# Best HD(home defense) Gun?



## SharkBait >*)\\\><( (May 16, 2012)

whats ya''lls idea of the ultimate HD gun?
a 12 gauge saiga is about the most vicious rifle i can think of, thinking about buying one and retiring the old 870 police magnum for a while..
what weapon do yall go for when things go bump in the night?


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

1911 here.


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## BigNate523 (May 19, 2010)

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Remington-Express-Tactical-Home-Defense-Shotguns/709955.uts

for home defense i would always prefer a shotgun and definitely indoors, with pistols there is to much risk in wall penetration. Plus Buckshot is pretty devastating up close


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## WoundedMinnow (Oct 11, 2011)

Benelli M4 Tactical shotgun....buckshot


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## SharkBait >*)\\\><( (May 16, 2012)

monkeyman1 said:


> 1911 here.


me too, i keep a 3 inch barrel 1911 handy At All Times, hopefully in a HD Scenario the 1911 will be holstered as backup to a more powerful rifle.(that is if i had time to put on pants :spineyes would suck to get filled with buckshot buy a naked guy defending his home


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## HoustonKid (Dec 29, 2005)

Shotgun. Keep #8 bird shot in it and it will destroy someone in the same room with you. It will hit the sheet rock and get stopped. Zero over penetration. One thing about the 870, every terd on the planet knows that sound of a racking shotgun. That alone may achieve your objective.

Even if you have a someone who knows how to handle the gun in a high stress situation their aim will be greatly affected. A shotgun gives them a lot larger impact area compared to a handgun. They, if smaller framed or a child, can also put the butt of the gun against the wall and have zero recoil to deal with and just point in the terds general direction, game over.


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## coogerpop (Sep 3, 2009)

Shotgun of any type...


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## fishingcacher (Mar 29, 2008)

Someone told me that just the sound of you pump your shotgun will be enough to scare any intruders away. Maybe someone should make a motion detector that triggers the sounds of shotguns being pumped. What do people think about night vision goggles?


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## mstrelectricman (Jul 10, 2009)

"AK 47, when you absolutely, positively need to kill everybody in the room, accept no substitute." Sorry. this line from Samuel L Jackson just popped into my mind.


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## boom! (Jul 10, 2004)

Judge


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## landlockid (Jun 17, 2009)

boom! said:


> Judge


^thats my FIL's choice, at night I have my concealed carry 9mm in my nightstand and wife keeps her 38 in hers & the shotgun is a step away in the closet.


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## Blk Jck 224 (Oct 16, 2009)

SharkBait >*)\\\><( said:


> a 12 gauge saiga is about the most vicious rifle i can think of


A 12 gauge is not a rifle



boom! said:


> Judge


X2...Cougar Sugar Mama Santa is getting me one this year. :smile:


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## colbyntx (Jul 18, 2013)

I have firearms in every room but I sleep with a Ruger 9mm, Springfield .40cal and an M4A3. Plenty more arms in the closet if I have to retreat


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Whatever I get my hands on first, I sleep with both.










Mossberg 500 Mariner w/00 Buckshot










Springfield Champion .45 w/230gr XTPHP.


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## michaelbaranowski (May 24, 2004)

My Home Defense firearm is a 12 gauge side-by-side stagecoach gun. But one of my 1911s is always in close contact day/night.

But I would like to check out a one of the new Kel-Tec KSB 12 gauge w/ 14 round cap.


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## KEN KERLEY (Nov 13, 2006)

Have handguns close by but my Weatherby 12 ga. pump is the "go to". And it's ready to fire. I don't want to warn a bad guy, that might have a firearm, what's waiting on him. If he gets the first shot off, things might not go the way I need.


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## prokat (Jul 17, 2010)

Might be a little tough on interior walls:mpd:


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## Stumpgrinder (Feb 18, 2006)

I have many options in the scabbard. If it was down to one, at close quarters , with my life on the line.... give me the Remington 870 with a pulled plug loaded with 00 buckshot . I'll then take my chances


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## omgidk (Nov 5, 2010)

I like my Remington tactical 870, I prefer the fixed stock and pistol grip. I don't believe one gun is the trick to be honest, look around and put items or guns close. If someone kicked in your front door, could you make it to your HD gun before they reached you? this is a good reason to have something in the couch ect... just my two useless cents


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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

Pump shotgun, like a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870. Both are available in tactical/home defense models, very common, relatively inexpensive and there are lots of accessories available to dress them how you like. Pump shotguns also offer the highest degree of overall reliability.12 or 20 your choice but I'd probably lean towards the 12. What most people don't seem to realize is that at night, inside the house, you are pretty much only going to get 1 good shot. Unless you have practiced a lot, the shot at night, especially with a pistol, will flashblind you. Secondly, the noise of the gunblast, without hearing protection, combined with being flashblind, will like disorient you for a moment. As mentioned above, overpenetration from the projectile is a concern so I wouldn't likely load slugs but between buckshot and birdshot is your choice.

