Pick 1 For Home Defense Gun
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KevininPa
Member
Other. 12g.
AKElroy
Member
Amen. I have shot a number of different media with rifles/handguns/shotguns, from paper to glass to junkyard appliances to cactus to jackrabbits with every type of firearm & ammo including 3" 00, 000 and 4 buck. Hands down, the most destructive force I have seen inside 10 paces is with 3" #6 shot. Nothing comes close. At short distances, I could not have more confidence in any defensive tool. Shooting 00 buck at that distance will fully penetrate an attaker, meaning a lot of energy is waisted on whatever those BB's find to hit next. Plus, you will need good sights (that most scatterguns do not come equipped with) with buck shot as an inside the house shot will not likely open-up more than 2-3". The #6 transfers 100% of its 2 oz. load without over penetrating, patterns an 18" hole at 10 paces w/ my cylinder bore 18" 1300 defender, and I still have 5 more shots left. Set up whatever media you think simulates an attack at "in the house" distances, (wet newspaper, milk jugs, ballistic gel if you can afford it) and blaze away with your favorite handgun & shotgun loads at say 7 yards. Save the # 6 shot for last; you will have a "holy crap!" moment.
dpeticca
Member
A shotgun and a 9mm. The 9mm is easier and cheaper to shoot. Those two factors will have a bigger impact on the outcome of a shooting than the caliper.
Remington 870 with 00 Buckshot, and a Glock 19 with 147 Grain Federal HST is all the home defense weaponry one could possibly need.
Remington 870 with 00 Buckshot, and a Glock 19 with 147 Grain Federal HST is all the home defense weaponry one could possibly need.
AKElroy
Member
Sure, but why stop when justifying more guns is so much fun?
What about civil unrest? Got to have at least one loaded 30 rnd mag for the requisite AK / AR; (and 10 more empty mags for each in the safe while I can get them), an accurate rimfire w/lots of ammo to keep the pot full should we reach "the end"; must have a long range gun to reach out & touch the 300 yrd freezer doe, must have a good bird getter autoloading 12 gage, must have a tactical 12 gage pump for defense, must have a few high-cap pistols in 9mm and .40 S&W while I can still get them, must have enough of all of the above for family & friends, must have must have...................I'm feeling a new thread coming on...
heavyshooter
Member
I tried to get the best of both worlds.
Sig Sauer p226 - 15+1 rounds of 40 S&W
Sig Sauer p226 - 15+1 rounds of 40 S&W
thunder173
Member
.45,..it'll do to get me to a shotgun,....besides 9mm in close confines hurts my ears more than a
.45 does......
.45 does......
moooose102
Member
actualy, the best hd gun is probably a short repeating shotgun. and it is very obvious that the 9mm way outsells 45acp's. but of the two, the 45 is a much better choice.
wankerjake
Member
My opinion is that they are both good choices. There are many others as well (.40, .357/.38spl). I voted other.
PhiloebeddoUSA
Member
Ditto the shotgun. Mossberg 500 pistol grips, new for under $300. 7 + 1 capacity. Hard to beat a 12 ga.
CoRoMo
Member
Other.
12 gauge 870
12 gauge 870
1KPerDay
Member
Don't you mean 14+1? My Para-Ord P14-45 holds 14 in the mags...
Para LDA 1911 Limited Hi Cap in 45 ACP Escort to my Decked out Remington 7-shot packed with 00 BUCK.
For back up - the wife will be packing her Berretta Vertec 9mm w/laser sites and one of the black rifles with many hi cap mags. She made expert serving 6 + 2 years in the military (M16) and is twice the shot I am with a pistol.
Woe to the fool that picks our house on the block....
LGB
For back up - the wife will be packing her Berretta Vertec 9mm w/laser sites and one of the black rifles with many hi cap mags. She made expert serving 6 + 2 years in the military (M16) and is twice the shot I am with a pistol.
Woe to the fool that picks our house on the block....
LGB
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yourotherleft
Member
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- Feb 27, 2009
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If I have to pick, I'll pick 9mm with more capacity, as you may not know how many intruder in your house. Unless you carry another mag in your pocket. Another reason for 9mm, it's still manageable for my wife to use.
You may want to consider revolver on one side of the bed and shotgun on the other.
You may want to consider revolver on one side of the bed and shotgun on the other.
ByAnyMeans
Member
I would go with a 9mm 16+1.
I am guessing since this is a handgun sub-section shotguns are excluded. If not my home defense only gun would be a 12 gauge and my CCW pistol as back-up. Beauty of a Glock 26 is it like a Transformer. 10 rd. mag for pocket or light shirt carry, 12 round with more concealment clothing and a 15rd with spacer for at home.
I am guessing since this is a handgun sub-section shotguns are excluded. If not my home defense only gun would be a 12 gauge and my CCW pistol as back-up. Beauty of a Glock 26 is it like a Transformer. 10 rd. mag for pocket or light shirt carry, 12 round with more concealment clothing and a 15rd with spacer for at home.
oneounceload
member
If your gun can do that to the BG, it's also going to do it to you...laws of physics and all
I voted other, and if it HAD to be a handgun, it would be the highest capacity, biggest caliber I could shoot proficiently. Personally, I would prefer a .223 with a suppressor to keep my ears from bleeding......
