My take on the "best" gun for defense

[JSH1]

http://www.lockjawsecurity.com/pdf/L...gFactSheet.pdf
2nd line, according to the FBI

Your "fact" sheet is an advertising flyer from a company that sells locks. It has no references besides a link that goes the to FBI's main webpage.

What I posted is the abstract from the Department of Justice Report on Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010. The full report is available for you download and read if you would like: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4594

Which do you think is more trustworthy? A sales flyer that claims what the DOJ reports, or the actual DOJ report?

 

[chopinbloc]

If almost 80% of rapes involve someone that the victim knows there is no way that 60% can be from home invasions.

This statement is logically flawed. It assumes that just because a person is known to another person that they cannot break into or force entry into a home. If you wish to refute him, you'll need to use different data.

Rather than get wrapped around the axle about the data, let's just focus on things that are commonly known to everyone: regardless of the rate at which they occur, home invasions, burglary, and forced entry do happen. They do happen in "nice" neighborhoods.


As for the price, a shotgun is a fantastic home defense tool for someone with arms long enough to operate it properly and for someone who is willing to invest the time and money to train how to operate it well under stress. You cannot deny the difficulty imposed by short arms and/or a training deficit.

If one were to choose an affordable home defense gun for someone of small stature and/or someone not willing or able to train as much, a Hi-Point carbine would be high on the list. It has a simple manual of arms. It holds more ammo than even 20" shotguns like the 590. It has virtually no recoil. True, the terminal effect of pistol ammo is a bit lacking but everything is a compromise.

In the article I paid short shrift to expense and it is a worthwhile point. The overall purpose of the article was not to list some cheap and effective options, but to look at what weapon one should choose to spend one's time and money to purchase and develop competence.

 

[ApplePie]

Interesting test on penetration through a gelatin block and drywall with a .223. Most of us don't go through the trouble of doing tests like this, so thanks for doing it for us!

I didn't see what type of bullet was used. That's important information for this test.

 

[chopinbloc]

The .223 test was Prvi Partizan 75 gr BTHP. If information seems to be missing from one of my videos, check the comments. I usually post more details in the comments section.

 

[JSH1]

If you wish to refute him, you'll need to use different data.

I'm not the one that made a claim based on an advertisement meant to scare people into buying locks to put on their locks. Generally it is up to the person that makes a claim to provide evidence to support that claim.

However, it is easy to see that the lock company's claim is false. Neither the FBI nor the DOJ record data on home invasions. There is also nothing in the report I linked that can be construed to say that 60% of rapes happen in home invasions. The report says only 55% of rapes took place in or around the victims home. The claim is simply false.

Rather than get wrapped around the axle about the data, let's just focus on things that are commonly known to everyone: regardless of the rate at which they occur, home invasions, burglary, and forced entry do happen. They do happen in "nice" neighborhoods.

The rate does matter. It helps prioritize things that have a reasonable chance of happening and those that don't. I reasonable person works on eliminated things that are the greatest threat first.

You cannot deny the difficulty imposed by short arms and/or a training deficit.

Yet you seem to deny that semi-autos also have difficulties when it comes to training deficits. Semi-autos have more things to go wrong. You have to find the type of ammo that feeds reliably. They are much more sensitive to cleaning and lubrication. In my opinion a semi-auto is a very poor choice for someone that is going to buy a gun, go to the range once or twice, and then put it in the nightstand. I've been to the range to many time with friends and coworkers that pull out the semi-automatic pistol that they keep for home defense or concealed carry, fire a couple of rounds, the gun jams, and they can't figure out how to clear the jam. Semi autos are great in skilled hands, but they require more training and maintenance than other action types.

 

[Baba Louie]

Good essay.

I tend to agree & think there is no "best" per se, but what you have handy when the balloon goes up and hopefully some training to go with it... also, that everything is a compromise of one sort or another, be it where you live, round (cartridge/shell) chosen, weapon in hand, amount of training, layers of defense, dogs, alarms, what-have-you.

To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

So the best might be the one you did not have to use... because if you did use something (whatever you had at hand, say) once the dust settles and the smoke clears, I'd think one might reconsider their choice for the next go round and add more power to the equation, as in the old axiom, "once bitten twice shy" school of thought.

While I enjoy reading the "Armed Citizen" in the American Rifleman every month, I often wonder if any of the good guy victims would, after the fact, consider using the same tools again or if they now felt the need for "more" in their search for the "best" gun for defense? Of course, not all of them actually had to shoot their bad guys (see above Sun Tzu quote), so, maybe 50/50. Dunno.

Always enjoy a good "Which is best" thread? This thread and all the responses are actually quite good. Kind of a THR trait one would suppose.

 

[chopinbloc]

Oh, well if only a little over half of rapes happen in the home then we must be perfectly safe at home. The core of the issue is the illusion that you are safe at home. Burglaries, beatings, murders, rapes, and all manner of bad things happen to people in their own homes. Even in nice neighborhoods.