Posted on 10/10/2008 12:41:21 PM PDT by doug from upland
http://www.learnaboutguns.com/2008/03/30/selecting-a-gun-for-home-defense/
Selecting a Gun for Home Defense
Published by the LearnAboutGuns.com
Many people purchase their first gun for home defense, and the question of which type of gun to pick is a common one. The three basic choices are a handgun, shotgun, or rifle. Of the three, I would recommend a shotgun for most situations, with handguns being recommended for people who lack the physical ability to handle a shotgun. My recommendation for the “ideal” home defense shotgun, and the pros and cons of each of these firearm types, in the order which I recommend them, are discussed below.
My ideal home defense firearm is a 12 gauge pump action shotgun with an 18″ barrel and a magazine capacity of 6 shells or more, such as the Remington 870 XCS Marine Magnum. 12 gauge is the most common shotgun gauge these days, and 12 gauge shells are amazingly effective when loaded with 00 buckshot (pronounced “double ought buckshot”). The 18″ barrel is the minimum length generally allowed by law, and does not make the gun too cumbersome inside a home. The pump action is the pinnacle of reliability, and makes it easy to keep the gun stored safely but ready to use at a moment’s notice. The gun will be amazingly effective at close range, and the risk of over penetration through exterior walls and subsequent injury to neighbors is lower than with a rifle or handgun.
The gun I listed as my 1st choice, a Remington 870 XCS Marine Magnum, costs about $900, which is nearly three times as much as as basic pump action shotgun such as the Remington 870 Express. The benefit of paying for this more expensive gun comes in the form of better build quality, a corrosion resistant coating, a nice recoil reducing pad on the stock, and the ability of the gun to easily accept magazine extensions. If you feel like spending more on the Remington 870 XCS Marine Magnum go for it, and if not the standard Remington 870 will still provide excellent protection for your home and loved ones.
1st Choice: A Shotgun:
Pros: Incredibly effective. Less risk of injury to neighbors due to over penetration of walls. Cons: Harder to maneuver with in tight spaces due to larger size than handguns.
I would generally recommend a shotgun for home defense, because shotguns are (rightfully so) generally considered to be the most effective short ranged firearm. Rather than shooting a single bullet with each pull of the trigger as a rifle or handgun would do, shotguns shoot multiple pellets. These multiple pellets are more likely to stop an attacker but less likely to pass through the exterior walls of your home and injure your neighbors (note that I say *less* likely, as there is always a risk to bystanders). The recoil from firing a shotgun is heavier than a handgun, but this heavier recoil is more than worth the increase in effectiveness (although there is more to the effectiveness of a firearm than the kinetic energy of its projectiles, you can compare the 500 ft-lbs of energy from a .45 caliber bullet to the 2000+ ft-lbs from a shotgun firing 00 buckshot). For those who are new to guns and not accustomed to recoil, let me assure you that you will quickly get used to it after a few trips to your local range. For those who have a physical condition that does not allow them to tolerate heavier recoil, I would suggest acquiring a gas operated semi-automatic shogun (such as the Remington 11-87) which will be more gentle than a pump action or double barreled shotgun. Another option is to use low recoil shotgun shells, which as the name suggests, will be more gentle than standard shells. Such low recoil shells are going to be slightly less effective than standard shells, but this difference is trivial in the home defense scenario, and some experts recommend low recoil shells for home defense over standard shells.
Another consideration that applies to shotguns and rifles is the length of the firearm. In smaller homes with narrower hallways, a barrel that is too long would make the firearm difficult to maneuver with. For this reason I would suggest a barrel length of 18″, rather than the 30″ barrel which might be more appropriate for hunting or trapshooting purposes.
There are also some accessories you may want to consider for your home defense shotgun.
2nd Choice: a Handgun:
Pros: Easier to maneuver with in tight spaces do to its small size. Lower recoil than most shotguns and rifles. Cons: Less effective than a shotgun or rifle.
A handgun, such as one from the Springfield XD line of pistols, would be my 2nd choice recommendation for home defense.
Handguns are generally less effective than shotguns or rifles, as their projectiles have less energy, but they do have the benefit of being easier to maneuver with in cramped quarters, such as smaller houses and apartments. Handgun bullets will generally penetrate exterior walls more than shotguns, but less than rifles, meaning the danger to your neighbors is higher than with a rifle but lower than with a shotgun. My recommendations for the proper pistol self defense calibers are here. Those who are unsure whether they should select a pistol or revolver will find this article helpful.
Another benefit of handguns is that they often have less recoil and can be less intimidating to some people. Indeed my girlfriend is more comfortable with handguns than with rifles or shotguns, as discussed here. You may also wish to consider certain accessories for your home defense handgun.
3rd Choice: a Rifle:
Pros: Generally much more effective than a handgun. Cons: Rifle bullets have a tendency to over penetrate walls, increasing the danger to your neighbors. A rifle would be my last choice for a home defense firearm, although it would certainly be preferable over throwing sticks and stones at a home invader.
