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Best Gun for Home Defense
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AllaSnackbah
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you may or may not want to consider this, but i will throw it out there. if, god forbid, you are placed in a violent HD situation, and you use deadly force, the weapon you use may (or may not) be used to portray you in a negative manner in court. if you light up a scumbag in your house with some tacticool scary assault weapon with a 100 round drum, lasers, and weapon lights, the attorney general will be more likely to take a close look at you, and possibly attempt to portray you as a "right wing nutcase who was just itching to light someone up." If you blast the scum with some old rusty duck gun, there is a chance you will look much more innocent/"normal" in the eyes of these type of people. also keep in mind, that your weapon will most likely be confiscated as evidence for however long the PD wishes. call me crazy but i would feel better having my $200 junk remmy 870 confiscated and bagged as evidence than my (insert high dollar value here) AR/AK/etc. just something to think about.
pdm
NES Member
You don't need to store the ammo separately. Hell, I store loaded guns in my safe. Never know if I might need it in addition to what I have on me.
BATFE regs for dealers demands that they do NOT sell any gun to a person who is not legal to possess it where he/she lives. Boston had a ONE-TIME ONLY issuance of "AW Permits" back in 1989 . . . if you didn't get said permit then, no Boston resident can possess the banned guns/large-cap rifle mags. The OP is a young gentleman who hasn't even filed his paperwork with BPD to go to Moon Island yet (he and I have been in Email communications prior to his post here) and thus the AR is out of the question for him.
MGL does NOT require both a trigger lock and a locked case. MGL does NOT require that the gun stored in the home be unloaded or that the ammo be stored elsewhere. What you do to satisfy your Wife and have marital harmony is one thing but you stated above that you were doing this due to MGLs and that just isn't so. [When I first got into shooting, I had to make an agreement with my Wife that all guns would be trigger-locked and in a safe (and this was before the law required ANY locking devices) for peace and harmony, so I know where you are coming from. {BTW: I no longer do this and she's fine with the current situation.} It just isn't the law.]
pdm
NES Member
I keep my bulk ammo separate, but that's because I don't want it clogging up my safe. I need that room for guns!
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
ChevyGuy91
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If I am fighting for my life, the last thing on my mind is what someone thinks about the tool I am using.
OK, let's dissect this from a practical point of view.
- Boston made an exception to possession on club property. Except there is only 1 gun club in Boston and they don't allow CF rifles there anyway. So the exemption is really irrelevant to Boston residents.
- A FFL has no idea if you are going to store the gun at your Mother's house (not Boston), friend's place, or a Summer home in NH. They <should> know what the Fed law and regs tell them. And in this case if you show a MA LTC with a Boston address on it, they <should> know that you can't possess that gun in the City of Boston and refuse the sale to protect their own hide if BPD/Mumbles/AG/BATFE wants to make an "example" of them and get their FFL yanked. [Since Acme/Adam is an active participant here, ask him "what's at risk" if he were to make an improper sale such as this? Dealers typically have hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in inventory, etc. all at risk if they make a mistake. Would you risk that sort of money to make one sketchy sale (of anything)?]
- So technically a Boston resident could keep an AR in a locker at a Boston gun club but couldn't take it to their home. Even for them to transport it anywhere in Boston proper puts them at risk of prosecution.
I don't think that exemption buys anyone anything . . . other than NON-Boston residents transporting such gear thru Boston.
flintoid
Banned
Here is a good post in the Boston AWB sticky of the MA Laws section of this forum. It's the literature of the Boston "ban" that Len is referring to:
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...t-n00b-content?p=134945&viewfull=1#post134945
Possession of what Boston defines as a "assault" rifle gives you a whopping $1k fine and then jail time after that. High cap mags net you a $200 ticket and then some more jail as you are consecutively charged.
Anyways, with that bit of worry, you can still purchase modern caliber rifles/bullpups that don't fall under this ban. FALs, ARs, AKs, and SKSs are all covered by this ban and are therefore out of the picture, but the sig556 and the fs2000 are some that are not covered under it's definitions. So you could go with one of those options.
