What would your preference be? Have neither right now...but even up here in Northern Wisconsin there is concern.
Printable View
What would your preference be? Have neither right now...but even up here in Northern Wisconsin there is concern.
I have auto's. Holds more shells. Hope we never need them for defense.
I'm interested in an auto...just concerned about jamming. Revolvers seem more reliable but without the rapid fire. I don't have much experience with revolvers/pistols...rifles and shotguns, that's another story! Repeating what you said coach..."Hope we never need them for defense".
Just for home defense I'd probably go with a shotgun.
Shotgun X2
For things that go bump in the night.
My Mossberg 500, 18" barrel with tritium front dot.
Fioochi #4 buck, 27 pellet, nickel plated, high velocity.
I have my Springfield XD9 4" too, mounted with a Streamlight TLR-2.
Speer Gold Dots, 124gr +P short barrel
Semi autos are much more reliable now than in the past. Purchase quality ammunition and keep it cleaned and lubricated. Purchase from a knowledgeable gun dealer who will show you how. The NRA offers low cost shooting courses and there is no shame in wanting to learn. Whatever you choose always treat it as if it were loaded, ready to fire, and the built in safety features don't work.
Glock 19 with Federal 147 gr. +P tactical rounds. Mossberg 500 tactical with #00 and 5 extra rounds of slugs on a tactical receiver saddle. And to reach and touch someone a little farther a colt AR-15 with a Leupold Patrol scope. I carry different types of jacketed rounds and different types of soft tip ammo. Not a big gun nut but over the years I tend to like the above.
+++1 for what Chris says. I've carried a Glock 19 for years with no jams. Truly light, reliable and easy to use with no extra safety's to worry about. Their awesome. I'd go with a 9mm or 40 cal.
Love my 1911. Eventually gonna get a Judge for home defense though. No problems with jamming on my 1911.
I shot a glock 40 cal for over 23 years. I fired roughly 150 rounds a week through that gun. The only time I had any problems with jams was using cheap target rounds. Other than that I never had any jamming problems with it. Keep it clean and use good ammo should have no problems. I bought my own Glock 19 a couple of years ago that I use for CCW. The gun is awesome and with the improvements in ammo I prefer this over a 40 cal.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDL1969
870 super mag, i bought home defense shells that are 3 buckshot and a slug.
I've been shooting my two favorite carry pistols, XD9 & Bersa .380, for several years, not one 'Jam'.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDL1969
Just my $.02 worth, home defense or any defense is an extremely stressful situation, the perfect tool for home defense is any weapon you can operate instinctively, absolutely no thinking involved. Weapon problems in stressful times are usually caused by operator error. I personally have a 44 mag revolver that is my favorite beside companion. I shoot Glaser safety slugs in it to prevent over penetration because of 2 small children in my house. If using a shotgun of any gauge I would recommend a standard load of 6 shot, quite lethal to someone in the same room as you, but not nearly as prone to be lethal to someone down the hall or any the next room. Okay, of the soapbox now.
I carry a S&W shield 40 every day because it's small enough to carry in board shorts or jeans and a t shirt. I have a Glock 17 in the nightstand and a benelli 20ga for my wife while I'm at work. We can both operate without thinking. Always remember a gun without one in the chamber is nothing but an expensive club, and a gun in a safe isn't helpful in the event of a home invasion.
Shotgun loaded with #4 shot unless you are very proficient with a handgun in the dark.
Shotgun, this is no time to worry about what you are hitting or whom. Get a 870 pump with #4 or #6 shot will be deadly and will scare the s$*t out of them when you crank and round into it. When you are in that situation you want something that can scatter a lot of lead and not be dangerous to other members of the family. If you want a pistol revolver or a semi-auto shoot it until is second nature. Take home self defense courses and practice, practice and practice some more. If you don't you could be the one going to jail. Just my $.02 worth good luck.
I know shot guns are kinda the ultimate home defense gun, I have a 12 Gauge 870 already (although it's more of a bird gun). Would like something smaller my wife could learn on, just in case.
Gonna have to disagree with you on multiple points here.Quote:
Originally Posted by daniel9829
Every single time you point a firearm with the intent to pull the trigger, you better worry about who/what you're aiming at & what is behind them.
These are part of the Golden Rules of firearm safety. To add to this, you better ID your target, too many family members get mistakenly shot.
Yes, I know, you're talking about birdshot not over penetrating and thus endangering family and/or neighbors.
Guess what, at close range (6 yards or less) it can and will over penetrate up to two walls.
Birdshot is for birds, it is NOT deadly, you will not stop a determined bad guy with it.
Yes, at close range (6 yards or less) it causes major tissue damage, but is still unlikely to incapacitate or kill.
When your own & your family's lives are on the line, use #4 or larger buckshot.
Yes, most criminals flee when shot at and/or wounded, but again, you will not stop a determined bad guy with birdshot, he is still capable of harming you & your family.
Birdshot is bad advice.
Now I'll throw one out on myself, my choice of #4 buck is not optimum, it is not a proven man stopper as it doesn't have the required penetration to effectively kill with one shot. It will over penetrate walls, but it will do much more damage than birdshot.Quote:
Small sized birdshot such as this #4 heavy dove load is a poor choice for deployment with a tactical shotgun.
Wounds inflicted from birdshot tend to be gruesome yet shallow as they lack the penetration required to reach vital cardiovascular or central nervous system structures.
