As a gun writer, I am constantly asked, by friends and family, what gun they should buy for home defense. Some are new to shooting, and they hear all sorts of things. Usually what has happened is that they were given “expert advice” by someone who may not be an expert and were told, “Just go buy a 12 gauge. That’s all you’ll need!”
Oftentimes when proffering advice on what gun to own if you’re only going to have one for self-defense is a shotgun. The thought being for the novice gun owner, they don’t really need to worry about aiming all that much.
But is that true, and is a shotgun the ultimate home defense gun? No, it’s not always true. Do I think that a shotgun COULD be a great home defense gun? Of course. It’s just that it’s not the only type of gun you should consider when deciding on how best to protect your domicile.
Shotgun Considerations
Let’s examine some of the common reasons given that support a scattergun for home defense, then we’ll dig into them to see if they “hold water.”
- You don’t need to aim – it’s a shotgun, right?
Hooboy. If I’ve heard that once, I’ve heard it a hundred times. Even when fired across your living room (let’s say 25 feet), the shot column from an improved cylinder choke (one of the most open chokes you can get) is going to send the shot into a tight group of pellets not quite the size of a fist if that. (It can be even smaller for a 20 gauge, which launches its load from an even narrower muzzle.) Even if that 12-gauge spreads more, it’s not going to be very wide pattern in the space of a room or hallway. In other words, you can surely miss with a shotgun at close range.
- Just seeing that big ol’ 12 gauge will make a burglar run!
That could be said of just about any gun. Folks who are not “chemically altered” will most likely see reason and will depart when faced with ANY gun, particularly when they are unarmed.
- Just hearing a round racked into the chamber of a shotgun will make a burglar run!
One of the most oft-quoted defensive shotgun tropes suggests having a pump shotgun and simply rack a round into the chamber when a threat appears. The metallic che-chunk-chunk sound of the pump action working is the universal signal to “run.” This is only really works with a pump gun. And don’t always count on it to work. That round could bring pre-emptive fire your way as well, so you better be ready to go to the next step and actually fire if you’re going to introduce a gun into the situation.
- You need buckshot to be sure the perp goes down!
No, you don’t. The problem with buckshot is potential overpenetration, particularly through a wall if you miss. If you live in a typical home or apartment with ½-inch dry wall for the walls, whatever misses the bad guy or the couch may keep going into the next room(s) or in an apartment setting, the next apartment.
Speaking of buckshot, let’s look at one of the most common sizes of buckshot, 000 (triple aught). It uses pellets that are just over 9mm in diameter, 9.14 mm to be exact. If there are, say, 8 pellets in a shotshell, that’s like launching eight light 9mm bullets at once. You’d better be sure of your target and what’s behind it!
I’m not saying you need to load birdshot in the gun, but something along the line of No. 4s with a modern wad design works great. They will do the job without the penetration of 000.
Additional Drawbacks
Aside from dispelling these defensive-shotgun myths, the three main drawbacks to a shotgun for some shooters is going to be recoil, recoil and recoil. For some smaller shooters, female shooters and let’s face it, simply recoil-sensitive shooters, shotguns produce more felt recoil than any light rifle load or semi-auto handgun in typical defensive calibers. The roar can also be intimidating, though it isn’t much worse than anything else being fired on a range larger than a .22 LR or unsuppressed.
Before attempting to use any firearm for self-defense, you need to practice with it—and a lot more than most people actually do. But bad habits aside, if a person is apprehensive about shooting a gun at a range or the gun is a standard sporting shotgun that is too big or unwieldy for them, then that shotgun is going to be a poor choice for “them.”
Light shotgun loads such as Winchester AA Light Target loads or Federal Top Gun shotshells will help reduce the kick associated with firing a shotgun. So will using a 20-gauge instead of the more common 12-gauge. With the right load, a 20-gauge is more than sufficient to stop a threat, while also making training for that use more comfortable.
