Best Gun for Home Defense

[The Goose]

Every situation is different, but I have given lots of careful thought to mine. Small house, 20 - 25' max distance, probably less. Long guns would be hard to maneuver and easily grabbed. Probably at night, probably dark, sleepy, confused, scared. Also must be easily accessible and at hand. S&W M&P .45 with Streamlight light and laser combo. I want to see the threat, identify the threat and hit it if necessary. No kids, just the wife and I. I have no problem with aiming the light is aiming the gun, if you are in my house late at night without my invite you are in the wrong place. The ultimate for my situation as far as I am concerned. This is not a carry gun. Purely home defense. During waking hours I have something else on my hip and in the pocket. This is for those things that go bump in the night

 

[Davidk]

If you will only have one gun I recommend a handgun...here's why:

http://wilsondefense.blogspot.com/2011/03/home-defensehandgun-or-long-gun-david.html

 

[The Goose]

Good write up.

If you will only have one gun I recommend a handgun...here's why:

http://wilsondefense.blogspot.com/2011/03/home-defensehandgun-or-long-gun-david.html

 

[pdm]

I am interested in puchasing a gun to use for home defense and would like some input from others. I've done some research and alot of places tell me shot gun type is the best but I would really like a hand gun, something on the smaller side, semi automatic or even would consider a small revolver as well if their ideal for home protecton.

All of them. No literally, all of them. Start buying now.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Shotgun. Or an AK or AR depending on your preference.

Well I'll start at the most important first . . .

Casey lives in Meninostan! Since 1989, ALL ARs/AKs and a dozen other rifles are BANNED and illegal to possess as a Subject in Meninostan. Likewise all hi-cap rifle mags are banned, there is NO pre-bans allowed and no "grandfather clause" (technically if you got a special permit in 1989 you are "grandfathered" but you can't move in after that and get one). [Specifics of this ban are posted here in a sticky, should be under Gun Laws or Mass Gun Laws.]

Secondly a lot will depend on how close your house is to adjacent homes. Most parts of Boston, houses are VERY close together and a bullet exiting one house is sure to find it's way into another house! You own that and every bullet comes with a lawyer attached.

I honestly can't offer an opinion on what you should get, as answers to house or apartment, one floor/two floors, how close is your neighbor, etc. should weigh heavily on any decision you make. Then you must find good ammo in a suitable caliber that will do the job but not exit your home and endanger others.

 

[peteyb]

12 gauge remington 870. period. no flashlights, no lasers, no thermal imagery... when will you have to move around the house when an intruder is inside? maybe move from your bedroom door to meet him at the top of the stairs? maybe. but if its me, im not gonna play SWAT, i am camping out at a bottleneck between him and my family and waiting silently for him to come into the kill zone.

Exactly this. Only thing I have to add is that on my HD 870 I do have an attached light. I dont plan on using it in most HD scenarios as to not give away position, but I get comfort from having the option just in case

 

[ChevyGuy91]

People will chime in and say that bird shot is for birds, not home defense.

Bird shot is for birds, anything with enough ass to punch through a bad guy will punch through walls.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

Not trying to go through the bad guy... LOL

Stopped is stopped, I don't care if it goes through him or not.

If it makes a difference, I meant #4, not #7. LOL

#4 Buckshot would be the minimum I would load if I was serious about defending myself with a shotgun.

 

[hurley431]

I must say for me, for the home, it's an 870 with a light.
So many options in 12G for your needs in the home. Frangible ammo, slugs, 00 buck, full power, reduced, magnum (For that special kind of bump in the night) a tool for every need. It's a simple design to become familiar with; and, to me, and this is opinion, that gun will not fail me. Ever. Same with a Mossberg 500. I'm moving the action, I am responsible for if the weapon functions or fails and that is comforting to me in a home invasion scenario. That being said, you must practice with whatever you decide because I have seen people not use the pump action correctly before. HD by it's very nature is life or death, train yourself like it.

 

[Supermoto]

Stopped is stopped, I don't care if it goes through him or not.



#4 Buckshot would be the minimum I would load if I was serious about defending myself with a shotgun.

No shit, this whole thing about not going through walls is just people talking out of there asses

 

[Supermoto]

anything that is going to stop a person is going to go through a wall or several.

If people spent more time learning to shoot and less time stroking it to the latest zombie garbage, then missing won't be such a concern

 

[hurley431]

Supermoto, would you ever use your saiga? I have one; but, I have to say I would never do it as expressed above. Just curious to see how you feel about it.

