Preparing My Home - 1st Gun Questions - Need Advice

J

Jasper616

New member
Lately I have become convinced that I must be prepared for all possible disasters. I have put together an earthquake and survival kit and am working on disaster plans with my family so that when something bad happens we all know what to do. During this process I have also given a lot of thought to personal protection. I live in San Francisco and while the crime level is not terrible, it's still a city and there can still be trouble. I am convinced that in addition to natural disasters I need to be ready incase my home is ever invaded and someone tries to put my life and the life of my loved ones in jeapordy.

As a first step, I purchased a Surefire L2 light, a tactical knife, Multiple cans of UDAP bear spray and a couple of Taser guns. In addition, I have an alarm system for my home and 2 dogs. I already feel safer than I did a few weeks ago. My concern is that if my home is ever invaded by multiple people these items will not be enough to defend myself. Tasers look effective, but what happens if there are multiple people, or when the stun cycle is over? I am convinced that I need the added protection of a handgun. I want to go about this the right way. I read the state handgun safety test material and took the test scoring 29/30. I am also reading Armed Response: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Firearms for Self-Defense. I know that owning a gun is a serious commitment that one should not take lightly. Unfortunately it was during this research that I discovered that San Francisco is one of the hardest places in the country to get a CCW (Time to move?...)

A went to a firing range with a friend who has had guns for years to get my first feel for handguns. He brought 2 Smith & Wesson revolvers, a 357 and a 44. The 357 felt very powerful and I fired around 100 rounds at the range. After firing a few rounds with the 44, I know that this is too much gun for me at my experience level.

I would like some suggestions on what revolvers I should look at if I want a 357 revolver/ I am thinking that I want something with a laser grip. Once I get it I will take some hands on tactical courses to learn how to safely use it. I don't have any children in the house. Also, if you have a gun for personal protection of your home, do you keep it locked at night when you sleep? Do you keep it loaded or just have ammo nearby? Any advice for a newbie would be appreciated.
 
You would most likely be better served by a 12 ga shotgun than a handgun. (that didn't answer the question, but that's what you really want!) I have 15 handguns, but YOU need a shotgun. And learn how to use it too. Get a model 870 Remington and your done with it!. Best damn thing you can do.
BTW, how old is your place? Mine is over 100 years old, and needs the foundation bolted down. I just found that Simpson offers a retrofit Seismic plate for exactly this. Its the UFC-10 plates. Damn expensive at $16 each, but in the next few weeks, I'll choke down the expense and buy them anyway, as the value of my family and home is too much.

check this out , with the backdrop that you cannot post on 10-8 without being a active duty military or law officer. http://www.10-8forums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=otherguns&Number=23865&page=1&fpart=all

15 pages discussing the model 870. double 00 buckshot.

Oh, and a few more things so you can be prepared. Everbank.com offers Chinese denominated FDIC insured bank accounts, and as of this very day, LDPcampingfoods.com is having a 25% off sale on Mt House #10 cans of freeze dried foods. These offer 25-30 year shelf life. Get some of those and a water filter and you will be way ahead of the curve. Also, few more things- put some emergency food at another location (like your brother or friends place) in case you need to walk over there when your house collapses (if you are inside and dead it won't matter but your bro will be feasting and that will take the sting out of it:-) well, that's what I did. Spend the money and get a gun safe. A good safe like the Safari will not only keep your stuff secure, but in case of a fire, they have a 30 min burn rate so that your insurance papers and money won't go poof, up in smoke. You might consider having a :"bug out bag" with small denomination bills, flashlights, sleeping bags, tent etc so you can hit the highway in an emergency as well. Plenty of survivalist websites you can peruse, but don't go crazy on it. Here's one to get you started.
http://www.survivalistboards.com/
Being prepared is a good thing, but letting it overwhelm your life isn't:-(

The ldp website for Mountain House (best stuff out there) http://www.ldpcampingfoods.com/

Also, Costco of all places has a pretty good emergency package deal of food. Check it out. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11219554&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US&s=1

Costco has some damn good safes too. However, get an electronic lock as you can access it in seconds. Bolt it to the floor with some wedge anchors too, and it will not be going anywhere anytime soon:-)

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11234477&search=gun&Mo=10&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=gun&Ntt=gun&No=2&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

I wish I'd bought a larger one. I spent $699 at Costco and wish I'd gotten a larger one, as I filled this one up immediately. Damn. This thing is in my basement bolted to cement and as water and rust are an issue, get a dehumidifier and make sure you can plug it in inside the safe before you bolt the safe down. The safe linked also has a 1 hour burn rating as well.

