Best home defense weapon

Discussion in 'Firearms and Hunting' started by Think for myself, Aug 16, 2011.

  1. ibobbrob

    ibobbrob Well-Known Member

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    The issue was with recoil, accuracy, and lack of practice and training. It was a 45 caliber and probably too much gun for me as a beginner. I bought it on the recommendation of an experienced gun owner.
     
  2. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well then since you own a firearm, it seems you hoisted yourself on your own petard with your "why you own guns" comment huh?
     
  3. Nonnie

    Nonnie Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I can't reply to your questions when you avoid answering mine.
     
  4. vman12

    vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well then ask me the question.
     
  5. An Taibhse

    An Taibhse Well-Known Member

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    Sig makes a couple excellent .45 acp platforms. The .45 acp is an excellent, proven, self defense round. While I don’t consider the ..45 acp recoil heavy, many do, and one reason, among others the US military and FBI moved to 9mm. But, I have shot .45 acp for over 45 years.
    If you’ve never shot a gun, a .45 can be intimidating. A good instructor could have helped jumping in with a .45, helping with grip, trigger mechanics, flinching, etc., but often it is easier for a gradual introduction, learning fundamentals, gradually increasing through heavier recoiling packages. For instance, my girls were started with pellet gun, then .22s, .32, .38, etc. the transition. Didn’t take long but as skills built, so did confidence, and then challenge.
    There are platforms that have poor ergonomics or are so light weight that felt recoil can seem greater than expectation for a given cartridge and there are some cartridges that intimidate even experts; I have a piece chambered in .480 I don’t enjoy shooting thru an afternoon at the range and can even develop a flinch requiring correction if I shoot it a lot. While I am sure they, like me, don’t enjoy shooting the .480 regularly, both my girls, both less than 100lbs, can manage shooting it and I think have enjoyed the instances where they asserted a bit of dominance over their partners demonstrating they could handle what intimidated their partners.
    In your case, keeping the Sig might have been an option if you had good instruction and had the opportunity to build experience and skill with other cartridges/platforms at a range.
    BTW, I still remember the experience of my Da letting me shoot, unassisted, his 12ga when I was 6 yrs in age in some demented lesson he was intent on imparting to me. It was a wonder it didn’t end my interest in guns, though it was sometime before I hosted a 12ga again.
    Like most things in life, expertise and competence isn’t derived without experience.
     
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  6. ibobbrob

    ibobbrob Well-Known Member

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    I was given a shotgun by a friend (JC Higgins?) and used it once. The recoil sent my shoulder into the next county. What kind of pistol would you recommend?
     
  7. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I want one of these but it's probably illegal in Victoria.

    Trust the Turkish to come up with a damn good solution to self defence and laws that prevent you from defending yourself.

    I have to applaud :applause::applause:

    Turkish firm debuts non-lethal weapon in South Africa
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-firm-debuts-non-lethal-weapon-in-south-africa-143817


    [​IMG]
     
  8. An Taibhse

    An Taibhse Well-Known Member

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    Every thing depends on what use you intend and what’s available to you. So?
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2019
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  9. ibobbrob

    ibobbrob Well-Known Member

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    Only for protection.
     
  10. An Taibhse

    An Taibhse Well-Known Member

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    That covers a lot of ground. Protection against 2 or 4 legged critters? Protection in the home, Then, just for the bedroom? Protection when out and about (I.e. concealed carry), protection in SHTF scenarios...then sort or long term... or all of the above?
    Then too, the following questions....
    Do you have a significant other and look to have them as a potential operator?
    Do you have Children about or have children as visitors? If so, ages? Any behavioral issues?
    Have good eyesight?
    Any disabilities? Live in a flat/apartment, house, highly populated area? Large abode, small? Single level, multiple.
    Are you mechanically inclined? Have a propensity to maintain possessions or let maintenance slide? Often how you treat your vehicle is a clue, though, in the scheme of things not as critical as a firearm.
    Are you consistent in habit? Disciplined?
    When thinking on emergencies in your past do you maintain control over yourself, tend to panic, or lean to one or the other?
    Are emergency services close, or some distance? Responsive?
    Do you have access to expert training, place to practice?
    If not firearms knowledgeable do you have access to someone that can advise with troubleshooting, help with periodic inspection, advise on insuring firearm reliability, be available to answer questions absence a proclivity to want to make money off of you?
    These are a few quick questions, but you may have more concerns or needs worth considering that would normally be revealed in face to face conversation. that would help in evaluation which should be answered as honestly as possible. If you want my general opinion, you can answer the in a PM dialog and I can suggest options, including what you might consider to ‘test drive’ at a local shop/range. Understand, I don’t believe in a Magic firearm that fits all intended uses or a one size solution that fits all. Lots of choices out there and each has it’s advantages and disadvantages for various tasks, different people and unique considerations...among the reasons some of us own more than one firearm.
    However, if your firearms selection is extremely limited, then I can advise on what to do with that.
    Any advice I provide should be tested by other opinions.

