Best Inexpensive Guns for Home Defense

Prep-Blog ^ | 9/24/12 | Thoreau

[Kartographer]

This prepping and survival blog post is a discussion of the best inexpensive guns for home defense across various categories of guns. On this subject, opinions vary greatly. If you have a different opinion, feel free to comment on this post. However, I’m talking about home defense guns here, not self-defense guns generally. You might want a self-defense gun for carry that is compact, lightweight, concealable. But all of those features are low priority in a home defense gun. In my view, the most necessary features in a home defense gun are these seven:

[Carriage Hill]

_...

(bookmark for later this morning)

[mylife]

I meant 18” tactical pump.
Yeesh!

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

The 870 Marine is my home defense shotgun as well.

It also has the best name. (Semper Fi!)

[Fireone]

My apologies, I should have directed my post to the author.

[Eye of Unk]

I have a place across the highway from me that will Cerakote most anything, thats the baked on epoxy coating. I did a Winchester 70 in .375H&H in a dull black that way, stuff is nearly indestructible.

I like stainless but for using one when it may be dark I might rattle can it with some dark gray or tape it.

My home defense gun is a 1933 built Remington Model 11 I restored and it is nearly original except for a 20” barrel and a bead blasted bluing finish.

[Tijeras_Slim]

The Colt snubbies (Cobra, Agent, and Detective Special) are great guns. They fill the gap between the smaller 5 shot Simth J frames and the larger 6 shot Smith K frames.

[OB1kNOb]

Savage Stevens 350 Security Pump 12 Gauge, 18 1/2" barrel, 5+1 capacity, 3" Chamber with Ghost Ring Back Sight & flourescent front bead sight, bottom ejection (which helps a left-handed shooter like me) for $199 at Academy Sports; it's lighter weight to carry than the H&K Pardner (which was a plus for me and the wife)

[BlueMondaySkipper]

I think you mean a .410 gauge Mr. K, and I concur

.410, .420, Whatever it takes...

[BlueMondaySkipper]

Bushmaster AR .223

Umm, no. Bad choice

Ignoring the fact that Bushmaster isn't exactly known for quality, choosing an AR that is chambered for .223 doesn't make any sense. An AR-15 rifle chambered for 5.56 can safely shoot both 5.56 and .223 while one chambered for .223 can only safely shoot .223. Why would you buy a gun that can't use the 5.56 which is far more readily available?

[GlockThe Vote]

Don’t know - have had my bushmaster for years and never ever a problem yet

[Lancey Howard]

Thanks for the link. I will try to check out a Ladysmith today. It would make a nice companion piece for one of my home defense weapons, S&W .357.

FRegards,
LH

[Stonewall Jackson]

Back in high school a friend of mine shot himself in the foot with one. He was out rabbit hunting and went to step over a fence. As he did, he accidentally pulled the trigger and put a round right through his left foot. The damage was so severe they almost had to amputate it, and he still walks with a severe limp twenty years later.

[Mr. K]

oops you are right

I just like them

the tiny little shotgun shells are likje cute little munchkins of death

and I thought I had read you can use pistol ammo in them too (like a 45? or is there a 410 pistol?)

I dont know much about guns, but I know what I like

410 is not really a ‘gage’ it is actually the caliber (not like 12 gage or 20 gage)

[Tijeras_Slim]

There are several revolvers that will chamber both .45 Colt and .410 shells. Taurus Judge series and the S&W Governor.Some folks love them.

The .410 is a great deal of fun and far more capable than most folks think. The problem is that most .410 shotguns are cheap single shots choked fuller than full. I routinely shoot 5-stand with a Winchester 101 O/U choked skeet/skeet and it will break birds out to 35 yards without a problem.

[Mr. K]

I am only thinking about having to shoot indoors- a 410 is less likely to take out a structural wall

but still capapble of spraying lethal shot in that small space

if you get one you can modify it (within legal limits, of course) so it is almost hand held and easy to conceal

like this one :

[Mr. K]

what the hell did the ATF give for a reason?????????

assholes

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“You cannot beat a good old fashioned 12 gauge shotgun. We like the Mossberg 500.”

Yes! And it is Made in the U.S.A.! Quality, Reliability, Affordable. I have two...a pistol grip 500 with 20” barrel for $275...great for home defense. Also a 500A gold trigger special with both 24 & 28” barrels, three chokes and a case, slightly used in excellent condition...all for $325. And no, they are not for sale!

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“Keep one in the pipe . . the only sound that bastard should be hearing is the squeaky noise when the gates of hell open up for him.”

Absolutely correct. Do not put the odds in his favor. And it better be 00 or slugs. A light (150-200 lumens, and strobe switch on the light is also good-very disorienting) and a laser if you are using a pistol-grip 12 ga. You do want to make sure the target is a ‘bad guy’...and when you know that you want to hit him.

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“I agree with you on the pistol grip ver.
That’s hell on the hand.”

My Mossberg 12 ga pistol grip w/20” barrel has a strap that goes across my belly to absorb the recoil...not bad on the hand. And btw, I am a slight built 76 yo. And the strap allows me to keep the gun on target.

[atomic_dog]

The "white truck of happiness" dropped this bad boy off at my front door this morning. Where else but from the CMP can one acquire a battle proven .30 caliber semiautomatic rifle for $550?
I am continually amazed by the lack of respect for these rifles in prepping circles. I own a couple of M1A's and might grab one of these before them. It reloads faster than a magazine fed rifle and the projectile has more energy at 100 yards than a 5.56 mm at the muzzle. It's more than enough gun but I guess it just doesn't look cool enough.