Whatever you choose, pistol for the convenience and portability, semi auto tactical style rifle for fire power and capacity, shotgun for the cloud of pellets, practice and practice some more at a range with your weapon of choice.


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

What's all this racking of the shotgun to try scare the bad guy away???? That just tells him where your at...You gave away all the surprise factor and leveled the playing field. Heck with that.


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## cklimpt (Jan 4, 2010)

Remington 870 tactical in the closet. Loaded with in order 00 buckshot, low recoil slug, 00 buckshot, low recoil slug. I figure I can put a hole in a door/wall then knock the intruder across the room with a slug.

I also have my .40 beside me on my night stand ready to go.


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## dwilliams35 (Oct 8, 2006)

scwine said:


> What's all this racking of the shotgun to try scare the bad guy away???? That just tells him where your at...You gave away all the surprise factor and leveled the playing field. Heck with that.


 Not to mention that the overpenetration of a shotgun round is WAY underestimated by a heck of a lot of people. There's a bunch of good reasons that SWAT teams are mostly using SBR's in 5.56 now...


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

michaelbaranowski said:


> My Home Defense firearm is a 12 gauge side-by-side stagecoach gun. But one of my 1911s is always in close contact day/night.
> 
> But I would like to check out a one of the new Kel-Tec KSB 12 gauge w/ 14 round cap.


My second choice, behind the 1911, would be my coach gun.

I've read not-so-good reports on the Kel-Tec scatter gun. Read up on them before you buy.


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## BPitcher (Aug 23, 2004)

dwilliams35 said:


> Not to mention that the overpenetration of a shotgun round is WAY underestimated by a heck of a lot of people. There's a bunch of good reasons that SWAT teams are mostly using SBR's in 5.56 now...


I came here to post this almost exactly.

Also, the pattern of a shotgun isn't going to yield you a significant advantage at most home defense ranges - you are still going to have to aim. Birdshot is also a poor performer in the home defense realm.

I really believe the AR15 to be the best home defense platform due to magazine capacity, available upgrades, controllability and ergonomics.


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## BigNate523 (May 19, 2010)




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## Bird (May 10, 2005)

dwilliams35 said:


> ...There's a bunch of good reasons that SWAT teams are mostly using SBR's in 5.56 now...


SWAT teams have a couple very significant advantages over the regular guy. One, they are highly trained in close quarters combat, very skilled and practiced shooters with their weapon and wide awake, fully alert before going into the situation.

Nevertheless, it is a very fluid topic with many many variables for each person to figure out which is best for them. At least you are on the right track with choosing to protect yourself and your family and taking the time to think about what is the best choice for you.

Good luck and let us know what you end up choosing and why.


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## frank n texas (Aug 11, 2004)

Mossberg 500 pump..short barrel


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

Not trying to discourage the scatter gun enthusiasts. But I like carrying a flashlight in one hand and the weapon in the other hand. Personally, I like the light to be separate from the firearm and I can holster the 1911 if I need/want to be hands-free.


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## mstrelectricman (Jul 10, 2009)

Reading this thread one could deduce that entering uninvited the average 2coolers home, especially at night, could have negative effects on ones health.


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## Wade Fisher (May 22, 2006)

The best home defense weapon is the one I can get to when the need arises. 

If I'm in the kitchen, it's a .45. When relaxing in the living room, it's a 9mm. If I happen to be in the bedroom, it's a .38 special. If I'm in the garage, it's a 12 gauge with 00 buck.


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## Bob Keyes (Mar 16, 2011)

12 ga. 4 buck Game over


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## donf (Aug 8, 2005)

12 GA 00 buck. 8-30 caliber projectiles in a neat little package. 540 grams of weight at 1300 fps.


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## txranger (Jun 23, 2005)

Respectfully disagree on multiple levels. As others have mentioned already, racking a shotgun will alert the perp to your position in the house and what weapon you have, giving away two of your elements of surprise. A shotgun is very cumbersome to carry prone while holding a flashlight or phone, or even just opening a door. Do you go thru a door barrel first, and risk the perp grabbing the barrel? As far as having "a lot larger" impact area, very minimal pattern expansion in short distances inside a house. And as most of us who have been bird hunting can attest, just shooting in their general direction doesn't always work, lol. Also a jam in a shotgun renders it useless. For sheer one shot stopping power, a shotgun is best. But if you get into any kind of tactical situation, a handgun is far superior imo. If a shotgun is all you have, by all means use it. But imo it is not the best home defense weapon.


