Customizing Guns For Home Defense

A practical approach to modifying what you've already got into something we hope you'll never need.

While it's easy these days to buy a gun that's designed specifically for home defense, it can be just as simple to turn a long gun or handgun that you inherited or bought for another purpose into a terrific home-defense tool. Customizing the gun doesn't have to be expensive or difficult, and in some cases the modifications don't even have to be permanent, allowing you to return the gun quickly to its original condition for its original purpose.

We'll move through the various types of firearms one at a time and suggest a variety of options for each that will make them better for home defense.

The shotgun may very well be the most common home-defense firearm--certainly, it can be one of the most likely to come into someone's possession through inheritance or as a gift from a family member. Once it's in the house, though, too many people figure it'll be fine "as is" to defend their homes, and they forget all about it.

The first factor to consider is the barrel. Shotgun barrels are commonly 26 inches or longer, and that length can be unwieldy for negotiating narrow hallways or steep staircases. Keep in mind that if the barrel precedes you into a room or when moving around a corner, an intruder can easily take it away from you.

So a shorter barrel makes sense, and here you have two options. One is to have a qualified gunsmith cut it to a shorter but legal (18 inches) length. Do not take a hacksaw or pipe cutter and do the job yourself; there's a lot more to cutting down a gun barrel than just whacking off the end. The muzzle is the last point of contact for the projectile, and you don't want uneven surfaces interfering with the plastic shotshell wad as it exits the muzzle. That can ruin patterns and hinder accuracy.

The second option--one that's particularly appealing to owners of pumps or semiautos--is to buy a replacement barrel. These can be purchased for most modern shotgun models, and they're easy to install. By going this route, you can store the gun ready to go for home defense and within a minute or two turn it back into a hunting gun.

I have long believed that a short, legal-length double with a piece of Weaver rail attached to the fore-end would be a good home-defense gun. The addition of a small piece of rail--on any shotgun, not just a double--is a good idea because it allows for the addition of a weapon light. A small piece of Weaver rail costs but a few dollars and does not distract from the appearance of the gun. If you opt to perform this modification, make sure that you attach the rail with a few screws and glue, not just glue alone, as it will not hold up to repeated shooting.

Over the years, I have seen many people equip a shotgun intended for home defense with folding stocks or solo pistol grips. While I have nothing against folding stocks (provided they are extended to help control the gun), I have not had good experiences with pistol grips alone. Pistol grips transmit all of the gun's felt recoil to the shooting hand and forearm and are just flat-out punishing to shoot.

Remember, the most effective home-defense gun is the one you've practiced with, and reducing recoil will produce a gun you'll shoot more. Stocks with recoil-control devices are fine, provided they do not interfere with the reliability of the gun itself. The new gel recoil pads available from a number of manufacturers are also great for reducing felt recoil.

I firmly believe that a home-defense shotgun should wear some sort of sight beyond the simple rib bead. While many champion the use of ghost-ring sights--and I have them on some of my shotguns--I don't think they are essential on a home-defense gun because all you really need is an index point to assure muzzle/target alignment. I like fiber optic sights that clip to the barrel. I have found them to be a real aid in getting on target fast. They do not work in true darkness, but if it is too dark to identify your target, you shouldn't shoot.

Shotguns are notoriously finicky about what they pattern well, and it's important to know where the gun is throwing its load of buckshot. Once you've set up the shotgun the way you want it, take the gun to the range and fire it with a number of different loads until you've found the pattern density or accuracy you're looking for. Your work here will also show you where the gun is shooting.

Handguns are compact and can be used at extreme close quarters with great effectiveness. Because my wife doesn't like to shoot all that much, our shared home-defense gun is a Smith & Wesson Model 940 revolver in 9mm. I chose it because it loads with full-moon clips, which my wife and I both feel are easier to work with than speedloaders; it does not require the hand/arm strength that a semiauto does to work the slide; and my wife can shoot it reasonably well.

But even though I have a gun that meets all those criteria, I still thought the gun needed modification to make it more effective. And that choice was the addition of a laser--specifically, a set of Crimson Trace LaserGrips.

As I mentioned, my wife doesn't care to shoot all that much, but she will dry-fire on occasion, and here's where I think the Crimson Trace grip comes into its own. I can get her to work on her trigger control to the point that she is pretty good at it. I have also had her "clear" our home with the 940, and these practice runs have given her confidence.

Crimson Trace units come stock on some guns but are also available as aftermarket grips for a wide variety of revolvers and semiautos. Powered by two watch batteries, the laser's powerful beam projects from the right side of the gun, and it can be zeroed.

That's not the only game in town when it comes to semiautos. For those who don't want to change their grips panels, Laser Max offers a unit that fits inside the dust-cover area of the frame, replacing the recoil guide rod. It comes pre-zeroed from the factory but is also adjustable should you find it necessary. Like the Crimson Trace grips, installing a Laser Max unit doesn't require a gunsmith; just be sure to take your time and follow the supplied directions.

In case you missed last month's issue, we covered weapon-mounted lights and their home-defense applications. If your handgun comes with an accessory rail, by all means consider affixing a light to it. For the best of both worlds, consider a combination laser/white light offered by companies such as Streamlight.

If you don't care for lasers, you should definitely examine the sights currently on your revolver or semi. Black-on-black sights--common on many handguns, particularly older ones--are fine for daytime range work or plinking, but when trouble starts and you need to get on the bad guy quickly, there is nothing like a highly visible sight system.

