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Best home defense firearm?

Which do you prefer?

  • Shotgun

    Votes: 31 77.5%

  • Rifle

    Votes: 4 10.0%

  • Handgun

    Votes: 5 12.5%
  • Total voters
    40
hotshot said:
ultimate.. im fairly new to the whole gun thing but is there a smaller shotgun available with less of the whole kick back stuff? ;)
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Almost anyone can learn to shoot a 12 gauge shotgun. As long as you learn to properly handle the gun the recoil shouldn't be too much unless you have some physical disability. I have personally seen small women who had never previously fired a gun be able to handle full power buckshot from Remington 870s within a day of instruction. Now with low recoil shells available there really isn't much reason not to use a 12 gauge.
 
A few additions to the discussion-
With the .410, if you want to run one of those make sure you are using slugs or buck if it is for defensive purposes. I would not run something like the Judge in any of its iterations. A 510 or something like it would be my very, very bottom line. There are some loads that approach decent defensive capabilities.
As for not needing to aim, I would say there is absolutely a need to aim. Especially if you are shooting at in-home distances. The absolute longest shot in my home is 15 yards. With LE132 that means a very small spread. Since the target I'm trying to hit is about fist-sized, I need to aim to hit that thing. If you're using some God-awful load like GI 00 that will spread about 9-12" at that range, you want as many of those relatively inefficient projos to hit in and around that fist-sized area as you can. There are a ton of other loads that will fall between, you can see that at close range the amount of spread is not going to adequately compensate for poor or no aiming.
As for shooting to stop/kill/wound/tickle: you shoot to stop. You should not say or believe otherwise. If you are in a Castle state, such as Texas, even if you leave the turd living as long as your shoot is justified it does not matter if he is around to tell his story. He won't have any standing in a civil case. Furthermore, there's quite a few steps to go through before you would actually even get to a courtroom setting. In criminal terms, there would be the intital CID investigation, then the ADA, then possibly the GJ, and then the court. Outside of the GJ, you will have an attorney or at least the right to representation. So it won't be as simple as some people think. In civil terms, as I said if it is a good shoot there won't be a case. Back to the criminal side, it would be a lot better if you were to articulate that you were shooting to stop the threat as opposed to killing the turd. If the turd happens to expire in the act of being stopped, that is sad and unfortunate.
As for recoil, I would add a few things to the reduced recoil rounds too. A youth stock and good shooting position will go a looooooong way towards dealing with recoil and being able to shoot the 12 gauge. When you take a smaller person (female/kid/elderly/just small dude) and hand them a 12 gauge with a 14" LOP stock and a 20-something inch barrel, they are going to get beat up most likely unless they already know how to shoot it. Give them a shorter stock that they can get their body behind, a more manageable barrel, a smoother round, and good body position to absorb recoil and you can have them shooting a 12 gauge as easily as some 280# D lineman. I've seen it happen.
ETA: Hit SUBMIT too soon.
Generally, I would go rifle/carbine/shotgun/pistol/sharp stick.
Rifles can be unmanageable in homes. They are load sensitive and you have to be careful about what you're using.
Carbines are much better ergonomically, and again load is important. They offer a lot of capacity, easy reloading, rapid follow ups, very good terminal ballistics, good ergonomics and easy manipulations.
Shotguns put a world of hurt on anybody up close in Old Testament levels. They are politically more "neutral" and may be a more realisitic option in some jurisdictions.
Pistols are handy. They are compact and easy to get into action. That's about it.
Whatever you have, that you are proficient with, is what is best. You could have an M134 but if you don't know how to flip the Master Arm and spin it up it doesn't matter.
Run what you brung, and do it well. You will default to your level of mastery.
 
m24, lots of good points and in particular, you mention the shorter LOP, being able to get your body behind the stock. Absolutely correct! Thats the point I wasnt able to articulate very well. This is what I have been going through with my daughter. A shorter stock allows a person to be able to square up behind the stock, rather than being awkwardly twisted sideways from the waist up.
 
Lots of information in this post, IMHO some good and some potentially deadly to the Home owner

1) the racking of the slide to warn does NOTHING but allow an itruder to drop on you.