HC said:


> Shotgun. Keep #8 bird shot in it and it will destroy someone in the same room with you. It will hit the sheet rock and get stopped. Zero over penetration. One thing about the 870, every terd on the planet knows that sound of a racking shotgun. That alone may achieve your objective.
> 
> Even if you have a someone who knows how to handle the gun in a high stress situation their aim will be greatly affected. A shotgun gives them a lot larger impact area compared to a handgun. They, if smaller framed or a child, can also put the butt of the gun against the wall and have zero recoil to deal with and just point in the terds general direction, game over.


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## cajunautoxer (Aug 10, 2011)

Use a AR with 2 point sling, light, Aimpoint. Less likely to penetrate thru walls

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Stumpgrinder (Feb 18, 2006)

I believe in the scatter gun for most of us. Adrenaline is a helluva drug . I've seen how hard it is to bring rounds on target with my 45 under normal range conditions. I cannot imagine what it might be like with my blood pressure jacked up 60 points and fear coursing through my veins like a raging river.

Ive got 5000+ rounds under my belt with a 12 gauge . If I gotta put my life on the line I wanna go with what I know. ( you can mount a light to a scatter gun easily )


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## Africanut (Jan 15, 2008)

#4 buck and any 12 gauge platform you like.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

scwine said:


> What's all this racking of the shotgun to try scare the bad guy away???? That just tells him where your at...You gave away all the surprise factor and leveled the playing field. Heck with that.


This and if you are sure someone is in your house but you don't know exactly where, your weapon should *BE READY TO FIRE*.


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## SharkBait >*)\\\><( (May 16, 2012)

my wife keeps her AR with a few mags next to the bed, i keep my good friend Kalashnikov and a 3A vest in the closet
12 gauge buckshot makes allot of since for me, i live on 13 acres but do have some neighbors(and a kid), if i have to shoot a coyote in the chicken coop in the middle of the night, im gonna feel the best about it with buckshot..
i think a solid Home Defense plan is a good thing to have


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## SharkBait >*)\\\><( (May 16, 2012)

i took my ak outside a few nights ago (someone was shooting shotgun rounds close to my house, not on my land though) pretty crazy feeling waking up at 3:00 to shots fired with a rifle in your hand expecting to have to use it in the middle of the night...
never did figure out what the guy was shooting about, there are some MS13 gang members down the road..


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## KILT610 (Feb 24, 2006)

Any repeating shotgun.


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## Backwater1 (Apr 25, 2013)

txranger said:


> Respectfully disagree on multiple levels. As others have mentioned already, racking a shotgun will alert the perp to your position in the house and what weapon you have, giving away two of your elements of surprise. A shotgun is very cumbersome to carry prone while holding a flashlight or phone, or even just opening a door. Do you go thru a door barrel first, and risk the perp grabbing the barrel? As far as having "a lot larger" impact area, very minimal pattern expansion in short distances inside a house. And as most of us who have been bird hunting can attest, just shooting in their general direction doesn't always work, lol. Also a jam in a shotgun renders it useless. For sheer one shot stopping power, a shotgun is best. But if you get into any kind of tactical situation, a handgun is far superior imo. If a shotgun is all you have, by all means use it. But imo it is not the best home defense weapon.


Right on the money. Shotguns are heavy and cumbersome with extensive recoil, especially in a pump platform. You must have both hands to use it, leaving you unable to operate a flashlight, door knob, light switch, telephone, etc.

In the event of having to hide or "hunker down," the shotgun is going to limit you. Also as mentioned, the term "scattergun" is not quite accurate in close quarters. The size of your pattern will most likely be smaller than your fist. The longest shot in my own home is 29 feet, so there is not enough distance for a shotgun pattern to expand.

I keep my CC within arms reach at all times and keep an 870 with 2 3/4" #2s in the corner at night. 2 3/4" round has lower recoil and at a distance of less than 10 yards, #2s are plenty and cheap. You really should choose whatever firearm you are most proficient with for home defense. As with everything in life, practice makes perfect and heaven forbid the time should ever come, you want to be able to operate the firearm fluidly and with confidence.

The best home defense tool I have however is a dog that barks. I can depend on her senses a whole lot more than mine. She is far more aware than myself.

Oh, and racking shotguns is for movie sets, not home defense.


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## ctcc (Nov 9, 2012)

*This guy cracks me up!!!*


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## let's talk fishin (Jan 4, 2008)

Glock 40cal and wife 38 special.