Changing sights isn't hard to do and isn't terribly expensive. And it certainly isn't hard to find choices. All of the major handgun manufacturers offer tritium night sights; tritium is a compound that glows in the dark and requires no recharging from a light source. There are also a number of aftermarket manufacturers that offer some really innovative sight systems. In addition to Truglo and Hi-Viz, Dawson Precision and Ameri-Glo also sell fiber optic sights. Tritium night sights are available from Trijicon, Meprolight, Truglo, Heinie Specialty, Unertl Optics, XS Sights and Novak Custom. Most of these do not require gunsmithing to install.

The sights on my Glock 19--my carry gun and personal home-defense gun--are a combination of a Truglo TFO front and a Meprolight tritium rear. The front sight is a combination fiber optic/tritium bead that glows both day and night and has a face painted fluorescent orange so I can reference it quickly and from a number of angles (including above the gun in the event that I cannot get it up to eye level). The rear Meprolight sight has two orange beads that are not as bright as the green front. The system works in all levels of light, which is great in home defense, where light levels can change quickly.

One thing to remember about handguns is that if they don't fit you, you'll never be able to shoot them to your full potential. Case in point: my Glock. Now, Glock did a fair amount of research to determine the proper grip angle for most people, but apparently I am not "most people"; the gun shoots high for me. I had Bowie Tactical Concepts (www.bowietacticalconcepts.com) cut out the backstrap and thin the grip so the gun had more of a SIG 228/HK USP Compact configuration. This makes the gun a much better pointer in my hand, something that is essential in a close-quarter fighting handgun.

While modifying the Glock grip sounds difficult, it really isn't, and it can be done by any competent local gunsmith. If this is more work than you want to take on, it's possible that a change to an aftermarket grip might do the trick.

Over the years, I have found few revolvers, new or old, that offer a truly hand-filling, positive grip. Pachmayr was the first to offer a rubber replacement grip for a wide variety of wheelguns, and they remain my favorite because I don't like the finger-groove stocks offered by many of the other grip companies. I want to put my fingers where I want them to go--I don't like a grip that determines their placement for me.

For guns such as the Glock and HK, rubber grip sleeves are available from Michael's of Oregon, Pachmayr and Hogue Grips that add a tacky gripping surface. For pistols that have dual grip panels, these same companies offer rubber replacement panels.

Frankly, rifles are a poor choice for home defense, and I discourage anyone from using a high-powered, bolt-action hunting rifle for that purpose. A lever-action carbine chambered for cartridges such as the .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum can work, provided the load you use isn't so powerful that you'll get penetration through interior walls. However, your rifle customization options are essentially limited to sight changes or the addition of a rail to which you can attach a weapon light.

An AR-15-type rifle is okay, provided its barrel isn't too long and it wears a tritium front-sight post such as the one made by XS Sights. This sight presents a vertical green line that is easy to see in inconsistent light.

There's no way to cover all the possibilities of customizing guns for home defense, but I hope I've given you some helpful direction. I can't stress enough that you should take the time to educate yourself about personal defense and preparedness, think about the layout of your home and the likely home-invasion threat that you face, then make sound decisions on how to customize your chosen home-defense gun.

2 posted on 08/31/2006 1:54:00 PM PDT by MarkeyD (The tree of liberty must from time to time be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.)

3 posted on 08/31/2006 1:56:17 PM PDT by cgk (I don't see myself as a conservative. I see myself as a religious, right-wing, wacko extremist.)

Thank you for this article.

I am realizing that I am a bit short on my home defense and end of the world tools. While I have a nice old 12 gauge automatic I might need a more up to date shotgun capable of spitting out death and destruction in a fast and orderly manner.

I already have the handgun and rifle thing down.

"As I mentioned, my wife doesn't care to shoot all that much, but she will dry-fire on occasion,"

Yeah, like you don't?!! :)

If I've got an attacker coming at me down the hall, I'm not going to have time to put a shotgun to my shoulder and look for a bead. I'm going to fire from the hip. You can try it when you go out tomorrow (Tommorow is the opening day of dove season remember!)

wow.. i hope the liberals don't get ahold of this artical.. they're gonna flip out!
Great artical. i thank you for posting it!

I'm not saying I'm an expert but...I'm an expert. Put a light on your gun, Put a light on your gun, Put a light on your gun. Bad things happen at night. Your must identify the threat. Bad guys don't own Surefires. Put a light on your gun, Put a light on your gun, Put a light on your gun.
Surefire.com

1) Anyone can buy a Surefire, including bad guys. 2) Leaving a bright light on for long periods of time makes you a target. Use sparingly for your night vision's sake.

.357 is a terrific round, accurate, powerful and flexible - just watch out for overpenetration of your doors and walls. Killing someone else sleeping in the house with a missed shot would ruin your day/week/year/life.

Personally I have a Saiga 12ga in the closet and a Glock 40 cal in the bedside drawer.

KISS

One may have a hard time finding a gunsmith that will cut down a shotgun barrel to legal minimum.

If someone got into a legal shooting situation, they could be labeled in Court as evil for cutting the barrel. It is better to buy the proper barrel length or a already set-up shotgun with a friendly name such as Winchester Defender or the Mossburg Crusier.

I read your note about "clearing" a house, and am not sure what you mean.

My advice to my wife which I would hopefully also follow would be to leave whatever room you and you gun are in only to get to a loved one. Cops have told me that going after a thug through halls etc is only likely to get you killed. It's your house. If you stay still and quiet you will likely have the element of surprise and have the weapon ready. Deciding if you want to give your position away in exchange for scaring them off is a judgement call and I will have to trust my instincts at that point. But I'm not going AFTER anyone.

Center of mass, at least two shots. KISS.

JMHO

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