So I am not derailing another thread, curious how you would rank home defense weapons and why?
Rifle, pistol, HD shotgun,...?

Really up to you and your ability / what's comfortable to you.

IMHO, 1. AR Pistol 2. AR-15 3. Pistol 4. Shotgun.

I'm most comfortable and accurate in that order. I also consider magazine capacity, etc.

Depends on your experience level with firearms.
For someone who has little or no experience:

• Big dog
• shotgun
• pistol

in that order

Pistol because I have it in a biometric safe in my nightstand and it is the easiest/fastest for me to retrieve and be ready with.

I've had some home alarm malfunctions the resulted in a nice adrenaline fueled dress rehearsal/practice.

ZooGuy said:

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Really up to you and your ability / what's comfortable to you.

IMHO, 1. AR Pistol 2. AR-15 3. Pistol 4. Shotgun.

I'm most comfortable and accurate in that order. I also consider magazine capacity, etc.

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I agree with this.

That said, I have a G19 in a quick access safe because I: 1) don't have an AR pistol, and 2) don't have a good way to keep an handy but secure.

shotgun filled with slugs:

don't have to worry about it penetrating a wall and leaving your house. kill / incapacitating the intruder is pretty much 100%

Pump shotgun.

When you hear someone outside your door, get really close to the door and work the action vigorously.

Van Buren Boy said:

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Pump shotgun.

When you hear someone outside your door, get really close to the door and work the action vigorously.

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ZooGuy said:

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Van Buren Boy said:

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Pump shotgun.

When you hear someone outside your door, get really close to the door and work the action vigorously.

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not too much, dont want to eject all your shells prematurely...

It's too late by then to put one in the tube. If you use a pump gun, you must train with it. Improperly racking can cause failures.

AR or other semi auto rifle>>>>>pistol>>>semi auto shotgun>arm flailing shotgun

Because my handgun is by my bed for any nighttime surprises.

If I can see trouble coming from a distance, or predict it well ahead of time, definitely shotgun. In my imagination, there is probably not going to be enough time to retreive the shotgun from the safe.

It depends. Generally a pump shotgun with 00 buck will give you the best coverage and does not take much training to learn on. A pistol without a safety like a G19 is handy since it is easy to keep in a bed side safe and holds a decent amount of rounds (if you have proper finger discipline). Pretty reliable as well.

ARs take more training and are not as easy to swing around corners. The capacity is nice but if you need 30 rounds you are probably a horrible shot or in big trouble. With that being said I would take my 6.8spc AR over almost everything.

Think about something you can have a light mounted to so you can see what you are shooting. Yes it gives you away but in the confusion of darkness you can visually confirm what you are shooting. Blinding people with the light makes them turn their head making it harder to hit you if they have a weapon.

Also depends on something else, are you ready to kill someone? If you are even hesitant a pump shotgun may be best if you rack it when you hear someone. If you shoot someone you can pretty much kiss getting that gun back any time soon, make sure it is not a collectible.

P.U.T.U said:

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It depends. Generally a pump shotgun with 00 buck will give you the best coverage and does not take much training to learn on. A pistol without a safety like a G19 is handy since it is easy to keep in a bed side safe and holds a decent amount of rounds (if you have proper finger discipline). Pretty reliable as well.

ARs take more training and are not as easy to swing around corners. The capacity is nice but if you need 30 rounds you are probably a horrible shot or in big trouble. With that being said I would take my 6.8spc AR over almost everything.

Think about something you can have a light mounted to so you can see what you are shooting. Yes it gives you away but in the confusion of darkness you can visually confirm what you are shooting. Blinding people with the light makes them turn their head making it harder to hit you if they have a weapon.

Also depends on something else, are you ready to kill someone? If you are even hesitant a pump shotgun may be best if you rack it when you hear someone. If you shoot someone you can pretty much kiss getting that gun back any time soon, make sure it is not a collectible.

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Lots of bad advice in here

He's what I use. Scattergun Technologies TR870

highvelocity said:

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shotgun filled with slugs:

don't have to worry about it penetrating a wall and leaving your house. kill / incapacitating the intruder is pretty much 100%

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What? First, every single round we're talking about from any firearm if it's worth using for self defense is going to blow right through drywall. Pistol rounds, shotgun rounds, rifle rounds. Drywall won't slow any of it down. You're going to have to know what is behind your target before taking a shot.

That being said, I'd take buckshot over slugs if I was stuck using a shotgun because slugs will penetrate more than anything else will inside the home.

