20-Gauge Slug Added to Winchester’s Defender Line

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20-Gauge Slug Added to Winchester’s Defender Line
The Winchester Defender 20 gauge segmenting slug acts like a slug and buckshot.
The Winchester Defender 20 gauge segmenting slug acts like a slug and buckshot.
The Winchester Defender 20 gauge segmenting slug acts like a slug and buckshot.

Winchester introduced the Defender line of personal defense ammunition five years ago, giving shooters a reliable option to protect themselves, their homes and their families. The company recently announced it's continuing to expand the line, now to include a shotgun gaining in personal defense popularity.

Winchester is releasing a 20-guage segmenting slug that gives shooters the advantages of slug and buckshot, while eliminating the need for two different rounds. The company's aim with the ammunition is to simplify the shotgun platform, allowing one round to be used for all situations.

Traditionally, cycling slug and buckshot rounds required plenty of practice on the part of those who shouldered a shotgun as a defensive weapon. Utilizing each round required the mastery of the tactical reload, as well as a system to quickly access and identify each round. The Defender segmenting slug attempts to avoid this with Winchester designing a round that acts like both a slug and buckshot.

The slug is a frangible round, breaking into three equal projectiles upon impact. The design of the slug gives it three distinct advantages over traditional solid rounds and buckshot, according to Winchester. It delivers more knockdown power than traditional buckshot loads, due to greater mass. It decreases aiming error, since the round fragments. And because the slug breaks up, it reduces the chance of pass through and stray projectiles.

The new edition to Winchester's Defender line.
The new edition to Winchester's Defender line.

Winchester has offered Defender rounds in 12 gauge and 410, but is following market trends in expanding their line to 20 gauge. The 20 gauge is gaining popularity as a personal defense weapon, allowing shooters many of the tactical advantages of a 12 gauge, without as much felt recoil.

“It's our job to create the right product for every situation whether it's for hunting, recreational shooting sports or personal defense,” Brett Flaugher, Winchester Ammunition vice president of sales, marketing and strategy said. “The addition of the 20 gauge segmenting slug to the Defender line provides customers and responsible gun owners with more options to defend themselves when faced with life-threatening situations.”

 

 

Winchester Defender Segmenting Slug specifications:

Gauge: 20
Length of Shell: 2 3/4″
Slug Weight: ¾ oz.
Velocity: 1600 fps


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