Since his retirement, Joaquin has authored two of the most successful Texas Ranger books ever published. He's a good story teller and he knows his guns.
A while back we were cruising around on the 06 Ranch, looking for wild hogs, and, as usual, enjoying our chance to visit. Out of the blue, Joaquin asked me what gun I would choose if I could only have one gun. I thought about it a minute and said it would have to be a 12-gauge pump shotgun. He laughed and said that was exactly what his choice would be.
We agreed that the choice of the shotgun was because of its versatility. We could feed our families with small game using birdshot, bag deer and hogs using buckshot and slugs, and the same buckshot and slugs would do a good job of defending home and family.
Col. Jeff Cooper called the shotgun "the thinking man's defense gun." It is of the greatest benefit when we take the time to make ourselves aware of the various kinds of shotgun ammunition and determine how this variety can best be used to our benefit. Then we practice transitioning to the particular load that will best deal with the challenge at hand. The shotgun is an awesome tool.
City Marshal Jim Gillette once took on two of El Paso's toughest gunfighters. And he did it without firing a shot. Gillette simply stalked into the saloon where the trouble was about to begin, stuck his shotgun under their noses, and told them to behave. Behave, they did.
We are blessed with a wonderful assortment of defensive firearms. And I respect your right to choose what you think is best. As for me, Joaquin Jackson and I have backed each other on numerous occasions and I am going to back him on this one. The 12-gauge pump shotgun may not be currently fashionable, but it is a useful firearm and an awesome defensive tool.
