question about rifle for self defense

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Deena_K

Inactive
Hi. This website is awesome, lots of great information. This is my first post. I’ve read through a lot of the threads here, but I am still confused about somethings.

I have a Marlin 357 lever rifle. It was a gift from my Dad before he died. We used to do a lot of shooting when I was a kid, mostly with his 22 rifles, but also his 20 gage shot gun and his 30-30 lever rifle. When I got out of college, I asked if I could buy one of his 22 lever rifles, but instead he gave me this Marlin rifle for Christmas. I have always loved this gun, and I try to shoot it at least twice a year. I am a pretty good shot.

I live alone, and I keep this gun loaded for self defense (but with no bullet in the barrel, I have to cock it first). I keep it loaded with 158 hollow point bullets, even though it is most accurate with 180 flat point bullets. My friend Jack told me that hollow point bullets are better for self defense.

My other friend Tim says that this rifle is no good for self defense. He says I need an Air-15, which looks like an Army rifle, except that it is not a machine gun it is semi automatic. I have shot his Air-15 and it is very easy to shoot, but they are really expensive guns. Or he says I could get a 45 handgun. I have shot his 45, and it is ok, but I am a lot more accurate with a lever rifle. I have been shooting lever rifles my whole life. I am a small girl and I have small hands and most handguns don’t seem to fit me very well.

Tim also says that a self defense gun has to be a semi automatic, and it has to have a clip so it can be reloaded quickly. He says I am being sentimental about the Marlin because it was a gift from my Dad.

Jack says the Marlin is excellent for self defense because the 357 bullet is more powerful coming out of a rifle than it is in a revolver, and it holds 9 bullets. He says it may not be as good as an Air-15, but it is better than any handgun. This make sense to me because my Dad had told me this rifle could be used for deer hunting as long as they are close.

Both guys know a lot about shooting, but Tim is really into guns. So what are your thoughts, guys? Am I well protected with my Marlin? or am I being naive in thinking I could defend myself with it? :o
 
your buddy all though nice is crazy...he must picture home defense as a third world war shoot out! Most home defense situations require no shot fired, and if shots are fired it's typically 3 or fewer (look it up!).

Your .357 is perfectly fine and here's why:

-.357 caliber especially hollow points will do a ton of damage to a person, especially at close home defense ranges.
-It is a lever action which make it faster than a bolt, but slower than a semi-auto but not needed as discussed before...it is just as fast as a pump in my opinion.
-Lever actions a typically shorter and you may even have a carbine length one, making it very easily held while turning corners...could be key.

The honest to goodness only short comings your home defense weapon could have is any doubt you have about it yourself...as my personal opinion is it's just as good as my tactical pump shotgun I have for mine.

Although I do like your friends advice about having a handgun, as I have one of those always tucked away in nightstand. The advantage to a handgun is I can hold cellphone (with 911 on other end) and the weapon at the same time.
 
Welcome to TFL, Deena_K.

It sounds like your friend Tim means well, but with all due respect to him, I disagree. There's nothing wrong with your Marlin 357 for home defense. After all, it has adequate capacity, is familiar to you, and is chambered in a sufficient caliber. That's a good start on a self-defense gun.

Nothing wrong with an AR, mind you. I'd love to have one, myself. But there's no reason that a home or self defense weapon has to be a semiauto with a magazine. If that were the case, pump-action shotguns wouldn't be nearly as popular as they are.

I agree that a handgun may still be in order. Being able to hold the weapon and still dial 911 is a very good point to consider. Don't be fooled into thinking that .45 is the only acceptable caliber, though. Since you have small hands, you may need to find something in a different caliber that will fit you better. I like the .45 acp caliber, but it is by no means the only one capable of doing the job.
 
IMHO, your .357 lever-action is PLENTY of gun as long as you've practiced enough to cycle the action quickly and decisively. Tim ISN"T WRONG in his assertions that an AR or strong-caliber hand gun might be even better but it's really all about what YOU'RE comfortable with. Bottom line; one or two shots with a 158-grain .357 from a rifle in the center chest area WILL put 'em down.
 