Good luck

ps, on a related note, if you search that site, the officers say if they could only carry one handgun on duty, they overwhelmingly would want a Glock. Usually a 17 or a 19 but there are other models mentioned. (reliability) That is different radically advice than you would get here I would suspect. For your useage though, a 870 shotgun (and you don't need a Vang comped barrel or aimpoint blah blah blah) would work well. Just practice practice practice so you are very- very proficient, and never ever point that weapon at anyone until you need to destroy them and you are dead sure they are bad guys and not your daughters boyfriend sneaking in late some night, cause this will do it as good as any other weapon in the world I suspect. Nancy Pelosisi's web page use to list excluded weapons from the ban, and the 870 variants were represented there, so good to go even in the republiK of California.
 
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You don't need a CCW to have a gun at home, even in San Fran, IIRC. A nice .357 revolver is a great gun for home defense, and can be loaded light with .38 Spl. ammo if you prefer. You can find used S&W revolvers in .38 and .357 at fairly nice prices if you look around. Personally I'd hold off on the laser grips for a while, the cost is better spent on ammo and range time learning to shoot the gun well. With no kids in the house I'd probably leave the gun loaded by the bed.
 
12 or even 20 gauge shotgun is what you'd want to start with.
Very powerful, spread shot, reasonable on your wallet.
What else do you need? :)
 
I agree with the 12ga shotgun advice. I have more than a few handguns and a double pistol grip Remington 12ga "Home Defender" rests under my bed for home defense.

If you really want a .357mag I would suggest a S&W m60/m686 or a Ruger SP101/GP100. Depending on whether you are going to carry or not.

Shottie.jpg
 
Jasper unless you are going to go CCW you don't need a handgun. For home defence bill is right a 12 gauge shot gun is more effective against multible targets at the same time. 5 rounds of buck shot from a 18 inch assault shot gun will send out 50 to 60 38 caliber pellets in a pattern that you cant miss what your shooting at. Before you purchase any gun remember the purpose is to kill what you are shooting at. That is the hard part, it is not to scare them away, it is to protect your family by killing that which would harm them.

If you are not ready to take a life, or be absolutly sure it's not your son or daughter coming through the door at 2:00 in the morring, then do not get a gun, get a rotwiller, german shepard or doberman. A 150 lb dog will keep almost all but the most deturmined away from your door 24/7 even if your not home.

Good luck

Jim
 
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i agree with the above posters regarding a shotgun. In an emergency situation (such as mass upheaval) you wont need a concealed weapon....and in a home defense situation the 12g is better than pretty much any handgun, is more likely to keep someone at bay at the mere sight of it, and also in my mind gets the nod if it comes down to only being able to take one weapon with you to handle all situations. I have a shortened mossberg 500 i bought at a police auction, with a sidesaddle shotshell holder and a flashlight/laser bolted on the tube.....sits in my bedroom closet and is the first thing im grabbing.
 
I joined this forum just so I could comment on this thread. I disagree that you don't need a hand gun. I would want a hand gun in one hand and a cell phone in the other once you've stopped the attack. I think it's pretty important to have the ability to free one hand up if you need to and still do your business. If you can handle a shotgun with one hand, by all means, but I'll keep my Gun Vault safe with a couple of handguns next to my bed instead. My .02 cents. A shotgun is the best defense weapon, but I would want both.
 
Jasper- Have you joined NERT yet?

As far as a gun goes, better a vanilla .38 revolver combined with some training and the resolve to use it than all the tactical bling in the world.

Where did you go, Jackson Arms?
 
5 rounds of buck shot from a 18 inch assault shot gun will send out 50 to 60 38 caliber pellets in a pattern that you cant miss what your shooting at.
Click to expand...

That is not quite accurate. While I agree a 12 would be better than any handgun, at indoor distances the pattern is about the size of a fist - still capable of easily missing a target, especially in a high-stress scenario.

OP- IF you go with a shotgun, do not get the pistol-grip-only model, but get one with a good shoulder stock. It will help you greatly in controlling the weapon and putting your shots where they need to go. Any shot size from #4 buck to 00 will work just fine for home defense.

The one advantage of a handgun for HD is its portability if you have to vacate and you're trying to carry lots of stuff. Otherwise, get the 12 - the ammo is cheaper, (so you'll be able to practice more), it is easier to learn how to shoot well, the gun itself is less expensive to purchase.

Good luck
 
You're doing some good thinking and getting good advice but I'll still throw my two cents in. You've made a good start with the dogs and alarm - kudos. Hopefully you included motion sensor lights on the outside as well. BTW it isn't a bad idea to supplement those with solar accent lights scattered around the front and back yards. They don't put out much light but in the event of a power failure you have fewer shadows for bad people to hide in than your neighbors' homes. Next you have to ask yourself if have you replaced your locks with bump resistant locks. Placed sticks in the window tracks... Put alarm stickers on the windows.