None of this is meant to trash a shotgun as a defensive tool in the home. A shotgun is in fact, a great, defensive firearm to have on hand for the right people. In fact, solid options for defensive shotguns include:
Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical Thunder Ranch (new semi-auto that is great performing at a great price)
Benelli M4 Tactical (elite, reliable semi-auto performance a little higher on the price scale)
Remington Model 870 Home Defense (tried and true pump-action, solid value)
Stoeger M3K Freedom Series Defense Shotgun (top value semi-auto)
Winchester SXP Marine Extreme Defender (tricked out defensive gun won’t break the bank).
Another cool little shotgun that has made waves since its initial introduction is the Mossberg Shockwave.
This inexpensive 12-gauge is based on Mossberg’s tried-and-true Model 500 pump gun and is available in both 12 and 20 gauge. The Shockwave shortens the traditional 12-gauge pump gun by including a bird’s-head grip and shortened barrel. Holding 5 in the magazine and one in the chamber, you should be ready for just about anything that could go down at home.
One word of hesitation on this for inexperienced shooters, however, the lack of a butt stock makes shooting this gun accurately more challenging, as does maintaining control with the recoil.
Again, shotguns aren’t the only answer. Here are the additional considerations you need to take.
Handguns For Home Defense
For both defense in the home (and for carry) a handgun is a great option. For carry, it’s really the only option unless you want to be stopped by police and freak everyone out every time you walk down the street or into a store.
For my top home defense options, I keep a full-size 9mm (Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly, to be exact) and a compact 9mm (Springfield Armory Hellcat RDP) pistol in a bedside handgun safe. They are quick to get to if needed, yet store compactly within arm’s reach when I sleep, yet are still safely stored when I do. We live out in the boonies—five acres of mostly woods, alongside a major two-lane highway, surrounded by more woods. We get all sorts of folks turning around in our drive, stopping for directions, flat tires, etc. I’m used to that. This means that I have had to hone my door-answering skills…if the person or situation looks sketchy, I’ll be discreetly armed. My 9mms allow me to have a gun handy but not freak out the person knocking on the door—they never need to know I have it. Yet I can unholster in a moment’s need and it delivers the power I need to stop a human threat should I have to.
A note on choosing a 9mm, and why I like that as the top recommendation for a home defense handgun caliber. First and foremost, ammo and gun availability are probably as great for this caliber as for any other you can buy capable of reliably delivering the stopping power needed to put an end to a threat. Walk into any gun shop in America and they are going to have 9mm handguns and 9mm ammunition. Thanks to its low recoil, it is also pretty easy for most anyone to shoot. The ammunition, particularly for practicing, is also less expensive than larger popular defensive calibers such as the 10mm and .45 ACP. Some people like the smaller and less powerful .380, but it’s stopping power, while adequate in most situations, still gets debated by self-defense professionals to this day.
I also recommend the 9mm semi-auto over a revolver for a couple of reasons. A semi-auto typically delivers less recoil than a revolver for someone sensitive to recoil. If shooting a double-action (trigger) revolver, it takes more to squeeze the trigger than a semi-auto, which can make delivering accurate shots more difficult for someone who doesn’t train regularly. A semi-auto also holds more bullets, plain and simple, and more bullets are good when you are frightened and potentially have a threat moving toward you and maybe miss on some other shots. A semi-auto is much faster to reload as well. It’s simpler to shove another magazine in. I can’t image the average person trying to quickly reload their revolver, even if using speed loaders, in a dark, frightening and threatening environment.
All of this makes the 9mm semi-automatic the optimal choice for home defense if going with a handgun.
As mentioned, the two guns I like for this task are the Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly and the Springfield Armory Hellcat RDP.
The Grizzly is based on the Glock 17 in terms of size (duty) and capacity (17+1). I find that it works reliably as expected and, with a light mounted (it’s cut for one), makes for an excellent home defense gun. Another plus is that its full list price is only $295. At that price that is a real bargain.
Those are two of my current choices for home defense handguns but there are any number of great options that work great for home defense. Top models to consider include:
Stepping up to the next level in price and performance, the Springfield Armory Hellcat family is another great choice, especially due to its compact size. I have the RDP (Rapid Defense Package) model. This gun came with both a muzzle compensator and a red-dot sight. Add a light below and you’ve got a perfect package. Capacity is no problem, even with the shorter RDP in which I use 13-round mags. If that’s not enough for you, the Hellcat Pro models hold more with a capacity of 17 rounds in the mag and one in the chamber.
- Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Metal (a full-size semi-auto handgun that will last longer than you)
- Glock 17 (safe, easy and quick to use and sets the bar for reliability)
- HK VP9 (red-dot ready and can hold 17 rounds in the mag)
- Ruger Security 9 (15+1 capacity, reliable and value priced).
Rifles For Home Defense
For easier aiming and accuracy, a rifle or carbine can be a great option for home defense, particularly if you live in a rural environment like I do, where my wife and I have lots of open space around our house.
So, what type of rifle is best. A good friend of mine inherited a number of collectible military rifles, including an M1 Garand and an M1 carbine that he likes to keep handy. I like the .30-caliber carbine as the near-perfect home defense weapon as it fires a 110-grain bullets at reasonable velocities, so overpenetration isn’t much of an issue and modern ammo selection allows for some effective bullets. It’s also not as long as the Garand making it more maneuverable in the tight spaces common to most homes. But most of us aren’t going to go out and buy a collectible firearm to use in a home defense situation. Similar rifles in this class might include the Ruger Ranch Rifle or the Ruger Mini-14. They are available in multiple calibers and are compact enough to be easily maneuverable, yet still provide additional utility in the realm of hunting and target shooting. But for a true all-around home defense performer, it’s hard to beat an AR-style rifle.
The AR-pattern rifle is one of the most ubiquitous rifle platforms today with millions of Americans owning them. Based off the model rifle our modern military uses in combat and has used since the Vietnam War, they just work. For home defense, a rifle or carbine in .223/5.56mm is very handy. It is also so versatile that you can configure it however you like, particularly when outfitted with rails so you can mount red-dot sights, laser optics and even lights on the same gun. They are lightweight, easy to load by simply inserting a magazine in the mag well and feeding the chamber with the push of a button. They are accurate, and for ARs with a collapsible stock, it can be adjusted to fit any size shooter. They are also very low recoiling. When chambered in 5.56, you can also find that ammunition virtually anywhere and it won’t break the bank.
Great options chambered for 5.56 include:
- Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport III Series (plenty of rails for accessories and won’t break the bank)
- Palmetto State Armory PSA PA-15 16-in. Nitride M4 Carbine (super maneuverable and affordable)
- Ruger AR-556 MPR Model No. 8542 (a great buy and high reliability)
- Colt MSR Magpul SL Black (affordable and versatile)
- SIG Sauer M400-Tread (increased performance in one of SIG’s most popular rifles)
- Daniel Defense DD4 RIII S (high-end AR with flawless performance)
- Yankee Hill Machine Black Diamond Specter XL-Carbine (also a high-end, high-performing AR).
My go to ARs in my home includes a Bear Creek Arsenal (BCA) AR, they shoot great and are super affordable at less than $500 for some models. A solid choice for a basic AR that can do the job is BCA’s BC-15 with an MSRP of only $377.69. I also like the fairly true-to-the-original M16 (minus a full-auto mode) Springfield Armory SA-16A2 Rifle, which I recently reviewed for TTAG and to for the ultimate in versatility, the Diamondback DB9R Series rifle DB1418P001. The DB9R is chambered for 9mm, so my ammo can pull double duty in conjunction with my handgun, with the same basic ballistic performance but with added velocity and easier aiming courtesy of a longer barrel.
We live in unsettling times and the police will not always be able to get to your home as quickly as you’d like should you need them. Be ready to defend yourself and protect your family responsibly by choosing the firearm that is right for you, storing it properly and then getting out there and practicing. Even take a training course for the type of firearm you choose.
If you have a place to shoot where you can emulate having corners to hide behind and go around, so much the better. Handling and shooting your chosen weapon should become second nature to you. Also, the more you have a defense strategy for your particular home worked out, the better. Know what you would do if someone came through that particular door at 4 am. Have a plan. Work it out with your safe, unloaded gun in your hand, so you have an idea of what it might feel like if something bad went down. You can never be too prepared.
