Best home defense firearm?

[Southpaw]

My point is that sometimes you have to go with what you can get and that is not necessarily what you want. In my case the 590 was probably both, but took me 5 months to get a hold of one...

Thanks for the tip about this forum, Rossignol.

 

[Rossignol]

Sure thing!

I also have a 590 (A1) available for HD if it were ever needed. And youre right, you use what you have or is available.

 

[kajohns]

I think choosing the best firearm for home defense would depend on your home layout, the people involved, and how you can tactically move around (if you must). If your plan is to hold position in a room and wait for the police to arrive, then either a shotgun or handgun would be sufficient. If you're a woman, a shotgun may be too heavy. You may consider a good caliber handgun. Practice shooting so you can hit the target with deadly force if you have to (center mass, head, "groin"). Sometimes a shotgun can be too long if you have to move about the house. Shorter barrels and pistol grips might be an option. Practice your shooting with the pistol grip if that's your choice. Personally, our bedroom is on the other side of the house than my adult daughters, so I have the shotgun, my wife has a handgun, and my daughters are well trained and have a handgun on their end. We chose the "stay put" option. But if someone has to move for some reason, it's me. Just my two cents.

 

[bubba in c.a.]

It`s mostly about stopping power. If you hit somebody with one shot of 12 or 20 gauge buckshot at close range there is a very high likelyhood that they will cease to be a threat to you and yours. And almost all HD and SD shootings are at very close range. Thats what its all about for HD. Hit hard and fast because the closing distance between you and the BG is just about nothing.

You cannot say that about the stopping power of most common handgun bullets. Most people have handguns for HD because they don`t know any better and the convenience factor of a little gun has lulled them into a feeling of security. And don`t forget that police, with a certain level of training, miss with 4 shots out of five. Misses have zero stopping power.

Over the years I`ve had a variety of weapons around the house. One of the last setups was a mini 14 with a handgun backup, but a few years ago I gave it some serious thought and went for the stopping power of a shotgun with a handgun backup.

 

[Rossignol]

...a shotgun with a handgun backup.

Same here.

 

[gumbydammit]

A friend, who has taken almost every class there is at Gunsight, told me he was taught, the survival rate of a GSW from a handgun is 95%.
The mortality rate of a GSW from a shotgun is 95%.

 

[bubba in c.a.]

and over 50% of all shootings take place at under 10 feet. Not much time to shoot 10 or 15 rounds of 9mm in somebody to get him to stop.

 

[reeseman67]

...a shotgun with a handgun backup.

Same here.

+2 , best to have a 'boomstick' for bigger areas with 7-9 rounds of Federal #00 Buck (I'll still keep 3 slugs and 3 #00 buck, and 2 #4 Buck on forearm JIC, when you wouldnt have to think about bumping an 18" or 20" barrel on a shotgun and with a GOOD SLING that you can easily transition to a handgun with. , MAYBE grab bandoleer w/40 #00 and 15 1 ounce slugs(probably not, but hey, what if!). Probably just the shotgun w/7-9 rounds in it, and 6-8 rounds on it and FNP-45 w/Insight WX-150 on it loaded with 14-16 230 grain Gold-Dots when you might have hallways, corners and bedroom entrances. And then 'CLEAN HOUSE' imagine thinking you cleared your house, but forgot a closet so CLEAR WELL!! Hopefully we're never 'trapsing through' our hallways with shotguns or AR's strapped on our chests and handguns in our hands ACTUALLY putting all our 'home defense plans' into action!!!! At least we have homefield advantage, I know every nook, cranny, and how to work with the left AND right hand entrances and doors. But even if you if it happened every day, it would always be a different situation so... Variety IS the spice of life, have options! :twisted:

 

[reeseman67]

A friend, who has taken almost every class there is at Gunsight, told me he was taught, the survival rate of a GSW from a handgun is 95%.
The mortality rate of a GSW from a shotgun is 95%.

Have heard very similar statistics, knew a teaher that had half his leg (knee/calf) blown off and luckily could still walk, that was a tiny (leg) target compared to the chest and he didnt get ALL of the shot either (birdshot, coulda been worse but that would have to have been an amputation). Imagine that hit with hi-brass 12 ga w/9 #00 buck(.32-.33 I think) to the CHEST... Shotgun w/pistol needs it's own category along with carbine/pistol!!
Stephen