Is a “home defense gun” is one that stays at the home and would be used for a confrontation between its owner and a real threat around the house or in the house?
That is in counter distinction to a personal protection firearm that goes with you everywhere?
In the case of the first scenario no one should choose a handgun. A rifle or a shotgun is what you need.
Ask yourself why every army on earth arms its soldiers primarily with rifles instead of primarily with handguns.
Because rifles are better for fighting. Handguns excel only in the fact that you can have one on your body at nearly all times. I pistol in the hand is worth far more than a rifle 100 yards (or more) away.
But if your friend has almost no gun experience at all, and if that friend is not going to get into shooting as a discipline or a sport I would recommend a Ruger `10-22 or perhaps an autoloading 20 gauge shotgun.
Handguns are better used by people that like to shoot and take the commitment seriously to gain skill.
A person with only 3 hours of training, armed with a rifle is a dangerous enemy to anyone trying to invade their home. In my estimation a rifle in the hands of such a person is about 10-20X more dangerous to an enemy than a handgun in the hands of that same person
If you doubt that, take a good 22 rifle and place a paper plate at 15 yards from the firing line and make your 3 hour old student do as many pushups as they can, sprint back 25 yards and sprint back to the line 25 yards. (this is to induce stress and make their heart beat hard) Have them take the rifle and fire all its rounds at the paper plate. Do this every 10 minutes until the 100 rounds are used up. Count the holes.
Now, do the exact same exercise but use a handgun (any handgun) and count the holes.
Then if you have one, try this all again with an autoloading 20 gauge.
I believe you will find that my estimation of misses to hits comparing the rife to the handgun is about right.
Using the shotgun will REALLY show a difference in hit to misses comparing it to a handgun.
Oh......one last thing
Read G Willikers and Rbids post above mine!
Excellent advice.
That is in counter distinction to a personal protection firearm that goes with you everywhere?
In the case of the first scenario no one should choose a handgun. A rifle or a shotgun is what you need.
Ask yourself why every army on earth arms its soldiers primarily with rifles instead of primarily with handguns.
Because rifles are better for fighting. Handguns excel only in the fact that you can have one on your body at nearly all times. I pistol in the hand is worth far more than a rifle 100 yards (or more) away.
But if your friend has almost no gun experience at all, and if that friend is not going to get into shooting as a discipline or a sport I would recommend a Ruger `10-22 or perhaps an autoloading 20 gauge shotgun.
Handguns are better used by people that like to shoot and take the commitment seriously to gain skill.
A person with only 3 hours of training, armed with a rifle is a dangerous enemy to anyone trying to invade their home. In my estimation a rifle in the hands of such a person is about 10-20X more dangerous to an enemy than a handgun in the hands of that same person
If you doubt that, take a good 22 rifle and place a paper plate at 15 yards from the firing line and make your 3 hour old student do as many pushups as they can, sprint back 25 yards and sprint back to the line 25 yards. (this is to induce stress and make their heart beat hard) Have them take the rifle and fire all its rounds at the paper plate. Do this every 10 minutes until the 100 rounds are used up. Count the holes.
Now, do the exact same exercise but use a handgun (any handgun) and count the holes.
Then if you have one, try this all again with an autoloading 20 gauge.
I believe you will find that my estimation of misses to hits comparing the rife to the handgun is about right.
Using the shotgun will REALLY show a difference in hit to misses comparing it to a handgun.
Oh......one last thing
Read G Willikers and Rbids post above mine!
Excellent advice.