Interesting Home Defense Topic

[ants]

In my past life, I saw a lot of people shot. I remember several of them running  for blocks after being shot with .22, .25 .32 cals.  Bigger cals… not so much. 

If a .22 is all you are comfortable with, then by all means use one. If you can handle a larger caliber gun (.380 or bigger) or a shotgun then by all means use it….

[Elmo]

It's better to put 3 rounds of 22LR into their chest than to put 2 rounds of 45ACP into your dry wall.

[ants]

I used to keep my ruger 10/22 under the bed. and was DESTROYED on another forum for not using my 12 gauge.

 

I was watching best defense last night and they were actually talking about a low caliber lever action rifle. The best argument for this choice in my opinion has less to do with recoil and finding the target and more with the drywall/penetration.

 

All that aside, I feel comfortable with my skills and hallow points in my glock 23. It's in a gunvault at my bedside table. loaded and with a flashlight. In the future I'd like to get a .45 (preferably a 1911) with a light attachment.

IMHO the absolute best handgun round, for close quarter defense, is the .45 ACP loaded with a good hollow point. My go to, home defense gun is a Ruger P/90 45. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

My personal opinion is that is some one enters your home while you are there it isn't a target of opportunity. If they know you are likely there, they know there may likely be a confrontation. There will be no warning shot, not shouting that I have a gun. no noise of the slide racking. The notice that will be given that they messed up and chose the wrong house will be the muzzle flash. and it won't be from a 22.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Any gun is better then no gun, a gun you shoot well and is simple to operate and always runs ,is the way to go if that's a .22 so be it.

I'm toying with the idea of a 8 shot .22 revolver for my oldest daughter, she shoots but not as much as I'd like,and that seems like a good choice.

That said I've been to well over 100 shootings and I'm inclined to think it may be close to 200 , I've seen a surprising number of shooting victims more worried about their coat and cell phone than the blood leaking from the holes.... Which tend to be small and almost self sealing,the ones where the shell casing are small anyway.

Now when there is shotgun shells and larger shell casings on the ground ,those folks you don't have to tell to get off their phone.

Right now there is a short barreled Benelli with 00 buck and my .40 cal at the ready.

Saying you,have a gun may make many run out,shooting the ones that don't may make them then run out, or maybe towards you ! I'd rather make it so he doesn't have the option . Take running right out of the equation as much as possible.

How about a 38 if you are thinking a revolver? recoil isn't heavy at all.

[ants]

It's better to put 3 rounds of 22LR into their chest than to put 2 rounds of 45ACP into your dry wall

Yup..if a .22 is all you can handle then go for it. But if you can put only 1 round of .45 ACP into their chest you will be way better off.

[Five Seasons]

IMHO the absolute best handgun round, for close quarter defense, is the .45 ACP loaded with a good hollow point. My go to, home defense gun is a Ruger P/90 45. 

 

I think there's little argument there. I chose the .40 glock because I also cc, and I wanted an easier to shoot handgun for the frame size. Like someone else mentioned, i'd rather put smaller caliber on target than miss with a larger. But for bedsize defense, cc doesn't matter. So go big frame, big round imho.

[hunter49]

Thats something I would worry about later. No matter what you do, some scum bag will sue. It easy money. If some pice of $hit comes into my home, with the intent of harming me, my wife or kids I will shoot him in the back, the face, the ass, the neck, the foot, the arm, the leg, the chest, the knee, the ankle, the lip, the ear, the d!#k….. where ever…… let the piece of $h!t  or the piece of $h!t's $hitty scum bag family sue me. What ever..

  I feel the same way, When I took my pistol corse the instructor  said a  22 mag. would work nicely. I am opting for a 16ga. or 12ga. pump. with buck shot myself.  I figure one those will do a job.

Edited February 27, 2014 by hunter49

[Elmo]

Don't have a handgun license so I'm forced to use my 12 gauge.  Let me apologize to intruders in advance...the law won't allow me to use anything weaker on you.  Blame the legal system instead of me.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Elmo

[philoshop]

Bigger is always better, as far as holes in your opponent go.

I really wish I hadn't sold my .45 gold cup years ago. That would be my HD gun right now in a heartbeat. Alas.

Not sure it's a matter of being able to 'handle it'. Much more about being proficient with it.

