10/22 or SKS for Apt. Defense?

[GrizzlyGraves]

Unfortunately no medical students here. Small college.
I think I'll be able to save some cash here and there to pick up a shotgun. I'll keep an eye out at some local stores.

 

[Prince Yamato]

Get the SKS. Get Glazer Safety slugs. Made for home defense, won't go through walls. They have them in 7.62 x 39. The other option is to actually hit what you're shooting at. In an apartment, you're not going to be more than 10ft from the person. If you can't hit them at that distance, use the bullet on yourself and save the BG the trouble.

 

[ugaarguy]

Avoid the Glasers

Take a look here http://www.brassfetcher.com/Brassfetcher_evaluates_9mm_Glaser_Safety_Slug.pdf

Figure 2 is an image of the Safety Slug having penetrated the interior wall and into the gelatin block.
This particular bullet penetrated to 11.7 ± 0.031” and exhibited almost no fragmentation. Two pieces of the #6
shot were found in the wound track, the remainder of the payload were retained in the bullets cavity by an
apparent deformation of the bullets nose area.

That test was conducted by THR member JE223. Apparently the Glasers fragment fine in bare ballistic gel, but not after passing thru a wall board. Kinda kills any percieved advantage over more conventional ammo.

Ohh and did someone say shotgun?
http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa.../shotguns&start=0&selectedSKU=0350-01883-5002
They might be able to get you one with a short bbl. for a similar price as well.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/37_336/products_id/42605

 

[Gord]

If you can't find a shotgun (or, for some reason, can't afford one) the Hi-Point 9mm carbine mentioned earlier is also a viable choice.

Honestly, though, it's next to impossible to not find a shotgun for $200 or under. Might not be the prettiest thing around, but...

 

[tnieto2004]

Mossberg 500

 

[kd7nqb]

I would go with the SKS hands down, a good friend of mine lives in an apartment and swears by his Mosin Nagent, 7.62x.54r is a major overpenatroator but he runs hollowpoints so he is less worried about it.

 

[rustymaggot]

7.62x.59 is a major overpenatroator but he runs hollowpoints so he is less worried about it.

hahahahaha. no. that badboy is going deep. how much shallower does he think a hollow point is going to penetrate when its 7.62x54r?

edit; im assuming you meant 54r not 59r.

 

[gunsmith]

after re reading the op

The guy already has the SKS and the 10/22, so thats all he has, all he is going to buy.
if you are going to shoot to stop and you have the choice of these two
rifles ONLY....your choice is clear, SKS and do not miss.

 

[rangerruck]

i second the maverick pump, I got mine with the vent rib on top. get that one, then put red and green dayglo turkey sights on it, cut the bbl down to 16.5 inches(have a pipe shop do it, straight) and load it with some heavy bird shot. That is my home protection rig.

 

[Heavy Metal Hero]

Legal bbl for a shotgun is 18". I am telling on you rangerruck.

 

[Dorryn]

I'm currently a subject in a bird flu vaccine study that I'll get $400 for.

Youre not going to live long enough to see the government try to take your guns or SHTF... Being a guinea pig seems an unwise source of income.

 

[nico]

Youre not going to live long enough to see the government try to take your guns or SHTF... Being a guinea pig seems an unwise source of income.

No, I'll still be around when bird flu becomes an epidemic here. I don't want to hijack the thread, but like I said, the vaccine I received is no more risky than the flu shots that millions of people get every year; it's just targeting a different influenza virus. It's a killed virus, which has no documented risk of causing an infection.

The toothpaste/ mouthwash/ appliance studies that are always going on at my school are completely safe and usually pay a couple hundred bucks.

 

[doubleg]

Legal bbl for a shotgun is 18". I am telling on you rangerruck.

 

[joab]

where will the lawyer fee come from when the next door neighbor sues for property damage (assuming he doesn't hit someone).

As a poor college student he is almost judgment proof. The best a lawyer could hope to get is a judgment and lawyers don't work for IOUs.

"I'd really like to see the SOB who is left standing (functioning) after a blast of birdshot to the face from 3 - 5 yards."

In all fairness Geronimo he said 3 to 4 feet not 90 feet.
Cooper himself recommended 12 or 20 ga #6 for apartment defense years ago

The guy already has the SKS and the 10/22, so thats all he has, all he is going to buy.

I read that he has neither and is trying to decide which to buy.

I am leaning towards the Ruger for the fact that it is a lightweight compact rifle. I'm not loading it with any "stingers" or other higher power rounds so it is *fairly* quiet

I would load it with the loudest flashiest rounds I could find so that anyone you have to shoot at knows he being shot at with a real gun and not an air rifle.It may cause him to break off he he is missed with a firearm but may not if he thinks it's a BB gun

Not all SKSs have that butt ugly grenade launcher you can get a launcherless Yugo 59 for about the same price as the 59/66 that you are looking at

But that said
I would go with a pump shotgun
I have several excellent 18" shotguns I bought at pawn shops for under $150
Load it with heavy birdshot and aim for the chest

If gunsmith's assessment is correct go with the lighter, handier Ruger

 

[Neo-Luddite]

We had a shootout at the apartment next door when I was in college.
Boyz from the city in for a for a party--gangstas with .380's.
The building was new construction and made from (we found out) glorified cardboard.

Of course those mo mo's next door didn't care, they were shooting because they were high on dope and got diss'd by their guests or whatever. One round lodged in the drywall on our side of the wall right by my roomates bed. Had it been a 9mm, it would have wounded him or worse

They got evicted and the landlord patched the drywall and cleaned up the blood very quickly and it never made the papers in DeKalb, IL (NIU). This was 1992. I learned about college towns and how they fail to report crime when the landlord is well connected.

