safe” to “Fire” on my AR-15. Varmint grenade at close range is plenty powerful.

  10. At my house if the perp:

    ignores the motion activated lights
    ignores the motion detector chimes
    ignores the barking dog who knows the sound of the chimes
    ignores the alarm company sign in the yard
    ignores the locks on the doors
    ignores the beeping alarm once the door or window is open
    ignores the dog attached to his leg
    ignores the rack of a Kimber 1911
    ignores the laser dot in his eyes…

    he had plenty of warning and deserves the .45 hollowpoints that he cannot ignore.

    • There are very many responsible gun owners like this for whom the last thing they want to have to do is shoot someone.

      • Bob, that’s the truth. And there are many that don’t know it until they’ve already done it. Homeowners and car drivers should not be put in the situation. We have a remarkable number of burglars in among the true insanity cases. What’s the point of SNAP and Medicaid if people still choose burglary? It baffles me. When did burglary of an occupied dwelling become a ‘minor’ offense in the minds of young men?

    • Talk to your damned alarm company. A flippin’ window or the back door should not be set up as an entry, but as the perimeter.

      In other words, the keypad shoud not beep, giving a delay before the thing goes off; the siren should go off directly. The system should presuppose that someone coming in a window is a burglar and not Joe Homeowner coming home.

      If they refuse to fix this, get another alarm company. Most companies can work with most hardware, irrespective of who installed it, so the investment should be minimal.

      Also, make sure that there’s no communication delay.

      If your within the greater K.C. area (say within 50 miles of city centre or more like 80 miles west) I’ll fix it for free – whoever installed the system.

      Damned unethical sh¡ts…

      • A lot of systems, such as an ADT system I have had in a prior life, have “home” and “away” modes. The “Away” mode is the only one that assumes that you may need time to get to the keypad.

        the annoying part was one of our dogs could set off the glass-break detector. ADT refused to put the detector on delay for when the system was in standby (off). So we’d have it going off on random summer days. We finally had to disconnect it because ADT were such assholes about the whole thing.

        • Not quite; stay mode does as well – say when a spouse comes home.

          Most systems also support instant (no entry delay) and max (same, with motions) – but ADT disbles max on labeled systems – Safewatch Pro, Premise Pro and such.

          Again, a perimeter zone triggers without delay, whereas an e/e does not.

          ADT corporate makes everything e/e and delays motions, whereas with dealers it’s a mixed bag.

          Setting a glass-break to beep for thirty seconds before the bell goes off and then setting the communicator to wait another 30 before sending the signal might be convenient for the monitoring centre and the cops, but it’s also a love letter to the bad guys.

          I know of what I speak, owning my own company and occasionally subbing for ADT, P one and Central.

        • A glass-break is not a panic or life safety device – such as a CO or smoke – and should therefor be disabled when the system is in standby.

          Sounds like you drew the short straw when it came to the techs they sent. Sorry.

      • I shortened it to beeps for brevity. I assure you the alarm system is adequate as any residential system can be. I didn’t want to bore everyone with the details nor blow all my OPSEC.

        I suppose you want to know how many digits my key code has also? I’m sure people would love that splashed on the internet. Regardless of “home”, “away”, “beep”, or “siren” the dog has learned from experience which door, window, room, or part of the yard to respond to. I, my wife, and our daughter know how to provide him with adequate backup. My wife prefers her .40cal though.

        • I don’t want to know anything, apart from that if someone comes in a window all Hell breaks loose right away. That’s as it should be.

          My concern was strictly for your safety, as many systems are inadequately installed – especially the “free” systems.

          Glad yours is properly programmed.

          Oh, digits’ll be four or six, unless it’s a Napco panel – those support from three through seven.

  11. Colt Python, 4″ barrel, .357 H.P., turnip dip, no clicks,… just bang. Come on in dummy! End of story!

    • The only gun related hit on Google for “revolver turnip dip” is this very thread.

