Need suggestions for low recoil defense gun

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Guvnor

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Basically I have a messed up shoulder which limits how much recoil I can handle...but id like to get a long gun for defensive role.

A few examples I had in mind were:

Hi point 9mm carbine?

Or maybe a semi auto .223?

Perhaps a .357 levergun loaded with cowboy action loads?

Any thoughts or suggestions? Which of the 3 listed would have the least recoil?

Thanks for the help!
 
Heavy gun with light loads...

Check out the AK74, AKs usually weigh more than ARs. The 5.45x39 round has a very low recoil impulse.

The softest shooting gun I own is my Uzi. 10lb gun firing 9mmP makes for a soft shooter.

BSW
 
An AR15 is very light on the shoulder, if you want to make it heavy then get a bull-barreled one, or a 16" Disapator, and to make it more than heavy put some tacticool stuff on it (like flashlights, lasers, optics,etc. etc....):)
 
hmmmmm...

I'd go for a small SMG, maybe a scorpion vz.61. It's a .32 ACP, blowback operated, I've never even seen a real one with my own two eyes, but I'm thinking it'd have very little recoil. And it can be kept in a holster like a pistol. It's sometimes refered to as a machine pistol. Not sure of the legal status of a scorpion though, and .32 ACP may be a bit scarce, but check it out anyways...

I heard that .38 Special revolvers are popular for self defence. If you're gonna get one, get it in .357 Magnum so you can use both .357 Magnum and .38 Special bullets in it.
BE CAREFUL when mixing .357 Mag and .38 Special - you CANT put a .357 Mag cartridge into a .38 Special gun, .38 Special can't handle the pressure, but the vice versa is safe.

That's what I'd go for, a scorpion and a 9mm revolver (.357/.38). But you wanted a long gun, so you're refering to shotguns or rifles yeah?

Any shotgun would be suitable for me, an over-&-under break action 12 gauge. Maybe a pump-action would be better, as it can hold more shells.
Shotguns are excellent, as you can put anything into a shotgun shell, with the right tools. Rock Salt is a nice non-lethal buckshot-type projectile that won't penetrate, but'll make the victim sting and he'll be in pain for a while!
A 12 gauge is quite a bit of kick though. Maybe a 20 gauge or smaller would be better, less recoil. But you can get low pressure ammunition for minimal recoil, I think...

If we're talking rifles, any .223 caliber rifle will have little recoil as I believe, and will be lethal enough at close range, which is good enough for self defence. Maybe an AR-15 or similar gun would be a good choice.
I've heard of a gun called a Bushmaster Carbon-15. It's an AR-15 with a 10 inch barrel and rails for sights, quite small. For self defence I'd get me one of those. It has no buttstock, although the the receiver extention sticks out, so you have to use it like a pistol, or just shoot it without firing from the shoulder.
I'm thinking of practicality here. That means anything small enough to easily move inside of a house. shotguns are good enough for self defense.

I've only ever shot handguns, and the only gun I've mentioned above that I've actually shot is the revolver, a S&W model 586. Beyond that I'm just talking about what I know about guns in general. I'd feel very comfortable with a shotgun for defence at point blank range.

Those are just my thoughts...

Here in Australia, self defence is not a valid reason to get a firearm license. You're lucky that you can go to a gun store and get anything you want in there. God Bless America! :D
 
A 20g shotgun is the most obvious answer for a HD longarm. The Saiga 12 has been the softest kicking shotty I've ever fired.

Any carbine that fires a handgun caliber will also have minimal to no recoil. Softest kicker in that category was a Thompson sub-gun belonging to a friend. It did seem to weigh as much as a small microwave though, my hat goes off to those guys who lugged it through the jungles of the world in the name of freedom.

As for a .223, you might want to try one of the 'bullpup' varities like an AUG or FS2000. The rearward weight of the actions soaks up recoil.

Good luck with your choice and let us know how you get on.
 
.357 LEVER GUN that is my vote. It shoots little heavier than a .22 with very little recoil. Fun to shoot and practice with. You can even shoot .38 spec with some models to practice with. Marlin 1894 has a 10 round tube and fits everything you are looking for.

