The Defensive Shotgun Knowledge Hub organizes Primary & Secondary’s strongest articles, podcast discussions, training after-action reviews, and expert profiles concerning defensive and duty shotguns. Use it to move from foundational platform questions into institutional employment, formal training, equipment development, and later reassessments of the gauge.
A shotgun should be evaluated as a complete system. Firearm selection, fit, ammunition, patterning, recoil, loading, maintenance, accessories, storage, policy, and training all affect whether it is suitable for an intended role. The resources below preserve different professional perspectives rather than treating a single model, configuration, or technique as universally correct.
Start Here: Foundations and Defensive Use
- P&S ModCast 126 — The Gauge: Defensive Shotguns — Foundational long-form discussion of pump and semiautomatic shotguns, ammunition, patterning, loading, maintenance, equipment, and training.
- P&S ModCast 295 — Defensive Shotgun — Steve Fisher, Erick Gelhaus, Rhett Neumayer, Adam Roth, and Cody Stewart address the platform through the requirements of defensive use.
- P&S ModCast 355 — Revisiting the Gauge — A later assessment of shotgun models, shells, parts, and techniques with Ben Grundwerg, Matt Haught, Adam Roth, and Cody Stewart.
Law-Enforcement Shotguns
- P&S ModCast 294 — Law Enforcement Shotgun — Examines the shotgun within agency policy, procurement, qualification, maintenance, deployment, and training systems.
Institutional shotgun capability requires more than keeping firearms in an armory. Policy, instructors, armorers, ammunition, qualification design, recurring practice, supervision, and deployment expectations must reinforce one another. This episode is the collection’s primary law-enforcement reference.
Formal Training and After-Action Reviews
- P&S ModCast 200 — Rob Haught Shotgun Operator AAR — Rob and Matt Haught review lessons from a recent Shotgun Operator course.
- P&S ModCast 206 — Shotgun 360 AAR — Multiple perspectives on the Shotgun 360 training event with Tim Chandler, Ashton Ray, Matt Haught, Adam Roth, Michael “Mick” Bronson, and Erik Stern.
- P&S ModCast 445 — Thunderstick Summit AAR 2025 — Lessons from a shotgun-focused training event with Darryl Bolke, Steve Fisher, Cody Stewart, Boone Walker, and Matt Landfair.
- SYMTAC Consulting Shotgun Skills AAR — Written account of SYMTAC shotgun instruction.
- AAR: Sentinel Concepts Practical Shotgun — Written review of practical-shotgun training with Sentinel Concepts.
- AAR — Rob Haught Shotgun 2017 — Earlier written after-action review of Rob Haught shotgun instruction.
Mossberg and Equipment Evolution
- P&S ModCast 352 — The Evolution of Mossberg — Part 1 concentrates on Mossberg shotguns with Steve Fisher, Adam Roth, Jeremy Stafford, and Cody Stewart.
- P&S ModCast 353 — Mossberg Part 2 — Continues with semiautomatic models, specialty shotguns, and Mossberg pistols.
Core Shotgun Questions
- Selection: What task must the shotgun perform, and does the platform fit the user and environment?
- Ammunition and patterning: What does the chosen load do through the specific barrel and choke at relevant distances?
- Operation: Can the user manage recoil, loading, unloading, manipulation, and malfunction clearance reliably?
- Configuration: Do the stock, sights, sling, light, ammunition carriage, and other accessories support the task without creating avoidable problems?
- Maintenance: Are inspection, lubrication, parts support, and service intervals understood?
- Training: Has performance been developed and evaluated under knowledgeable instruction rather than assumed from equipment ownership?
- Institutional support: For agency use, do policy, qualification, armorer support, supervision, and recurring practice sustain the capability?
Instructors, Designers, and Subject-Matter Experts
- Rob Haught — veteran law-enforcement officer and defensive-shotgun instructor.
- Matt Haught — SYMTAC instructor and training-system developer.
- Steve Fisher — Sentinel Concepts founder and veteran defensive-shotgun instructor.
- Adam Roth — Aridus Industries founder, designer, and product developer.
- Jeremy Stafford — Mossberg military/law-enforcement sales director and law-enforcement firearms SME.
- Cody Stewart — Vang Comp Systems president, shotgun specialist, and product developer.
- Tim Chandler — Rangemaster staff instructor and defensive-shotgun specialist.
- Ashton Ray — firearms instructor, law-enforcement officer, and performance coach.