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Well, I don’t know … lets ask Joe about how to get yourself and family killed (of course anti-gun will not understand why and how… 😂)
I use a 20-shot 9mm CZ P10 F semi-auto with a light and a green dot. Seems to cover all the bases for a home situation.
I’m definitely on team weapon mounted light for the home. Full size .40 S&W with night sights and WML plus .223 with dot and light, et al.
shotguns and handguns won’r penetrate body armor…just sayin
Some saboted slugs and several copper solid pistol rounds of various weights and shapes would disagree until you get into really high end pistol armor to rifle armor territory. But at that point you are probably dealing with a warrant being served or you pissed off the wrong cartel/gang
Well my main defense is/was on AR. Smith&Wesson ILLANNOY made that a perilous choice. I have several handguns(house gat has a light) & a Maverick88. Before the state outlawed fun gats I thought I had all the bases covered. In an emergency I can easily get that AR from my buddy in nearby Indiana🙄 Oh yeah I’m quite unimpressed by the writer’s choice in rifles. Geez Bear Creek,Diamondback & a traitor brand?!?
I’m simply going with what I’m familiar with. There are tons of choices out there. Thanks for writing!
Water Walker… Is a bullet that comes out of a 9mm Bear Creek somehow less lethal/subpar than one that comes out of, say, a 9mm Wilson Combat??
I still enjoy my 9mm Hi-Point.. Works great. Last long time!!!!
I personally don’t want a dot or a light but I love my cz75. Good choice man
I believe that a light-weight carbine chambered in a caliber with light recoil is the absolute IDEAL home defense firearm platform.
Overall length of carbines is short which makes them far more maneuverable in the tight spaces of your home–a very important factor–than typical rifles and even shotguns.
Carbines provide superior aiming and thus superior accuracy to all handguns and most shotguns–another very important factor.
Third, carbines chambered in a caliber with light recoil significantly increase the speed and accuracy of follow-up shots, still another important factor.
Finally, carbines typically hold a LOT more ammunition than shotguns and quite often about twice as much ammunition as typical semi-automatic handguns.
Those four reasons are why I think light-weight carbines chambered in a caliber with light recoil are the best home defense firearm platform.
For reference carbines are typically at least twice the cost of the least expensive semi-auto handguns. And you typically have to use both hands to operate a carbine whereas a handgun enables you to carry a flashlight or phone in your other hand–or even use your other hand for other tasks such as opening doors. Those are the only two drawbacks to carbines as far as I can tell.
I forgot to mention another BIG advantage of carbines if your carbine is chambered in a pistol caliber: the blast is NOWHERE NEAR AS LOUD as handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
How is that you might be wondering? Propellant companies design propellant for pistol cartridges to burn fast, such that they have completely burned by the time the bullet is exiting a two-inch or three-inch barrel. That provides maximum pressure and hence maximum possible muzzle velocity. Anddddd … that maximum pressure creates a VERY loud BANG! When you load that same cartridge into a carbine with a 16-inch barrel, the propellant finishes burning in the first 4-inches and that maximum pressure starts to go down–significantly by the time the bullet exits the barrel. Hence that significantly lower pressure produces a significantly less loud bang.
Of course the bang from a pistol-caliber carbine is still loud and not “hearing safe”. At any rate it does a much better job reducing both short term and long term hearing loss compared to all other firearm platforms.
Speaking of hearing safe, if you have a carbine chambered in a caliber with sub-sonic ammunition AND a suppressor, you can achieve hearing safe (or very close to it) sound levels indoors.
By the way, if you are going to choose a shotgun for home defense, choose 20 gauge. Recoil is lighter and will enable faster and more accurate follow-up shots compared to a 12 gauge shotgun.
For reference 20 gauge shotgun payloads are quite literally overkill for stopping a human attacker. Why would anyone go to 12 gauge with an over-overkill payload for stopping human attackers at the expense of significantly increased recoil?
Anything worth overkilling is worth over-overkillling, I always say… as of a couple of seconds
ago anyway.