At the average distances found in most home/self defense scenarios, you will still need to actively aim.Quote:
#4 buckshot is what we consider the minimum all purpose buckshot load for tactical applications.
It balances decent penetration with a higher projectile count; increasing your first round hit probability over both #1 buck and 00 buck at medium shotgun range.
If all pellets strike the intended target (likely when utilized at closer range) #4 buckshot offers several times the effective wound channel creation capabilities over both #1 and 00 buck.
You're simply not going to be getting wide open shot patterns, average 5-10 yards you're going to see tight patterns with a cylinder bore. Aim or risk missing your target.
The only thing I don't find fault with is your last three sentences, good advice there.
At under 6 yards (18'), no one without body armor is getting up from a direct center of body hit with a heavy 12 gauge load of #4 shot. At that range, you will have massive tissue damage and shot penetration, most likely even the wad would penetrate the body.
The shock from the impact of 1 1/4 oz of shot, which would hit almost simultaneously, alone would most likely kill the person.
Shoot a watermelon at 6 yards and see what happens, it is a close equivalent.
Has anyone used or have comments on a SCCY 9mm a local gun store has a descent price I think
I have owned one for a couple years now. Like most short barrel pistols they are not the most accurate firearm out there. 100% made in America, that is a big plus. Lifetime warranty that follows the firearm not the owner. The cpx1 has an external safety but the safety spring is kinda weak (lifetime warranty will come into play lol). The cpx2 does not have a safety bit with a eight pound trigger pull they are still pretty safe. I have heard little to no complaints about them. BTW a local gun store told me the price goes up on almost every shipment because they sell that fast.Quote:
Originally Posted by coach
I'm way late to this party but I perfer a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun w/ an 18" barrel if possible. If. I can't get to that, I just reach for the glock 27 and the mag lite.
also knowing your way around your house in the dark gives you a huge advantage over an intruder. Knowing where light switches are helps too if you don't have a light on your firearm.
Chile I totally understand. I keep a riot gun with a 18" barrel beside my bead and it is loaded with # 3 buck. I however have no kids in the house and Next neighbor is down the road well out of range.. Either way I cycle at least 30 rounds a month on a defensive private range. what ever anyone does don't buy a gun and not shoot it and get training to handle the situation you may be placed in. Here Knowledge is for your safety. good luck every one and be safe.
a BIG dog that protects his home is my first line of defense(I back them up with the 45acp or 380 carry guns)....I have lost my boy but the grandson does a darn fine job now, picking up the slack for his late uncle
any thing that fits your hand and you can put rounds down range or in a gallon size jug will serve you well....it is like anything what one may like another may not....to much power inside a home isn't wise (magnum rounds)
.
I hear ya on the dogs, we've a medium sized mutt and an ankle biter, both know how to bark all too well.
Combine them with several motion activated flood lights & a few cameras, and we've some pretty danged good deterrence.
Lights & dogs, two of the best.
My damn lab snores so loud neither he nor I would hear anything! LOL!
I lost my lab back in October but he was a bad azz back in his prime. Very loyal, loving and gentle until a stranger came to the door. Then he went into full beast mode. A mouth full of razor sharp k9 teeth snapping and a shiny black coat bristled up is a real attention getter.
If in town or close to town, the best home protection is probably that little sign the alarm system company puts in your front yard.
Based on what cops have told me: burglers they have caught say they avoid any house with an alarm system sign, its simply a lot safer for them to target the neighbor's house without one.
That is what exactly happened in our neighborhood....
Its been said several times already but a shotgun is the ultimate home defense weapon and I wouldn't load it with anything smaller than #4 its you and your family's life on the line if you ever have to go for it and if that's the case you don't want the intruder to get back up. I personally keep 2 slugs and 4 00 buck in mine the buck is for the ones in the house and the slugs are for just in case one of them make it back to the vehicle.
BDL. the option is yours, the gist of the conversation is, use what you are proficient with. One point has come up several times about the use of smaller shot sizes in shotguns, I can tell you from personal experience that a 1 oz. load of number 9 shot at 6 yards will completely penetrate a human body( as long as no body armor is involved) . I have treated numerous gunshot victims in the field, as a paramedic, and the 2 wounds(both fatal) were fired with skeet loads at close range. Both wounds were nearly instantly fatal according to witnesses. But regardless of what you choose, be sure to practice until it becomes an extension of you, to quote a firearm instructor, your PD weapon should shoot where you look...and then pray you never ever need it
nothing beats a shotgun loaded with #6's for in-the-house defense
Just for a point of information about home defense (regardless of the weapon of choice); the local County Sheriff's Office where we live offers a home defense class that I took my not-so-experienced wife to that was really helpful.
First evening was discussion of laws regarding when you can or can't shoot (irrelevant if the bad guy is in your home), but there were some little things regarding property or outdoors. The next Saturday morning was a "bring your gun to the range day" with experienced instructors and trainers who inspected the weapons for operability and then to the range. As much supervised live fire as you want, but it was mostly handguns.
A good introduction for home defense, IMHO.
Check in your area for something similar.
Our shooting instructor said either one........ but his pistol is just to get him to his 12 ga.
duh huh? when a 20 ga can sever a Christmas tree completely with 2 #6 loads ,,I think any person would definitely be in final jeapordy round,,got bigger got handguns,,heck hoping no methheads get brave enuff,,,,,oh well