JiminTexas
New member
Many, even most of the people that I talk to, either use or recommend the shotgun as the best home defense weapon. I do not always agree with that. Just think about the home defense situation and decide for yourself what the best tactics and strategies that you should use and prepare for. Here are a few factors to consider in making that decision. What are the ranges that we would be expected to shoot at? What are the targets that we are expected to hit? What is the time frame or duration of the gunfight that we are expecting to engage in? How much maneuvering room will you have? What happens to the bullet after you hit your target or if you miss yoiur target?
The ranges - How many places in your home do you have more than a 25 or 30 foot long clear field of fire? I would venture that unless you live in a mansion there is no place in your home that provides a 50 foot clear field of fire. So, we are looking at very short ranges. Well what if the bad guy is outside trying to get in? Just how many badguys are going to continue to try to get in after you either shoot them or fire a shot at them? None that I know of. O.K. what if they are outside and running away? If they are ouside running away, why are you shooting at them? You have already done what you were trying to do. You have stopped a home invasion. If you shoot them now, they will go free and you will be arrested. So what to use? It depends on how well you shoot. If you can shoot it proficiently, you may want to use a handgun. If you do not shoot well, a shotgun may be the best solution for you. In either case though, training and practice are mandatory. It is you duty to be proficient and safe if you are going to elect to arm yourself.
The targets - Let's assume that the home invader is a person, not a space alien or Bigfoot. So the target is going to be an average size human. A pretty big target considering the short ranges. You shoud practice shooting at this size target at the ranges that you can reasonably expect to encounter these targets.
Time frame - Once the shooting starts how long is the badguy going to stick around? Do you think that he will still be there five minute after the shooting starts? I don't think so. Well what if you have him pinned down and he can't escape? If that is the case you just screwed up. You are trying to STOP a home invasion, not prolong it. Leave him an avenue of escape if at all possible. Let him out of the house and let the police catch him. That's what we pay them to do. Most gunbattles do not last five minutes. In fact they last less than one minute. If the gunfight lasts less than one minute, why would you need a bag full of ammunition? Wouldn't five or six rounds be more than enough? O.K. keep a second magazine or a reload strip or some form of ammo carrier readily at hand if this makes you feel better.
Maneuvering room - Chances are very good that you will be in some area that restricts your movement no matter where you live, a hallway, a foyer. crouched down behind a couch. Your long barreled weapon is going to impair your movement and ability to respond quickly. O.K., how about short barreled pump action shotguns? Nope, still too long for my tastes for maneuvering and how do you work that pump action quickly if you are lying on the floor? How do you shoot around a corner to your right with a longarm without exposing yourself? This is not so much of a problem with a handgun.
Colateral dammage - Finally we have come to an area that the shotgun is far and away the leader of the pact, but not if you are using the most popular loadings, 00 buckshot or slugs. True, they are the most devastating close range loading of them all, but they will carry on through interior walls for a very, very long distance. Birdshot no larger than size BB (.177 dia.) is the way to go with the shotgun. It is still devastating on a human, but it does not kill everyone in the building. Pistol and rifle bullets have the same problem. If you live in a single family house, do you have less to worry about concerning colateral dammage than a person that lives in an apartment house? No, not if you have kids asleep in their beds.
Solutions - Well maybe not solutions but ways to reduce the effects of some of these challenges. If your main concern is shots carrying on through walls, you may want to use frangible ammunition or a shotgun using birdshot. If your living space is particualrly small or cramped you may want to use a handgun rather than a long arm to defend the castle. If you do choose a shotgun make it an autoloader. You can lie on the floor flat and still poperate it. A rifle would be my last choice, but it's better than no gun at all. either a handgun or a shotgun will do well as a home defense weapon, IF YOU CAN SHOOT THEM. If you don't practice or can't shoot, don't, just throw the gun at them, but first make sure it isn't loaded.