2) Not aiming is probably the scariest thing I have ever read concerning Home defense and firearms in general.
EVERY SHOT MADE IN A DEFENSE SITUATION HAS A LITTLE DA ATTACHED TO IT YOU ARE RESPOSIBLE FOR EVERY SHOT, THEY BETTER GO WHERE YOU INTEDED THEM TOO.
3) Any shooter from the smallest in stature lady to the largest he man can be trained to handle a 12g pump.
other gagues will work and in some applications are needed. a .20 g or a .410 are great if thats what you have and have trained with.
4) BIRDSHOT IS FOR BIRDS NOT HOME DEFENSE. Use propper ammunition for tha job. in the case of HD 00 buck followed by slugs works well.
in .410 same thing. My son has his 500e fully loaded with the new handgun ppersional defense rounds. basically disks and buck in one shell.
(although the best thing the taurus judge brought about is the new handgun .410 ammo)
Also on ammo there is a reason they came out with "low recoil" buck and slugs, some LEO's take a little longer to train with the shotty than others.
Some of hte higher end rounds kick in 12g the same as 20g birdshot.

I am not trying to act like an expert, however there were some huge misconceptions posted that could get someone killed.
Please forgive the authoritarian manner of hte post
 
On a slightly different tangent ... everything is a tradeoff. If your intent in defending yourself in your home is to "hunker down" and truly act in a defensive manner (and I hope that is your intent) then I am a fan of the shotgun. If, on the other hand, you need to maneuver throughout your home to defend your family then a "long" gun like a shotgun or a carbine is going to prove more difficult to maneuver than a handgun. Personally, I'm not a big fan of carbines or rifles for home defense period. (Perhaps that is the subject for another thread.)

I'll open up my own kimono a bit to provide an example of why there are tradeoffs and why no one gun is perfect for every home defense situation.

My house is a single-story home with a finished basement. My wife and I have a 10 year-old son and no other children. My son's bedroom is on the opposite end of the house from our master bedroom. In the event of a home invasion during the night, when we are all in our respective rooms, I need to maneuver from my bedroom to my son's bedroom for his protection. My wife has been instructed to hunker down in our master closet, which gives her three sets of doors for safety, and call 911. She will be hunkered down in our master closet with a coach gun and additional ammo. She is familiar with the gun and its operation is about as simple as it gets. The gun is secure yet easily accessible as she locks the door behind me.

I need to traverse the length of the house to reach my son's bedroom. To do so, I need to negotiate several doorways and a hallway. This is much easier to do with a handgun than it would be with a shotgun or carbine or even a coach gun.

Different tactics demand different weapons. I would humbly suggest that there is no single "best" firearm for home defense.
 
Mudinyeri said:
Different tactics demand different weapons. I would humbly suggest that there is no single "best" firearm for home defense.
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I can totally agree with this.
 
E4x4Eric said:
I am still sticking with the short barel pump shotgun.
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Also my choice for a variety of reasons.Personally,I think that the floor-plan and location of your house is an important aspect that sometimes isn't considered.I don't have to worry about over penetration affecting the neighbors(like I did when living in the city)so I have a 12 Ga. pump(sorry,not a Mossberg though I've had a few in the past)loaded with alternating Brenneke Tactical slugs and 00B.Realistically the longest shot I have to make inside our home is about 60' and at 25 yds. these slugs produce 1350+ ft/lbs.
The drawback to this as my "exclusive" home defense weapon is it tends to scare the mail lady if I have to answer the door to sign for something.For that I have a variety of handguns,.380-.38 Spl-.45ACP & .357 all loaded with Hydra-shok.Easy enough to conceal,but right there if needed.By the way,I'm not a nut,it's just that home invasion robbery is the fastest growing industry out here in the country,as well as in Tampa.
I also saw a nice hide-away clock for sale that was pretty simple to build and looks nice.It'll hold the .380 or my S&W snub with no trouble.
Bob
 
Youre absolutely right to take into consideration layout and location. This is why I dont think there is a hard answer as to what is best. No single "best" answer that is going to end the conversation for everyone.

Often times, what ever you have on hand, IS the best choice, even if it a single shot 16 ga. Something else folks have to understand where over penetration is a consideration, identify your target, aim, and hit your target.

Another part of the equation would be load choice. Try different stuff like #4 buck and BB goose loads if need be at HD ranges (and here you have to consider layout again to determine ranges) on paper to gauge whether or not there will be stray pellets. Maybe set up some sheet rock and 2 x's to test the penetration.