      Sooo… what is that? Typo or trick I’d like to know about?

      • No typo! Trick,… turnip juice with copper jacket, all you have to do is wound them if you don’t have a kill shot. Blood poison will take them out and they don’t have a clue, neither does a doctor till after the fact! They won’t be able to testify!

        I can’t remember the name of the poison it creates, this is what I’ve been told, I haven’t have the opportunity to use it!

        • I’m sure the perp’s family lawyer and the prosecutor would love that poisoned bullet defense thing. They will have a hoplophobic jury hanging you in the town square by sundown. That is the same reason to never use handloads in your DGU gun. Some lawyer will make you out to be some fanatically dangerous menace who deserves to be locked away in the “silence of the lambs” section.

          • Meh
            I’ve heard this “don’t use handloads” thing many times & never yet seen a link to such an outcome.
            My defence to such an accusation would be that I wanted the most accurate load for my particular firearm in order to minimise any chance of missing & causing collateral injury to bystanders.

    • I got a S&W 627pro 4″ barrel 8 shot on my nightstand (wheel guns just go bang), myself. Python is nice (and collectible). What power .357 do you use? Some use 38+p or reduced power .357, while others use light and hot full power rounds or heavy full power.

      • I like to use .38 Special +P with 158 grain hollow core semi-wadcutters for home defense in a wheel gun. While the .357 Magnum light and hot loads (e.g. 125 grain at 1600 fps) are notoriously effective, they are incredibly loud and generate a substantial amount of recoil. If I have to use a firearm for self-defense, it is nice if there is an option that is still effective with less recoil and less chances of acquiring permanent hearing loss. In my opinion .38 Special +P with 158 grain hollow core semi-wadcutters are just the trick.

        By the way I love those 8 shot .357 Magnums!

        • That’s my preferred load in my .38’s. I still have a couple of boxes bought before the ammo draught. I practice with LRN’s or whatever is available but I keep those Lead Hollow Points for serious business.

        • I thought about having those electronic earmuffs that amplify the sound. The beauty of the .357 is the INCREDIBLE variety of options regarding ammo selection. I am looking at reduced power .357 loads that generate 400-500 ftlbs of energy (40s&w or 45+p levels) and penetrate 12-14 inches of clothed gel. I would really be worried about the flash if I were shooting a full bore round through a snubby …..that would be like a fire breathing dragon (snubbies and .357 really dont mix). Have to try those wadcutters you guys are mentioning.

      • I use 125 gr. CORBON period, for business only … ! The only way for them to go to hell!

        • I was impressed with the accuracy of 5.8gr of Green Dot tipped with a 140gr Hornady XTP.
          Nice & easy on the hand in a GP100 & no flash from the 6″ barrel, yet far more energy than +P+ .38spl

  12. Buh-buh-but . . . it was only a small handgun and the home owner had a big, big shotgun. It’s not fair. The poor, poor man.

        • We are laughing at the stupid dead dude as well as the race hustlers….roll with the jokes, my boy.

        • That was a joke, perhaps a bad one: Sharpton doesn’t show up if both parties are black….

        • Oh. There are a lot of Tawana Brawley fans on this site so you never can be too sure. We are in complete agreement that the joke in the photo being dead is the funniest of all. The ‘Rev’ probably would represent one of the minority parties if the other were conservative (dont laugh, they are out there….I dont know exactly where, but they are there).

    • Buh buh but… all handguns are evil, whereas shotties are approved by Obama lin Biden.

      Hopefully the homeowner shot him through a door.

  13. By the way what makes #00 buckshot so lethal in a shotgun? All of the penetration tests that I have seen show that #00 buckshot suck for penetration. And that makes sense because #00 buckshot balls are about .32 caliber but only weigh about 53 grains each. A .32 caliber projectile that only weighs 49 grains and is only traveling at around 1300 fps does not equal serious penetration or devastation.