Granted, some will argue that it's "safer" to not own these rifles out of fear that the laws could change. It's a valid argument if you are the type of person that consumes their life cycles with worry. In that case, buy a pistol with a 10 round magazine and hide under your bed at night from the scary boogie men. If you don't worry about futuristic intangibles and want a centerfire rifle, then pick up one of these, load up a few 10 round c-products mags with ranger plates, and lock them up next to your bed.
(FS2000 pictured... just don't buy 30 round preban high cap mags- that's a no-no in Meninopolis). Or read the laws and buy something that doesn't fall under it's definition. Just don't buy a "variant" and expect it not to be it's true colors. Like Saigas = AKs. Or Stg58s = FALs. Etc.
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...t-n00b-content?p=134945&viewfull=1#post134945
Possession of what Boston defines as a "assault" rifle gives you a whopping $1k fine and then jail time after that. High cap mags net you a $200 ticket and then some more jail as you are consecutively charged.
Anyways, with that bit of worry, you can still purchase modern caliber rifles/bullpups that don't fall under this ban. FALs, ARs, AKs, and SKSs are all covered by this ban and are therefore out of the picture, but the sig556 and the fs2000 are some that are not covered under it's definitions. So you could go with one of those options.
Granted, some will argue that it's "safer" to not own these rifles out of fear that the laws could change. It's a valid argument if you are the type of person that consumes their life cycles with worry. In that case, buy a pistol with a 10 round magazine and hide under your bed at night from the scary boogie men. If you don't worry about futuristic intangibles and want a centerfire rifle, then pick up one of these, load up a few 10 round c-products mags with ranger plates, and lock them up next to your bed.
(FS2000 pictured... just don't buy 30 round preban high cap mags- that's a no-no in Meninopolis). Or read the laws and buy something that doesn't fall under it's definition. Just don't buy a "variant" and expect it not to be it's true colors. Like Saigas = AKs. Or Stg58s = FALs. Etc.
J
Jose
This ridiculous canard comes out every so often in various forums.
Every single time the person who raises the issue is challenged to come up with one single example of an otherwise good shoot gone bad on account of the choice of firearms.
Every single time the answer is.............silence.
I call bull**it.
A properly licensed Boston resident can legally possess an "unregistered" AW in the City of Boston under very narrow circumstances - that's indisputable. Are you saying the ATF regs compel the dealer to assume the buyer intends to violate the Boston AWB, and deny the sale accordingly?
If it's a matter of the dealer being overly cautious in the face of possible malicious action by an AG, then fine. But I don't see how the law as written forbids a dealer from selling an AR to a Boston resident.
BTW, you can shoot pistol-caliber rifles at BGRA.
Bill, the former.
Same reason why a NH dealer is prohibited from selling you a evil-configured AR that was mfd post-9/13/1994. Even if YOU plan on leaving it permanently in NH (thus not violating the MA AWB) the Feds prohibit the transfer.
Now, what a dealer does/doesn't do is a totally different matter.
Knowing that most MA Dealers are ignorant of MA gun laws, I'm certain that most don't even know about the Boston Ban . . . but that won't help the person who buys one (or moves in with one) and stores it in Boston.
Same reason why a NH dealer is prohibited from selling you a evil-configured AR that was mfd post-9/13/1994. Even if YOU plan on leaving it permanently in NH (thus not violating the MA AWB) the Feds prohibit the transfer.
Now, what a dealer does/doesn't do is a totally different matter.
Knowing that most MA Dealers are ignorant of MA gun laws, I'm certain that most don't even know about the Boston Ban . . . but that won't help the person who buys one (or moves in with one) and stores it in Boston.
AllaSnackbah
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i dont disagree with you, and can find no such cases myself. just restating what i have heard. it makes sense to me. especially in the state(s) we reside in.
put yourself in the responding officer/DA looking for a case's shoes. who would you have a better chance building a case against? remember, we live in the country where a burglar successfully sued the owner of a home after he fell through their roof while trying to break in.