So many things to consider and each of us have an obligation to know our firearm and load choice to make the best possible decision.
 
Funny that you should mention load choice.I have some #4 Buck as well as some #7 Bird on hand as well.
Florida is a Castle Doctrine state,so I don't really have to worry about anyone surviving to tell their side.By law here,if they're in my house,they have no side.I have no obligation to try and leave,hide or fire warning shots(they do tend to come down somewhere,from what I've heard).But I'm also not kill-crazy.
My opinion is that the level of threat determines the level of response.So,I even have a couple of stun guns and some .22 Mag shot-sells for a Derringer if a confrontation needs to be non-lethal and happens at very close range.
Plus the dogs.
Bob
 
DHonovich said:
Let the discussion begin...
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Similar to Rossignol and others thinking, the "best home defense firearm" selection for me is subject to several factors: my operating area, i.e. layout of the house, family situation, home defense plans per various scenarios at any given time in any give room. For me, hunkered/barricaded down in the safe room/master bedroom with my family inside and the call out to 911, the Mossberg 590 in my closet would be ideal. Every other scenario practiced in our house proves that the best solution for me is my Glock 17 with dedicated X300 light and guide rod laser, which is always with me, as is the carry light I always have in pocket. I cannot overemphasize the value of force-on-force training in enabling one to really make the best educated self defense decisions they otherwise would not even think of.
 
Right on! And here are a few things I run through;

Bedroom layout;
Bunk beds in one room, single in the other. These would be my kids. If I'm going that way, what position/stance will I be in? Will I be kneeling for example and aiming at an upward angle? Would the handgun be better here?

In a "saferoom" as you mentioned, with wife and kids behind the gun, I need to think about neighbors beyond our walls. What is the appropriate load choice? Not gonna be a high powered FMJ. Ideally here, I would want to be kneeling and aiming up. Range would be very close, a lower velocity buck shot would do nicely.

Just a couple examples. Have a plan and know it. Prepare accordingly. Also plan on things not goin the way you planned!
 
I'd say the best HD gun is a shotgun. First for the stopping power, and second for the likelihood of making a hit. Handguns are way overrated on both these 2 standards. They provide convenience at the expense of function. I do have handguns for backup, however, and vehicle travel, etc.

I'd go with a semi-auto for quick follow up shots for multiple assailants, but I currently have a pump for cost and reliability.
 
I am a veteran with Glocks and trust them, but a friend kept after me about a shotgun for HD. After investigating ballistics, shot patterns, number of rds launched, and so on, a shotgun is the only real choice in my opinion.
Two reasons for my opinion:
1) Glock 21 .45 with +P rolls downrange around 950 fps with +/- 490 ft lbs, Mossberg Persuader with Federal F127 00 Buck is around 1325 fps with 9 .33" balls at say 53.8 grain each hits with roughly at 210 ft lbs x 9 = 1890 total ft lbs (calculations are not verified for absolute accuracy).
2) I always consider a home invader to be without mercy or conscience, so I will be too. I want the best ability to stop them I can have. I believe my Mossberg Persuader gives me that edge over any handgun or rifle.
 
Ballistically, a shotgun for HD is quite unassailable. In reality, though, it matters not if I don't have immediate access to it under any and all circumstances. Narrow hallways make maneouvering a shotgun very impracticable as compared to my G17. I have small children and cannot move them as well or as safely with a shotgun in my hands at the ready as I can with my G17. My G17 is always with me no matter where I am in the house or out for that matter. My shotgun simply cannot be.
 
O'DubhGhaill said:
Ballistically, a shotgun for HD is quite unassailable. In reality, though, it matters not if I don't have immediate access to it under any and all circumstances. Narrow hallways make maneouvering a shotgun very impracticable as compared to my G17. I have small children and cannot move them as well or as safely with a shotgun in my hands at the ready as I can with my G17. My G17 is always with me no matter where I am in the house or out for that matter. My shotgun simply cannot be.
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I was probably sold when I was first informed that "in a gunfight the handgun is used to get to the shotgun", and my buddy's continued insistence that I get a shotgun for home defense (I had only Glocks).
Yes, I was initially concerned about swinging this 38" 7lb piece of iron around in the middle of the night. But this was out-weighed by the stopping potential - I figure in most cases a single shot with buckshot will do, even if it's off target in the shoulder, although I am trained not to hesitate until I have launched multiple rds.
I live alone so no kids and no problems except fixing the hole in the wall, and I can understand your thinking and situation about the kids. I might, however, bump that G17 up to a G22 or even a G21 - but this is my opinion, which is worth mostly nothing; for no arguments from the bad guy, I train to fire 5-6 rds with a G17, 3-4 with a G22, and 1-2 with G21 all using top performing LE JHP ammo and assuming effective hits in each case. I use a G23 for carry (at night it's under the pillow next to me to come back to) and have a G21 beside the bed as backup to the shotgun, and the Persuader is in bed with me - cozy. :lol:
 