    Think of it this way. A #00 buckshot ball is only slightly heavier than a .22 LR bullet but about twice the size (in terms of surface area) and traveling at roughly the same speed. So penetration should be considerably worse than a .22 LR — which is anything but a “manstopper”. What gives?

    • In theory at least the 00 buck is weighing in at an ounce when it hits the target. With a single pull of the trigger you put that load on the target. Short of an elephant gun what else puts that much lead on target with one pull of the trigger. At house ranges that’s going to be quite a punch.

      • While 1.1 ounce (about 480 grains) of lead at 1300 fps is incredibly nasty, each individual piece is only 53 grains. And once those .32 caliber, 53 grain balls spread out, it doesn’t seem like they would be all that effective.

        But maybe the key is spread. Maybe they are much more effective when they are still tight in the pattern and lose effectiveness rapidly as the pattern spreads. Beats me.

        • I agree that if you get hit with a single pellet of buck it’s probably no more lethal than a single hit from a .22, all else being equal. IMHO where the shotgun shines is inside a house as a defensive weapon where the other person is closing the distance between you.

          I had the good fortune many years ago in Kentucky to go with the property owner into a farm house scheduled for demolition. We fired a variety of shotguns and loads in the house and saw the effects they had on the house itself. An eye opening experience.

          I’ve only actually fired at another person one time with a shotgun. I interrupted a burglar on another farm and as he was running away I let the distance open enough that a load of number 6 shot would only hurry him along. It did. Those were different times and a different country. We called it America then. You may have heard of it.

        • An LEO use a few years ago with 12 gauge 00 buck at 30 yards outdoors achieved an immediate stop and lethal results.

        • Mark, you could probably get lethal results at 100 yards or greater….but….an AR would be a better choice.

    • Not sure on the #00, but the #1 buck penetrates 12″ in gelatin. This gives you 16 .30 caliber 40.5 grain pellets from a 2 3/4″ (1.13 square inch cross section!!!) or 24 pellets from a 3″. I’m guessing the #00 would penetrate better with the larger (though fewer) pellets. From room distances, there is NO worse round/weapon to be struck (destroyed) by. Hell, the 00 is probably over penetration. Go with the #1 Buck…more cross section/pellets.

      • Really? You need a Physics 101 lesson. Mass times acceleration equals force. Science is amazing.

        • What is the penetration then (assuming that was your reference) regarding the #1 buck and #00?
          We can agree the 00 penetration is more than the #1, right? Science is amazing…dont be a dick.

        • The is a question of the bullet mass and speed and how much damage it does. You could take a Lego, speed it up to 1300 fps and the target will take damage. .22lr and .223 are close in diameter but fly at different speeds. Given enough speed bullet diameter and weight be becomes irrelevant. All this BS about 00 not being enough stopping power…. 100 years of combat wounds and kills say otherwise. Okay dicks who else wants to argue about Newton’s 2nd Law?

        • Are you on drugs? #1 buck and #00 are deadly at close range. Their penetration seems adequate at room distance. I only heard about 12″ of penetration for #1 in gel so I aint sure about exact figures with that and #00 but am sure #00 is more than #1.
          Are you sure you even know what I am talking about?
          Are you having intercource with some dude named Newton?

        • I would like to argue about Newton’s second law.

          You are misapplying it. The equation that you are looking for is Kinetic Energy = 1/2 (mass)(velocity)^2

          Or, Impulse = Momentum(final) – Momentum(initial)

          Where momentum is mass times velocity.

          Of course, if the two shotgun loads have the same overall mass and velocity, then their momentum and kinetic energy will be equal. Impulse will be as near as to make no difference.

          Each 00 pellet will have more momentum. But if the combined pellet loads have the same momentum, then surface area and penetration are what really matters. #1 wins surface area, while also meeting the FBI minimum 12″ of penetration. You might get more penetration with 00, but over 12″ is kinda overkill. YMMV.

