Long Gun or Handgun for Home Defense?

[PzGren]

At the phantastic Redbrush Rifle Range in Indiana I had access to both a falling plate machine and a timer.

I had always considered myself an above average shooter with the handgun but was surprised how much faster I did with the Remington 870 at the falling plates, it was over one second faster. By the way, those plates fell much harder....

A handgun is easier to conceal and carry, a rifle has reach and power, a shotgun gives coverage, speed, and power at closer range.

If I can grab a shotgun to defend my life, I will.

 

[yzguy]

here is another simplex shot gun locking cabinet:

http://www.grant-ent.com/vline/3842.htm

 

[Cosmoline]

I prefer a long gun with a tactical light, but as of now I have about four places across 200 miles that I sleep on any given night, so a handgun has taken its place at my bedside. Usually my Ruger Security Six, or a more compact .38 Special.

No question, though. A long gun is better on all counts--accuracy, power and persuasive force.

 

[benEzra]

A handgun with expanding ammo is the next best thing, but if you live in apartments/condos a miss could still cause tragedy.
A centerfire rifle is probably the worst choice, as penetration even with SP/HP bullets is WAY excessive. Remember rule 4. If you live rural this is probably not as much of a concern.

Actually, this is less true of lightweight JHP's in .223 (e.g., Federal 40gr), which have considerably less penetration in both wallboard and gelatin than even 115gr 9mm. The .223 will be considerably louder than the handgun, though (but so will the shotgun, of course).

 

[Sven]

No shotgun yet. I know, I know... don't worry: I'm seeking therapy of the 870/1100 variety in the not-too-distant future.

Until then, I still have a hard time imagining anything my Glock 17 stoked with 17 +P Georgia Arms hollowpoints wouldn't be able to handle.

-sven, with "Austrian firearms, made out of plastic"

 

[BerettaNut92]

Sven, what about the M1A?

 

[sw442642]

I think whether or not you have trained with either gun in a tactical situation is rather
important. If you have a shotgun, have you really practiced moving in tight places with iit?

Have you considered whether you will cause a user induced failure in a pump and can you
deal with it?

Will you have to deal with doors, a flashlight, the phone, kids, etc? Can you do this holding
the shotgun?

Last, the shotgun is high recoil. Many experts recommend an AR. Ammo is available to handle
penetration problems. Buckshot will whip right out of your house also.

Have both guns, I'm not a fan of the shotgun over the AR. This is an old debate but I think shotguns
have the benefit of being cheap and folks are enamoured with racking and looking like
Ah-nuld.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

I have a shotgun in the bedroom. I use me carry gun everywhere else in the apartment. Once in awhile I declare "Revolver Appreciation Day" and get out my M686.
Prefer a shotgun to a handgun inside a dwelling to minimize overpenetration and hopefully knockdown the bad guy quickly.

ZM

 

[444]

Like most, both. I almost always have a handgun within reach of me. Usually it is my regular CCW gun that I am either wearing, or I took it off and it is sitting next to me. If I am actually investigating a noise, or have reason to believe that something is going on, I will have an AR15 with a Surefire 910A Weaponslight.
I would use a shotgun if it had an integral light, but I don't currently own one.
I always answer the door armed. The idea that you don't live in that kind of neighbor hood is a fallacy. Crime happens everywhere. Think about this; if you were going to rob a house, what kind of house would you rob ? A section 8 house of a house where it is obvious that the occupants have something worth taking ? Even if only one violent crime ever occured in your neighborhood in history, what if it occured to you ? I don't know of any violent crime that has occured in my neighborhood, but then, I really wouldn't have any way of knowing about it unless I saw it. And, there is always a first time for everything.

 

[Trebor]

The handgun and the shotgun each have a role in home defense, but beware of using your long gun as your primary HD gun. The disadvantage of the shotgun is that it takes two hands to use and isn't as, uh, handy as a pistol. With a handgun you still have one hand free to open/close doors, turn lights on or off, carry your kids to safety, etc. It's much harder to do those things with a shotgun. A handgun also is more discrete to keep on your person or beyond your back in the "discreet ready" position when you go to answer any unexpected knocks at the door.

Shotguns work well as the "heavy artillery" in the safe room. Once you've retreated to the safe room you can ready the shotgun to greet anyone who ignores your warnings and tries to enter. Once you are there, you don't need to worry about keeping a hand free to manipulate things as you move through the house.

 

[atek3]

Sven, why the glock? I thought you were a jardin custom kind of guy?

atek3

 

[Kharn]

I have two 1911s in a locked desk drawer in my room (not for John Woo'ing, just because I have two of them), my gunsafe with all my other guns is in the guest room, so its inaccessable unless I have a minute to get into it. When I move out of my parents house, the shotgun's coming out of the gunsafe and going under the bed (and a Rottwieler or German Shepard will be following me home from the animal shelter).

Kharn

 

[CZ52GUY]

HD variables...

I guess because of where I live, HD takes on multiple "scenarios" that would require different tools.

Because of the layout in my house, indoor HD is largely to be provided by an Autoloading Handgun, with NS and Tactical light attached. Mossberg 500 is "safe-room barricade" weapon of choice.

Outdoor HD depends on the nature of the threat. If suspicious of prowler or 4-legged intruder, the Mossy comes with me with sidearm in holster. If intimidation and possible follow-through against multiple threats is required, one of my AK's is likely to be chosen with a full capacity sidearm preferred.

I answer the door unarmed because the odds are heavily weighted against the need for an armed response and I'm comfortable that I can physically handle most circumstances where a peek out the window justifies opening the door.

Bottom line, I don't believe there is a one size fits all solution...which is why I have more than one tool in the safe, and work diligently to gain/retain proficiency with each.

Safe shooting,

CZ52'