Last edited:
A 357 rifle is more than enough gun for the job. As others have said your friend has good intentions. However you are familiar with that 357 rifle and probably are a good shot with it sence you know what bullets to use to get the most accuracy from the rifle, even though a ar15 is more practical for hd it would not be good for you to rely upon that weapon until you become just as confident with it as you are your 357.

remember this as well.. a hit with a single 22lr is better than 5 misses with a 50 bmg.
 
.357 lever - That's an awesome gun, I saw one used along another that was .45 lever action at Gander Mt and maybe it's a good thing I don't have allot of money because I would've got them both and some other things too, lol.

It's a fine defense rifle. Like they said, if you are familiar with it but not an AR then why would you take an AR over the .357? Both guns will kill someone. It's about being able to use it. If you can use a .357 and get good shot placement and are familiar with it, why would anybody want the AR that they'd be unfamiliar with?
 
correction: AR-15 not Air-15

also the best weapon for home defence in my opinion is a shotgun either 12 gauge or 20 gauge with buckshot.

good luck
 
An AR-type weapon is, imho, a better weapon for the given scenario than what you have. However, a .357 levergun is by no means whatsoever an inadequate tool for the job, and a perfectly acceptable choice for home defense.

Besides, you are already comfortable with what you have, and user proficiency is 99% of any weapon's effectiveness.

And frankly, if your friend suggested that you downgrade from a rifle to a pistol, I would submit that he doesn't know nearly as much about firearms as he thinks he does.
 
I think your friend, as well as many others in the various forums expect a home intrusion or invasion involving half the Taliban. First, the .357 Magnum is formidable out of a handgun. From a carbine, it picks up additional velocity and energy. Plant one in the 10 ring and you win.

You didn't mention your domestic situation. If you have young kids around, you must take serious precautions to insure that children and their friends don't have easy access to your firearms whether loaded or unloaded.

The Marlin carbine is a great little number. I owned one. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for home defense but it would not be my first choice. If a carbine, rather than a handgun, is to be your first line of defense. My personal preference would be something magazine fed as I prefer not to keep loaded long guns in the house. I wouldn't want to load a tubular magazine with someone trying to kick down the front door. I almost forgot to mention a 12 gauge coach gun which can be purchased new for about $300.00. Yeah, it's an old technology but nobody want s to find themselves at the business end of one of these. They're quick to load and hell on bad guys.

While the AR is pricey, other choices would be the Marlin camp carbine, a High Point carbine in 9mm or even the ever favorite--the M1 carbine.
 
Jack says the Marlin is excellent for self defense because the 357 bullet is more powerful coming out of a rifle than it is in a revolver, and it holds 9 bullets. He says it may not be as good as an Air-15, but it is better than any handgun. This make sense to me because my Dad had told me this rifle could be used for deer hunting as long as they are close.
Click to expand...

I am not going to say mean nasty things about your friend. I know he means well. but a 357 has enough power from a handgun to shoot through one bad guy and kill the bad guy standing behind him. the rifle is overkill for home defense. an ar15 is better suited just because it has less penetration and you are already lined up for a followup if you only manage to wound a bad guy.

in my own opinion a 9mm handgun is much better suited for self defense just because it's much easier to acquire the target easier to make followup shots and with the right ammo has less chance of over penetration...or a good shotgun would be more than effective but your house would be wrecked.
 
A lever action .357 would work great. you do not NEED an ar-15 to protect yourself. I prefer a 12gauge , but there is nothing wrong with your lever!!
 
Deena_K,
When I first read your headline posting, I said to my self, here is someone asking what type of rifle for home defense. Before I even read the first line, I spoke out loud, "levergun". Why? Easy to operate, simple, and very effective. A person who might not be so up on the operating systems of different guns can usually be very comfortable in a quite short time with a lever gun. Your friend Jack sounds like he is steering you right. If you are comfortable shooting the levergun, then why switch? Price of ammo is probably a little cheaper than defensive rounds for a black rifle, plus, you won't burn up a 100 rounds as quickly as an AR. All this equates into more practice time. The rule of thumb is, if you miss with a Barrett 50BMG, all you have done is hurt the hearing on the bad guy. If you hit them with what you are comfortable shooting, enough said! Welcome to TFL. Happy shooting.
Ralph
 
Welcome Deena K.