IIRC, Mossad Ayoob made those points in favor of 20 ga. decades ago, but the gun manufacturers persist in making nearly all their defensive/”tactical” models in 12 ga.
I agree with both of you. 12ga buckshot admirably serves the purpose of making sure enough pellets hit a deer 40 yards away. At home-defense ranges, 20 is more than adequate, and also mild enough to make the “downsides” of shotguns irrelevant for a huge majority of healthy adults.
I would love a TS20 so much.
I still favor the GLOCK Mod 22 (.40S&W). The recoil is comparable to the 9mm ( not much more). If you can handle a 9mm .40 S&W is not hard to handle. The .40 has better stopping power. (I’ve seen the Gel Test for the .380, the 9mm and the .40 S&W. The 40 cal leaves a larger wound channel and better penetration that the 9mm. The .380 is little more than a bee sting unless you are “expert” and hits are consistent to center of mass (it will take more than one to do the job).
True on both counts. I went with what most folks who may not know a lot about guns might consider. The 9mm is more plentiful, both in guns and in ammo, on dealers’ shelves, and for a novice will most likely have less felt recoil. You make a good point – thanks for writing!
Interesting article. Glad to see something on firearms and firearms theory instead of the usual political thing. Anyway, I never liked a shotgun for defense, but I had to carry one. My agency issued a decently set up 870, but I bought a Scattergun Technologies for myself. Only deployed it a couple of times. I went to rifle if I needed a long gun. Well, I had a SMG, but I treated it like the shotgun. I sold the Scattergun Technologies as soon as I retired. Then I moved to a more congested area. I can see my neighbors. I decided to buy another shotgun. So now a Wilson Combat Standard leans in the corner. I load five Federal Tactical 00 in the magazine and six Brenekie rifled slugs in the Side Saddle because if I’ve gone through five rounds of buckshot the neighbors need to get the hell out of the way. I still keep a rifle at hand, but it’s only an AR. Loaded with a fast expanding 55 gr projectile. There a few handguns around also. Oh, the author is correct, you do have to aim a shotgun. The local quail wish I didn’t know that.
I can tell you why not in one word: Spackling
” A semi-auto also holds more bullets, plain and simple “….
One of my pet peeve lines that always make me question the writer; it holds more CARTRIDGES, of which bullets are but a component of. Just for shits and giggles I once took the follower and spring out of a 17 round 9mm magazine and loaded 51 bullets into it just to prove a point – come-on slick, if you’re going to write semi technical articles, you should at least be technically correct in your terminology.
It drives me nuts when people use “clip” and “magazine” interchangeably. A clip holds cartridges ready to be quickly loaded into a magazine. A magazine is an integral part of the firearm and can be fixed or removable. M1 Garand clips are loaded into the magazine of the rifle.
Clip, clap, clop.
You put bullets in your clip so you can clap someone and make your getaway on a horse.
Magazine just doesn’t fit.
I get what you’re saying. It bugs me, too, when folks refer to cartridges as bullets. I typically do not do that. Not sure how that slipped through. I apologize for the error!
Noted and forgiven. Also, another peeve is when I meet someone new that finds out I’m a retired electrician and regales me
with ” that one time I was electrocuted “. … and they don’t have a mark on them and are still obviously alive.
Hey Peanut butter.. anal much !? Any more peeves to regale us plebes with?
Okay, I’ll play – I’ll take “Screen names based on imaginary characters or vanquished ancient peoples for $1000 Ken.”
” What are Miner 49er, dacian, and Unicorn Whisperer ? ”
Also, do you have access to a Periodic Table of Elements handy ?
cornpop…you just had to turn it into butt bullets.
Debby, no one named “cornpop” posted anything….now you’re just responding to voices in your otherwise empty head.
One time this guy with hairy legs beat the fuck out of me with a chain because I noticed he was a cho-mo…
/fixed
“Just seeing that big ol’ 12 gauge will make a burglar run!
That could be said of just about any gun. Folks who are not ‘chemically altered’ will most likely see reason and will depart when faced with ANY gun, particularly when they are unarmed.”