The suggestion to lay in emergency food is also a great idea and those Costco tubs of emergency rations are the most cost effective way I know to do it. Add a couple of cases of canned stew. Canned goods don't need scarce water to be eaten and can be eaten cold in a pinch. Don't forget to put away a few cases of bottled drinking water and a Pur water pitcher for found sources. While not perfect the Pur does a better job filtering out critters than most of the competition. Oh and a 30 day supply of medicines and prescription drugs. Keep a Bug Out Bag (BOB) in pack form for each adult and teen. Each should have everything you need to live for a week and a one month supply of medicines. Your BOB is what you turn to if you must abandon your home in minutes due to fire or flood. A great starter/mini BOB is the Quakehold Grab-N-Go 2 person - 3 day kit. I keep one in the car at all times. I like it because it's small enough that I won't take it out of the car to make room for other stuff. There was just enough room to add a good flashlight, spare batteries, extra chem lights, and 4 extra water pouches. Speaking of light I keep cheap automatic power-failure lights in each room. That buys about 15-20 minutes of light to get to your flashlights etc without breaking bones. Batteries for the solar lights are changed annually and the $10 power-failure lights are replaced every two to three years.

Firearms: First off in California you can't just leave guns laying around the house. They must be locked up lest a minor get their hands on them. Now you could rely on crossing the room to get the shotgun out of the safe, or you could invest in a handgun and keep it in a quick access pistol safe on your nightstand. I'd go the latter route. Pick whatever good quality pistol 9mm or larger that fits your hand. A day at a local renting pistol range will answer the question of which one fits your hand. And invest in a class or two to learn how to use it. Local one day classes aren't expensive so plan on investing in at least the beginning and intermediate classes for you and your significant other and practice often. Just remember that in the event that you hear a window break that it's the police department's job to clear your home of threats. Your job is to hunker down (armed) with your family in one defensible spot and wait for the police to investigate.

Picking up a good home defense shotgun is a good addition. A Remington 870 or a Mossberg 590, or even the entry priced Mossberg 500. But do yourself a huge favor and avoid the pistol grip only models. They may be handy and look cool but they're hard to control and you'll hate shooting it. And despite the urban legends shotguns must be aimed. At home defense ranges the pattern isn't much larger than an a couple of inches. In my mind a good choice for most people just starting out is something like the Mossberg Combo Kit. The combo comes with both an 18" barrel for home defense and a 28" barrel for hunting and shooting at the trap range. And the trap range is where you'll learn to quickly and accurately hit what you're aiming at. Besides it's fun. :D
 
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I think you would be best served by getting a Remington 870, Also pick up a few boxes of buck shot. You should be good to go.
 
5 rounds of buck shot from a 18 inch assault shot gun will send out 50 to 60 38 caliber pellets in a pattern that you cant miss what your shooting at.
Click to expand...
This is why I don't recommend shotguns to new shooters for defense. The shotgun does not throw much of a pattern within the confines of a house, and you certainly can miss what you are shooting at. It is larger, heavier, and recoils quite a bit. Not good for beginners.
Don't get me wrong---I think the shotgun, in the hands of someone who has trained with it and knows how to use it, is the ne plus ultra for home defense. But as a first gun, no. BTW, if you get a shotgun, get one with a stock, not just the pistol grip. Much easier to use well, IMO.
Edited to add: Don't get a lightweight/small-frame handgun. They are hard to learn on in comparison to a K,L, or N frame size gun, and you don't need to worry about concealement in the home.
 
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A handgun will suffice nicely for your purpose. Get a shotgun later. You also don't need a .357 magnum. Find a nice 4" barreled .38 special S&W revolver. These are available used, and are all the handgun you will ever need.
 
Shotgun

I will suggest you go with a 12ga shotgun first, both Mossberg & Remington make great home defense/ security choice.
Shotguns are cheaper than handgun, and you don't have to practice as much to be good at it. (spend less money on ammo & range)
It is reliable and the cocking sound will scare the crap out of the bad gun.

If not, get a S&M M&P 340 357MAG.

Good luck!:cool:
 
I was in practically your shoes 18 months ago, Jasper. After considerable research, I decided on a Ruger GP100 for my home defense handgun. I recommend it.

I got the same recommendations regarding a shotgun that you are getting and decided that preferred the concealability and portability of a revolver.

As I recall, SF passed one of the most stringent anti-gun ordinances in the country back in 2005 or 2006. Be sure to check that law before you spend the money on a handgun. SF's law might be unconsitutional, but do you want to be the test case?
 
A handgun will suffice nicely for your purpose. Get a shotgun later. You also don't need a .357 magnum. Find a nice 4" barreled .38 special S&W revolver. These are available used, and are all the handgun you will ever need.
Click to expand...

+1
 
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