Best firearm for home defense?

[Anonymous 6]

Given the choice what would you pack exclusively for home defence?

I know there are plenty of guys here who know way more than me on this subject. I am interested to hear expert and non expert views. But I will get the ball rolling from my limited knowledge.

1) larger calibre single or double action semi auto pistol. 9mm or greater.

Pros: ok to good magazine capacity, decent stopping power (.45 would be my preference), very good indoors due to short length, potentially leaves a hand free to dial police etc, quick to reload, fairly quiet to c~~~ and lock.

Cons: pistols are probably the easiest to miss with in the heat of the moment. Very innacurate any distance is involved. Auto pistols require a certain amount of maintenance and care to remain reliable.

2) short barrelled pistol calibre carbine.

Pros: this would be my preference. Basically the same pros and cons as auto pistol. But with slightly improved stopping power, and vastly improved accuracy due to extra barrel length. Magazine capacity can be significantly better also.

3) revolver

Pros: maximum reliability, great stopping power for a pistol with .44 magnum and the like. Almost silent to lock and load.

Cons: lesser capacity than some semi auto pistols. Slower to reload.

4) 12 gauge shotgun.

Pros: excellent stopping power. Can be used as a club.

Cons: generally low magazine capacity. In the case of single or double barrels very low. Long and unwieldy for use indoors unless it’s a scattergun, unless a scatter gun shotguns still require proper aiming just like a rifle over the distances that will most often be encountered. Pump action and semi auto require maintenance to remain reliable.

5) assault style semi auto rifle.

Basically same as shotgun, except much greater magazine capacity and more possibility of over penetration. Depending on bullet construction.

I guess given the choice one would have a pistol next to the bed, and the other three nearby. If the person is outside or inside will heavily influence the choice of weapon.

[The Batman 2020Participant 2112]

The only thing I run exclusively for home defense is a .410 shotgun with Winchester Defender shells

It’s not too over the top. The con is that it is bolt action and only holds a few shells. Pro is it’s a long gun for good accuracy. I don’t risk hitting the neighbors house with a shotgun.

The Winchester Defender rounds can also be used in a Taurus Judge .410 revolver

Your 20's are for learning, your 30's are for earning.

[Faust For ScienceParticipant 22521]

That is a good point. You want a firearm that will stop an intruder but the ammo will not go through the house. Birdshot might be a good choice. Buckshot can go through walls.

Though, always make sure to identify the intruder, before firing your weapon. And also make sure you understand the line of fire behind the target. You do not want to accidentally shoot a relative, or have the ammo go through a wall and into a relative.

[GrumpyParticipant]

12Gauge pump loaded as follows:
1 birdshot up the spout
1 buckshot
1 Rocksalt
2 Slug

Back ups
9MM semi auto pistol
7.62×39 Semi Auto rifle
.270 bolt rifle
22 cal semi auto Henry “survival” rifle
1 lead cored aluminum baseball bat
1 FNC1 bayonet
1 plastic spoon
A deck of cards
A lot of directed rage.

There was a time in my life when I gave a fuck. Now you have to pay ME for it

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

If it’s only going to be used for home defense, and then only against casual intruders, I say shotgun. It doesn’t need to be a 12ga. A 20 is fine too. Also use a cylinder bore. At the distances in a home defense scenario you want spread, not long distance accuracy.

I would go for a pump gun over an automatic for flexibility. One of the advantages of a shotgun over a rifle is the ease of cartridge selection. Keep birdshot loaded so you don’t perforate your entire house if you need to fire it. Transition to slug if that isn’t doing the job. In my personal experience, swapping shells is easier with a pump gun.

Ammunition capacity isn’t really that big a concern in home defense since the majority of home defense incidents involve fewer than two shots being fired (usually none) before the intruders GTFO.

If you’re worried about overall length, there are some interesting bullpups on the market these days. They also generally have about twice the ammunition capacity of conventional frame shotguns.

All that being said, whatever you get, get some training for it too. Find a local class if one’s available or go to one of the national schools (expensive). And practice often. In a worst case scenario you’ll have enough to occupy your mind without also having to think about how to use your hardware.

[Anonymous 14]

I prefer a pistol under the pillow, as a gun is only good if you have it in your hands. You gonna sleep with a shotgun in or next to your bed every night? I like quick draw, have seen too many Youtube videos where it was all about who got the drop.

Any decent 9mm will do the job, and you won’t miss with a pistol at close range. We are talking indoor home defense right? If you walk the perimeter think about picking up the shotgun on the way out the door.

[bstoffParticipant 4863]

For a home invasion/burglar problem, most recommend a shotgun. 20-gauge or 410 if you don’t want the shot going through walls. Sometimes, you do want the round to go through walls, in situations where the assailant is hiding from you or using cover. A LOADED pistol within arms reach is probably best for most ordinary defense situations.

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

Anonymous wrote:

I prefer a pistol under the pillow, as a gun is only good if you have it in your hands

I’ve found handguns under pillows to be uncomfortable and also prone to slide up and fall between the mattress and headboard where they can be very inconvenient to get to in an emergency. Even at the best of times you’re left scrabbling around under your pillow looking for the pistol.