If you're talking about the brick exterior, it'll stop/deflect pretty much anything in a hopefully non lethal manner...slug, rifle, pistol, buckshot.

But slugs are going to overpenetrate and remain lethal further/longer inside the house than any other possible load. If you have other people living with you, they're the worst option. Buckshot is slightly better, but how much it disperses through drywall while still maintaining dangerous velocity is enough to make me prefer a rifle, even if ease of use, capacity, ability to mount lights/optics easily and better ammo didn't already make me prefer a rifle to a shotgun.

BenderRodriguez said:

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AR or other semi auto rifle>>>>>pistol>>>semi auto shotgun>arm flailing shotgun

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This.

There is a reason "SWAT" teams have gone away from shotguns, pistols, and pistol caliber carbines toward 5.56 based rifles. 5.56 doesn't penetrate nearly as much as pistol ammunition. Also, an average/amateur shooter can shoot an AR or other carbine generally much better than a pistol or shotgun.

For other posts:
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With respect to slugs - they penetrate more than 5.56.

Regarding "needing" 30 rounds - why recommend 00 Buck? That's 9 rounds. Who needs 9 rounds? You must be a horrible shot and should just use slugs.

terradactylexpress said:

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P.U.T.U said:

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It depends. Generally a pump shotgun with 00 buck will give you the best coverage and does not take much training to learn on. A pistol without a safety like a G19 is handy since it is easy to keep in a bed side safe and holds a decent amount of rounds (if you have proper finger discipline). Pretty reliable as well.

ARs take more training and are not as easy to swing around corners. The capacity is nice but if you need 30 rounds you are probably a horrible shot or in big trouble. With that being said I would take my 6.8spc AR over almost everything.

Think about something you can have a light mounted to so you can see what you are shooting. Yes it gives you away but in the confusion of darkness you can visually confirm what you are shooting. Blinding people with the light makes them turn their head making it harder to hit you if they have a weapon.

Also depends on something else, are you ready to kill someone? If you are even hesitant a pump shotgun may be best if you rack it when you hear someone. If you shoot someone you can pretty much kiss getting that gun back any time soon, make sure it is not a collectible.

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Lots of bad advice in here

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Feel free to correct but remember most people will rarely shoot their guns and almost none will practice how to properly clear a house. A home security weapon is to protect your family, step 1; do not shoot anyone in your family. Easiest way to do that is see your target. Is your significant other going to train? If not KISS principle with your weapons applies.

Was my advise the best "tactical"? Not by any means but safety is first, especially if someone is not going to train to the point where something becomes a non-voluntary response.

Quote:

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It depends. Generally a pump shotgun with 00 buck will give you the best coverage and does not take much training to learn on.

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No.

First, the spread of a load of 00 buck at room distances is minimal. People have this idea that shotguns have this scatter shot of bullets and you don't even have to aim and you can hit the guy....but it's pretty easy to miss when everything out of the gun is going to wind up in a 3" circle.

Secondly, you're accountable for every pellet sent down range. As I said in my last post, buckshot and every single other round that you'd use for home defense is going to slice right through dry wall, though buckshot deflects more than others while still maintaining velocity. While buckshot has a very small spread at room distances, deflection in sheet rock is really pronounced. Unfortunately due to its shape, unlike rifle rounds that deflect and tumble, when round buckshot deflects it keeps rolling along at a pretty quick pace.

here is a picture of a load of 00 buck on a 4th sheet of drywall after penetrating 3 other sheets. That's only two rooms inside the house, but look at this spread:



If you had a loved one 2 rooms over, would you take that shot?

You're right on about the white light. I disagree with some of your other statements

P.U.T.U said:

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Feel free to correct but remember most people will rarely shoot their guns and almost none will practice how to properly clear a house. A home security weapon is to protect your family, step 1; do not shoot anyone in your family. Easiest way to do that is see your target. Is your significant other going to train? If not KISS principle with your weapons applies.

Was my advise the best "tactical"? Not by any means but safety is first, especially if someone is not going to train to the point where something becomes a non-voluntary response.

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It would take me about 30 minutes to get anyone on here's spouse more than capable of using an AR-15. Added bonus, we can mount a red dot and make it easy to shoot, a light and make it easy to ID threats and an adjustable stock so that it fits her if she has to use it.

It would take me much longer to get someone unwilling to practice and untrained ready to defend themselves with their husbands pump action shotgun.

AgEng06 said:

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2) don't have a good way to keep an handy but secure.