When the shooting went down I was gone for the weekend. My Mos. 500 WAS home w/ 7.5 shot. It wasn't needed. I'm glad you're going toward the shotgun, but until then that 10/22 is still a lot of firepower at a range of 15-20 feet. Use a good mag.

BTW--enjoy school!

 

[benEzra]

If I understand correctly, you already own a 10/22 and an SKS, and can't afford to buy something else right now due to college expenses (I know that feeling!), so you're wondering which of those two is best?

My thoughts are, in that scenario, the SKS is the superior rifle on paper, BUT in an apartment I'd personally go with the 10/22, CCI Stingers, and a 25-round magazine that's been tested for reliability. .22LR out of a rifle is considerably more effective than .22 out of a pistol; out of a rifle, the Stinger has approximately the muzzle energy of a .38 Special (not stellar, but adequate), and with a 25-round magazine, it'd be a decent choice, IMHO. The 10/22 is also much cheaper to practice with (big consideration there) and you can shoot it at most indoor pistol ranges. When you're home, you could keep it chamber empty, magazine loaded, and you can unload it quickly when you're not home.

I would NOT use the quietest ammunition I could find; I would use the ammunition with the most punch. Noise is much less important than ballistics, IMHO.

The problem with 7.62x39mm in an apartment is that even with a carefully aimed shot, it will penetrate the attacker, the wall behind, and probably a couple more walls, a Very Bad Thing in an apartment setting. There aren't really any good frangible loads in 7.62x39mm, and if there were, you couldn't afford to shoot enough of them to test their reliability. I live in a brick house, so with some thought given to shot angles, I'd be comfortable using 7.62x39mm JHP's in an HD carbine (brick outer wall will stop x39), but not in an apartment.

So I'd suggest the 10/22 with Stingers, and use the money you save to get some practice time in. At apartment distances, use the front sight post to aim (don't even worry about the rear, raise your head a little so the front sight stands by itself) and practice at 5 to 7 yards on a B-21 type target. Also be sure to practice chambering the first round and flicking off the safety. If you do have to use it, shoot carefully and make each round count, and don't shoot wildly for your neighbors' sake.

 

[Cheeseybacon]

Coming from the perspective out of a no-so-long-ago (1.2 years ago) college student, I would definately suggest that you sell your guns that you have now and put that money towards the purchase of a basic pump shotty of some type. Normally I am not one to recommend selling guns at all, especially to buy other guns, but in your particular situation I think it would be the best move. Neither the 10/22 or SKS are overly difficult to aquire, nor that they the most ideal solutions for your particular situation, and neither are doing you as good as a shotgun would, thus I see no reason for keeping them right now especially when money is tight. Get yourself a shotgun now, and if you still have a fondness for the 10/22 and SKS after you graduate, pick them up again with your first "real" paycheck after you're got a job.

And as hard as it may seem for the average college student, if you can cut off your booze consumption for even a month, you'll be amazed how much money you can save.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

which rifle can you shoot better? If you are accurate and fast with a.22, 10 rounds will do the trick in the 1.5 seconds it takes you to get off that many shots. Then again, one shot from the sks will work wonders too. bottom line, grab whatever gun u can shoot better.

(practice with the SKS and use that)

 

[1911JMB]

I would take the SKS or the 10/22 and trade it for a pump action 12 gauge. Its that simple.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

Just get a jagged rock and hide it under your pillow.

You also have the bayonet option as well.

 

[RandyB]

my 2 cents

Your more important than the weapon. You can make either work. I personally would feel about the same with either one. Shot placement will be crucial. I would opt for the 40 grain bullet in the .22 LR. With the SKS I would look to the hollow point ammo. As a poor college student, saving up to get a good shotgun would be my next purchase and better for home defense.

 

[GrizzlyGraves]

Well I'm getting a good variety of advice. I appreciate it all. I don't think I fit the standard college student mold since I spend maybe $10 every two months on booze. I'm not a big drinker to begin with and, besides, I find lots of beer where I work So I stay stocked up.

It would be REALLY hard to part with my guns. The SKS was my first gun and the Ruger was a birthday present from my Dad. But, if it comes to that then it's what I'll have to do.

 

[Lupinus]

while a shotgun would be better both of those will work

 

[AJAX22]

Get the SKS. Get Glazer Safety slugs. Made for home defense, won't go through walls. They have them in 7.62 x 39. The other option is to actually hit what you're shooting at. In an apartment, you're not going to be more than 10ft from the person. If you can't hit them at that distance, use the bullet on yourself and save the BG the trouble.

I second this advice, its the 10 dollar fix for your situation.

I have a handfull of these for my SKS/AK setup and I've been really impressed with them.

eventually you're going to need a shotgun, squirl away funds, sell some of your stuff, snag an odd job for weekends, skip lunch once a week, there are alot of ways to sock away a few bucks towards a shotgun.

the most you'll need is about 250 for a mossberg and fees brand new, less if you shop around.

 

[innerpiece]

for the situation, Id go with the 10/22, or a shotgun..

asto SKS's and hollowpoints..lol no way! HPs RARELY mushroom on impact of anything... actually, the noses like to foldover and send the bullet in a different direction... the most effective ammo for an SKS If found, that fragments, is the winchester jacketed soft points (lead nose).. those actually mushroom out. but still too much for yer situation imo..

ip