Home Defense System

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mearnest

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Recently, my wife and I have been talking about the necessary firearms for home defense. Currently, I have a pump action 12 guage shotgun with an 18" barrel. For a household with a single firearm, I've assumed that this was the best option for the following reasons: intimidating (sight and sound), great stopping power, and a load of 00 buckshot will no overpenetrate and kill the neighbors.

I have two questions for the forum:
1. Is there a single firearm that is better than a shotgun (i.e. handgun or rifle)?
2. What other firearms would you add and why?

The second question addresses the issue of whether my wife should be armed as well in the case of a home threat or intruder. Our current plan is 1) call police and 2) cover the locked bedroom door until the police arrive with the shotgun. We currently do not have any kids.
 
Probably would not be a bad idea to have some sort of backup weapon. Some kind of .38 Special revolver would be an excellent choice, as a revolver can be left untouched for extended periods of time and still fire reliably. Also, there's no slide to rack, so you may be able to put it into action much more quickly and more safely than your shotgun. I like autos, but you have to rotate the magazines periodically to avoid "setting" the internal springs. In particular, a nice used S&W Model 10 (the classic .38 revolver), Model 64 or Model 19 (all .38s) would all be excellent choices. I'd wouldn't want a barrel any longer than 4". If well cared for, all are very reliable and very accurate.

Just my thoughts and preferences, yours may be different and their is nothing wrong with that.

BTW, my primary HD weapon is a S&W 686 loaded with 130 grain .38+Ps. God forbid, if the you know what ever hits the fan, I'll grab the 686 and pass my Springfield XD9 over to her (I shoot my revolvers a lot better than my XD9).
 
Just to touch on the "overpenetration" thing. 00 buck is an excellent choice and I wouldn't suggest you change but don't think it'll be stopped by a couple layers of drywall or the like. Its quite a decent little penetrator as all good defensive rounds are. ;)

As to if theres something thats better... If something were clearly better the other wouldn't be sold. I'd rather have an ar15 personally but if you're comfortable and skilled with your shotgun its quite capable. I think capable is probably the better word to consider.

I do think a handgun of some sort is nice as you can go out of the house and keep it concealed.
 
A shotgun is a fine defensive gun for the house. In fact, I think it's the best way to go. You can blast the entire doorway of your bedroom with one shot, the report is convincing, and the sound of you working the action carries a powerful effect by itself.

Your shotgun will, with ease, penetrate to the outside somewhere in your house (unless you have bulletproof windows). Be aware of this and work around it. Like Soybomb said, if it has no penetrating power, it's no good as a weapon.

I agree with the revolver suggestion. Pick up a his and hers pair of quality revolvers and load them with a quality defensive round. Speedloaders or speed strips wouldn't hurt, either. It also gives you a good reason to get the wife to the range.
 
I remember hearing someone say a number of years ago that a backup gun (namely a .38 revolver) is a good idea with a shotgun anyway because shotguns, even quality pump actions, are still the least reliable class of firearm. Certainly they are reliable, just not so much as a handgun or good rifle.
 
shotguns, even quality pump actions, are still the least reliable class of firearm.
Click to expand...
I have a hard time believing that. I hunt every fall with several guys, and I don't recall anyone having a failure from a pump gun in many years. Actually, I don't ever recall a misfeed from a pump gun. I don't know if statistics are kept, but I always thought a quality pump-gun was just about jam-proof.

OTOH, if you short stroke one, it will misfeed. As Dave McC says, you've got to "shuck it like you mean it."

IMHO, for one gun for home defense, you can't beat a pump shotgun.
 
Intimidated by sight and sound ??? The chances are good that the BG is his on alcohol, drugs and is a sociopath or psychopath .These people do not scare ,in fact they may not even be aware of the gun pointed at them !!!
 
how about a samll 380 like bersa or as suggested a 38 revolver. Don't want to blast my house away, just the problem ;)
 
For a "one gun solution" you have it right (IMHO)...Retreat to the bedroom, with the shotgun, and call the cops. any one (assuming you're both in the bedroom) that comes through the door is hamburger. (Make sure you tell the cops where you are and that you're armed).

Now, on a more realistic level, how is your house laid out?

I have a large house, and both my adult sons live with me. One sleeps downstairs, and one one upstairs (as do I). We have a total of 4 HD weapons "handy"---1 front of house downstairs, 1 back of house downstairs, and the same thing upstairs (1 front, one back)...and additional weapons available if needed. So, no matter where you may be in the house, you're never more than 25 feet from weapon. This still may or may not be enough, but I also have dogs as an "early warning system".

Sounds paranoid, I know, but since I have the guns anyway, they might as well be distributed such that they can be easily deployed.
 
Boxoftruth.com has done several round of buckshot vs drywall. The resuts do look pretty good that buck wont overpenetrate. Just keep in ming "overpentrate" is a relative term. A BB gun could overpenetrate in some small apartments and a 50bmg. might not over pentrate in your staying in the Taj Mahal.
 
