are you projecting your skills onto the rest of us? Most people who own firearms do so responsibly so your claims are specious
When I was a college kid and my parents were out of town during Winter break, my brothers and I were playing chess late one night and we heard someone coming up the stairs to the deck on the rear of our house (which was built in the side of a hill so that deck was 20 feet above ground). We grabbed various shotguns and flipped on the flood lights as a guy was trying to pry open the door with a screwdriver. He probably broke the neighborhood record for the 400 M dash when he saw us lining him up with three shotguns When I was a law student, one of my brothers was up visiting from Columbia. we were up late and heard someone trying to open the door of my apartment with a tool/ SO I snuck out the back while my brother called the constabulary. I held the guy at gunpoint until the deputies took him away. later, in the same apartment, two guys tried to mug me right outside it. I shot one of them with a licensed SW semi auto. He got three years in prison.
Never have had to use a firearm for home defense, never had to use one in the military, never had to use on doing security work over 25 years...
The best solution for home safety is to make enough money to live in a safe neighborhood. If you can't do thst get a big dog.
Reminds me of a true court case. Typically prosecutors do no prep on minor misdemeanor criminal cases. They show up with the file, talk to the officer who made the arrest and call whatever witnesses they have. A misdemeanor jury trial. In one case, the only witness was a very elderly black man in his 90s. He claimed he saw who hit another guy from behind. Upon questioning, it became clear that the old fella was claiming he could positively identify the defendant by seeing what happened out of his 4th story apartment window, at night, at a distance of over 100 yards. When asked if there was a street light at the corner, the old fella said it was burned out and he had complained about that. With that, the prosecuting attorney quickly said "no more questions, pass the witness," likely figuring the case was a bust so just end it quickly and move on to the next trial. The Defense attorney zeroed on this old guy, rather than just also saying "no questions" over the obvious shortcomings of the prosecutor's case. Instead, the defense attorney asked the old fella to repeat his testimony over and over and over. The defense attorney established his age too, repeatedly, plus questions to establish the old fella had no education and was illiterate. For over an hour, the defense attorney drove his points home time and time again. Finally, the defense attorney asked: "Mr Washington, I have to tell you that you have the most extraordinary night vision I have ever heard of. Why don't you just tell us all exactly how far it is that you can see in the dark?" Old Mr. Washington thought for a moment and then replied, "Young fella, I don't rightly know just exactly how far I can see in the dark. But I could tell you exactly how far I can see in the dark, if you can tell me exactly how far away the moon is." The jury found the defendant guilty.
I would do something crazy every once and while and the neighbors got the idea not to screw with me..
Most people in a panic couldn't hit a cow running at them with a handgun and they will only point and pull never using the sights, why I advise (always) a Crimson Trace grip. Urban home defense should not have extreme penetration ability. A .223 jacketed bullet will cut thru quarter inch structural steel at 100 yards. Bricks will not stop it and drywall is like tissue paper. If you kill your next door neighbor's child sleeping in bed you may be in really trouble. Shotguns are ideal (I don't like pumps) because they have a lot of hitting power, not a lot of penetration power (buck shot) and even with the barrel cut down around 18 inches (check your laws) that long barrel makes impulse aiming more precise. The longer the barrel/firearm the better pointer it is. 12 gauges offer the greatest shell choice, but the mostly forgotten 16 gauge in a semi-auto is an exceptionally easy to handle shotgun. Personally, I like (prefer) the old school twin hammerlock 12 gauge coach gun. Short barrel. Only two shells, other than 5 more in a stock holder, but if someone is rushing at me I have twin 12 gauges to try to stop him with. Candidly, I do not envision a long shoot-out potential on surprise by a large group of intruders. A short double barrel shotgun also is persuasive in appearance.
If you don't have the ability to effectively project lethal force in your home security solution, you are unprepared.
I, personally, have a Mossberg "Thunder Ranch" 12G at easy reach from the bedside, and a variety of handguns, all .40SW. The shotgun is 31" overall length, good for close quarters. I have a tactical flashlight mounted on one of the rails. I don't really forsee any need for the breech barrel, but it looks cool, and when I was shopping for a home defense shotgun, this one was on sale. I chose .40SW in the poll, only because I already have >1000 rounds of ammo on hand, and because the 5.56 that my M4gery is chambered for is not really an appropriate round for home defense, IMO, whereas .40SW is.
I use a seat belt all the time, and I used to use a crash helmet when I rode bikes. All the things you mention are real risks, home defence never was, because I lived in a safe place. Do you think you're missing the point of what I posted?
So far, then, only one person has actually used a weapon for home defence. That's encouraging, not because of the weapon issue but because most people didn't have their homes threatened. There is the 'insurance' issue, though, which is valid. You obviously feel it could happen. Would I buy a gun here in France if they were legal? No, but I live in a safe area. Would I buy a gun if I lived in the States? I guess I'd evaluate the risks and then make an informed choice. So I'm not anti-gun if that's what you thought.
No - I fully understand that you feel safe where you are. Hooray you! What I wonder is why you bothered to respond at all, since you have no opinion on the topic.
I'd choose the 5.56 because that's what I have. Currently, I use a .40 cal handgun for home defense. That's enough gun. Even in my conservative country, using an AR with a 30 round mag to drop an intruder might seem like overkill if it went to court. In a WROL or civil upheaval I'd break out the rifles & gear. Using the 5.56's for most situations, and my 7.62 for others.
It's not like 5.56 is unsuitable for home defense. I cannot help but laugh, however at those who tell you a shotgun is OK for home defense, but an AR isn't.
Actually, it's the other way around. A .223 with frangible bullets penetrates less walls than either a major caliber handgun (9mm or above) or a shotgun. I currently use a 9mm for home defense, with a 12-gauge for backup, but if I were buying a home defense weapon today, I'd get a carbine length AR with collapsible stock in .223. http://www.gunsandammo.com/ammo/long-guns-short-yardage-is-223-the-best-home-defense-caliber/ https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/5/26/the-ar-for-home-defense-one-experts-opinion http://how-i-did-it.org/drywall/results.html
It would be foolish to use a .223 FMJ bullet for home defense. Using appropriate softpoint ammo, the .223 penetrates less than a 12-gauge with buckshot.
For the AR I chose the 5.56 x 45 because it is more common than 7.62 x 39. 7.62 x 51 is over - kill and if you have a rifle, choose a rifle caliber bullet not a handgun cartridge. I don't know enough about the odd ball calibers .223 Wylde, .300 Blackout, etc. and they are too uncommon to rely on being able to get ammo for in a real SHTF scenario. So, you pick what works. If I wanted a 9mm, 40, etc. I'd take a Glock.
For home defense? I would use a 12-gauge pump shotgun, and, also have a .38-Special or a .357 Magnum revolver (with a six-inch barrel). I wouldn't use an AR15 for an inside-the-house home defense weapon at all. M-16's were OK for "spray" kills in many situations in Vietnam, but in the heavy bush and other unknown cover, I preferred an M-14 (.30, but I must admit that the M-16 was very fast. Here in the states, you can't legally "spray" with anything on full-automatic... it's against the law in almost every situation. I suggest Number 4-shot in the shotgun, so that you kill what is right in front of you, but not a family member that may be unseen behind an inside wall of the house. I like the .357 Magnum revolver because it can shoot all kinds of .38-Special AND .357 Magnum loads, from low-powder wadcutters all the way up to +P super-hot ammo.
