The little Catholic rectory here in Andrews is almost 70 years old, built in 1952, very solid, much better than modern houses. I love it. When we snatched in up some years ago so as to provide for whomsoever the priest ever happens to be a Virtus®-appropriate off-campus dwelling, we ripped up all the carpeting and molding and sanded down the wood flooring. It was all cleaned a zillion times and given a good shellacking. Lots of work by a number of parishioners. Nothing, not even something as small as bird-shot remained on the floors, the kitchen got new tile. Even the stove and fridge and the shelving was ripped out to make this happen with perfection.
So, a half dozen years later, where did the bird shot come from? I don’t have a shotgun. I don’t have any shotgun shells. The windows and screens are still intact. No one has been in the rectory. A mystery.
But now that that topic is at hand, what if I were to get a shotgun? I’m a newbie to guns, and I’m still learning about my Glock, a mere pistol. Did I do some skeet-shooting and duck hunting as a kid with a variety of shotguns? Sure. Dad and his friends were really cool to let me have at it with clay pigeons, to bring me duck hunting, to let me shoot at other times (for target practice) my dad’s .22 rifle, and, one time, deer hunting, my dad’s 30-06. Great! But, that was only a few shots as a kid like 50 years ago. I digress.
With tons of advice over the past couple of years from law enforcement and military, if I were to get a shotgun now, it would be, I think, a Benelli M4, that is, a 12g ARGO, semi-auto, with a tactical stock, a pistol grip, 18.5″ barrel, right hand dominance, all-black. Over the top price-wise, but you get what you pay for, particularly reliability, accuracy, the whole package. Item #11703, with Receiver finished Anodized Black and the barrel with Phosphate. I’m so particular. ;-)
I’ve resisted getting more than just the pistol (which is always with me, 24/7/365). If I had anything more I would have to get a gun safe, and that’s like a magnet for the idiots ’round about. Reading the arrest reports here is like reading a phone book, but all the numbers are the codes for crimes involving safes. Yep. So, No. Not yet anyway. I would have to do an awful lot of research about safes, about placement, about what is needed under the floor, etc. I ain’t ready for all that yet. And now, to practice? With what ammo? Anyway, it’s on a back burner which is turned on, but at a very low heat, just above room temperature. It’s NOT on any wish-list.
People say it’s over the top for self defense because of the price, unless you want self-defense to work, every time. Benelli is the most reliable.
But then I think… What if anti-2a wins the day? I won’t be able to acquire such an item then. So, buy now! Right? The problem is, the then gun-czar (to use a Russian term) would confiscate all guns, nothing grandfathered. Or am I just being an alarmist?
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
Dad had a Benelli; when he wanted me to try trapshooting it was the first gun I tried. My sister had fits, she felt it was “her” property; I’m a leftie so it didn’t matter anyway, wasn’t for me. I ended up shootign with a Smith & Wesson 1000 (made by H & K, patent later sold and became the Mossberg 500) as the safety was ambidextrous. My sister ended up with the Benelli when mom split the guns up; I ended up with dad’s 30-06 which would kick my behind if I tried to use it.
Your rectory is ‘almost 70 years old.’ That is ‘Modern’ here! My house was built in 1911 and it is still not classed as old!
You’re probably right about the gun czar. Funny, how they want to defund the police and then make it impossible to defend ourselves. What’s next? Don’t tell me – it’s too depressing.
Jesus I trust in You.