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Other people have also faced this issue, and the market has come up with some solutions.

small corner safe

in wall locker

concealed in wall locker

under bed safe

If you break into my home with me there you will not get the warning of me racking my pump shotgun. Any of the options listed will work fine as long as you are practiced with your weapon. There is no way I would shoot slugs in my home, it would be rifle level penatration. I have no problem with shooting someone stupid enough to break in my home but it would get to me if I shot my neighbor when I did it.

Bender beat me to it with regard to slugs. While highly effective, they are deep penetrators. Whoever said they wouldn't go through walls has clearly never shot them. I've seen them go through a double layer of 2x12. I don't even think a brick veneer would stop them.

My first line of defense (besides the alarm system) is my Glock 17. Though I think an AR is a better choice, I can keep my 17 on the night stand by my bed. Also, I've been through a lot of pistol training but no formal AR training, so I'm more familiar with running my Glock than I am my AR that I've only used for fun and pig hunting.

So, for me it's...

Pistol - AR - Shotgun

But if I ever get professional instruction in rifles and find a good way to secure a rifle next to my bed then pistol and AR will probably flip places.

BenderRodriguez said:

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AR or other semi auto rifle>>>>>pistol>>>semi auto shotgun>arm flailing shotgun

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Agreed but I do not know many people that train their wife on how to clear a stovepipe, FTF, etc., the AR is just a more complex weapon. Like I stated, I am comfortable and so is my wife with the AR. But we have a toddler so I need something I can access in a few seconds that can be stored safely so a pistol with a light is my go to.

Talk to your significant other, a lot of protecting themselves may be them hiding in a closet with their weapon and emptying the gun at anyone that tries to come in. Others may be more aggressive if there are kids in another part of the house. AR with a red dot and light is hard to beat for someone that trains. A shotgun to center mass will hiding in a closet is a pretty good deterrent. Two different guns for different purposes. And I have a shotgun from 1958 that has never jammed once to my knowledge, hard to beat that for reliability.

I keep a pump shotgun with 00 buck, an AR pistol with 60 gr hollows, and my Millennium G2 around the house.

In a bag, I keep my Scorpion Evo and P290 with 250 rounds.

P.U.T.U said:

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Agreed but I do not know many people that train their wife on how to clear a stovepipe, FTF, etc., the AR is just a more complex weapon. Like I stated, I am comfortable and so is my wife with the AR. But we have a toddler so I need something I can access in a few seconds that can be stored safely so a pistol with a light is my go to.

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It's really not that complicated. In fact, it's easier to use under stress than a pump action shotgun. Short stroking failures are easy to do with a pump gun when you're in a hurry and hard to clear.

A clean, oiled AR using good defensive ammo shouldn't have any issues with f2f, stovepiping, etc. We're not in Iraq, it's not like you have to worry about it getting dirty.

As for quick access, I am 100% on board with keeping guns away from little hands. I linked 4 options for keeping an AR close by the bed, but still secured from kiddos higher up.

For those that don't train with long-guns regularly it can be difficult to navigate a low light structure. Try walking around your house with your long gun at ready and low ready positions. It isn't very easy. Units that train on Close Quarter Combat train a very, very long time to get proficient. I wouldn't recommend trying to move inside a structure unless absolutely necessary (to get to the kids etc). Shelter in place in a room and call 911. Have your weapon at the ready and pray you never have to use it.

ZooGuy said:

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Really up to you and your ability / what's comfortable to you.

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People say this, and to a certain extent it's true. If you can't afford X, get good with Y. I totally get argument, and pump action shotguns are way cheaper than any other defense option out there.

But if I'm most comfortable with a kitchen knife or a .22 rifle, I should probably work on becoming comfortable with the best option for home defense instead of using what I'm already comfortable with....which is an AR.

I'll stress again that the most important feature of a home defense firearm is a light. You need to be able to identify your target. Yes, you can use a light without giving away your position, and yes you can use a light without pointing your gun right at someone.

Whatever you choose to use, make sure it has a light.

Quote:

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not too much, dont want to eject all your shells prematurely...

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Premature eject-ulation

proudtxag said:

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So I am not derailing another thread, curious how you would rank home defense weapons and why?
Rifle, pistol, HD shotgun,...?

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Atlatl.

In all seriousness, listen to Bender and txyloo.

Handguns only exist as a way to fight to your long gun.

AR pistol or SBR is the best answer. Still get the benefit of having both hands and a shoulder on a gun in a stressful environment but gain mobility over a carbine length AR.

Claymore. Stop em before it's an issue.

ETA - In case they breach the perimeter, listen to Bender.