Shotgun vs AR for home defense (not what you think)

[ripnbst]

For me my HD weapon is a pistol. It is not nearly as powerful as an AR or a shotgun and that is why it gets the nod. Do any of you people live in neighborhoods or apartments? Or is this forum full of people who live out in the country?

Think about your neighbors, that's what drove me to my choice in a pistol on top of more tactically driven decisions. My 9mm with 17+1 should be enough capacity to be putting holes in the first guy or two on their way in and have any behind them on their way out the door in a hurry. Any bullets slipping past them are headed out my mostly glass front door (or even unscathed since the door is likely to still be open) and towards my neighbors house. I know my neighbors, I like my neighbors. They have a small child who I am fairly certain has a window facing my home in her bedroom. Stray bullets from my little skirmish are highly likely to enter her room. Of course I am aiming for my target and hope not to miss but I need to be aware of the risks I am taking in engaging the threat. A pistol caliber bullet at that distance is still lethal but not nearly as lethal as an AR or shotgun. I also have children of my own and penetration is a concern. My shooting lanes that are totally safe in my home keeping neighbors in mind are slim pickins.

I also understand that were anything to happen to that little girl that legally it would be the fault of the criminals but that would not make it any easier to sleep at night.

Just my take on it.

 

[Skans]

I think people buy AR's and then feel the need to "justify" having them by claiming that they make superior HD weapons. I would bet that if people are being truly honest, 99% of the people who have AR's or assembled an AR did so just because they wanted one (or perhaps for 3-gun competition).

Hey, it's ok to love your AR.....and it might be ok to try and convince your husband/wife that you need an AR for home defense. But, we all know that a Hi-Point 45 pistol really would suffice.

 

[MarkCO]

A pistol caliber bullet at that distance is still lethal but not nearly as lethal as an AR or shotgun.

Huh? Can you be kind of pregnant too?

So it is okay to send a lethal handgun bullet in her direction, but not a lethal rifle bullet?

You would be better off training and having your angles of fire be controlled. No such thing as a "stray" bullet. You either fired it, or you did not. I am not an attorney, but I am a court qualified ballistics and reconstruction expert and I think that your assertion that

were anything to happen to that little girl that legally it would be the fault of the criminals

is inaccurate as well.

Having reconstructed the bullet paths of a lot of shootings, professionally, most of what the general public thinks they know about ballistics and self defense tactics hold little water in real life.

I will not insult you by spoon feeding you, but go do some research of the lethality of buckshot. You can start with the Aurora theater shooting. Multiple rounds of buckshot were fired, several people were hit (both straight and through chair backs) yet not a single one of them died. Compare that to the hits with the AR. If you do the research, you will likely come to the conclusion that buckshot close is equivalent in stopping power with an AR but at some distance, the lethality falls below that of most auto-pistol calibers. Thing is that with the buckshot, based on load and choke, you can control that distance.

 

[rickyrick]

I'd advise anyone concerned about penetration of different bullets to go out and try it on meaty materials and household materials.

You might be surprised at the penetration differences in various calibers.

I can't recall anymore, but a 9mm goes thru quite a few wood planks. I've shot everything imaginable.... Of the choices in this thread, .223 is less likely to exit than the other. But it is all unpredictable.

The best option is to hit the threat and try not to miss.

 

[rickyrick]

Take your pick, which one is the most maneuverable.

Which one is most powerful?

Which one can you shoot most accurately?

Which one is the best compromise of all features?