Home defense weapon...

[nfranke]

possibly a semi-auto shotgun, if you can find one in your price range

 

[mjones]

get a sign that says your neighbor wants to ban guns and his house is not armed just kidding good luck i would get a shotgun and load it with buckshot easy for anyone in the house to grab and shoot

 

[Colinb913]

OP, does your home defense plan involve the need to move around the house much, such as to secure children, etc., or is it primarily retreat to a safe room and call 911?

If the former, frankly a handgun is often the better tool, imo, because it facilitates movement within the confines of most homes and can be used with one hand.

If the latter, then a shotgun is fine.

I live downstairs, upstairs, left, down a hall are my two little brothers, and if I went right at the top of the stairs are my parents. We are pretty spread out around the house, but I feel if someone were to break in, they would come in the basement first, since we have a ton of windows in the back, and not many in the front..

Huge house (not meaning to brag), so I feel that getting EVERYONE into one safe spot could be a bad idea.. But leaving them fragmented in the house could be just as bad..

 

[Skywired]

get a sign that says your neighbor wants to ban guns and his house is not armed just kidding good luck i would get a shotgun and load it with buckshot easy for anyone in the house to grab and shoot

I just have decals in my windows that state: "This home protected by Smith & Wesson."

 

[patience0830]

Dad's house, Dad's rules. Is your father armed? Does he have a safe place for gun storage? Do you? How old and responsible are your brothers?

Be safe first. I lost a 13 yr old brother to an accidental gunshot and it's not an experience I'd wish on anyone.

There are a TON of good bright white lights available currently for under $80 or so. Blind the intruder is always a good start. Then rack the slide on the Mossy. If he still hasn't froze up then shoot him.

 

[Ted]

Ammo HD article: Home Defense Shotgun Ammo

....... In all shotshell loads, number 1 buckshot produces more potentially effective wound trauma than either #00 or #000 buck. In addition, number 1 buck is less likely to over-penetrate and exit an attacker's body."

Shotgun: There are plenty of proven pump action shotguns available on the market, new or used. Clambering a round in within earshot of a perpetrator, usually causes a rectal puckering that stimulates a flight response.

Of course, there are such firearms as the Remington 1187 tactical semi automatic, which eliminates the need to keep racking the slide, and that is one less concern during a firefight. Its a little bit more expensive, but its a matter of what you personally value.

 

[ubertux]

A home defense weapon optimally is a shotgun, it was my second purchase as a firearm. It is hard to beat even with a pistol on your side, pistols just don't have the range(usually). I currently have 3 pumps ready to go and teaching my girl how to use them was a breeze, just showing her how to use one of them and she could operate all three.

 

[bluewraith]

Single Shot 20 gauge
Semi Auto .22 (ten rounds)
Mosin Nagant

The .22 could be used in a pinch, but plan on emptying the tube on the threat, and possibly even beating them with the stock.

The Mosin is going to be too heavy and too big to reliably move inside a house/apartment with. I get a new hole in the ceiling every time I look at the bayonet on mine. Not to mention any stray rounds from that gun are going to **** off the neighboring counties.

Until you get something better, I would suggest keeping the shotgun loaded with some buckshot. The best I've been able to find locally for a 20ga is 3 Buck. 20 decent sized pellets in one shell. You'll only have one shot though, so make it count. Followup shots can be rather quick with practice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opz0160v6mk

 

[Colinb913]

The .22 could be used in a pinch, but plan on emptying the tube on the threat, and possibly even beating them with the stock.

The Mosin is going to be too heavy and too big to reliably move inside a house/apartment with. I get a new hole in the ceiling every time I look at the bayonet on mine. Not to mention any stray rounds from that gun are going to **** off the neighboring counties.

Until you get something better, I would suggest keeping the shotgun loaded with some buckshot. The best I've been able to find locally for a 20ga is 3 Buck. 20 decent sized pellets in one shell. You'll only have one shot though, so make it count. Followup shots can be rather quick with practice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opz0160v6mk

I was thinking the .22 as well, since I have two ten round magazines for it, so I would have quite a few follow up shots. As for the shotgun, I can make a quick reload pretty easy, but I don't know how all that would go with adrenaline pumping, and everything like that.

 

[looney2ns]

I was thinking the .22 as well, since I have two ten round magazines for it, so I would have quite a few follow up shots. As for the shotgun, I can make a quick reload pretty easy, but I don't know how all that would go with adrenaline pumping, and everything like that.

That's exactly why practicing is so important.
22lr or with any round, shot placement is key.

Firing a gun should always be the last resort.

Simply owning a guitar does not make you a musician.

http://youtu.be/GpgXSzkPqLM

 

[gunowner930]

I was thinking the .22 as well, since I have two ten round magazines for it, so I would have quite a few follow up shots. As for the shotgun, I can make a quick reload pretty easy, but I don't know how all that would go with adrenaline pumping, and everything like that.

I think you're right too. Your current home defense options suck, but you already know that otherwise you wouldn't have posted this thread.