My reasons against an AR is: bad shoulder= more things to do with that shoulder.
 
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Basically I have a messed up shoulder which limits how much recoil I can handle...but id like to get a long gun for defensive role.
Click to expand...
guvnor,
could you learn to shoot using the other shoulder if so that would open up a unlimited area.... and to practice buy a .22 cal for techinic and ability to shoot via good shoulder just a thought that may be a better option...
 
Thanks for the help guys. Unfortunately price is a factor, so an AR15 is probably out of reach.

Im starting to lean towards a carbine like the hi point or the marlin .357 levergun. I might look into a 410 shotgun as well.
 
Well Guvnor I don't know how bad your shoulder is. I tore mine 11 years ago. It makes range times with my larger rifles a bit rough. But I never feel them when I'm hunting.
I would lean towards the Marlin from your choices. It would be a more useful caliber for me.
Don't know if this helped or not.

jim
 
The .357 would be the winner given the price of a Henry compared to a Bushy.
I'm partial to the AR for HD, but there's no arguing against the .357 magnum round, especially out of a rifle!!

Know the gun.
 
I vote for the .410

A break action .410 is my back-up HD gun.

You can get buckshot loads, as well as slugs that still pack plenty of wollup at HD ranges.

You could probably find a decent break action for a few hundred bucks....
 
marlin 45-70 with blackpowder loads?:what:

Honestly m-1 carbine.

ar in 9mm

if you really had the cash m-3 grease gun:evil:
 
Suupose it is going to depend on just how bad your shoulder is combined with your budget. I have a shoulder injury from military service. Some days are worse than others. In my case fortunately I don't have a problem with 7.62X39 fired from an SKS or AK system..and from there going down in caliber. 30-30 actually gives me some trouble after a few rounds to give you an idea.

The 2 softest shooters that I actually have and the easiest on my shoulder are: (1) Russian SKS with laminate stock complete with bayonet (7.62x39 combined with some weight). Perceived recoil seems lower to me than my AR and my Mini-14 for some reason. But I don't shoot this one much because it is mint and hard to find. (2) Beretta CX4 Storm chambered in 9mm (love this thing but don't post about it much because a lot of people do not seem to like or see the point of a pistol caliber carbine).

If I was to start over given today's prices trying to stay within a budget I would probably see if an SKS or Mini-14 was tolerable to start with, give serious consideration to a lever action rifle chambered in 357 mag, or go with a pistol caliber carbine (such as the high point 995, discontinued Marlin Camp 9, discontinued Ruger PC-9....the Beretta Storm's are going for AR prices now unfortunately).
 
I am going to have to say it is doubtful you will even notice the recoil in a SD situation. that said, .223s are very maneagable and is there some reason you are avoiding a hand held solution to this problem I personally advocate for a shotgun for Home defense situations (which I am assuming is the case as the guns in question are long guns) I would look for a solution in 20 ga or greater.. Pistol grip, recoil pad, muzzle break, Porting, whatever you must do.. there are Multiple options
 
Perhaps I didn't read all the posts, but no one has mentioned 5.7x28?? Talk about low recoil. I KNOW that the stopping power of 5.7 is some what questionable but light, relatively short, easy to handle and a LOT of ammo...I would use it if the recoil is a big concern.
PS90grn.jpg
 
Good gosh. 12 gauge shotguns for a guy who has shoulder problems and $2000 show offs for a guy on a budget!

To the OP- any of the three guns you mention will be very light on recoil. If your shoulder is healthy enough to lift the gun into position then it can take the hit from those calibers. I'm no fan of High Point personally, so I'd eliminate that one from the discussion. In .223, a Mini 14 is nice but you don't have to spend that much for a simple home defense gun. Ditto for the lever gun. Taurus also makes a pump .357 that's a little quicker for about the same price.
Mossberg makes a .410 tactical pump with a 3" chamber. It can shoot anything from the lightest to the heaviest loads, is cheaper than the other two guns you mention, and is a good stopper.
 
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