J
Jose
Since the appearance of a firearm is no element of the crime of manslaughter/murder, the point is moot. The DA will have a better chance of making the case against a dumbass who makes stupid incriminating statements to the cops while trying to be "helpful" instead of against a smart man who STFU and laywers up.
You might live in a state like that. I do not.
I agree but that IS where this all started, though, you know. Years ago Mas wrote a few articles in one of the handgun rags about how he saw something happen like ONE time in a courtroom, and a bunch of gun shop commandos who read that article took what he said and bent it way out of context, next thing you know the tinfoiler knitting circle gun types are all furiously emailing each other ruminating about which O/U with the ducks engraved on it to be used for self defense.
![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
-Mike
i have simple question relating to the topic. Does a firearm intended for home defense need to be locked? If it does doesn't that kinda defeat the purpose of having a readily available tool for defense? I have been reading and trying to understand MA laws, it very hard.
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![[popcorn]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/043.gif "Popcorn [popcorn]")
Rut-ro. You might as well be Herbie in Christmas town and openly declare you don't like making toys.
[video=vimeo;2434215]http://vimeo.com/2434215[/video]
Haha well I guess my thinking is that I won't be able to use the gun to it's fullest extent and likely will just be sitting their most of the time. The gun won't appreciated as much in my possession for its capabilities.
And I definitely agree and conincide my way of thinking that a shotgun/long rifle requires two hands and a hand gun sometimes does not so how does one aim the shot gun and turn the light switch on or oen doors in the night?
Living in Boston and living close to neighbors as I do is obviously a big concern (I am on the bottom floor of a triple decker so below me is 'safe' concrete location) No kids, just me and the dog to protect (not a german but can be aggressive when needed like one).
StevieP
NES Member
Then I'd be looking at pistols and shotguns. If you're not going to carry it, then you can get any gun you want. Perhaps a nice 1911 in .45ACP, or full-size M&P or Glock. Full-sized guns shoot easier, and more accurately. Maybe get one with a nice SA/DA trigger, like a Sig P229.
If you're going to carry concealed, you may want to more seriously consider something physically smaller and lighter (I have a S&W M&P9c).
There are as many options as there are opinions. When it's all said and done, that's all anyone has - opinions.
If you're looking for a shotgun, I'd look for a pump-action Remington 870, or Mossberg 500.
YES, unless it is under your DIRECT CONTROL per MGL C. 140 S. 131L
Unless he is a lawyer, doctor, or business owner making $xK/day deposits in cash, regrettably Boston won't give him an unrestricted LTC-A, so he can CCW in his apartment but not outside the apartment.
I suggest you try as many common guns as you can get your hands on (Manchester Firing Line, AFS, etc. - we can discuss this part later) and try them. Pick what fits your hand and you can shoot best. Get a good gun belt and quality custom holster for it for in the house (don't forget to remove before exiting apartment) and you'll be all set.
That's what i thought, just wanted to double check. Thanks for the answer.
My primary HD "bump in the night" gun is a handgun (1911 or G26). My hallway is only 36" wide and my AR is 35" long and my Remington 870 is >40" with an 18" barrel. I find this severely limits my movement to my flanks and around corners. I have to drop the barrel to navigate a turn and then raise it back up. I find that I have much better maneuverability and increased field-of-fire with a handgun.
YMMV
Translated: when I ran practice drills in the dark, I kept whacking the long gun against the walls.
-JR
YMMV
Translated: when I ran practice drills in the dark, I kept whacking the long gun against the walls.
-JR
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flintoid
Banned
also- if you are a victim of a violent crime, you will be issued a LTC-A unrestricted upon request. The person I know with one was assaulted within the city limits of boston, so the criminal case was on file with the PD, so that might have had something to do with it. Not sure how it'd work if it happened elsewhere.
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