Rifles are generally more effective than handguns, however rifle bullets are able to penetrate much further than the shot from a shotgun or the bullets from a handgun. This creates a much greater risk to your neighbors, without much benefit to you. Rifles are generally designed for longer range shooting (e.g. 100 yards, and much further +) so there is no appreciable benefit in rifle designed for long range shooting within your house, since if you are ever forced to shoot a home invader it will be at very close range. Indeed, shooting at someone who is 100 yards away is almost impossible to justify as self defense. Although rifles are great for many purposes, home defense is not usually one of them, since rifles possess the drawbacks of shotguns (heavier recoil, more physically bulky and difficult to maneuver with in close quarters) while having none of the advantages (such as less of a risk of over penetration). That said, pistol caliber carbines can be a viable self defense option.
Now that you have selected a gun for home defense, pick the proper ammunition.
Notes:
When discussing the risk of overpenetration, I assumed that the shotgun ammunition being used was 00 buckshot from a 2.75″ shotgun shell, that the handgun ammunition being used was somewhere between 9mm and .45 caliber, and that the rifle ammunition being used was somewhere between .243 and .30-06. Although the danger of over penetration may be lower with shotguns than with handguns or rifles, the projectile(s) from any gun can over penetrate and pose a danger to innocent bystanders. Even if you are forced to fire your gun in self defense or defense of your family, you should not endanger the lives of your neighbors or other innocent bystanders. Also, it should go without saying that firing at a human being is the absolute last resort and is only justified to prevent death or grievous bodily harm from being inflicted on yourself or a loved one. The decision to possess a gun carries with it the moral responsibly to use the utmost care and good judgment. Similary, it is the responsibility of the gun owner to ensure the gun is not stolen by criminals or misused by children, and to comply with any applicable laws on the storage of the firearm.
In reality, NOTHING is easy to shoot in the dark due to the flash and sound.
We try to keep some sort of light on even if it is just a dim wall light to try to not be in total darkness.
No threats, just an obervation of what might happen should our Overlords decide to enslave the masses.
I am not the gun expert, so I’m not the one to make a recommendation. This article looked pretty good.
Yep.
You're right on the first choice for HD being a shotgun. Nothing beats it for utility, but $900 for a Remington 870? Insanity.
You can pick up an 870 with a 20" barrel at any random pawn shop for less then $200. Put a speedfeed stock on it, tube extension, sling, and maybe light mount and your coming in at less than $500 for pretty much the same gun, minus the "better materials" that your average home owner isn't going to care about because they aren't going to be putting lots of rounds through it every day.
I've had my department store purchased 870 for round about 20 years now and never had a problem with it.
If you are considering a revolver for home defense, consider the Smith and Wesson 642, sorry I don’t have a photo to post, but it is a 5 shot 38 caliber, short barrel that would be perfect for a woman to use. Just a thought.
Someone with more expertise will have to do that.
I have been stockpiling for well over 20 years. I have about 27 rifles, shotguns and handguns and around 20,000 rounds of ammo. I sometimes feel that I don’t have enough!
For clarification, I did not write this article.
I like a 9mm Browning High Power. I have run all kinds of junk reloaded ammo thru the thing and I have yet to jam it.
For the ladies out there see if you can find a 4” .357 and load it up with .38 hollowpoint +ps’. That should keep the recoil down and still do the job nicely.
Mossberg 500 owner here. It’s a great weapon for home defense: inexpensive, powerful, intimidating, and safe (the “tang” safety makes any accidental firing much less likely). It also has a simple point-and-click interface: POINT it at the Bad Guy, and CLICK the trigger until he stops being a threat to you and yours.
I hope I never have to aim it at a human being, but I will if I have to. I sleep better knowing that I can defend Mrs Chan and Baby Chan against any parasite who dares threaten them.
I would say 16 or 20 guage since you have small game in mind.
My shotgun now is a .410 pump. Hopefully with slugs it might at least scare them away. Also I have my .45.
Informative post DFU. I’m thinking of an Auto ordnance M1 carbine. Easy to handle and the ballistics and muzzle velocity of the round work against the over penetration of most long guns. Though I’m impressed with the idea of the pump action. Perhaps no sound is more daunting to an intruder than that kachunk as the shell is chambered.
That all the excuse they need.
I paid $209 + tax for a Mossberg 500 12 ga. at Wal-Mart. With the addition of an 18 1/2 inch barrel ($90), I’m set.
Interestingly and related though here is a segment from a blog post I am working on called the $1000 arsenal:
Every household should have three firearms at MINIMUM. A shotgun, pistol, and a rifle. This is NOT optional. Order is optional, but start with the Shotgun.
Shotgun
The shotgun is the first purchase any household should make. For utility purposes nothing beats a good 12-gauge shotgun. It can be used to hunt birds, small game, deer, fish (yea don't ask). It can be used as a club, a walking stick (not recommended), a snorkle (don't ask). Finally in a pinch if you really gotta do it, it can be used for home defense. Don't even need to fire a shotgun for home defense as sometimes all it takes is the shnick-schnak sound to scare would be house burglars away.
Etc etc
I picked up my new Sig 232 .380 this morning and spent the rest of the day at the range. Switched out the grip to rubber, and she’s pretty and fits like a glove. :-)
Remington M-270 Short barrel pump 12 ga. If they keep coming after hearing the sound a round being rack in, blast away!
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