You gonna sleep with a shotgun in or next to your bed every night?

There are a number of racks on the market that will hold a shotgun or other longarm next to or under a bed where they stay put while being very easy to access. I use a couple of rubberized magnets under mine. Works great.

Any decent 9mm will do the job,

If you can aim. Most people can’t.

and you won’t miss with a pistol at close range.

It’s shocking how many people actually do miss, though. Which is why I’m going to repeat my advice that the most important thing is not what gun you get. It’s practicing the f~~~ out of whatever you get.

[JVBParticipant]

All good points boys. I just hope Jeff my neighbor isn’t home when I send hot lead spewing towards intruder flesh.

Peace is > piece.

[AutoliteParticipant]

[hdvrodParticipant 1109]

I rely on my Remington 870 Express Tactical. 18.5″ barrel is easy to maneuver in narrow hallways etc. It holds 7 rounds if you have one in the barrel but I like to keep it at 6 rounds because the sound it makes in the dark when you rack it will make the boldest burglar s~~~ his pants. Besides, if you can’t get the job done with 6 12 gauge rounds, you have a whole other problem.

I also keep a 357 Ruger in the bedside drawer for a quick go-to in case of time restrictions.

Anyway communication, real open communication, is not wanted or even required in a relationship. Women cannot handle fully open and honest communication, plus most perceive it as a weakness on the part of a man. All that is required is catering to her whims, and even then nothing is certain. There is no way to be sure of having a successful relationshit with a woman. MGTaoist

[Anonymous 14]

sidecar wrote:

Joe Bauers wrote:

I prefer a pistol under the pillow, as a gun is only good if you have it in your hands

I’ve found handguns under pillows to be uncomfortable and also prone to slide up and fall between the mattress and headboard where they can be very inconvenient to get to in an emergency. Even at the best of times you’re left scrabbling around under your pillow looking for the pistol.

Yea, I hear that, also good points on your other stuff made here. I sleep alone most nights, right in the middle of the bed. The pistol is under the pillow next to me, never under my head, it doesn’t travel around either. I just like this because there is no way to beat this set up as far as on the spot readiness. I have had my house broken into and I was assaulted by more than one intruder during this instance many years ago, long before I owned a gun…I am now an exceptional shot with either hand with a pistol. I prefer a high capacity 9mm that I can rapid fire on target very well if need be.

[Mr. SmithParticipant 686]

I am not a weapons expert, that’s why I can’t tell you a lot about it. Additionally, over here in Europe we don’t have this problems at that level like in the USA. Home intrusions are very seldom and it is very unlikely an intruder is armed with a firearm. Maybe he carries a knife, but that’s rare, too. Dry walls are also not common here, we have brick or concrete walls everywhere and over-penetration is not an issue. I have my grandfathers old service pistol (Walther PPK) and I feel more than well armed with it. I think if I would consider buying a handgun especially for home defence I would go with a .357 revolver for several reasons. Not much beats a revolver in reliability and the limited capacity of ammunition is not a real issue to me. You are not going to war, if you are not able to clear a home invasion with two or three shots you are in a gun fight (or a lousy shooter) and that’s the last you want. Also great with a revolver, there is no safety you can forget (you will be in a lot of stress in such a situation and it is very likely you point your gun and all it does is “klick”).
Somebody already mentioned, you need to practice with your gun. A .357 can also shoot .38s It’s cheaper, less recoil and you are not wearing out your gun as much. More trigger time for the money and no sore hand afterwards.

Ok, I wrote more than I intended on guns, but here is what I wanted to add. A gun is good, but there are also some improvements you can do to your home to increase your chances of a hit or to scare away the bad guys before the break in. First is light, lots of it. Install lights with motion sensors around the house. Leave no dark places. No intruder likes to break into a home in bright light. It also gives you a clear view, while the intruder in blinded.
A dog can be a good way to scare intruders. If you don’t want this, there are electronic devices mimicking a dog’s bark. It’s hard to hear thru a closed door if it’s a real dog or not and most intruders wont take the risk.

I think a gun is the last resort, better to scare bad people away before you have to confront them.

And some esoteric advice:

In ancient Rome they used geese for this. Cant tell how effective it is, but that’s something you will not see every day and it would at least confuse intruders and alarm you inside. You can post a sign on your front like “Mental Institute – high risk inmates” or work on you personal reputation as a psychopath. 😉

"I need men, real men, men with balls, certainly not sissies. I would never ask them to take an enemy position, but I insist that they follow me to that position. If you are one of those men, raise your hand." Napoleon Bonaparte

[sidecarParticipant 35837]

Mr. Smith wrote:

Home intrusions are very seldom and it is very unlikely an intruder is armed with a firearm.

Actually, except for a few specific areas in a few specific cities, home invasions are far less likely over here than over there. Cities, states, and countries with so-called “gun control” laws encourage thieves to do home invasions because any alarm systems that might be on the home will be off while the residents are home. In places where firearm rights are respected you get more burglaries; thieves there try to make certain the residents are away from home when they break in lest they meet one of them carrying a gun.

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