The single shot 20 ga has huge limitations as a home defense weapon because of your three firearms, it offers the slowest follow-up shots BY FAR. It is absolutely essential to have the capability to follow up a hit or miss with another shot if need be. Anybody using this firearm as a primary home defense weapon with pretty much any other option available needs to have their head examined.

The Mosin has only a 5 round capacity, (better than 1 like your shotgun) is huge, has poor ergonomics, and is especially unwieldy in a home environment. Additionally, it is a bolt action rifle that is slow to reload and even relatively quick follow-up shots will require you take your shooting hand away from the trigger guard to re-chamber another round after firing a shot. That's not good, but it is a better option than the single shot 20 ga.

Your semi-auto .22 LR chambered rifle is your best option here. It is no secret that the effectiveness .22 LR as a defensive cartridge is limited at best, but it provides you with the most effective means of sending as many accurate shots at a threat as possible given your options. At the very least, you're less likely to get bumrushed as you are while trying to manually reload each shot with a single shot shotgun.

Aside from all of the myths, tall tales, and legends of shotgun awesomeness, I would recommend you purchase a 12 ga Maverick shotgun, given your budget. You can find them used for $150ish, they're not perfect but they are not bad at all for what they are, and they can be used effectively as a home defense weapon in the right hands. Good luck to you, and make the choice you think is right.

 

[Ted]

RE: 22 cal

I'm going to disagree with a .22 for home defense. While the velocities are desirable, and the round will play Swiss Cheese with the pinball effect inside of one's body, it does take a significantly longer time for the a perpetrator to become incapacitated.......Enough time to use his remaining abilities to harm you and your family.

Basic self defense instruction generally advocates placement to be center mass.......despite the immediate effectiveness of a head shot. In a crisis situation where the body's response loses significant ability of fine motor control, the body's autonomic response would negate a shooter's ability to place his or her round where best intended.

A shotgun doesn't have these shortcomings, and is your first, best defense in these matters.

 

[iChokePeople]

The single shot 20 ga has huge limitations as a home defense weapon because of your three firearms, it offers the slowest follow-up shots BY FAR. It is absolutely essential to have the capability to follow up a hit or miss with another shot if need be. Anybody using this firearm as a primary home defense weapon with pretty much any other option available needs to have their head examined.

I think you've never seen someone who's good with a single-shot shotgun.

 

[Ted]

Just to chime in one more time.....

Tactics utilizing distance, concealment, and cover, are just as important as the choice in weapon.

Use your home court advantage to the best of your ability.

 

[jve153]

i have read up a lot on 20ga self defense ammunition, and the general consensus is that #3 buck is the generally your best bet in that gauge of shotgun. the #00 buck rounds, they pellets stack kind of funky and cause them to do weird things. also, #3 buck is readily available, and i have had a very hard time finding #00 for a 20gauge. i have a 12 and a 20 in the locker in my bedroom, but the 12 is closest to the door. it is filled with #00 and the 20 is filled with #3. i am by no means an expert on any of this, but this is the conclusion on rounds i am at AT THIS TIME. if i find further convincing information that there is a better way to go, i will have to make that decision again.
the .22 is not a BAD idea to have loaded and ready. it beats throwing rocks. 10 quick shots, we will say a 50% hit rate, thats 5 shots, quickly. most people who are not hopped up on something will not think "oh, it was just a .22" most will start rethinking their decision pretty quickly. also being able to quickly reload, doesnt hurt either. my suggestion is to pick up a 12ga. get some #00 buck, and go shoot the snot out of it till you cant get it wrong.

 

[gunowner930]

I think you've never seen someone who's good with a single-shot shotgun.

And they're still inherently slower than a semi-auto, pump, or even a bolt gun. less motion=more efficient

 

[iChokePeople]

And they're still inherently slower than a semi-auto, pump, or even a bolt gun. less motion=more efficient

Given the choices presented in the OP, for home defense in MY house, sign me up for your recommended head exam. I'd take a single shot 20ga over the mosin or the .22 in a heartbeat.

 

[netsecurity]

Leaving everyone fragmented in the house is a bad idea imo. You need to know where your family is located in case you have to shoot. You don't want to shoot in their direction. You could shoot them through the walls, or you could mistake them for a burglar. That's also why you should have a light on or along with your gun, and use it to identify a perp before pulling any trigger. Never fire at a sound, of course, and if you think you might do that then you shouldn't have any weapon.

 

[ghitch75]

semi-auto or pump 12g...

 

[TTravis]

I would recommend putting #6 or #7 shot in that shotgun. It will make hamburger out of whoever is in front of you, but will not pass through many walls. Keep several shells handy and practice loading in a hurry. Maybe a shell holder on the stock would be nice. You should be able to reload within two or three seconds while the BG is crapping his pants. He also has no idea how many rounds you have or how fast the next one is coming. All he will want to do is get to heck out of there. You are alert, ready, and armed which puts you way ahead. The burglar does not want to get shot with any of the above. Make sure someone else in the family knows where the .22 is. Remember, we went for centuries of gun development before we ever got past single shot guns. You don't have to have the latest, or most expensive gun to protect yourself. You have a lifetime to accumulate guns.