This is not the 1950’s or before any more.
There are some of those “not ‘chemically altered’ ” folks that will “likely see reason and will depart when faced with ANY gun”. But! …yes there’s a “But!”, it for most it also depends on the situation and if they already have an advantage (e.g. element of surprise) or not too and if they believe you will actually fire. But those types of bad guy folks that would think “hey, maybe I better go away now” when they see your gun are not really that plentiful. Over 87% of bad guys will continue ‘aggression’ actions to some extent especially if they out number you even though they see the gun you have or think you have a gun, and its not until after you have fired do they maybe SOMETIMES stop to think maybe they should depart. Most will want to take their chances and try to engage if they are armed with anything even a rock or stick or bare hands.
Yeah, that statement about seeing the big ol’ 12 gauge and running may or may not be true. Times ARE different… they may not take off when faced with a gun. That’s why you’d better have the right gun!
Well that’s what the reality is… that you can not depend on the bad guys to just run away when they see the gun. And, although ‘complicated’ to explain fully here in a comment section, basically, that’s why dementia Joe’s ‘shotgun fairy tale’ (in the video above, first post) for what he said he told Jill is more likely to get Jill seriously injured or killed.
If I were allowed to purchase another shotgun it would either be a side by side 12ga double trigger Steoger Coach or a Panzer M4. And before going with a $295 Bear Creek I would run to purchase another Sar9 or a Canik.
Whatever you have just be sure it is set up to go bang non-stop, a failure to fire can be so embarrassing.
Great article! The head firearms instructor at the police academy always was a fan of shotguns. He would always say “An AR15 is cool as sh*t, but remember it’s still just a 22 caliber gun!”
Thanks, Ed. I’m glad we have options!
I need to clarify something I included in this article… my recommendation of a semi-auto pistol over a revolver for home defense. I am basically a revolver guy – have been for almost 50 years. They are easier in one respect – you aim the gun at the target and pull the trigger. (I guess the same could be said of a DA or striker-fired semi-auto). The reason I went with semi-autos is the reloading aspect. If a new shooter has to reload during a dicey situation, it will probably be easier to shove a loaded magazine in the gun than it is to load a revolver, as I mentioned above. That includes using a speed loader. Getting cartridges into individual revolver chambers can be time-consuming, especially when under stress. New semi-autos tend to be more reliable than those of yesteryear, as is their ammo. You can train a newbie to use one fairly easily. We always have the wheelgun to fall back on if we don’t want a semi-auto. Each shooter will make his or her own choice. I just wanted to clarify that section.
RE: “it will probably be easier to shove a loaded magazine in the gun than it is to load a revolver”
Very good article. In the video below Miculek demonstrates how to reload a revolver…
…
Opinions, everyone has one, I prefer mine.
heretic
😅
Excellent article.
From a purely tactical standpoint, a shotgun, especially a 12 gauge shotgun, isn’t your best choice for home defense. Handguns are great, but a short carbine is even better. I bought my wife an FN PS-90 with a reflex sight to use as her housecleaning gat. We live in a rural area so the 5.7mm round gives her greater engagement range than a handgun.
Unfortunately; many people have the misfortune of living in jurisdictions where semiautomatic rifles and pistols are banned. A lever action carbine would be a good option for them. The old school design also has profound judge and jury appeal.
The issue of overpenetration is an issue with any firearm. Even birdshot will penetrate multiple layers of standard, 1/2″ drywall. Frangible ammunition for a rifle is actually safer, but that’s difficult to explain.
Of course a shotgun has enormous Judge and Jury appeal. My marijuana bootlegging tenant who shot at my son was able to get acquitted because he utilized a politically correct, Senile Sock Puppet President Joe Biden recommended shotgun. His $cum $ucking, “world’s oldest professional” of an attorney was able to get him acquitted by misrepresenting a shotgun as not lethal. The attorney, his clients and marijuana bootlegging associates repeatedly referred to his Remington 870, tactical express shotgun as a “Remington 1870” shotgun to misrepresent it as an antique. They also invoked the mythology that shotgun projectiles aren’t lethal at extended range. Slugs can be lethal out to a mile away. Double ought buckshot can retain enough energy to penetrate a human skull from a quarter of a mile away.