    BTW, there is a lot out there on YouTube worth checking out. Some of what’s out there is good, some not so much. But, check out enough videos and you begin to see patterns and you begin to see some content providers that, over time, jump out as more credible than others


    .
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2019
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  11. An Taibhse

    An Taibhse Well-Known Member

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    Deleted... sorry difficult to manage on smart phone
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2019
  12. Well Bonded

    Well Bonded Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    For years I carried a Colt Officers ACP .45 loaded with Winchester Silvertips, I picked that firearm because it was very narrow and easy to carry concealed and not so heavy as to be a burden to carry on a regular basis, in other words all the time.

    I chose Winchester Silvertips on the advice of a Hollywood Police Department officer who I worked with over the years and certified as a firearms instructor.

    He had real world experience with the .45 Silvertip, his department went with the Glock, it was an inexpensive firearm and provided a commonality of simple training which pleased the upper Brass.

    He being a SRT member applied for, qualified, and was granted the permission to carry a 1911 versus a Glock which he had no faith in.

    He used that firearm twice to save his life and in both cases the firearm and the ammo did it's job, one shot, one kill and one alive and uninjured officer.

    Now having moved out to the sticks where we I have a much lower risk of criminal attack, which I believe is partly because our local law enforcement agencies encourage concealed carry, I have stepped down to a Colt Pocketlite in .380, it's smaller, easier to carry all day long, and with a properly aimed round will get the job done.

    But when I have to travel back to the city, be it Broward, Fort Myers or West Palm Beach, it's back to the .45, and I have bought a Level III concealable body armor to wear when I and my wife go there to stock up on food.

    In the U.S. for many reasons our society is breaking down and in the urban areas doing so rather rapidly, I'm not paranoid as GCA's might claim, but having a law enforcement background I understand the threats such a breakdown causes and being prepared is paramount for me to being able to protect my wife and maybe those around me.

    I don't want to shoot anyone ever again or be shot at again, but if I am forced into that situation I want to be able to respond properly and keep my wife alive and hopefully myself as well.
     
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  13. An Taibhse

    An Taibhse Well-Known Member

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    I like 1911s in .45 acp, but I have been using and working on them for some 40 years.
    A few years back, I used to carry a Springfield 1911 micro compact that I tuned, added Ambi safety I am a lefty) and used Chip McCormic 7 rd mags. It was thin, light weight, comfortable to carry, and had flawless reliability. A judge friend of mine liked it too. It now goes to court daily under his robe. Never used it in a fight, but I used black Talons in mine, liking the results of my testing. Winchester Silver tips would have worked too, but I I got a just little better penetration along with the reliable expansion for the Black Talons with a bit better accuracy in that gun. But, .45acp, if you are used to the recoil, mild to me, what’s not to like?
     
  14. Well Bonded

    Well Bonded Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Last year a friend of mine won a 9mm Glock at a gun show, he brought it over to my range and we ran a couple of box's of ammo through it.

    Oddly it seemed to me to have a sharper recoil than my officers ACP, very strange.

    I shoot Modified Weaver stance letting my elbows absorb the recoil and it works well with the .45, but with the Glock it just didn't feel right.

    Now my son bought a H&K .40 and for intents and purposes it shoots like the Officers ACP just wider and heavier, but he's larger than I so he has no problem carrying it concealed, something I could not do with a gun that large.
     
  15. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    Protection at home, or for concealed carry protection?

    In terms of what gun to choose, it really depends on you. Are you strong, frail, etc.? I would probably recommend a handgun, but you should go take a basic shooting course, and try out a few handguns to decide which is right for you. In general, I think the best bet would be a .357 magnum revolver. It will shoot both .38 special and .357 magnum rounds, and you can start out with light recoiling .38 special target rounds, and work your way up to .38 special self defense rounds, and possibly .357 magnum self defense rounds. It's also fairly simple to operate. A 9mm Glock 17 would be another good choice. Again, try some out and decide which feels best to you. Another option, if you are frail and can't handle a major handgun, would be to get an AR of some sort. Again, you need to get some training.
     