[NYbuck50]

My home defense weapon of choice is a 12 gauge pump for 2 reasons. 1.) i really dont want to HAVE to shoot somebody, and if your doing something illegal in the dark, about the scariest noise there is is the sound of a pump shotgun getting racked. 2.) if they hear me chamber a round and keep coming, the buckshot makes sure they dont come any further

[dbHunterNY]

the whole tactical and heavy fire power craze people are in makes them uninformed when it comes to self defense.  we have a model at the club for educational purposes.  it's a section of an exterior wall of a normal house, with siding complete all the way through to dry wall.  it's shot with numerous calibers and weapons, from 22Short to big games rifles to 410 bird shot.  22LR doesn't provide that much stopping power but i agree quick follow ups are a complete necessity.  maybe you hit the attacker with the first round or maybe you don't.  it's not just the drugged up guy either anyone invading your home with bad intentions to harm you has adrenaline cranking through their vanes and won't even feel a shot for all it's worth at first.  from a legal stand point it's assumed you've shot because you've let them know you're going to defend yourself and they've continued to come at you. if they're still coming at you they're aware they could get shot and don't care so they're also going to have a commited mind set to come at you no matter what.  that said if a larger caliber handgun, any centerfire rifle, or a shotgun with heavy loads (not just buckshot) is in your mind ok to use for home defense you should realize that you better be trained like SWAT and/or have above average awareness of your surroundings despite all the craziness going on.  almost everything went through that wall model we had, so your loved ones in the next room behind the bad person will catch friendly fire if you shoot with most ammo.  right now the best home defense gun i could think of would be a revolver or compact repeater shotgun with 410 shells or light bird shot in it.

[Doc]

Best home defense weapon??? ...... Why not ask the guys whose profession is to take out bad guys inside buildings and elsewhere...... the cops. Are they armed with .22s. I think not. Why not? I think it has to do with putting down potential crazy people and drug frenzied wackos before they take the cop out. Sounds a lot like a home defense situation to me. Same rules and thoughts apply.

 

 

[shawnhu]

I can shoot the FNH 5.7 better and faster than a .22LR, what a pleasure to shoot. The high capacity mag also helps.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[cdmckane]

It's better to put 3 rounds of 22LR into their chest than to put 2 rounds of 45ACP into your dry wall.

 

I can patch holes in the drywall.  The intruder will not, however, be able to patch the 2 .45ACP holes in his chest and the one in his head.  2 in the chest and 1 in the head on each target.  Basic combat pistol training.

[philoshop]

Best home defense weapon??? ...... Why not ask the guys whose profession is to take out bad guys inside buildings and elsewhere...... the cops. Are they armed with .22s. I think not. Why not? I think it has to do with putting down potential crazy people and drug frenzied wackos before they take the cop out. Sounds a lot like a home defense situation to me. Same rules and thoughts apply.

 

Sorry Doc, but I have to disagree.

A trained professional knowingly entering a hostile situation is very different from a guy rolling out of bed after hearing a noise in the house.

My point is and has been, train hard with the gun of your choice and be comfortable and confident with it.

And hope you never have to use it in the circumstances we're discussing.

[mmkay]

I am confident that shooting 10 .22 rounds at an intruder will stop them in their tracks.

 

 

My father fought in Korea...had a 30 cal. carbine.  the 15 rounds in the carbine wouldn't always stop a screaming Chinaman...why would a 22 stop a criminal.  The carbine ended up being used as a baseball bat lots of times.  somethng larger than a 22 would be needed for home defense

[Culvercreek hunt club]

from a legal stand point it's assumed you've shot because you've let them know you're going to defend yourself and they've continued to come at you. if they're still coming at you they're aware they could get shot and don't care so they're also going to have a commited mind set to come at you no matter what. 

Where does it say that?

[Lawdwaz]

I can shoot the FNH 5.7 better and faster than a .22LR, what a pleasure to shoot. The high capacity mag also helps.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

How high of capacity are you using?

[shawnhu]

How high of capacity are you using?

Pretty high.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

[Culvercreek hunt club]

So you store it on the top shelf?

[Elmo]

I can patch holes in the drywall.  The intruder will not, however, be able to patch the 2 .45ACP holes in his chest and the one in his head.  2 in the chest and 1 in the head on each target.  Basic combat pistol training.

 

I was making reference to the fact that you should use whatever you feel most comfortable handling and trained to use.  Some women might not be able to shoot a 45ACP accurately.

[Doc]

Sorry Doc, but I have to disagree.

A trained professional knowingly entering a hostile situation is very different from a guy rolling out of bed after hearing a noise in the house.

My point is and has been, train hard with the gun of your choice and be comfortable and confident with it.

And hope you never have to use it in the circumstances we're discussing.

The required stopping power is exactly the same, or at least should be. Law enforcement agencies have the research to show what is required to effectively put down someone intent on doing them harm, and I would assume they are armed accordingly. The home owner should take that kind of defense activity no less seriously than a cop. And I would say whatever their research and guidelines tell them they need, a homeowner would be wise to duplicate. I worry about those who might consider under powering their defenses with .22s. For the same reasons that I do not hunt deer with a .22, I think something much more powerful might be required for a charging crack-crazed wacko and perhaps several of them.

[jjb4900]

a shotgun loaded with buckshot would probably be the best choice for most...........I doubt the average person has the training or nerves to calmly shoot another person, and the biggest pattern is probably best.

[cdmckane]

.I doubt the average person has the training or nerves to calmly shoot another person, and the biggest pattern is probably best.

It has nothing to do with training, trust me. When your choices are killing the person in front of you or never seeing your wife and children again, you'd be surprised how calm you are.

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