inexpensive home defense weapon vs high end.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Redlg155

Redlg155

Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2002
Messages
2,725
Location
NW Florida
I'm sure this topic has been covered before, but how many folks here choose a relatively inexpensive, but reliable weapon for home defense due to confiscation/evidence concerns?. I have an AR that when equipped, totals over 2k in cost for the weapon, light, accessories, etc.

I would much rather have a $300 870 confiscated, even if for just a short period of time.
 
+1!!! I use what works the best. I don't care whether an expensive gun or a cheap gun gets held for months as long as it saves my life first.
 
The more important question is "What is your life worth".

My HD weapon is an AR. Once my Paperwork comes back it will be an SBR with a AAC suppressor.
 
Did you not build the AR to defend yourself? I am confused. Last thing I would worry about is a gun being confiscated....Russ
 
That's the last thing that I would worry about. Your life is worth more than 2k, right? So use the best tool that you feel the need to. Be glad you are alive, you're firearm will be back in your alive hands soon enough. The odds are low you'll ever even need it...but wouldn't you rather have the best available tool handy for the job at hand?

That about covers it.
 
Armchair commandos keep AR rifles for home protection. Suppressors for home defense?

Firearm owners and shooters will keep a quality multi shell shotgun on hand for home protection. A tactical light is a solid accessory.

Choosing the proper shells will limit wall penetration. The loud noise and violence of action will cause the intruder to crap their drawers.... and will alert neighbors. You have a much better chance of incapacitating the intruder with a shotgun in close quarters than with an AR. If I do not hit the intruder, they are not going to stick around... which is fine with me.
 
Last edited:
As mentioned, use the gun you are most comfortable with. If you are concerned about the AR being confiscated and feel you would be well served by an 870 and are able to use it enough to be comfortable with it, go for it. The 870 should work just as well as the AR in a HD situation (IMHO). We are talking of a distance of a few feet, perhaps at night, in what will likely be a high stress situation. Unless you see a need for the pinpoint accuracy of the AR vs the Ka-boom! of the 870, and are able to use that accuracy in such a situation I believe it's a coin toss.

My go to for a bump in the night is a 1911 followed by an 870 followed by (don't laugh) a pre-64 Winchester 94 in 32 Winchester Special. There's a couple of others in the corner for grins and giggles but if those three don't take care of it I'm probably toasted anyway.

I can hit what I'm pointed at with all three weapons and feel comfortable with each.
 
I'm going to use the nearest gun, I don't care what it cost. If they take all my guns then while they have them I'll buy a cheap Mossberg to use till I get them back.
 
If I successfully used a $2,000 firearm to protect me/my families life and the police take the firearm afterwards; IMHO that's a small price to pay.
 
I think the purpose of this thread is just to start something. I do not think the origanal question is real. Guy is laughing right now at the posts. I am not buying it...Russ
 
Lets see they still have 3 of mine, and I keep getting them back usually after all appeals are exhausted, what I hate is the court number etched into the frame!
 
And the BS is rising. My response was honest though, I reach for the gun I shoot the most and the best... mine happens to be a .357 wheelgun.
 
Medina, Ohio S&W Mod 10 3"
Topeka, Kansas Ruger 77 in .223
Thorton, Colorado Ruger SP 101 in .32 H&R Mag


Just for mcdonl, when I get home I will give him the case #s from the receipts.
 
Many guns can be good for home defense, cheap or expensive. Boils down to knowing how to properly use it and using the right load. Even a cheap single shot 12ga with buck can be very effective in the hands of someone that knows how to aim, fire and reload properly.

A guy that fumbles and can't get his multi-thousand dollar contraption working 'cause he spent more money on lasers and rails will be a lot less effective at protecting himself and his own than a man that has thousands of rounds behind even the crude hi-point. Even then, I don't see what's wrong with using an AR for home defense if the user is competent with it. With the right bullet, it will fragment and become less lethal quicker compared to pretty much every other common caliber. It's an exception to the "anything that penetrates a BG penetrates drywall". BIRDSHOT IS FOR BIRDS. On the subject of suppressors, I'd use one for HD if it was legal here. You can't be expected to throw on your hearing protection and most calibers, when fired in a house, can easily blow your eardrums out.

tl;dr use what you have the most practice with, try to keep it to a long gun, shotguns need to be aimed just like any other firearm and don't use birdshot.
 
Armchair commandos keep AR rifles for home protection. Suppressors for home defense?

Firearm owners and shooters will keep a quality multi shell shotgun on hand for home protection. A tactical light is a solid accessory.