I've been shooting all my life, and I have kept a Glock under my pillow for many years now. I sleep every night with it. I've known two people who have awakened at night to find an intruder in their bedrooms. In one of the encounters, the intruder was actually holding my friend's gun (that he usually kept next to his bed at night) on him (!) The only way around all this is to learn to sleep with a gun under your pillow, which I did years ago. I have always sworn by a handgun for dealing with a threat in my house, primarily because I am quicker and more maneuverable with it. However...

A few months ago I had an I Might Have To Kill Someone Moment in my house. It was about 9:00 p.m. and I was in my back bedroom (which is disjointed from the front part of the house) watching TV. My wife came in, with genuine fear in her face, and said "There's someone in the garage." My garage is attached to my house by a door, the garage is usually kept locked (along with the gates on either side of my house), and there can be no doubt that someone in my garage would be there intentionally - with bad intent. In other words, any intruder would have to breach a locked barrier to get into my garage.

In addition to the Glock under my pillow, I often keep an 870P next to my bed. I grabbed the first thing I saw, my 870P. I didn't even think about looking for the handgun; I just grabbed the first thing I saw. I checked to make sure it was loaded, disengaged the safety, and wen to the "threat". As I went down my hallway to deal with the situation, my wife was behind me, and I heard her say, "I knew this was going to happen sooner or later", which was surreal. Anyway, the "threat" turned out to be nothing, thank goodness.

Long story short, as I was heading down the hallway toward what I thought was a real threat, the thought of having the heaviest hammer possible (a 12 gauge) flashed though my head and made me feel very, very good. It gave me comfort to know I had something much heavier than a handgun, that would stop the threat as fast as possible. I literally felt a warm fuzzy feeling coming over me because I knew that I could finish the fight AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. This really stuck with me big-time. The idea of a one-shot stop was very heavy in my mind, I wanted the fight to end as fast as possible, and the knowledge of having the ultimate stopper comforted me and calmed my nerves. This is huge. Whether it was a false comfort or not, the fact is, the calmer you go into a fight, and the better you keep your poise, the better off you'll be. Grace under pressure. And the shotgun really helped me with this. I was surprised, as I had never pulled a shotgun in anger before.

As part of my shooting from here on out, I plan to train shooting a shotgun one-handed. Because my hallway is so tight, and the doorway to my garage is so narrow, I had to hold my shotgun one-handed, muzzle down, or run the risk of bumping the muzzle into something. This would have been bad. I don't plan to signal my attack if I can help it. I'm not one of those pump-the-action-and-scare-the-bad-guy-away guys. Screw that. If someone is a threat to my family or me I intend to strike before they realize it. In this particular situation, the quietest way for me to have done this was to hold the shotgun one-handed at my side and just raise it up like I'd raise a handgun. Open the door with my left hand, raise the shotgun with my right, and shoot.

Long live the 12 gauge.
 
For me, living in sweden where the guns laws are totally different than yours, a shotgun is the only alternative. It is possible to get a license for handguns and ar15-type rifles but this requires putting in a lot of time shooting at a gun club for years, participating in their activities such as competitions f.ex.
So hunting weapons (ar15s or any other rifle with military origin or look are not allowed) are easier to get, as long as you have taken a hunting course and passed the written and shooting tests.

A bolt or semi auto hunting (308 or 30/06) rifle is not practical in close quarters and any stray bullets might injure my family or even neighbors. A .22 is safer but has not got the stopping power that I would want.
That leaves the shotgun. I have a 590sp and am planning to add a double barrel coach gun style to the collection. The pump for me and the sbs for my girlfriend.
 
southpaw, this is yet another example of there not being any one "right" answer. Kinda like the debate on another thread, "Should I Clear My House", there is no singular best answer.

Good to have your on all the way from Sweden!
 
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