Home defense- how stupid is this?

A

AC

New member
Something occurred to me the other day when pondering a home defense long gun. Since I don't practice with shotguns, but shoot rifles frequently, and since a prosecutor would call any semiauto rifle an 'assault rifle' to the ignorant jury, why not a SMLE?

The Ishapore arsenal .308s are available inexpensively, load with stripper clips, cycle very quickly, and with a factory 110 to 130 gr varmint load would be a devastating stopper that shouldn't overpenetrate. I live in a brick house and so do any neighbors, but I don't think the bullet would exit a felon. I also don't think the muzzle blast would be excessive since the barrel is 25".

I already own the rifle and it is reliable. This isn't something I have decided to do but thought I would ask the forum for opinions.
 
well aside from the deafing effects of shooting it inside which will likely set off your fire alarm and blind you with muzzle blast.. no its perfectly fine. You'll find that even nasty varmint vaporizing rounds don't always work the way they are supposed to.

If you MUST use a long arm lever gun in a pistol caliber is better.
 
imo home defense with a rifle is 'stupid'. way too much penetration.

[This message has been edited by cuerno de chivo (edited August 23, 2000).]
 
AC, I have difficulty with the idea of acquiring a long gun for self defense in the home. If that's whatcha got, and you can't afford a handgun, fine. If you already have a shotgun, that's all the long gun you'll ever need.

Should you need to use your one and only gun, a rifle, as self-defense, it won't matter what the type is. "I had no choice; it's the only gun I own!" At inside the house distances, a .22 semi-auto rimfire is probably as useful as any larger cartridge...

FWIW, Art
 
I agree that a handgun or shotgun would be a better choice, but if a rifle is all you have, then by all means, employ it.

A handgun is more manueverable and a shotgun has a better spread with buckshot. With either weapon, overpenetration is not as much of a concern. Don't forget about room-to-room concerns, especially if other family members are present.

I personally use a handgun, but that's me.

Brian



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"The only good hands for my guns are my hands!"
 
I keep a SKS, Rem 870 and Ruger P85, all loaded, for home defense. I'll grab the SKS or Rem 870 as the primary with the Ruger as the backup.

No objection to the SMLE as a self-defense rifle. However, there are concerns about a full power cartridge as opposed to an intermediate one. Be that as it may, better an SMLE than waving a cane at the intruder. "Git away you rascal!"
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brian King:
A handgun is more manueverable and a shotgun has a better spread with buckshot.[/quote]

Brian I agree 100% about a handgun being more manueverable, but have to disagree about the spread of buckshot in a home. Outside yes it will spread just fine but unless one lives in a mansion with rooms the size of the East Room in the White House buck just does not have the range to open up. In an average size room the spread may be 2 inches, but that is not necessarily all that bad. It kinda concentrates all the OOMPH in one spot while still not overpenetrating.


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Carlyle Hebert
 
Buckshot is also unnecessary within the confines of a home. There are no villains who can survive a facefull of #8 birdshot inside a home. I've been shooting shotguns since I was 6-yrs.-old, but rely on my trusty Glocks in the house.

If you must use a shotgun, you can trust that birdshot will do the job within the house, but won't kill one of your neighbors across the street.
 
Point well taken, Carlyle! However, given a choice between a rifle or a shotgun loaded with buckshot, I'll take the shotgun any day.

Best,
Brian

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"The only good hands for my guns are my hands!"
 
Okay - a few years ago, some friends and I went to the range, with some fake "walls" that a friend who was rehabbing put together from 2x4s and drywall.

A .22LR, and up, will penetrate both sides of the drywall.

Most handgun cartridges would penetrate the drywall, and the 2x4.

All buckshot would penetrate both sides of the drywall, and do nasty things to the 2x4.

#6 shot, and smaller, would penetrate one side of the drywall, and bulge the other, with minimal penetration.

Testing was at approx. 5 yards - patterns were 8-12" in size by then, from a staight tube riot gun.

I would NOT want to be shot with the birdshot.
 
If you got shot with the birdshot and somehow lived, then you would be wishing you had died as they pick all of that shot out of you.

I load birdshot for use at home as well because I am a college student in an apartment. Don't want to injure the neighbors... unless of course they are the one's coming through my window.
 
I wouldn't recommend a rifle (especially in .308) for usage as a home defense weapon. Way too much penetration.

I have a large assortment of firearms to choose from yet I stick with one of my cheapest guns... shotgun.
 
The last whitetailed deer that i bagged was shot though the front of the chest at an angle with my 30-06. The exiting bullet pierced a 6 inch tree 2 yards away.

.308 & 30-06 are a bit heavy for housework

dZ
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brian King:
Point well taken, Carlyle! However, given a choice between a rifle or a shotgun loaded with buckshot, I'll take the shotgun any day.

Best,
Brian[/quote]

OH HELL YEA!!!! like us Cajuns say down here "Mais, give me dat ole aromatic shootgun anyday"


An aromatic shootgun is a once hole gun that shoots 3 times handrunning from the same hole......if the game warden is around..5 if he ain't. :D :D


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Carlyle Hebert

[This message has been edited by Southla1 (edited August 24, 2000).]
 
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