What do I keep around the house? I have two weapons that I keep handy. My first line of defense is an eight round (7+1) .45 ACP with my XTP handloads in it and yes, I do have a spare magazine with it. My other gun is a 5+1 12 Ga shotgun loaded with 3" shells containing steel BB shot.
The ranges - How many places in your home do you have more than a 25 or 30 foot long clear field of fire? I would venture that unless you live in a mansion there is no place in your home that provides a 50 foot clear field of fire. So, we are looking at very short ranges. Well what if the bad guy is outside trying to get in? Just how many badguys are going to continue to try to get in after you either shoot them or fire a shot at them? None that I know of. O.K. what if they are outside and running away? If they are ouside running away, why are you shooting at them? You have already done what you were trying to do. You have stopped a home invasion. If you shoot them now, they will go free and you will be arrested. So what to use? It depends on how well you shoot. If you can shoot it proficiently, you may want to use a handgun. If you do not shoot well, a shotgun may be the best solution for you. In either case though, training and practice are mandatory. It is you duty to be proficient and safe if you are going to elect to arm yourself.
The targets - Let's assume that the home invader is a person, not a space alien or Bigfoot. So the target is going to be an average size human. A pretty big target considering the short ranges. You shoud practice shooting at this size target at the ranges that you can reasonably expect to encounter these targets.
Time frame - Once the shooting starts how long is the badguy going to stick around? Do you think that he will still be there five minute after the shooting starts? I don't think so. Well what if you have him pinned down and he can't escape? If that is the case you just screwed up. You are trying to STOP a home invasion, not prolong it. Leave him an avenue of escape if at all possible. Let him out of the house and let the police catch him. That's what we pay them to do. Most gunbattles do not last five minutes. In fact they last less than one minute. If the gunfight lasts less than one minute, why would you need a bag full of ammunition? Wouldn't five or six rounds be more than enough? O.K. keep a second magazine or a reload strip or some form of ammo carrier readily at hand if this makes you feel better.
Maneuvering room - Chances are very good that you will be in some area that restricts your movement no matter where you live, a hallway, a foyer. crouched down behind a couch. Your long barreled weapon is going to impair your movement and ability to respond quickly. O.K., how about short barreled pump action shotguns? Nope, still too long for my tastes for maneuvering and how do you work that pump action quickly if you are lying on the floor? How do you shoot around a corner to your right with a longarm without exposing yourself? This is not so much of a problem with a handgun.
Colateral dammage - Finally we have come to an area that the shotgun is far and away the leader of the pact, but not if you are using the most popular loadings, 00 buckshot or slugs. True, they are the most devastating close range loading of them all, but they will carry on through interior walls for a very, very long distance. Birdshot no larger than size BB (.177 dia.) is the way to go with the shotgun. It is still devastating on a human, but it does not kill everyone in the building. Pistol and rifle bullets have the same problem. If you live in a single family house, do you have less to worry about concerning colateral dammage than a person that lives in an apartment house? No, not if you have kids asleep in their beds.
Solutions - Well maybe not solutions but ways to reduce the effects of some of these challenges. If your main concern is shots carrying on through walls, you may want to use frangible ammunition or a shotgun using birdshot. If your living space is particualrly small or cramped you may want to use a handgun rather than a long arm to defend the castle. If you do choose a shotgun make it an autoloader. You can lie on the floor flat and still poperate it. A rifle would be my last choice, but it's better than no gun at all. either a handgun or a shotgun will do well as a home defense weapon, IF YOU CAN SHOOT THEM. If you don't practice or can't shoot, don't, just throw the gun at them, but first make sure it isn't loaded.
What do I keep around the house? I have two weapons that I keep handy. My first line of defense is an eight round (7+1) .45 ACP with my XTP handloads in it and yes, I do have a spare magazine with it. My other gun is a 5+1 12 Ga shotgun loaded with 3" shells containing steel BB shot.