Home defense long gun recommendation needed

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Zeede

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Hey folks, Cameron here, hailing from the not-so-free state of California.

We recently thought we had a home intruder at my townhouse, and while it was fortunate that there wasn't an intruder, it did highlight some problems.

I mostly shoot clays, so I have shotguns with 30" barrels. That didn't work at all on my stairwell, there was just physically no way to "slice the pie". I do have a pistol in .22, but I'm not a good shot with pistols, so I've been trying to find something with a short overall length that I can use for home defense.

The Kel-Tec Sub 2000 is not legal in California, neither is the Beretta CX4 Storm. Both are pistol caliber carbines, which is what I'm looking for, and both are just under 30" overall length, which is important for my stairwell. Too bad my stupid state has outlawed both of these guns.

Right now the only thing I can think of is get a pump shotgun and put a Knoxx stock on it. As long as the whole thing is 27" long when collapsed, it's still legal, but I would like to know what my other options are.

Cameron
 
Have you looked at the Marlin Camp Carbines? Pistol caliber, uses pistol mags, short and handy. 35" overall length. Available in 9mm or .45, used and fairly inexpensive.

Even a solid lever-action should be short enough to fit the bill. Marlin guide gun: 37", Winchester 94: 36"

You could pick up an 18.5" barrel for one of your shotguns - you're already familiar with them.
 
Kel Tec SU16 with 16" barrel. They even have a "CA" model. Very compact, although not pistol-caliber.

There is also the 16" lever gun option.
 
Norinco SKS Carbine has a 16 inch barrel. Get one with a 10-rd fixed mag. (Some take AK47 mags - you don't want that one for your state). Very reliable. Reliable, sturdy, accurate enough for home defense. Lots of accessories available. And best of all, reasonably priced. You may be able to put a telescoping stock on on (like an M4) to make it even more maneuverable indoors. I've got one (and another full size one) and am shopping for another.
 

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Mini 14 for sure.

You want 5.56x45.

Get some 10 round magazines and mount a Streamlight TLR-1 on it.
 
You want 5.56x45.
Click to expand...

He lives in a townhouse... how many of his neighbors units would a 5.56 round go through if he missed the bad guy???

Even the cops wouldn't use a rifle caliber in that enviorment.

I live in a condo right now, I keep a PPK .380 and a 20" Mossberg loaded. My Mini 14 stays in the safe...
 
A Marlin 1894 levergun or good '92 clone in .44 Mag or .357 would be excellent, provided you load with the proper ammunition. I'm also a big fan of a .30-30 levergun, either Marlin or Winchester.

Any of these will give you enough velocity to ensure expansion and reduce overpenetration. Typical .30-30 hunting rounds happen to be just about ideal for two legged problems. Penetration is not excessive, expansion is very reliable and stopping power on a human about as reliable as anything.
 
He lives in a townhouse... how many of his neighbors units would a 5.56 round go through if he missed the bad guy???

Even the cops wouldn't use a rifle caliber in that enviorment.

I live in a condo right now, I keep a PPK .380 and a 20" Mossberg loaded. My Mini 14 stays in the safe...
Click to expand...

:scrutiny:

So why have SWAT teams across the country switched from 9mm carbines and SMGs to 5.56x45 carbines?

It's because 5.56x45 has WAY more potential to stop a bad guy and relatively low potential to go through a bad guy and hurt someone else. Your Mossberg with buckshot will go through more layers of drywall than a 5.56x45. Would you rather shoot someone once with your Mini 14 or 6 times with your PPK?

Why does it matter if he's in a townhouse versus a neighborhood with single family homes that are 25 feet apart? Do bullets only fly in drywall, not air?
 
The problem with the BBs is that you have hardly any penetration at all. It's not an effective manstopper. People are shot with shotguns all the time when bird hunting and they don't die.

I know a guy who shot his dog and his wife one year, and then shot his son in the chest with a 12 gauge shotgun from 10 yards away (by accident) and they are all still alive.

It's a good choice if your only concern is overpenetration though.
 
FNH_CB_PS90.jpg


Is this legal in CA?? 5.7x28 is a pistol round...sort of....
 
Another vote for a Hi-Point carbine, with the ATI stock, and if you're so inclined, they make an accessory laser that fits into a recess in the stock. The whole rig with laser should run less than $300.00.
 
The obvious and less expensive answer is a shorter barrel and/or stock for a shotgun you own; but, since you asked...

Ruger PC9
Lever action in .357 or .44
Ruger .44 carbine
M1 carbine
 
Who's "we"? I'd say something that works for you AND whoever else is in your home. That said, rem 870 or win1300 youth. I don't see anything wrong with the 20ga for HD. There's buckshot out there for them, you just have to look alittle harder.
 
Marlin 1894C Lever action in .357. Cheap fun with the .38s and crazy power with the right .357. So benign looking that even Dianne Finstein could be convinced it's just a lil' ole' cowboy gun.....well maybe not that benign but you get the point. At the end of the day it holds more then enough ammo, shoots a variety of rounds, is Cali. legal and is so short and handy you'll wonder why you never bought one before.

Chris
 
If you're familiar with shotguns already a shogun would make sense. A shorter barrel for something you have would be the easiest.

but if you want a pistol caliber carbine, the choices listed are good.
 
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