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## Bigj (Jul 22, 2007)

12 guage pump is mine


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

mstrelectricman said:


> "AK 47, when you absolutely, positively need to kill everybody in the room, accept no substitute." Sorry. this line from Samuel L Jackson just popped into my mind.


From Samuel L Jackson, I suppose you deleted the F word? But I really like his movies!

I would have to go with a repeating shotgun.


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## Spinky (Aug 11, 2005)

ctcc said:


>


Awesome! You can keep it in your bathtub while you're soaking. Perfect for hot tub applications.


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## fishnvet (Mar 6, 2005)

I get the arguments for and against shotguns, but I'll stick with my 870 tactical. 7 rounds, plus 6 in a side saddle. Streamlight mounted up front. What I like about it is that the family all dove and duck hunt with an 870 of some type, so it is a familiar platform for someone to pick up and be comfortable with.


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## Fish fur (Oct 11, 2012)

BigNate523 said:


> http://www.cabelas.com/product/Remington-Express-Tactical-Home-Defense-Shotguns/709955.uts
> 
> for home defense i would always prefer a shotgun and definitely indoors, with pistols there is to much risk in wall penetration. Plus Buckshot is pretty devastating up close


Buckshot within 40 yards will penetrate a wall just as well as a handgun does


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

Whats with all the wall penetration stuff.. What if I live alone and would like to kill the bad guy through,,,like,,,,5 walls? 
This is so entertaining. 

Let's keep it going. LOL.


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## sleepersilverado (Jun 27, 2011)

Let the guard dog take care of it.


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

sleepersilverado said:


> Let the guard dog take care of it.
> View attachment 878665


Heck Yeah^!


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## Backwater1 (Apr 25, 2013)

scwine said:


> Whats with all the wall penetration stuff.. What if I live alone and would like to kill the bad guy through,,,like,,,,5 walls?
> This is so entertaining.
> 
> Let's keep it going. LOL.


Thats easy










I live by myself and don't worry about walls or anything. I would never shoot through a wall or door regardless, but a good handgun like a full size Springfield XD or Glock in 40 caliber would be my go to. Easy to handle, low recoil, plenty of mag capacity and knock down power.


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## HoustonKid (Dec 29, 2005)

txranger said:


> Respectfully disagree on multiple levels. As others have mentioned already, racking a shotgun will alert the perp to your position in the house and what weapon you have, giving away two of your elements of surprise. A shotgun is very cumbersome to carry prone while holding a flashlight or phone, or even just opening a door. Do you go thru a door barrel first, and risk the perp grabbing the barrel? As far as having "a lot larger" impact area, very minimal pattern expansion in short distances inside a house. And as most of us who have been bird hunting can attest, just shooting in their general direction doesn't always work, lol. Also a jam in a shotgun renders it useless. For sheer one shot stopping power, a shotgun is best. But if you get into any kind of tactical situation, a handgun is far superior imo. If a shotgun is all you have, by all means use it. But imo it is not the best home defense weapon.


To each there own. You say the spread in close quarters is not that much. Compare a 9mm or even a 45 to the spread of bird shot at 6 feet. I would be willing to bet there will be 3-5" of coverage compared to the width of one bullet. That is a massive difference.

Giving up your position. Come on, someone is in your house you don't think they can figure out you ain't laying on the couch. Giving up your weapon platform? Come on man, we ain't talking about the communist are here in force with a small tactical unit. We are talking about a terd or two that will run at the first sign of a gun battle, maybe. If they don't they will know they are about to face some hell on earth in the form of a locked and loaded shotgun.

That is all I have to say about that. I am out of this one.


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## spike404 (Sep 13, 2010)

Doesn't make a difference what you choose---if you do not practice, it is a waste.

My preference? Any reliable pump shotgun, cut down to legal barrel and overall length.


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## Backwater1 (Apr 25, 2013)

HC said:


> To each there own. You say the spread in close quarters is not that much. Compare a 9mm or even a 45 to the spread of bird shot at 6 feet. I would be willing to bet there will be 3-5" of coverage compared to the width of one bullet. That is a massive difference.
> 
> *At 6 feet, the shotgun pattern will be the same dimensions of the barrel. About 3/4".*
> 
> ...


.


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## stdreb27 (Aug 15, 2011)

I'm a huge fan of a semi-auto rifle like the ar platform, for home defense. I can't find the article that convinced me. But here is why.
1. Ability to put a lot of bullets on target in a short period of time.
2. Has 30 rounds.
3. People typically go down after their blood pressure lowers too much, so you need lots of holes. (Barring Hitting the spinal cord)
4. Easy to use in close quarters.