There are a lot of mistaken beliefs concerning a shotgun for home defense. The first myth is you can blast the entire doorway of your bedroom with one shot. This is patently untrue. The 12 gauge shotgun is effective because it does not spray it's load over such an area, but rather concentrates it into the intruder. You must aim the weapon, and as such, it is best to keep a shoulder stock on it.

The best thing you can add to any home defende shotgun is training. To many people load up old Nellie, lean her against the wall by the bed, and do nothing else. Even worse, many invest in plastic stuff to stick all over their shotgun. Attend a home defense shotgunning course instead. The shotgun will not save your life. Your tactics using it will.

That being said, the additional defender (your wife) should be armed if she, too, is willing to train towards home defense as a team. If she is unwilling to train, you must decide whether you trust her with a gun and no training. If she is willing to train, then you must decide which gun.

Why not get her a shotgun too? We have already agreed on it's superiority. Why should she be armed any less effectively? Many women can use 12 gauge shotguns effectively despite the recoil, when taught how (same goes for men). If your wife finds this to be intimidating, think about a 20 gauge with the barrel trimmed down to 18.5 inches. If the 10 year old girl below can do it, so can your wife!

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Conventional wisdom says a shotgun is best for home defense.

Conventional wisdom is wrong in this case.

The best gun for home defense is ... the gun you can get to in a hurry.

Whether or not that's a shotgun depends entirely upon you and your circumstances.

A shotgun does have a lot going for it: power, ease of aim, intimidation factor, versatility of ammunition choices. But it is also bulky, doesn't lend itself to being discreetly carried to the door when someone knocks after dark, and isn't easily kept accessible to responsible adults while secured from children and the clueless.

The myths about a shotgun not needing to be aimed, or about the mere sound of it driving intruders off, are just that -- myths. Don't bet your life on those! But like all myths, both of these have a small germ of truth hidden inside them: a long gun is easier to aim than a handgun, and shotguns are powerful enough that a marginal hit may be enough to do the job anyway. As for the sound being enough to drive an intruder away, if you have not squarely faced and accepted the notion of killing someone else to defend your own life, a firearm is nothing but a dangerous nuisance; you need to get your own ethical/moral/religious issues worked out before you arm yourself with a deadly weapon.

Back to home defense. The best gun is the one you can get to. In my case, I opted for a handgun carried on my body during the day, because I had small children in the house and could picture no other safe way to have a firearm readily accessible to me if I needed it in a hurry. When I thought of a long gun for defense, I pictured it behind a quick-access lock in my bedroom ... and then had a very vivid nightmare of someone coming into the front room, and me having to choose to ~ leave the children in the room with him!! ~ while I went to fetch the gun. That just wasn't an option I was willing to accept.

At night, I chose to stay with the handgun rather than switch to a shotgun, because I am more comfortable shooting handguns, and because I had a handy lockbox I could simply leave open next to my bed after I locked my bedroom door and retired for the night. It was easy to lock the case if the kids called me in the night, or to pick up the gun and carry it with me (in a fanny pack over my robe) if the situation seemed to warrant it.

But if carrying a handgun at home seems too much of a hassle to you, and if you do not have small children to complicate the issue, or if you are able to secure a long gun in such a way that you are confident you could get to it in a hurry, then a shotgun may indeed be the best choice for your home defense.

pax
 
Pax makes some very good points. I do not disagree with her, but rather respect her opinion greatly. Thus I feel compelled to respond. ;)

One of the pervasive fallacies regarding home defense is that you can plan ahead and be prepared. The fact is, you will likely be in a defensive posture trying to change the momentum of the circumstances. The intruders had all the time in the world to pre-plan, and you are playing catch-up in a big way.

Most people prepare thinking they will awaken to a noise elsewhere in their home, and will have time to respond. That is a lot to bank your life on. You may awaken with the intruder beside you. You may answer the door to find him bursting in there. Your intruder may vault over your back fence while trying to elude police, and catch you planting parsley in your garden out back. Having a CCW is something everyone should do, if they want tools to protect themselves. An attack can happen at any time.

That being said, I still go with a shotgun. I have no qualms about answering my door with a shotgun. Some may find it offensive. If they do, then stay away from my door. That includes the Baptist ladies from the church down the street. After one incident where I had to bluff my way through an encounter unarmed, I carry a gun to the door. Always. I make no bones about it. It is as easy to hold a Mossberg as it is a 1911 behind the door while answering the doorbell. I know one old man who keeps a Colt single action army hanging on a nail beside his front door. I prefer to have a gun in my hand at that moment, not at my side or across the room.

One other advantage of the shotgun is the potential for finding yourself fighting with an empty or jammed weapon. If I have to resort to using my firearm as a club, I would much rather have a Remington 870 than a Smith & Wesson Model 10. There is no guarantee that your weapon will end the encounter.

Like dfaugh, I keep five different shotguns in cruiser ready throughout my home. I keep mine on screw in gun pegs, over the door inside closets. If you look in the closet you never know they are there, unless you look back over your head. They are readily accessible. One is kept beside my bed. Like Pax, I keep a handgun on my person. When I have the option of a shotgun though, I'll grab the shotgun.
 
