3 inch shotgun slug

[LonelyGhost]

I've recently been thinking about ctb by shotgun and what it would be like. I know it would be very messy that's probably the only problem I have with it. I know there are stories of people surviving but it seems it's because they shoot their face instead of targeting the brain. Or they use birdshot which is a mistake.

I don't see any way a human being could survive a 3 inch shotgun blast to the side of the head like right above the ear. I'm not planning on ctb right now but I've had deep thoughts of how I would go the most peacefully if I do decide to when the time comes. I've shot slugs before out of a 12 gauge and the impact that close would be the most painless thing I can think of. The power is unreal.

There are even shotgun rounds that have a slug and buckshot in them. This seems like the perfect method to me as long as nobody can find you. I was even thinking hanging off the edge of a cliff and as I am falling shooting myself in the head. Or even going into an area with tons of water where nobody can find you and shoot myself then if it didn't work for some reason I would be unconscious and just drown.

It saddens me I think these thoughts because I'm not there yet.... but if one more thing goes terribly south or I lose a loved one right now it's game over. So I think these thoughts and I want a sure way out. A painless way. I have a shotgun and slugs ready to go. I'm keeping very quiet about my thoughts. :( I don't like them but I made a decision this would probably be how I go. I can't get a hold of N. That would be my ultimate choice. It seems impossible to get and I don't want to travel to Mexico.

SN seems like it fails a lot of not done correctly and I can't understand the details on everything involving that method. I think a shotgun is a solid choice as long as you target the brain and not the face. Not putting the barrel under the jaw.... I think that's when those survival stories happen. If you ever shot a 3 inch slug out of a 12 gauge before I see zero chance of survival if shot on one of the temples or above the ear. You would go unconscious immediately. I just still have that stupid voice in my head saying what if what if.... :/

 

[TimeToDie]

There are 3.5 inch shells for when you absolutely positively must be 100% dead:

Most shotguns are too damn long to aim at your own head, so you get awkward positions like under the chin which result in face removal. The NFA requires that shotguns have a barrel of at least 18" which is why you see all these home defense shotguns that are 18.5". UK gun laws demand at least 24".

 

[Jessica5]

Some people survive shotgun attempts because they shoot under the chin.

The chin isn't directly under the brain. A shot straight up from the chin will hit the teeth, then the nose, then the forehead. Somehow a lot of people who attempt suicide don't realize this.

The chin shooters will die probably over 90% of the time, but their deaths won't be instant, and unconsciousness may not always be instant either. And there are some who will actually get "saved".

 

[TheLastStraw]

There are 3.5 inch shells for when you absolutely positively must be 100% dead:

Most shotguns are too damn long to aim at your own head, so you get awkward positions like under the chin which result in face removal. The NFA requires that shotguns have a barrel of at least 18" which is why you see all these home defense shotguns that are 18.5". UK gun laws demand at least 24".

All you need is a hacksaw to make them pistol length...

 

[TAW122]

@LonelyGhost
Actually, birdshot is sufficient, especially No. 4 shot (which is made for hunting ducks and small waterfowl). In fact, iirc having the shotgun at point blank range means that the pellets act closer to a slug due to such close proximity (not enough distance for the pellets to spread).

Some people survive shotgun attempts because they shoot under the chin.

The chin isn't directly under the brain. A shot straight up from the chin will hit the teeth, then the nose, then the forehead. Somehow a lot of people who attempt suicide don't realize this.

The chin shooters will die probably over 90% of the time, but their deaths won't be instant, and unconsciousness may not always be instant either. And there are some who will actually get "saved".

Exactly and this is why in the mouth would be preferred to ensure a 100% (or 99.99999% chance) of success.

 

[TimeToDie]

All you need is a hacksaw to make them pistol length...

It's a felony to cut a shotgun barrel down to under 18" or a rifle barrel under 16". A few folks reacted to mass shootings by chopping up their AR-15 -- and posting video it to YouTube -- not understanding how they had inadvertently produced evidence of a federal felony.

 

[TAW122]

It's a felony to cut a shotgun barrel down to under 18" or a rifle barrel under 16". A few folks reacted to mass shootings by chopping up their AR-15 -- and posting video it to YouTube -- not understanding how they had inadvertently produced evidence of a federal felony.

That is correct as it would make the shotgun a SBS (Short Barrel Shotgun) and an rifle SBR (Short Barrel Rifle). However, iirc if those people have the proper ATF forms and paid the $200 tax stamp as well as going through intense background checks, then it would be legal for them to do that.

 

[TimeToDie]

That is correct as it would make the shotgun a SBS (Short Barrel Shotgun) and an rifle SBR (Short Barrel Rifle). However, iirc if those people have the proper ATF forms and paid the $200 tax stamp as well as going through intense background checks, then it would be legal for them to do that.