Choosing the proper shells will limit wall penetration. The loud noise and violence of action will cause the intruder to crap their drawers.... and will alert neighbors. You have a much better chance of incapacitating the intruder with a shotgun in close quarters than with an AR. If I do not hit the intruder, they are not going to stick around... which is fine with me.
Click to expand...

Surely you jest?

You broadly define all those who keep an AR, and presumably any other semi-auto carbine for defense "armchair commandos" under the assumption that all knowledgeable shooters stick to the shotgun, then go on to explain why the OP should adopt the tactics of a poor action movie? Steven Seagal, is that you?

Nevermind all the real advantages a carbine has over the shotgun in terms of versatility, reduced recoil and increased fire rate, capacity and firepower, range, ect. Also pay no attention to the fact that a semi-auto carbine can usually be made shorter than a shotgun, legally, or the fact that many of them are lighter and more maneuverable. Also pay no attention to the fact that with proper ammunition selection, a carbine can provide excellent terminal effect with less penetration through interior walls...

Lets instead focus on racking the slide to scare away the intruder? Really? And you call us the armchair commandos?

HAHAHAHAHA!!
 
I am surprised at the number of responses so far. As for home defense, I always have several options on hand. I of course subscribe to the school of using whatever weapon you are most familiar with, and in this instance, my AR. I've been using this platform on both a professional and personal level for over 20 years.


On another seperate note.....I just returned from FT Stewart, GA where I attended a welcome home ceremony for my stepson. I decided to check out the local Wallyworld, aka Wal-mart to see if the gun selection was any better since it is located just outside of the gate of a major armored division. Guess what....no guns. You have to travel 40 miles away to the Walmart in Jesup to purchase a rifle. As we all know, this does not make good business sense to not sell rifles when you have thousands of Army soldiers stationed near the town. Therefore it must be a political decision from Walmart combined with the input of the Army not quite trusting Armed soldiers outside of the confines of the post.
 
MTMilitiaman, please excuse my ignorance for my leading men through three Infantry deployments and service as a trained Sniper does not measure up to your vast real world knowledge and experience. ;)

I am extremely proficient with an AR platform. For close quarter defensive battle, the shotgun is superior. Yes, you still have to aim. 00 buckshot is more likely to stop the intruder in their tracks than 5.56, even if I miss center mass. 5.56 to the shoulder or leg may not prevent an intruder from moving forward (especially if scared into "survival" mode from the injury). 00 is more likely to put the intruder on his ass. Even if I miss completely, the receiving end of the blast will do more to disorient the intruder. I will have PLENTY of time for a follow up shot.

I can tell you first hand that a 00 buckshot will not do any more damage to your ears in closed quarters than a carbine AR. Different sound, both extremely uncomfortable. BOOM vs. CRACK. When defending my family and self, I can deal with the discomfort.

A very bright TACTICAL mounted flashlight provides the defender with a significant advantage. It is amazing just how effectively the bright light will disorientate an attacker. No, do not walk around with the light on.... making yourself a target. Aim as you illuminate. Fire.

Pistol grips that replace the buttstock suck. A collapsible AR type buttstock on a shotgun is nice. Length is NOT an issue, unless you are using your G-fathers goose barreled shotgun.

Regarding sidearms... I'm not as proficient with a handgun as I am with either an AR or a 870, therefor it would not be my first choice, but a SIG P229 .40 should serve as adequate back-up.

Aside from all the tough guy BS talk about shooting people, I just assume scare the invader(s) off without any blood shed. I have no desire to expose my family to it.
 
Last edited:
:what:Plus you would not want to scratch that nice AR or knock off some of the accessorys walking down a dark hallway...Russ;)
 
Armchair commandos keep AR rifles for home protection....Firearm owners and shooters will keep a quality multi shell shotgun on hand for home protection.
Click to expand...
If you prefer a shotgun, great, but using a shotgun (or not) vs. using an AR (or not) has no bearing on one's "armchair commando" status. Like mcdonl said, use what you're comfortable with, but don't call people names just because they choose differently than you do.

A tactical light is a solid accessory.
Click to expand...
Agreed.
 
Regarding the armchair commando statement, I forget that some people have thin skins. Excuse me. It was a joke.... not anymore serious than question presented in the first post.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
Prefered Home Defense Weapon
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
137
Views
9K
Charles Foxtrot
C
S
  • Locked
Best inexpensive home defense weapon (again, i know).
2
Replies
44
Views
3K
RONSTAR
R
N
  • Locked
Home Defense weapon, help me make a decision
2 3
Replies
59
Views
2K
BothellBob
B
Redlg155
  • Locked
Anyone else use a inexpensive gun for HD due to confiscation concerns?
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
hksw
H
1
  • Locked
12 gauge better than AR for home defense
2
Replies
41
Views
2K
Robert
Robert
Back
Top