Stoeger Double Defense: A Side-By-Side Designed For Defensive Duty

Stoeger’s Double Defense shotguns are squarely aimed at the home-defense market, with 12- and 20-ga. versions, all capable of chambering either 2 3/4" or 3" shotshells. Each wear matte-black 20" barrels with fixed, improved cylinder chokes and all four in this line have overall length of 36.5".

A green fiber-optic up front provides sighting on each, but they also have a Picatinny rail near the breech for optic mounting. Another rail up front beneath the barrels is ideal for a weaponlight. A manual safety is mounted on the tang and the guns have extractors.

Two side-by-side models are available, in both 12- and 20-ga. MSRP, regardless of choice, comes in at $489. The former weighs 7 pounds, the latter 6.4. The larger bore wears a black synthetic stock, while its smaller brother’s furniture is black-finished walnut.

There’s also a pair of over-unders in the same chamberings. They also have black-finished walnut stocks and weigh 7.1 and 6.6 lbs. MSRP in this configuration is $449.

Regardless of preference, you can’t go wrong with any firearm design from Stoeger. The company brings decades of experience in manufacturing firearms that perform in tough conditions. Although total capacity is two shotshells in these shotguns, extractors make loading fast and sure with a little range time.

Gil Horman reviewed a 12-ga. version for American Rifleman, fitted out appropriately at a time when zombies were all the rage. He concluded, “Is the Stoeger Double Defense side-by-side 12 ga. a fun zombie gun? No doubt about it! Its quick handling, manageable recoil and easy operation make it ideal for this kind of themed shooting event. While the usefulness of a fixed Laserlyte bayonet is debatable, the RML Kryptonyte Center Mass CM-15 green laser sight proved to be a very useful sighting option for at-home and relatively close range (25 yards or less) defensive applications."

"But what if you don't want to dedicate a shotgun to just zombie-themed shooting events? Simply remove the bayonet, swap out the "Zombies Only" ammunition for bona fide field and defensive loads. Then take advantage of the Picatinny rails to mount lights, lasers and optics for personal protection, camping or casual hunting and clays.”