The ATF can cash a $200 check real fast, but it takes them an entire year before approval. There are ways to get around this, such as the Mossberg Shockwave which is a 12-gauge that isn't a "shotgun" per ATF definition as it lacks the shoulder stock required by the definition of "shotgun."

 

[NextBusLeaving]

This said, you can also get a pistol grip for a shotgun, which shortens overall length even with an 18" barrel. I've owned several.
At point-blank range, birdshot, buckshot, a slug are all going to cause massive damage. 1 1/8 ounce of lead is 1 1/8 ounce of lead when it's not spread out over a distance. Ugly way to go imo.

 

[TimeToDie]

This said, you can also get a pistol grip for a shotgun, which shortens overall length even with an 18" barrel. I've owned several. At point-blank range, birdshot, buckshot, a slug are all going to cause massive damage. 1 1/8 ounce of lead is 1 1/8 ounce of lead when it's not spread out over a distance. Ugly way to go imo.

A pistol grip or shoulder stock shouldn't matter since barrel length is what determines the distance from muzzle to trigger (the only relevant distance when muzzle is in mouth).

As for "ugly way to go," it's certainly quite a horrific sight if you do it in the house you share with family or roommates. If you're all alone in life or can at least do it all alone like in a forest then it probably doesn't matter. After all, you're not going to exist to see the blood bath. And rarely is a suicide a pretty thing, unless you happen to be Evelyn McHale: https://time.com/3456028/the-most-beautiful-suicide-a-violent-death-an-immortal-photo/

 

[jake3d]

It's a felony to cut a shotgun barrel down to under 18" or a rifle barrel under 16".

If you want to blow your head off using it, do you care about the law? Just saying.

 

[NextBusLeaving]

A pistol grip or shoulder stock shouldn't matter since barrel length is what determines the distance from muzzle to trigger (the only relevant distance when muzzle is in mouth).

As for "ugly way to go," it's certainly quite a horrific sight if you do it in the house you share with family or roommates. If you're all alone in life or can at least do it all alone like in a forest then it probably doesn't matter. After all, you're not going to exist to see the blood bath. And rarely is a suicide a pretty thing, unless you happen to be Evelyn McHale: https://time.com/3456028/the-most-beautiful-suicide-a-violent-death-an-immortal-photo/

Yes, but a pistol grip makes it a cinch to fit barrel into desired position without having to do any weird contortions etc. Much more manageable than a buttstock. It's what the other foot of length is doing that can be a problem.
Also not sure about pain which is what always stopped me from that route.

 

[TimeToDie]

Also not sure about pain which is what always stopped me from that route.

Pain would be my top concern as well. Unfortunately I'm not sure if any other method is any better. All I'm sure of is that guns are at least a pretty good method and a 12-gauge is vastly more powerful than any handgun.

Jumping sounds painful too, or at least the landing part, and if jumping over water they might end up with death by drowning which sounds even more horrifying. Hanging sounds unpleasant, since I have serious doubts even if folks claim that you pass out and don't really feel anything. Nembutal sounds like the best possible method though even assisted dying with Nembutal or Seconal has sometimes failed with patients waking up days later. Death by hibachi doesn't seem pleasant either no matter how many claim that it's ever so nice.

Some arguments against shotgun suicide are easy for me to dismiss. One guy here always says it's not dignified, though I'm not sure how death by Nembutal is dignified if you're not found for a week or more and you've turned your home into a putrid-smelling biohazard.

As for that "unwieldy" shoulder stock you worry about, I've always pictured somebody on their knees with muzzle in mouth. With that position a shoulder stock could be useful in that it can be braced against the floor, making for a nice overall length to use while on your knees. Or it could work with stock braced against the floor as one sits in a chair.

 

[thrwaway99]

you won't fail a shotgun attempt

 

[NextBusLeaving]

IDK saw a guy on Dateline who had to get a full-face transplant after botching his.
I knew a guy with no family/friends who died (I think health reasons) after getting fired from where we worked. In July. With 3 A/Cs running in the house. He essentially liquified in his recliner, they had to tear the whole bottom floor apartment out as cleanup. Said he had turned black.

 

[Jessica5]

There was one story an EMT told on Quora about how he once went to a suicide scene where a person had blown their entire brain out, in one piece. He and the other EMTs debated whether that person had died immediately, or if their brain had lived for 5-10 seconds outside the body before dying from lack of oxygen.

That's probably the single most disturbing suicide story I've ever read. It's about 100 times more disturbing to me than the living head after decapitation.

I know they always try to discourage suicides on Quora, but I am pretty sure that story was true. It's hard to imagine even being able to think of such a story unless you actually experience it.