Posted on 09/24/2012 6:24:41 PM PDT by 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:
(Excerpt) Read more at prep-blog.com ...
Before you consider which gun would be right for you, there are some other factors to take into consideration.
1) Points of home invader entry and likely places of home defense.
2) Tactical considerations: do you know them or not (identify your target); adult or child; invader armed or not; coherent or intoxicated (them and you); wanting to advance on you, stand there, surrender, or escape; gap between you; obstacles, concealment and cover for you both.
3) Actions before calling police and after calling police.
4) Local and state laws.
5) Primary and alternate weapons, backups, and contingency plans.
Watched Andy Devine on a hunting TV show about a 100 years ago (he died in 1977) drop bird after bird with one. He looked like he was shooting with a child's toy.
Mossberg 500 12-ga pump, pachmyr vindicator kit, 8-shot mag tube, and alternate 00-buckshot and deer slugs, with a slug out first.
Just makes sense...reliable, rugged, affordable, and there’s no mistaking that distinct sound of the slide being jacked in a dark room.
When I was 5 years old I had my picture taken with Andy Devine at the Isle Of View, drive-in theater in Panama City, Florida.
My parents were too cheap to buy the picture tho.
I go with a 20 ga. and No. 8 birdshot inside the home.
12 Gauge Birdshot For Home Defense
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIfilArIHlY
The 3.5" BlackCloud shells are for pass shooting ducks and geese at 60 - 70 yards i.e. at the normal 40 yard distance you're looking at a pattern the size of a grapefruit or cantelope. The Xtrema-2 has a $300 option called a "kick-off" which is basically an automotive style shock absorber which you don't need for 3" shells but you do need for the 3.5s and the prices you see on Gunbroker vary according to whether a gun comes with "kick-off". Normally I'd figure God was going to punish somebody for being candy-assed enough to need a shock absorber on a shotgun but if you're going to shoot the 3'5s with the Beretta gun, you need it.
Compared to other 12 ga. guns, the Xtrema-2 does a much better job of chambering ordinary skeet ammo reliably, I've never had mine malfunction and I've seen people with the Benelli guns going crazy trying to shoot skeets or Sporting Clays with target ammo.
The recoil of 12 ga target loads isn’t enough to worry about, it’s only the hunting ammo which has serious recoil.
The 410 ga shotgun is a misuse of technology. The only thing it’s really good for is shooting rats and mice and for what you’d pay for a decent one, you could buy 30 or 40 cats and I’d rather have one of the cats around.
What I was told and it sounds about right, don’t go looking for the intruder...get the bed between you and the door, cause the master bedroom is where they will end up...set bedroom furniture with that in mind, if nerveous, the bed can also be used to steady aim. They frame themselves just right when they open the bedroom door....
A .410 shotgun has the same penetrative power as any other larger gauge shotgun when firing shot. All shotgun rounds have basically the same comparable muzzle velocity; the bore size in ‘gauge’ only signifies the weight of shot.
Training your daughters with a soft shooting .410 is one thing, but truly you ought to stick to 12 gauge for defense.
Mossberg 590 with bayonet lug (and bayonet). Plus small .22 semiauto handgun, like S&W 422, and then something with a 4 in it, revolver or semi. Then any bolt action .22lr, and maybe some cheap bolt action centerfire, maybe in .223.
Stick to ammo that the military uses or is cheap and plentiful.
We are just starting to get those knock-offs of the Remington 870 in our store in town. They are made like tanks.. solid good shotguns.
I’ve been very pleased with my Marlin 795 & its 10 round single stack mags, using with baby Uplula speed loader is *wonderful*.
I was loaned a 10/22 with the rotary magazine for an Appleseed and I just didn’t like the magazine.
The Marlin is my practice/training long gun because of ammo costs. I like to use 200-250 rounds at each outing and that’s a little out of budget with the AR15.
But for a feeling of security, nothing beats a 12 gauge pump. It’s just a scary piece of hardware. Ran some rifled slugs through it the other day. Zowie, felt like I was ready to hunt elephants.
I have a 12 gauge pump Mr K... Remember after Paladinos campaign the ATF came and took it from me? I gave it to Delano to hold for me. He has it and I would sell it to you for what I paid with plenty of shells to go with it.
Remi 870
Glock 17
Ruger 10/22
Bushmaster AR .223
Go to go!
yeah, but most haven't been in firefights or killed someone. Trust me, when you are in the fight of your life: you will NEVER feel the recoil or hear the muzzle blast.
>>>>>>>>
1. Reliable
2. Accurate
3. Moderate power
4. Moderate range
5. Inexpensive gun
6. Availability of ammo
7. Ammo capacity
>>>>>>>>
What range and accuracy do you want for home defence?
IMHO, best choice are any shorter 12 ga shotgun, pump action or semi-auto.
Pump action probably Mossberg, semi-auto is Saiga-12 are best to me.
I like the Marlin model 60 better than the Ruger 10/22. It is more accurate too. Still since the Ruger has a detachable magazine and there are so many accessories for it, I would recommend it over the model 60 for self defense.
For squirrel or coon hunting, I would keep the Marlin model 60
I have a Marlin in .22mag. It is a bolt action and I ran into a clearance sale on the 10 round mags and got 6 of them. The guy who sold it to me also gave me two more mags so I now have a total of 9.
It has an inexpensive Tasco 3x9x32 scope on it. I was going to put a better scope on it but the one whcih came on it has done so well, I have just left it on.
The gun is not fancy, in fact it doesn’t look like it would be reliable as the feed ramp just is too far from the chamber and looks like it would jam. Fortunately it works absolutely flawlessly. Every time I look at that shell so far from the chamber and think it will not work but it does.-—Every Time! And if that is not enough, it is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever owned. If you do your part from a solid rest it will shoot certain brands of ammo consistently into an inch and even better some times.
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