TeamPrecisionIT
Member
I voted for the .45 just to give a definitive answer to the poll, but I have to say, a suppressed 11-14" M4 5.56 w/ 25-30rds in the mag is the best in home defense gun you can possibly have at the ready, FA even better. Plenty of stopping power, not a whole lot of overpenetration after hitting the BG and easy to manipulate and make very accurate hits. Also can be used one handed if need be, albeit not with anywhere near the same accuracy, where a shotgun can be cumbersome.
Sure, shotguns are great at the job, too, but magazine capacity is limited when facing more then one BG. I understand that a shotgun shoots 9 or more 'rounds' each trigger pull, but ultimately it doesn't pack the same punch as 9 5.56 rounds.
Damian
Sure, shotguns are great at the job, too, but magazine capacity is limited when facing more then one BG. I understand that a shotgun shoots 9 or more 'rounds' each trigger pull, but ultimately it doesn't pack the same punch as 9 5.56 rounds.
Damian
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
West German SIG-SAUER P220A or Springfield Armory XD-45 ACP~!
For HD, I use a Sig P-226. Sits right close, under the pillow. Sometimes, though, I switch to the S&W 686 Plus 7 shot revolver. I feel more than adequately protected by either gun and am a pretty good shot with each one.
BTW, my home is an RV (33' Class-A), so a shotgun seems just a tad long in tight quarters and I totally do not like 20 gauge or pistol gripped adjustable stocked models. When a SG is called for, I have an ex-LE Remington 870 (stoked with 00-Buck) with old school police walnut furniture and a short barrel. With that piece I feel more than adequately armed.
BTW, my home is an RV (33' Class-A), so a shotgun seems just a tad long in tight quarters and I totally do not like 20 gauge or pistol gripped adjustable stocked models. When a SG is called for, I have an ex-LE Remington 870 (stoked with 00-Buck) with old school police walnut furniture and a short barrel. With that piece I feel more than adequately armed.
Once you meet some very basic criteria (mechanical reliability, a "minimal power" for the round which you can arbitrarily set for yourself, a reasonable capacity), you should go with one thing and one thing alone: which gun do you shoot the best?
Seriously. You can have a ninja'ed out 1911 with lights and lasers and super-dooper hollowpoints, if you can't shoot the blessed thing worth a darn, it's a worse choice for HD gun than the S&W j-frame loaded with wadcutters in your dresser drawer that you can reliably use to put two rounds COM on a silhouette target at 10'.
Once you get to a certain level of hardware performance, the software matters a lot more. 9mm vs .45 is a pointless debate.
Mike
Seriously. You can have a ninja'ed out 1911 with lights and lasers and super-dooper hollowpoints, if you can't shoot the blessed thing worth a darn, it's a worse choice for HD gun than the S&W j-frame loaded with wadcutters in your dresser drawer that you can reliably use to put two rounds COM on a silhouette target at 10'.
Once you get to a certain level of hardware performance, the software matters a lot more. 9mm vs .45 is a pointless debate.
Mike
matai
Member
15+1 fnp 45
chieftain
Member
12ga or 20 ga. I personally use 12ga for home defense inside. I use my XCR setup for home defense if I think the fight will go outside. First grab is for the ole' dog eared double barrel.
If I had only one weapon for home defense it would be a shotgun.
Either a pump, semi auto or double barrel.
I am presently using my double barrel hammer gun loaded with #1 Buck per FBI minimum shot size recommendation. If we get to reloads, they are double ought. All my pumps are in the safe, with my rifles and carbines.
Best advice from the FBI for a fighting weapon:
This applies to ALL HOME OWNERS TOO.
Old adage, you get caught in a fight with a handgun, you go to a fight with a shoulder weapon.
My personal felt adage, a handgun is for convenience and a shoulder arm is for fighting.
This is the advice from folks with experience in gun fighting. Amateurs rely on handguns when they could have had a shoulder weapon. First home defense weapon must be a rifle/carbine or shotgun.
Please don't rationalize.
Go figure.
Fred
If I had only one weapon for home defense it would be a shotgun.
Either a pump, semi auto or double barrel.
I am presently using my double barrel hammer gun loaded with #1 Buck per FBI minimum shot size recommendation. If we get to reloads, they are double ought. All my pumps are in the safe, with my rifles and carbines.
Best advice from the FBI for a fighting weapon:
This applies to ALL HOME OWNERS TOO.
Old adage, you get caught in a fight with a handgun, you go to a fight with a shoulder weapon.
My personal felt adage, a handgun is for convenience and a shoulder arm is for fighting.
This is the advice from folks with experience in gun fighting. Amateurs rely on handguns when they could have had a shoulder weapon. First home defense weapon must be a rifle/carbine or shotgun.
Please don't rationalize.
Go figure.
Fred
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