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  16. Well Bonded

    Well Bonded Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    .
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2019
  17. Texan

    Texan Well-Known Member

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    My wife started shooting a couple of years ago. She was scared of the gun and recoil at first. She insisted on starting with a .380. That's the smallest handgun round that I would recommend for self defense and 9mm is so much more preferable. With a little practice and some training she carried a Bersa Thunder + in .380 for a while. She had limp wristing issues with a Smith & Wesson and I talked her into trying my 9mm pistols. For HOME DEFENSE, she now has a Ruger Security 9 (9mm). It is single action with a manual safety and a 15 round capacity. It has been dependable and only cost $299. I have a Glock 19 (9mm) with the same capacity and no manual safety.

    She tried my Kimber Micro 9 and loved it. It is both of our primary CARRY guns. She demanded that whatever she carries have a manual safety. If you don't want a manual safety, I'd recommend a Glock 43 or a Kahr CW9. The Kimber, Glock, and Kahr are all near identical in size and weight. I used a Hogue Handall Jr. slip on grip for cushioning and improved grip on my Kahr. I only carry the Kimber now because the gun functions differently (single action trigger and manual safety) and I don't want to have to take time to figure out how to operate the gun in an emergency, but I carried the Kahr for 10 years and still trust it. I'm a very strong guy, but I have smaller hands and these single stack guns feel very good in my hands and are easy to conceal.

    Whatever gun you decide on(if you decide on a gun) get training and run 200-300 rounds through it for practice and to make sure that the gun is going to be reliable. Most manufacturers will tell you to break the gun in to clear any issues with tight manufacturing tolerances and maintenance and lubricating issues before trusting your life with it. Be sure and clean and lube your gun after taking it to the range. It will work better in an emergency and last better against corrosion.

    Know that there are different types of ammo. Most personal defense ammo is hollow point (where legal) and you need to run a couple of magazines through your gun to make sure it works with your gun. I use Hornady Critical Defense ammo in 9mm +P. +P means that the ammo has slightly more power than standard 9mm and most guns can handle it, but make sure before you buy. This ammo is more expensive. Hollow point ammo will penetrate less and that makes it safer for the surroundings and the round stopping in the target transmits more energy into the target. For the range, I typically use various brands of cheap FMJ(Full Metal Jacket) ammo. Stick to the brass case ammo. Avoid steel ammo as it's hard on your gun.

    I think you are getting some solid advice in this thread if anybody disagrees with my opinions, it's OK. They are kind of like belly buttons.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2020
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  18. Dr.Phibes

    Dr.Phibes Newly Registered

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    I can't afford a gun, but I have plenty of knives, and I know how to use them.
    I also know how to use my thumbs as weapons, as well as anything within reach.

    For anyone who is adamant about self protection, but does not want a firearm......car keys.
    Any professional law enforcer can teach you how to use your car keys as a weapon.

    These are pretty nifty as well.....

    Self Defense Cat Keyring
    (there are all types, colors, and kinds out there to fit your need)
    [​IMG]
     
  19. gamewell45

    gamewell45 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Illegal to posses in many states.
     
  20. Dr.Phibes

    Dr.Phibes Newly Registered

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    True, but not all.

    Thats also why it's a good idea to learn how to use car keys as a weapon.
    Easy to use, simple, and you don't have to spend any money on a weapon!
     
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  21. Well Bonded

    Well Bonded Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Just don't use your car keys, use a key that has no use, if you damage your car key and need to flee your screwed.
     
  22. Dr.Phibes

    Dr.Phibes Newly Registered

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    Sorry, I meant keys in general. I'm one of those people that keep all of my keys on one key ring, lol.

    But yeah, you can definitely keep an old key, or even buy a long, jagged new key to keep as a dedicated "weapon".
    :thumbsup:;)
     
  23. joesnagg

    joesnagg Banned

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    Maybe keep your keys on a kubotan 300px-Kubotan_key_ring_with_ruler_to_indicate_scale.jpg
     
  24. Toggle Almendro

    Toggle Almendro Well-Known Member

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    Are you limiting yourself to a single gun??

    How about: A pump shotgun with a 14 inch barrel (NFA registered of course) and loaded with #1 buckshot. A compact .45 pistol carried in a holster at all times. And a 7.62x51 semi-auto rifle loaded with AP ammo.
     
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  25. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The 'take all comers' trifecta.
     

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