Posted on 08/06/2022 6:33:10 AM PDT by jagusafr
With limited funds for firearms purchase, what are thoughts about home defense shotgun v. SHTF AR or other style rifle? Which would be your priority?
If you are talking just one gun go with the shot gun. 12 gauge. Depending in your shells you can hunt everything from rabbit to duck to deer and it in excellent home defense. Their drawback is limited range. A Mossberg 500 pump is cheap(er), very effective and extremely reliable/durable.
I have seen many discussions like this on other sites.
They all agree that, if a bad guy is kicking on your door, you should grab your shotgun loaded with slugs or buckshots.
If you don’t know what the shorties are:
https://www.federalpremium.com/shotshell/federal-target/shorty-shotshell/11-SH129+8.html
9mm is rimless - you would need to attach moon clips to shoot them out of a 357 revolver. Not a good combo.
We have a Mossberg 500 tactical. Highly recommend it. There are many affordable ARs. Windham makes a good one for around $1,000. Or you can get a Daniel Defense for around $2,200.
For me, if you are using it for tactical/home defense purposes and not hunting you should go with the 18â barrel. The shortest thatâs legal. Itâs lighter and easier to maneuver in tight spaces like doorways. It also has a wider spread but inside a house the range is so close the spread will still be tight. About the diameter of a ping pong ball.
Both. Find a way.
Home defense is shot gun all the way.
You donât have to be âaccurateâ and itâs not going to blow through three walls and kill a neighbor.
And the racking of a shot gun will make most nuts pause.
Easy to shoot
Easy to maintain
Ideal for a novice.
Thanks for the link! I’ll be thinking about that. If I ever had a shared wall or built a house this is a serious consideration.
I found a level 8 for sale... 4’ by 8’
$1,700
Wow. I’m gonna have to start pitching this to wife now if I want to build in a decade...
Make sure that whatever you purchase, it is the same caliber as the cops use so you have an inexhaustible supply of ammunition!
I agree with all that and usually you can go out to your balcony and fire a few blasts in the air to scare any bad guys away.
Now... time for a nap and diaper change. /Joe out.
If you could afford it, a pistol caliber carbine in 9mm should be considered. Ruger makes a 9mm rifle that is based on the tried and true Ruger 10/22 design. It will take cheap Glock 9mm magazines. (A major plus - proprietary mags are expensive). It would be an excellent self defense rifle in home and out to 150 yard. You could later get a 9mm pistol. The combo would use the same ammo so you only have to worry about stocking up on one caliber. Also 9mm ammo is probably to most common plentiful round in the world. A very solid choice for both everyday practical use and survival. If I was just starting out with firearms, that would be my choice.
One major drawback to this option at this time is cost and availability of ammo. 20 gauge is more expensive just about everywhere you look. If you can find it. Bulk ammo has it. It's $150 for 250 rounds for the cheapest stuff, where 12 gauge is $105 for 250 rounds.
Didn’t know you were interested. Was in your area for a week in July, we should have had coffee.
Posters above have already mentioned that a meaningful answer to your question depends on the environment you have. Most firearms useful for self defense will penetrate one or more interior walls in most houses or apartments, many will also easily penetrate an exterior wall. Some firearms will penetrate far more than others, so it’s an important consideration.
For home defense, I vote with those who favor a shotgun. Preferably a 12-gauge, but a twenty will do if you have problems with recoil for one reason or another. In the Great Ammo shortage we are in now, almost every gunshop, etc, I’ve visited has had some sort of 12-gauge ammo, but sometimes no 20-gauge.
Keep in mind that the light dove loads you are likely to see a lot of now, with dove season coming up, are not great for stopping things bigger than doves. At very close range, they will do the job, but if you have to go with bird shot, try to get No. 4 or No. 6 shot, if no buckshot is available.
As to shotgun brands, the Remington 870 pump is economical and super reliable. If you are a lefthander or grew up shooting Winchesters like I did, there is also the Mossberg 550 pump. The Mossberg safety is easily moved by either thumb. Also an ultra reliable firearm.
Most semiautomatic shotguns will have less felt recoil than pumps, but you will spend more money for them, especially if you want the same reliability. There are other good guns out there, including ones made in Turkey, but I’d stick with Remington or Benelli for semiautomatos.
Put tactile references on the mags. Or use only metal for one and plastic (P-Mags) for the other. Or only have out what you need to load. If the .300 is out, don't have 5.56/.223 in reach and vice versa.
Pistol caliber carbine
Ammo cheaper
Weapons are cheaper
The link above is a review of the Savage Stevens 320 12 guage shotgun.
Rem 870 or Mossberg 500. Simple design. Easy clean. Lots of ammo. If you have even shot a firearm at night, the you can appreciate a shot gun. 4 buck for self defense. Slugs for anything short of a garbage truck.
/Thread
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.