The fact that the shooting was at significant range combined with the mythology about the limited range of shotgun projectiles convinced the ignorant jury and corrupt judge that my tenant wasn’t assaulting my children with deadly force.
I must confess that I did take revenge on the community. Dylan Cashman went nuts and fired off 243 rounds from various rifles to ventilate the surrounding neighborhood. Fortunately; he missed. I suggested to the fluids ingesting defense attorney that he fight like Heck to expunge any references to prejudicial references to “AR-15s” or “assault rifles.”. I also provided him with FBI crime data to refute the propaganda about military style, semiautomatic rifles are commonly used in crime. As a culmination of the argument that Cashman’s rifles weren’t really dangerous, I suggested that he get a slug from a 12 gauge shotgun and a 55 grain bullet for an AR-15 rodent rifle to show to the jury.
As one from a state where a permit is needed for semi auto rifles or any pistols a shotgun or lever acton rifle are the best quick options for defensive firearms. If budget is limited that quickly cuts the options down to pump action shotguns for anything reliable.
Ignite that 12g in a hallway or bedroom and be ready for a auditory concussion that will rock your world. The same thing as a MIL flashbang.
Depends on how you set it up.
https://silencerco.com/silencers/salvo-12/
And don’t worry about “being on a list”. You’re already on plenty of them.
if they manage to avoid the trip wires for the claymores…. pull the pin and toss that frag grenade down the hall.
😄
I have a smooth Marlin 357 lever action rifle, short barrel, light easy handling. I used it when I used to participate in SASS cowboy action shooting. With little practice these can be fired very rapidly.
As with everything else, the situation dictates the gear.
That includes what you can personally handle, what your family members can handle, how your house is constructed and laid out and how close your neighbors are as well as what kind of threat you think is reasonable to prepare for as the “max”.
A realistic appraisal of your ammo choice(s) aids in putting the above list in context.
If Delta kicks your door, you’re fucked anyway. It’s not worth preparing to repel such an assault because you won’t.
But – my Claymores! lol!
Yeah but some there’s some key info missing here.
Like how high up should my balcony be and what is the optimal angle to fire my shotgun from that balcony.
Also, what material should my doors be made up for maximum penetration?
The height of the balcony would be determined by the horizontal range to the target, since that would dictate the angle. A right triangle calculator makes this easy. Unless of course you want to go for indirect fire, in which case the proper course is to obtain a method of grenade delivery based on said horizontal range. Proper grenade selection should be applied as well.
Doors should be screen, hollow core or hippie blankets for Jenna Jameson levels of penetration. However, if you’re willing to step down to mere Silvia Saint levels, certain types of glass become acceptable provided they are not augmented with metal bars.
District Court Strikes Down Provisions of Maryland’s Bruen Response Law.
https://www.shootingnewsweekly.com/2024/08/03/district-court-strikes-down-provisions-of-marylands-bruen-response-law/
A shotgun or a Pistol Caliber Carbine for older shooters is often a better choice than a handgun. While a 12 gauge is the preferred choice for most, the issue of recoil can be an issue for older shooters. As to using buckshot, the OO buck in a 12 gauge can be excessive. If one can find it, the #4 buck is potentially a better “up close and personal” round. I have found that with the crop of 410 “handgun” rounds currently available, for distances measured in a few feet, the 410 can be effective. As to the PCC choice, the overlooked lever action 357 carbine, with either 110 or 125 grain ammo, is a serious choice. Best of all, it is not the infamous “Black Rifle” so feared by many DAs. Think the problems a DA will have trying to convince a jury that you are a bad person because you used a “Cowboy” gun.
I have other weapons, but my Mossberg Shockwave is my go to for my home defense. It is loaded with alternate slugs and 00 buck. I don’t want the perp wounded, I want them dead if they break into my house. If I take them out, I am not calling the police, and will dispose of the body where the animals will distribute the bones.