 

[drgrant]

Right, because when I fire on an intruder and potentially miss, 00 will go through a wall and into a neighbor's apartment. Then I would be in prison and people would be having a very different conversation about asses and what direction things are going...

Yeah, the problem is though anything worth shooting a bad guy with will also go through a wall.

Quite literally, you can't have it both ways, unless your plan involves using birdshot and blasting the BG in the face with it, and good luck with that.

-Mike

 

[Supermoto]

Supermoto, would you ever use your saiga? I have one; but, I have to say I would never do it as expressed above. Just curious to see how you feel about it.

Nope. AR is still better

 

[diatribe]

German Shepard and 12 ga.

 

[Coyote33]

I am wondering about this now. A 28" shotgun is like carrying a ladder around inside the house. Yet a handgun seems a little too little. I am wondering if a "coach gun" with shorter barrels, maybe 20-22" would make the most sense for this purpose, with a handful of extra shells.



I wish Ruger would bring these back:The Ruger 99/44 Deerfield Carbine , in addition to wishing they would bring back the PC9. The best would be if they came out with a .357 carbine.

Hmmm.... Looks like it's time to test some 00 vs #4 at say 15' at a mock interior wall and see what kind of damage is done on the other side. What your saying makes sense, but I want to see what I can prove for myself. If the difference is negligible, then I'll just stick with a handgun and say eff it.

Already done:

Educational Zone #143 - What Is the Best Weapon for Home Defense? - A Serious Discussion

 

[Dream to Dream]

I am interested in puchasing a gun to use for home defense and would like some input from others. I've done some research and alot of places tell me shot gun type is the best but I would really like a hand gun, something on the smaller side, semi automatic or even would consider a small revolver as well if their ideal for home protecton.

A 12 gauge shotgun (Rem 870 or Mossberg 590) is a great HD firearm, but the downside is it requires two hand operation. You can mount a tactical flashlight and put a pistol grip on it, which helps, but it can still be challenging to move through a house in the dark.

That's a big point. As far as I'm concerned, a big question is, "Am I likely to be forced to manipulate a gun one-handed?" If you hear a bump in the night, do you have children in another room that need to be gathered? That may be difficult, especially if they are young. I would hate to have to try and manipulate (or, God forbid, operate) a shotgun or a rifle with an infant on toddler in one of my arms.

 

[Jose]

Dumb choices:
The Judge
The Governor
Anything .410
Anything .22LR
Anything sub 9x19
Shotgun slugs
Birdshot of ANY size

Smart choices:
High capacity pistol in a serious caliber
AR15 carbine with LE ammo
Shotgun with low recoil buckshot

 

[Jose]

Hmmm.... Looks like it's time to test some 00 vs #4 at say 15' at a mock interior wall and see what kind of damage is done on the other side. What your saying makes sense, but I want to see what I can prove for myself.

Don't waste your time
http://www.theboxotruth.com/

 

[SparkyEE]

A shotgun is a fine choice. If you are specifically looking for a handgun for home defense, I'd recommend any of the calibers with "stopping power"... hollowpoint 9mm, .40 or .45. Those calibers are easy to find and are popular with law enforcement. I choose 9mm, simply because rounds are cheaper and I can get more range practice with it.
Just my $.02
My HD weapon is pictured as my avatar.

 

[Jose]

HD by it's very nature is life or death, train yourself like it.

Wise words

 

[Harkes2k]

German Shepard and 12 ga.

Im surprised it took this long for someone to mention the dog part.

Really isn't anything better than a well trained dog to let you know when there is a threat near and... well hopefully to deter it or help you in eliminating it.

As for the question about which weapon I would use... Currently I only have a SR9C but a .45 would be my choice if I had one.. probably followed by a shotgun.

 

[ZX14]

You always need a pistol

I can shoot a "High capacity pistol in a serious caliber" proficiently righthanded or lefthanded. Two handed, one handed.

Can't really do that with either a shotgun or a rifle.

What happens if you get shot/stabbed/etc and you can't use one arm?

What about reloading? 4 or 5 or 6 shotgun rounds vs. 15-33 pistol rounds. I'd rather have fewer things to think about and fewer fine motor skill actions to take.