          There’s some great reading on the topic at this link:

          http://www.ar15.com/ammo/project/self_defense_ammo_FAQ/index.htm#SHOTGUN%20AMMUNITION

        • CA. Ben (you have my sympathy if your in Kali), this is why I thought the #1 Buck was the best. I heard it penetrated (dont know for sure) 12 inches of gel (dont know if it was clothed) so I believed it would be the best choice due to the 1.13 square inch cross section. A-Rod did not explain what the problem was and I could only assume he was talking about the penetration number I gave (a number I only heard about….12 inches). If #1 Buck only penetrated 8″ or so, I would be looking at the #00. I do know that both would be quite nasty.

      • Many people advocate the #1 buck because, they claim, it penetrates “less but enough,” and because it presents “a greater total frontal area of lead.” The trade offs are these: It penetrates less because the sectional density of the pellet is 12% less (just a function of the volume of a sphere when radius is increased). The individual site damage is less, meaning the lung or spine hit by one pellet is hit by a smaller pellet. In either case (without FliteWad or a similar shot cup) the spread is enough at 10 yards to assure that a shot which is four inches left or right of center wound seem to be a stopper. Suit your circumstances.

        • What is exact penetration depth in clothed gel of #1 buck and #00? I think most people would be happy with either, regardless. The greater the distance, the more I would opt for the #00, clearly.

    • At close range all the pellets hit in a small area and acts as though it is one projectile 4 inches in diameter delivering 2500 or 3000 ft./lbs. of energy. A single projectile has to displace all the flesh by itself, but together they share the workload, so to speak. Jeff Quinn over at Gunblast has a video where he shoots a turkey (from the grocery store that is) with some light bird shot at about 20 feet and it absolutely destroys the bird. You could slip your fist through the hole. At 20 feet those 400 pellets might as well be a slug.

  14. I’m kind of partial to 41 pellet #4 buck myself, but 00 will get the job done in a pinch.

  15. I’m not a big fan of the shotgun for home defense. It’s just too much work to clean all that blood, guts and brains off of the walls, carpet and ceiling.

    • That’s a clever answer, Ralphy. While I might go with an AR overall because of the quicker follow ups and ability to take the fight outdoors, only a madman would claim that a shotgun is a poor choice. And nothing will do more damage to a human in the home (except maybe a bad marriage).

        • Yes, a hideous Battle Axe can be more lethal than any AR or Shotgun….it just takes a little longer to….incapacitate.

        • Ralph, thankfully, I have yet to endure a bad marriage. The problem is, I have yet to enjoy a good one as I am still single…and the clocks a tickin.

  16. My line of thinking is… if I am going to shoot somebody then I am crossing the “deadly force” threshold so I met as well ensure that the intruder doesn’t survive to testify. My loadout is alternating buckshot and slugs…
    Which is backed by a .38/.357…
    Which is backed by a 30-06…

  17. SOMEONE at the news agency is attempting to put a negative spin on DGU’s, this is the final sentence of one of the two linked articles… “Blount is the seventh person killed by someone else in and around Marshville in the past year.” I have not researched it, but I wonder if this mother and son are being grouped with murderers.

    • They are just doing the math the same way the CDC does. Which doesn’t take account of justifiable homicide in a dgu over any other firearm related death aside from suicide.

  18. Stories like this always underscore the absurdity of safe storage laws. If you don’t have a handgun (i.e. no home carry) then one can’t be fiddling around with the safe when this guy comes knocking. I am not saying long guns shouldn’t be locked up when not in use. They should. But some solution must be found that suits the individual readiness of your particular home if pistols aren’t a part of your plan. A balance of speed, safety and capability tailored to the corcumstances in your home. NOT laws designed as a backdoor work around to make DGUs impossible because Democrats believe they are morally inferior to surrender.

  19. Awesome. I live in NC, and am sick and tired of all the home invasions going on. Come in my house and you’ll get the same if not WORSE!!!

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