Considered suppressed handgun for night stand?

el Godfather said:

Have you considered using a suppressed handgun as a go to gun on the night stand, or suppressed weapon in general inside your house?

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Ab-so-lute-ly! The extra ~$1000 is all that stops me. The capability is not worth anywhere near that much to me.

O'course, I am usually alone in the house overnight and keep a set of electronic Peltors on the nightstand shelf (along with ballistic eyewear, cell phone, SureFire, etc).

I have a can for my G19, but my SBR with can seems a better bet for me inside my place.

A second advantage, aside from lowering the volume, would be eliminating the flash. Keeping your night vision is a good thing.

A third would be that I've read that suppressors reduce recoil. Always a good thing, as well.

I'd guess that one possible disadvantage may be the extra length could give the bad guy more to grab. I think that this disadvantage would only come into play if you were trying to clear the house, which isn't usually recommended.

Once I get out of school and have some money, a can for my AR is high on the buying list.

Suppressors are MANDATORY in many European nations, and our laws against them are just ridiculous. If you are willing to buy a suppressor over another new gun, I think they are great, especially for a backyard range and even better, for home defense.

First, I think the sound and flash moderation are a great idea for home defense. However, no matter what host firearm: I personally can not achieve reliability high enough that I would use this for self defense. My can has a booster, and I'm using full power ammo, and I can't shoot a box of 50 without a malfunction. That may be just me, but that's my experience. Especially when potentially firing from retention or one handed (opening doors, turning on lights, etc.) I can't trust it.

Second, adding 8"+ to the end of a pistol makes it very long, and that should concern everyone in regards to retention.

Beyond the reliability issue noted above, are there also laws in some states that consider a suppressor a dangerous weapon and places a much higher burden on a user?

Personally, no - don't need the hassle, because if I ever had to use it, the firearm and all its attachments would spend a loooong time downtown till everything was cleared up.

Others say differently...

http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2012/09/25/ssshhhhsilencers/

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20...uppressors-a-good-idea-for-home-defense-guns/

Why would it be illegal to remove the suppressor before the cops get to the home? Forensic reasons?

The biggest downside would be the authorities keeping your "can" and your firearm for the duration of their investigation.

tepin said:

Why would it be illegal to remove the suppressor before the cops get to the home? Forensic reasons?

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You would be tampering with evidence.

Is the flashlight I am holding and the clothes I am wearing evidence as well?

whatever the popo SAYS is evidence, IS evidence

until your judge rules otherwise or the case is closed. If that evidence is really neat or valuable, dont' expect to get it back. It will get 'lost" in the evidence room,most likely. If the handgun has a tilting barrel ala 1911, the can's weight must be held at 5 ozs, and 4 ozs is better. A beretta-p38 style can handle another couple of ozs, and cycling will still be reliable. On an carbine, yes, on a pistol, now, basically. The only pistol that I would bother to 'can" is a .22lr and I'd never choose a .22 handgun for defense. I could probably make one suffice, but I'd much rather not risk it. I consider plus P plus 9mm to be the minimum, actually. No, I don't consider most .45 loads to be superior to the 9mm, either. Hunting experience with both calibers has proven them to be identical, until you are really maxing out the .45, with the lightest of jhp;s.

Is the flashlight I am holding and the clothes I am wearing evidence as well?

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They are. Remember OJ's bloody glove? Blood on clothing has helped put plenty of people behind bars. Whether it would be relevant in a self defense shooting is up to the lead detective.

Who here has a pistol can? and are you satisfied enough with reliability to use it for home defense?

I figured these videos would be VERY relevant to this discussion. This guy is a member here at THR, I just dont remember his username. Maybe he will chime in

Daytime suppressed shooting in house: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2GchQ3orB0

Nighttime suppressed shooting in house: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A63oYgod8Y

Who here has a pistol can? and are you satisfied enough with reliability to use it for home defense?

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Depends on the gun/can combination. I have a micro can that has never had any reliability issues on my Sig 226, but it uses wipes which don't help with accuracy. I also have a full sized can (currently waiting on transfer) and while putting a few rounds through it with my SOT, I experienced several failures with subsonic ammo. It seemed to do well with supersonic ammo though.

To be honest I've only put about 100 rounds through the full sized can so I can't definitively speak to its reliability, but some suppressors can occasionally cause jams so I'd recommend testing the gun with the suppressor attached to make sure it's a completely reliable setup before using it for defense.

I have a nice, short AAC Scorpion can for a 9mm that I HOPE is in use should I ever have to shoot inside my house. As far as evidence, I would think the best evidence that I shot the intruder will be my statement of the event. If I call the police, and tell them that I just shot an intruder, they probably could make a case from that alone. I have never understood what they might be able to "prove" beyond an obvious confession that one is the shooter. Having the gun and suppressor gives them something to play with, but instrumentally, will not alter the results of the shooting, or the outcome of the investigation. However, I have a backup plan, should they hold my suppressed handgun for awhile (and hold me innocent until clearing me of the shooting). I have another one just like it. ............................................................... [/URL][/IMG]

there's the criminal case against you.

but there's also huge potential for there to also be a civil case (or more than one, actually) And your use of full-auto or a suppressor or "sawed off" shotgun can make you look bad in the eyes of the civil jury. Such juries are 6 people in many states, not twelve, and all they need is a simple majority to convict. Put a set of sonic earvalve plugs (Norton) in your pocket, lanyarded to your belt. and put a set of (stereo, $150) electronic muffs near your flashlight and Kevlar, for donning when you think your home has been invaded.

It might be noted that a suppressor will not alter the ballistic evidence on the bullet (rifling marks) if proper alignment of the barrel and can exists. The only element in question would be the difference created in the reduction of powder dispersal at the muzzle of the suppressor instead of the barrel, which might confuse an investigator's deductions if unaware of the suppressor's use. Close contact powder burns, tattooing, etc would be different.

Try the difference

I cannot do so,state laws.

But I have had to fire a weapon inside under different circumstances and all I can say is YOU DONT WANT TO UNLESS IT REALLY,REALLY needed.

You will lose a bit of hearing = forever,and you will not like the pressure nor the loss of night vision.

If you have the option,I would say GO WITH IT.

I would look at a .45 acp pistol and can for sure.

But the new 9 MM's are great but they wont be subsonic rounds.

One of the things that I have always found chuckle-worthy is in cop shows when they have to trade gunfire with a perp in a small apartment and afterward one cop will say something quietly to his partner and the other will hear it and respond.

I have never fired a gun inside a building before ... but ... when I was a youngster (~21) I did make the mistake on one cold sunny day of firing my new .357 while transiting a ravine ... LOUD ... it almost brought me to my knees.

The primary reason that I keep the Peltors by my bed.

Personally, no - don't need the hassle, because if I ever had to use it, the firearm and all its attachments would spend a loooong time downtown till everything was cleared up.

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So you won't be using a gun either for HD? I don't understand.

If it gives you a tactical advantage as well is helps with saving for eyesight during the fight and your hearing afterwards, would it not be worthwhile to have used it successfully???

I would look at a .45 acp pistol and can for sure.

But the new 9 MM's are great but they wont be subsonic rounds.

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9mm 147gr ammo is subsonic as long as it is standard pressure. I hear you can also get 158gr bullets that sound great, but I've only seen FMJs that heavy.