Much of the above is good solid advice .

You asked if anyone would add to your firearms battery and if so why .

I would add two .357 revolvers with 2 1/2-4 inch barrels for their mobility and easy of use .

Since it is just you and the wife you will no doubt be going out and often returning after dark , you never know when you could walk into a home invasion/burglary when you do .

Even if you don't or can't get a CCW , it is legal in most states for you to keep a pistol locked in your trunk in a case unloaded . All you have to do is stop in front of your home or at the front of your driveway get the case out of the trunk and get back in the car open the case load the gun and pull into your driveway or garage and put it in a pocket as you get out of the car .
A speed loader or two in the glove will make loading the gun/guns very fast with a little practice .

As stated above practice is essential with any home defense weapon and with a revolver your practice should that of firing into targets at "Home defense" distances . Most ranges have targets set at unrealistically long distances .

I don't know what state you're in but you might want to go to your states conservation website and see if they have unmanned out door ranges where you can bring your own targets and practice shooting at Feet rather than yards . If someone were to force their way into your home as you answered the door you would be engaging them at almost contact distances , even if you jumped back you would be lucky to gain 5-6 feet between you and them .
Practice bringing the weapon up and firing two or three fast shots into the center or a typical B27 target .

It might even be a good idea to have a gunsmith bob the hammers so that all of your shots can only be fired double action , this will be the mode in which you would be using the weapon in a defensive situation in real life .

I also suggest you and the wife practice bringing the weapon up and NOT firing because if all you do is fire it will become muscle memory and one of you could shoot the other by mistake in the dark checking out a suspicious noise in your home .

Another essential tool is a good very bright flashlight for night time use . While there are many made by companies such as Surfire and a few other they can be a bit pricey and require special batteries that are also priced higher than most . Dorcy makes two lights that are well suited to this use and they use typical 3AAA Batteries in a cylindric shaped pack that holds 3 of them , Walmart carries one of these that has 1 Watt Luxeon bulb that puts out 30 Lumen's of light , price is about $20 . Sears has the other on their website and it is $40 it has a 3 watt Luxeon bulb and puts out 90 lumen's of light .

I have both and for in the home or taking the dog out at night they are great lights , with very powerful beams capable of ruining someones night vision when aimed in their eyes especially the 90 lumen model . The nice thing about these as I said is you can get batteries anywhere even your local all night gas station/convenience store , and use rechargeable batteries in them also .
 
In my opinion shotguns for close in work and home defense are really great especially using double O buck. I keep a usp as backup and as another weapon I would suggest an assault rifle just in case things get really hairy. Also get a really bright flashlight...surefire something with 120 lumens or more.
 
Access

Thank you for the thoughtful responses. It seems that the two consistent messages are:
- invest in training
- make sure you have access in multiple situations.

I've already started with the first and I could not agree more that training, more than specific equipment, will be the thing that matters mosts.

As for the second, access, would a smaller caliber gun, like a Walther PP, be a good choice? I think it would fit easily in most pockets and be easy to have available when answering the door, working outside, etc.. Many have said that a .32 is under powered, but wouldn't an under powered weapon be better than no weapon if the size made it much more convenient to have around?

Also, I live in Los Angeles, so a CCW permit is out the question (they rarely allow them to joe citizen). However, I live close to the Ventura county line and may eventually consider moving across the county line to where a CCW permit is more likely.
 
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You have a good start. Any gun is better than no gun, so if you have a .32 Walkther than start with that. The main thing is to have something you can shoot well and is very reliable with the ammo you use.

You may consider a pocket revolver such as the S&W 642 or similar with .38 +P loads. Or a compact pistol such as a Glock 19 or 26 or the corresponding Springfield XDs.

I think one shotgun and two handguns would be the minumum you want. A second shotgun or carbine like the Marlin 1894 .357 would be a very good addition. Like the old saying, "One is none and two is one." Things tend to fail at the worst times.
 
I concur with Run&Gun I'm not a big shotgun or longgun fan. My dad was a cop, and we had pistols, LOTS OF PISTOLS in the house. My wife and I have 2 Glock 26s underneath our bed in seperate lockboxes. I also have a Kel-Tec P3at .380, as my always with me carry gun. Its small, lightweight, but still packs a punch. If I hear a weird noise at night or someone is knocking at the door later than usual, I can stick the little .380 in my pocket and check it out without freaking out my young kids. Also if something bad is happening a handgun is a lot easier to clear rooms with, and with the other hand open you can hold a flashlight, a child (moving them into a safe room), or a phone. Shotguns are OK but IMHO you should first start with a good handgun. Shotguns are hard to manuver in tight places,are lower capacity, and unless it a semiauto in a panic situation you can jam up a pump shotgun or fumble a reload of a single or double barreled shotgun.

If you live in boonies do get a 16" or 18" barrel shotgun along with a handgun or two, because unlike a handgun you can take out a lot of 4 legged animals with buckshot and slugs.
 
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