I've never owned a gun in my life, and have only shot a couple. If I was to purchase a gun purely for protection, what kind would you all recommend and why?
I've never owned a gun in my life, and have only shot a couple. If I was to purchase a gun purely for protection, what kind would you all recommend and why?
A phantom one.
If a gun makes you feel safe, you shouldn't have one.
None the less, a shotgun. Bullets miss, but a spray of lead hits things more frequently. Bullets fly a long ways, lead shot doesn't.
So nobody should buy a gun for home protection?
12 gauge short barrel (as legally allowed) pump with a pistol grip.
Foxtrapper- A gun makes a lot of people feel safer. I'm not sure what your point is. If I have a chance to take on a group of intruders with either my bare hands or a gun what do you think I'd pick? What would you pick? I feel like I can handle myself pretty well, but lets be realistic. If I could face them off legally with a tank or bazooka you can bet I'd saddle up.
Mossberg 500. I HATE pistol grips on a shotgun personally... but some like them. 18.5" is the legal limit on a shotty.
Making blanket statements like the second post is about as informative as pissing in the wind. Both are stupid.
Whatever pump action 12ga you like. Select based on how loud the action is. My preference is that it be as loud as possible. Will make any intruder think twice and may prevent actually having to fire. There is something deeply psychological about hearing a 12ga rack.
Shorter is better for mobility
Shotgun also because it is not as prone to shooting through walls, causes lots of damage, aim is not as important.
16" barrel, i thought 26" overall in shortest fireable configuration (you could have a gun that folds shorter, as long as it can't be fired that way, as i understand it)
Just don't load it with deer slugs. Those are a LOT harder to recover from.
16" barrel on rifles, 18.5" on shotguns.
I agree with the shotgun, but would use a .410, less recoil = quicker recovery = more lead in the air. Not as likely to penetrate interior walls with a smaller powder load.
A shotgun cycling a round is very loud and very distingushable noise. Oh and please take a course for gun safety or hunter safety. It may seem basic but we are talking about lives. Take your family too. Nothing does more for curiosity than a boring class.
I saw a nice article a while back that tested the lethality of shotgun loads vs their wall-penetrating capability. They found the highest wound severity (mostly fatal) and the lowest wall penetration (for the pellets that miss the intended) came together nicely at single aught buck shot (#0)
I second the (3rd?4th?) the call for a short barrel pump shotgun. These are usually available inexpensively new and even cheaper used, and most are stored and not fired very often.
One other thing. Please, PLEASE, shoot the thing enough to be comfortable with it before you are in a situation where you NEED it. And I don't mean 5-10 rounds. i mean boxes of rounds. If you don't, it's more dangerous to you than the intruder.
also, My next house gun will actually be a 16 ga instead of a 12 so the wifey is a little more comfortable with it. Both are..uh...devastating inside a house.
foxtrapper wrote: A phantom one. If a gun makes you feel safe, you shouldn't have one.
I completely disagree. I feel safe with one because I have an equalizer. I drive through one of the most dangerous areas in the US every day.
If you are scared to use it, you should not have one. If you are sure of yourself and willing to use it, its not a bad idea.
Different weapons are good for different people.
Do you have small children around? How good is your eyesight? What is the lighting in your house like? Where will you keep the weapon?
I have knives, guns, swords, all kinds of things scattered around the house. The .45 is always close, but there are other options.
Assuming the OP is willing to take a little time to go over safety procedures, and do at least a bit of training/practice, but is not interested in shooting as a hobby, I'd suggest a 4" barreled double action 357 magnum revolver, preferably in stainless.
Reasons
Easy to use, no safety to fiddle with, but a heavy enough trigger pull that it's unlikely you'll accidentally fire it.
It can be downloaded with 38 special ammo in case anyone who will use it turns out to be recoil sensitive.
Here's a big one - it's far less unwieldy than a shotgun indoors, it can be used one handed, which is useful when you need to open a door, push away an attacker, etc.
Stainless and a revolver, because they tend to suffer less from neglect.