Unless you live in Kabul or Detroit, the odds of you being a victim of home invasion are low. But bad things happen to good people every day. No matter what you choose, make sure you are proficiant with it. Sounds like you are with your lever gun. Firearms can be intimidating to a lot of people. They're loud and scary...that's why so many people love em.

So if you feel the need to have one for protection, get one that you are comfortable with and practice, practice , practice. Peferably with a trainer. Your friend may give you some bad advice or technique.

A handgun is a good idea for a lot of the reasons already posted. I'll go further and suggest get one that has ambidextrous controls (saftey, mag release...etc.). You can keep it close to you at night on the nightstand or dresser drawer. Not leaning in the corner like a shotgun or rifle.

Welcome to TFL again. You'll find a lot of opinions and some good info along the way.
 
Welcome to the forum. This place is a treasure trove of information. Lots of great people with a lot of different backgrounds and experiences. This site has helped me out tremendously.

As for a .357 lever gun for HD, as Twycross stated, user proficiency is 99% of weapon effectiveness. It's not the platform, it's the user's ability with it. In other words, practice, practice, practice. Practice working the action and reloading under stress. Practice clearing a malfunction. Practice quick target acquisition. Practice making quick, accurate, center mass shots. See if you can find an instructor in your area and take a class or two. Best of luck.
 
Deena,

Welcome to TFL.

I also have a Marlin .357 Mag rifle, and it is a very good gun. You say you are accurate and familiar with this firearm, and that is what you need to be - accurate and knowledgeable. Contrary to what most people think, this rifle can be fired one handed using the proper technique. I would not go clearing rooms. Stay where you are safe and call 911.

The only thing I would change is putting in a .357 Mag round that is designed for personal protection. The 125 gr Semi-Jacket Hollow Point SJHP in one option but not the only one designed for personal protection. The 125 gr SJHP offerings are known for very good performance from a revolver, and you will get extra velocity from the longer carbine barrel. You also do not want over penetration, and this is more of a probability with most 158 gr bullets from a rifle.

If you ever shoot someone, the attorney for the BG will be looking over your rifle and ammo very carefully. In a civil suit this attorney is likely to claim you were using a "Deer Hunting Load" trying to paint you as being negligent, and your improper choice of ammo is why their poor, innocent client is paralyzed for life. If you had used a personal protection round, the bullet would have penetrated less and not damaged the spine. If the bullet passes through the BG and hits someone else, they will again claim you were negligent because of the "Deer Hunting Load" you chose to use.

If you were to look at getting a handgun for a second gun, take a look at the Ruger SP101 3" barrel revolver in .357 Mag. The grips are smaller. Make sure your hands are big enough to fire this in double action mode using the proper grip. A .357 Mag revolver would give you a handgun that can use the same ammo as your rifle.

Here is a short clip of Clint Smith on using the gun you already have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzXR24J1wgE
 
I have an AR15 for home defense myself; and I would tend to agree with. Jack. The key to any firearm is training and familiarity. Pistol caliber carbines may not be the absolute "best" but they are more than capable of doing the job. You already have experience and training with the lever-gun. Instead of spending money you don't have on a rifle you aren't familiar with, I would build on the experience and equipment you already have.
 
Thanks guys for all your comments. No kids in the house, my youngest started college this year.

All this talk about guns got me going so I went to the pistol range last night and practiced. The rifle range is a lot closer, but they don't allow fast shooting.

The longest range they have at the pistol place for targets is 30 yards, and shooting slow I can keep all my shots in the same hole, or just touching each other. When I shot as fast as I could standing free hand, I shot all 9 bullets in about 10 seconds. The target was a human sillouette, and all 9 bullets were in the scoring rings, but only a few were in the bullseye. It kind of reminded me of shooting clay pigeons.

I sent this link to Tim and he called me on the phone and we both laughed about it. He admits he is sometimes nuts. He pointed out that he doesn't have just one AR-15, he has 3. He also wants me to shoot one of his "single stack 9 mm" pistols. my understanding is that the grip is smaller? he has a Sig 225 and a Smith 39-06 he wants me to try, and also a 38 revolver.

Thanks again for all the comments.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top