You always need to be carrying a pistol on you even if you have a shotgun.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

Eff it then. Sorry neighbors. Better hope I don't miss. LOL

Just make the commitment to be confident with the weapon you choose. If that means spending the money and getting some training, or at least hitting the range every weekend for a few months then do it. Then look at the set up of your home, and analyze what the possibilities are for fields of fire. Set your mind to the idea that you will stop the fight as fast as possible with the most effective tool available and deal with the out come later, alive.

 

[StevieP]

I have a Remington 870 which was my first gun of any kind. Suitable for home defense, hunting turkey, waterfowl, and even deer using a rifled slug barrel. But that gun spends 99.99% of its time in a locked case with a trigger lock on it, and the ammo is somewhere else as per our ridiculous storage laws here in the PRM. If I know I have five or ten minutes' warning of a bad guy coming, that's what I'll use. It's also handy if coyotes or foxes ever start attacking my dogs, etc.

But mostly, I carry an M&P9c with me whereever I go. It's loaded with hollowpoint personal defense ammo, and ready at a moment's notice. It's light, conceal-able, powerful enough to do the job, and, as mentioned, ON ME.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Sigh, it's sad to see that nobody bothered to read the OP's original post or what I posted earlier! I"m sure this one will be ignored too.

It's NOT what we (who reply) want, use, etc. as everyone's circumstances are different.

1. OP is a Boston Resident. ARs are FORBIDDEN! Hi-cap rifle Mags are FORBIDDEN. So neither can be his choice legally (and dealers are forbidden from selling him the AR).

2. We don't know if he's in an apartment with paper-thin walls, a townhouse (or house with BRs upstairs where he could defend from above), a rowhouse (again, the walls are someone else's bedroom wall), etc.

3. You do have to concern yourself with the possibility of killing/injuring innocents in the apartment above/below/beside you! This should factor in on any choices you make.

Too little info to determine what a decent solution might be for the OP.

The only thing I will say here wrt a recommendation is that you can't carry a long gun on you all the time you are in the house, so you need a handgun on your person even if it is to fight your way to the long gun.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I have a Remington 870 which was my first gun of any kind. Suitable for home defense, hunting turkey, waterfowl, and even deer using a rifled slug barrel. But that gun spends 99.99% of its time in a locked case with a trigger lock on it, and the ammo is somewhere else as per our ridiculous storage laws here in the PRM.

You need some better education on MA gun laws (see below)!! Whoever taught you your BFS course didn't do their job!

 

[bill o]

Sigh, it's sad to see that nobody bothered to read the OP's original post or what I posted earlier! I"m sure this one will be ignored too.

It's NOT what we (who reply) want, use, etc. as everyone's circumstances are different.

1. OP is a Boston Resident. ARs are FORBIDDEN! Hi-cap rifle Mags are FORBIDDEN. So neither can be his choice legally (and dealers are forbidden from selling him the AR).

2. We don't know if he's in an apartment with paper-thin walls, a townhouse (or house with BRs upstairs where he could defend from above), a rowhouse (again, the walls are someone else's bedroom wall), etc.

3. You do have to concern yourself with the possibility of killing/injuring innocents in the apartment above/below/beside you! This should factor in on any choices you make.

Why do you think a non-Boston FFL is forbidden from selling an AR to a Boston resident?

The Boston AWB states:
In the city of Boston, it shall be unlawful to sell, rent, lease, possess, purchase, barter, display, or transfer an assault weapon....

The provisions of this act shall not apply to the possession of assault weapons by persons on the property of a lawfully incorporated sporting or shooting club who are licensed to carry firearms under section one hundred and thirty-one of chapter one hundred and forty of the General Laws.

The provisions of this act shall not apply to the possession of assault weapons, large capacity magazines or large capacity ammunition belts by persons taking part in a competition or attending a meeting or exhibition of any organized group of firearms collectors or travelling to or from such competition, meeting or exhibition

 

[JT88]

+1 for this tidbit of wisdom.

 

[StevieP]

[/B]You need some better education on MA gun laws (see below)!! Whoever taught you your BFS course didn't do their job!

http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section131l

Section 131L. (a) It shall be unlawful to store or keep any firearm, rifle or shotgun including, but not limited to, large capacity weapons, or machine gun in any place unless such weapon is secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device, properly engaged so as to render such weapon inoperable by any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user. For purposes of this section, such weapon shall not be deemed stored or kept if carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user.

Yes, I get that it doesn't need a trigger lock on it when it's IN the case, but that's just me proving to my wife that the gun is "safe." What else am I missing?