At the end of the day, the same reasons it's used in clearing houses in Iraq are the same reasons it's an effective tool in your own home.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Cleaning house in Iraq does not carry liability and the folks inside the house are not family members to shooter.


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## cajunautoxer (Aug 10, 2011)

I use to be a shotgun guy until I started shooting 3 gun and realized all the problems you have with shotguns

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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

Remington 870 Tactical Express. It'll get the job done!


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## TxFig (May 4, 2006)

I can't believe nobody gave the right answer yet. The RIGHT answer is:

*ALL OF THEM*

A handgun (the one you are comfortable shooting)
A shotgun
A high capacity rifle

Life is too short to restrict yourself to just 1 gun.


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## S-3 ranch (May 26, 2004)

Yep any ol shotgun will do for me , very large wound channel , can shoot thru any door , window , and most of all will make some take notice


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## Trapp (Apr 6, 2011)

Remington 870 with the plug removed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Terry


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## Bearwolf34 (Sep 8, 2005)




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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

When stress is high, it's dark, and the adrenaline is flowing.....simpler is better. Less likely for you to make a mistake. A pump action shotgun with a short barrel and/or a 357 or 44 mag double action revolver.


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## QBall (Jun 27, 2004)

The "platform you are most comfortable with" is probably the most pc answer.

That said, if I am forced to engage a target, I have zero desire to be in a gunfight. If you are using a handgun or small cal rifle (5.56), against an armed assailant, then you will very likely find yourself in a gunfight.

The ballistics alone should be all the answer you need. Short of a small area, most grown men can sustain multiple pistol rounds without going down. Might be fatal wounds, but no immediate incapacitation. In contrast, very few can sustain one round of 0 or 00 buck to center mass.

I would also consider the occupants of the home and proximity to neighboring residences/structures. I think it is safe to argue that pistols stashed in the couch cushions might not be the best idea if you have little ones running around the house. Grandma and Grandpa need to keep this in mind as well when the munchkins come visit. Penetration depends much more on the round than specific weapon type. Best thing to do is to hit what you're aiming at. This, of course, results in another advantage to a long gun.

An 870 or Mossberg 500 are two of the most dependable weapons ever made. They are cheap and pretty much idiot proof. 

The above is from my own training and experience, but is still just my opinion.


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## RexP (May 29, 2013)

QBall said:


> The "platform you are most comfortable with" is probably the most pc answer.
> 
> That said, if I am forced to engage a target, I have zero desire to be in a gunfight. If you are using a handgun or small cal rifle (5.56), against an armed assailant, then you will very likely find yourself in a gunfight.
> 
> ...


THIS even 71/2 or 8 shoot will devastate the human body across a room.
You have to remember who knows the house layout best.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

a short shotgun w buckshot and a large cal handgun, both have their place, make the first shot count, your not in a firefight and gonna be half blind after the muzzle flash anyway.


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## smokinguntoo (Mar 28, 2012)

mstrelectricman said:


> "AK 47, when you absolutely, positively need to kill everybody in the room, accept no substitute." Sorry. this line from Samuel L Jackson just popped into my mind.


Just watched Jackie Brown again on Netflix.

SG2


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## Country Boy (Aug 15, 2008)

Like others, I keep guns positioned around the house and garage. The pistol I sleep with is a S&W Governor chambered in 45 Colt or 410 gauge. I keep it loaded with 410 that has around 4 or 5 balls inside the shell.


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## Bryan24 (Aug 31, 2010)

There was actually an intruder in my house when i was about 16 years old thanksgiving night.

An illegal immigrant walked into our house and through our living room where my 11 year old sister had 3 of her friends over having a slumber party and made his way into my 4 year old sisters room where my stepmom happened to be sleeping with my little sister. He barricaded himself against the door and was threatening them with a knife. My dad heard them scream and the first thing he did was grab his O/U 12 gauge shotgun and made his way back to there room all the way across the house. He thought carefully about his actions he knew exactly where the man was because he was unable to open the door and my stepmom yelled out to him that he had a knife. When he realized they were clear he fired a shot through the bedroom door and it shot pellets all into the guys face. It wasn't enough to kill the man but it was enough to get him out of our house. But the pellets traveled through that door, went across the room and also traveled through the bedroom door and through our living room where 4 little girls were sleeping.

What im getting at is the wall penetration i have seen first hand exactly what its capable of and if the girls in the living room hadn't all been laying down on the ground theres a good chance one of them may have been hit.

In my opinion it is better to be armed with whatever you feel comfortable shooting, i have enough guns in the room that i could pick up basically anything in one of those events but would probably grab my AR or my 9mm pistol first.


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