Home Defense Gun Advice

20ga would be plenty

I have the Remington 870 Home Defense. Short barrel, holds 6 shells. The Mrs. can shoot it, doesn't enjoy shooting it, but she can. It kicks pretty hard but I wouldn't want anything else for Home Defense. Pistol in the nightstand as well...

A youth model Remington 870 20gauge is the perfect home defense gun if a woman/kid might have to use it IMO.

My bedside guns are a Mossberg 500 and a Springfield XDM 40. I also have an AR loaded with Hornady Tap close. Anyways, all depends on what you are comfortable shooting.

Thanks for stopping by the OB. You will surely get more sound advice here.

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We have a single shot 20 gauge shotgun

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20 gauge is sufficient for stopping most living things but you're also at a severe disadvantage with only one shot.

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a Mossberg Pump Action 12 gauge 18.5 inch barrel, something quick, can hold more shells, and can be something my wife can handle if I am away.

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If neither of you have much shooting experience, a 12 gauge will be too much for her starting out. Not only that, if she starts on something with harsh recoil, she will more than likely think all guns act the same and it can ruin her perception. She has to slowly build her confidence before stepping up to something that size.

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And what kind of gun do you recommend for home defense?

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If you're wanting to limit the conversation to long guns, it's very hard to not recommend the AR15. I know what you're thinking, "OMG! That's overkill!" It's actually not and here are my reasons:

1. It has similar muzzle energy to a 12 gauge or 20 gauge (buckshot that is).

2. It is very slim and lightweight.

3. It has substantially less recoil than a shotgun (good for the wife). This also allows for faster follow-up shots.

4. It holds 10-30 rounds depending on what magazine you use.

5. You can use varmint ammo or Hornady TAP (which uses a varmint bullet) to assure you don't shoot someone and have the bullet pass through.

6. It is perfectly set up for optics from the factory. You can mount pretty much anything you want from iron sights all the way to a damn toaster oven.

7. It is extremely ergonomic.

8. An adjustable stock allows you to change the length-of-pull, which is great for a gun that both you and your wife will be using.

9. If I hear something in the night, my AR15 is my personal choice sitting under my bed.


If you're possibly leaning towards a handgun, I would say a full sized 9mm would be great for you and the wife for 2 main reasons: (1) magazine capacity (2) minimal recoil.


If you are still inexperienced and would like some training or advice, feel free to send me an email (bigapple828@aim.com). The AR15 is a great weapon but you still have to know the specifics of the platform before being not only confident but experienced with the platform. The same goes for a handgun. Everything takes practice.

Remember what I said about bapple in the O-T thread?

This is what I'm talking about.

moral of story:

Assault Rifles with lots of clips
sawed off shotguns (yes, saw must be used)
full sized 9's

all equal parts to the 3 step program of protecting one's family.

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clips

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saw

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:iamdisappoint:

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Remember what I said about bapple in the O-T thread?

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Yea, I sure do!

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I didn't want to disappoint...

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You sure didn't!


Thanks for the info Bapple.

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Thanks for the info Bapple.

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I highly advise you get some training if you and the wife are not experienced.

And feel free to email me if you have questions.