I have nothing against shotguns, and that'd probably be my second choice, bumped up to first choice if any likely confrontation would be outdoors with a bit more room to move.
racinginc215 wrote: Pick whatever you want to get shot with. that's how it usually works. I'd go shot gun and rock salt. it burns like hell but you won't end up dead from your own gun.
When they aren't dead, they will sue you. Bad idea. If you go non-lethal, get mace or a tazer. Guns are for killing only.
You might want to read some books by Massod Ayoob. Sounds like a terrorist but he's a gun self-defense guy that makes some good points.
Paintball gun loaded with marbles!!
Won't penetrate the walls into the kids room and gives you hundreds of shots!!
I've run people off from the house a couple of times that way. None further inside than the garage.
Here's a fact a lot of gun people like to ignore, ANYTHING serious enough to kill a person is going to run the risk of over penetrating.
Pick a weapon system that you're comfortable with. Just having shot a couple firearms isn't enough experience or background to make a good recommendation. Shotguns are an always favorite, but carbines in intermediate cartridges (namely 5.56) have been gaining popularity since the 90's and for good reason.
If someone breaks into my house, personally I'm reaching for my AR15 with a 16" barrel.
Also, avoid gimmicks like pistol grips on shotguns and people who advocate point shooting. Do some research, learn how to fire a weapon properly, and if possible try out a few of the options available to you.
racinginc215 wrote: Pick whatever you want to get shot with. that's how it usually works. I'd go shot gun and rock salt. it burns like hell but you won't end up dead from your own gun.
So everyone that owns a gun gets shot with it? Is that the misinformation you are trying to get across?
Remington 870 Home Defense 12 ga. shotgun, 18" barrel w/ magazine extended to seven rounds, synthetic folding stock w/ pistol grip, receiver mount six-pack shell holder, tactical light w/ pressure switch, sling optional.
870 is reliable and versatile, easy swap to longer barrels, plenty of aftermarket parts to customize. Pistol grip is comfortable to me folded or extended. Tactical light is a necessity for night, no need to carry flashlight. Basically, what you light up is the shot pattern.
Some folks don't like folding stocks. We practiced sweeping room to room at night w/ lights off. Full stock seemed clunky going around a corner, folded was more maneuverable, try it you might like it. I'm absolutely sold on the tac light after trying it. Number 4 shot or 00.
In pistol I have a Beretta 92 9mm w/ tritium sights and laser. Laser is awesome at night.
Xceler8x wrote: You might want to read some books by Massod Ayoob. Sounds like a terrorist but he's a gun self-defense guy that makes some good points.
No, he doesnt sound like a terrorist, he sounds like an American. No much of an accent, really. Hes awesome.
Joey
So you are the only person on the face of the planet that can handle any situation like this? I'd love to see the source of your statistics.
Bobzilla wrote: So you are the only person on the face of the planet that can handle any situation like this? I'd love to see the source of your statistics.
No, he's saying that it's not as easy as on TV and most people want to just point the gun and have people run away.
Once you've been on the wrong end of the gun you are more likely to actually defend yourself than if you've just thought about it.
Been trussed up, thrown in a corner, had shotgun almost poked thru my throat and had the gun missfire. They killed 17 other people.
Hand raised.
Go to a range - rent a bunch of weapons and see what you're comfortable with. I like the idea of a shotgun on an intruder in the night - but I also have dogs that I'd rather not shoot. I like the stopping power of heavy rounds - so it's a .45 for me. Once you pick what you're comfortable with - do the safety training and put a thousand or two rounds through it.
bravenrace wrote: I've never owned a gun in my life, and have only shot a couple.
Was this couple menacing you in some way?
Learn to shoot well with anything you can lay hands on. Go for a revolver... say 6" barrel, .38 so it has a reasonably priced ammo and the kind of kick you need to be accustomed to. Learn the safety part first... then shoot, shoot, shoot. Take a class. You will be fighting with it in the dark, groggy from sleep... safety and aim/fire should be easy, automatic muscle memory. When you get there - you won't need much advice to choose a different weapon if you decide to go that route. It really might not be a gun you want at all but you will be making a decision from an informed point of view. Sport shooting and defense training is fun as hell so it won't be a waste of your time.
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