Stop acting like fearful zombies and grow a set. If you are challenged then make sure you are ready for it.
Shotguns are my last choice of self defense weapon – but I knew a guy who could testify to their effectiveness. He was hit with bird shot at about 15 or 20 yards. The shot spread went from his neck, to his waist, somewhat right of center. No, he never shared the details regarding the model shotgun, or the load fired from it, just that it was bird shot. But, he looked like a burn survivor. Years after being shot, he would pick an occasional pellet out of the skin while showering. Of course, he didn’t end his life of crime, dumb arse was regularly sent back to prison or to jail for stupid stuff. You would think a guy would learn, after such a close call.
I prefer a semi auto pistol, usually two but have used everything from a Civil War era percussion .44 revolver. (Back in the late 80’s/early 90’s when I lived in NW Washington D.C. where my parents couldn’t buy or legally own any firearms) to riot shotguns and AR style rifles. Long guns are harder to keep secured yet ready when you have young children around. I’m my old apartment I kept my riot gun loaded with 1 1/4 oz hi brass hunting rounds, 7.5 shot size. When I moved out of town that was replaced with an AR carbine, then kids came along and the pistol became primary. I do think for non-gun people its’s easier to master the shotgun or rifle than a handgun. I also keep some bear spray easily accessible too as we do have bears and it also works on people.
Yeah, those weapon suggestions are okay, but I’ll stick with my M134 with a GE motor. I mean, why take chances, right?
The XM-214 is a better choice for home defense. The recoil is more manageable and the ammunition is less expensive.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM214_Microgun
Of course one should never forget the cardinal rules of defensive engagements
Shoot
Shovel
Shut up.
A microgun does make a lot of noise. However; it purees the home invader making disposal easier.
As the old fart I am, I still prefer my large bore hand guns for close quarter defense. Been using the same selection of side arms for decades so why change now.
There is a reasonable argument for a scatter gun for defensive use. When you use the 2 to 5 shots the shotty carries, it does make a nice club.
Kidding aside, a shotgun is perfectly acceptable for home defense. But, as with any weapon, it still takes practice to use it effectively. At short range the shot load doesn’t spread much. And slugs are only as effective as the aim of the person using the weapon.
The other issue with a shotgun is size/length of the weapon. Working around corners and doorways with a long gun of any type takes practice or you take the chance of someone getting control of your weapon.
As always any weapon is only as effective as the person behind it. Whatever you prefer you need to practice and learn to use the thing properly.
RE: Is A Shotgun Your Best Option For Home Defense?
Information shows Trump assassination attempt conspiracy? But anyway, the FBI lied during testimony to Congress and Crooks own words show it.
Controversial 9th round fired at Trump being covered up by Secret Service – why?
Judging by the video, the ninth round was a snap shot fired by a SS “sniper” that most likely missed Crux. You should recall that this sniper had shifted from looking through his rifle scope to looking directly in Crux direction just before Crux began firing. This snap shot from the SS “sniper” might have hit Crux but probably didn’t.
The tenth, seemingly more deliberately aimed shot was the kill shot. It is reported that the kill shot was fired from the grandstands some 450 yards away. It is also reported that this shot was fired by a local LEO sniper rather than SS.
The SS is already in deep doo doo for allowing the shooting. The fact that the large ladies on the SS who were so obviously inept doesn’t help the SS. The SS might simply be trying to obfuscate the possibility that their sniper wasn’t the hero who neutralized Crux. However; the SS might be trying to obfuscate about where that round that was fired by the SS sniper went.
Is it possible that someone several hundred yards North of the Butler rally site was mysteriously hit that day by an errant round from a .338 Lupua rifle?
“Judging by the video, the ninth round was a snap shot fired by a SS “sniper” that most likely missed Crux.”
That’s sort of what I was thinking too.
(get those 3D printers warmed up…) Buyback Gives Xbox For Guns.
The Biden/Harris Department of Justice just filed an anti-gun brief in the US Court of Appeals. Mark Smith Four Boxes Diner analyzes.
ATF Stole How Many FRT Triggers?!?