Recommend a gun for home defense

[???]

So I live in a shady area. I chose to live here because the housing prices were reasonable and I wouldn't need a loan. I love my house and most of the people are alright, but lately there have been shootings and break-ins around the area related to drugs. And the back of my neighborhood is known for drug dealing.

That all said, I've decided to buy a gun for home defense. I have experience with a M4, M9 Beretta, some AK47 (I don't know what kind it was), and a Keltech KSG. Since I have military training, I could also get a concealed weapon permit, but I'm not sure how practical it is to carry around a gun all the time...and despite being a veteran, I'm not really big on guns and don't own even one. I did like going to the range with a 240B, but that's illegal and an offensive/suppressive weapon, lol.

I think I want some kind of AR type weapon with a short muzzle for close-quarter 3-points-of-contact accuracy, but maybe a pistol is more practical? Maybe an AK47 would work better, but I don't know much about them either.

This might not be the best place to ask this, but I'm curious if there are any gun nuts with some good advice/recommendations.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

 

[Obfuscate]

if you need a gun for home defense, small caliber so you are less likely to blow through someone's bedroom... probably rock salt in a shotgun would handle it..

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

if you need a gun for home defense, small caliber so are less likely to blow through someone's bedroom... probably rock salt in a shotgun would handle it..

Naw, just use the gun I posted and fill it with lemon juice and aim for the eyes.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Honestly, a shotgun is probably best because you can get a decent one cheap compared to most handguns and they don't take a lot of skill to use properly compared to rifles and handguns. They also don't require the same maintenance and upkeep as some more intricate and complex firearms. The ammunition is relatively cheap. If you have kids around EVER, then you must keep it unloaded and keep the ammo locked up separately. Do drills where you have to unlock and load the gun in a short span of time, so you're ready in the event of a home invasion. Personally, for home defense I prefer non-firearms. I have an old police club and a machete I keep close by. You might consider getting a dog with an intimidating bark. Pitbulls can be the sweetest dogs in the world, or mastiffs for that matter, but other people don't have to know your dog is just a big cuddlebug--the public perception of these types of breeds will work in your favor, even if your dog is harmless. The mere knowledge one lives in your house or apartment might be enough to make the guys who've been casing your joint skip your door and terrorize the neighbors instead. Maybe get a fake camera as a deterraqnt too, but make sure it looks like the real deal and not an obvious fake. You know, even the little details like wires running into your house.

 

[rav3n]

Anything with serious fire power will cut through walls like butter. This puts the residents of your home and neighbors at risk. As ex-military, you should know this.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Anything with serious fire power will cut through walls like butter. This puts the residents of your home and neighbors at risk. As ex-military, you should know this.

This is another good reason to buy a shotgun. Depending on the types of shells he uses, this won't be a problem. I'd opt for some weaker ammo. Unless at close range, he'll likely maim the perps rather than kill them. But that would still be enough to make them flee, and make any other potential perps think twice. On the other hand, just owning a gun and having that known increases one's chance of being robbed by people who might want to sell the guns and ammo on the black market.

If he must have a handgun, a .22 caliber is better. Probably won't have to worry about rounds travelling through the walls and hitting neighbors. It's little more powerful than a BB Gun, but loud enough to create a psychological deterrent for the intruders. Even firing some blank starter rounds might deter many invaders.

But I'd still opt for some non-lethal weapon like a club instead. Many military/police surplus stores sell decent non-lethal weapons. Or a high powered slingshot would be good. quick and easy to load and fire, usually non-lethal, and little chance the ammo would pass through most walls.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

if you need a gun for home defense, small caliber so are less likely to blow through someone's bedroom... probably rock salt in a shotgun would handle it..

Yeah but rocksalt won't work against Zorin's stooges.

 

[???]

if you need a gun for home defense, small caliber so you are less likely to blow through someone's bedroom... probably rock salt in a shotgun would handle it..

That's interesting. Never heard of that. I'll have to look into that.

Honestly, a shotgun is probably best because you can get a decent one cheap compared to most handguns and they don't take a lot of skill to use properly compared to rifles and handguns. They also don't require the same maintenance and upkeep as some more intricate and complex firearms. The ammunition is relatively cheap. If you have kids around EVER, then you must keep it unloaded and keep the ammo locked up separately. Do drills where you have to unlock and load the gun in a short span of time, so you're ready in the event of a home invasion. Personally, for home defense I prefer non-firearms. I have an old police club and a machete I keep close by. You might consider getting a dog with an intimidating bark. Pitbulls can be the sweetest dogs in the world, or mastiffs for that matter, but other people don't have to know your dog is just a big cuddlebug--the public perception of these types of breeds will work in your favor, even if your dog is harmless. The mere knowledge one lives in your house or apartment might be enough to make the guys who've been casing your joint skip your door and terrorize the neighbors instead. Maybe get a fake camera as a deterraqnt too, but make sure it looks like the real deal and not an obvious fake. You know, even the little details like wires running into your house.

The only thing with a shotgun is it sprays everywhere. I can't imagine the damage that would do to the house.
I'm not really a fan of dogs. I like them, but I don't like the idea of having to participate in their waste evacuating activities.
I've been planning to get a security system. I could put up a 360* POE system that monitors everything, including inside the house at the front and back door. It's just my roof is very narrow and it makes me a bit reluctant to do it. BUt I probably should.
I thought about the machete, but I just don't think it would be as intimidating as a gun. People that do home invasions usually are kind of crazy, but a gun is a bit more threatening.

Anything with serious fire power will cut through walls like butter. This puts the residents of your home and neighbors at risk. As ex-military, you should know this.

Well, I live in a cement block house and I don't think a 556 AR round is going to go through that. I could be wrong though.

But I'd still opt for some non-lethal weapon like a club instead. Many military/police surplus stores sell decent non-lethal weapons. Or a high powered slingshot would be good. quick and easy to load and fire, usually non-lethal, and little chance the ammo would pass through most walls.

That would be okay, if criminals didn't already have guns. I don't think they would be intimidated by a club, if they have any kind of gun on me.

Yeah but rocksalt won't work against Zorin's stooges.

I love the flip on the ground with the shotgun. I guess that's how you dodge bullets, lol. Iframes, just like Dark Souls. I don't need a gun, just need to learn to dodge.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

That's interesting. Never heard of that. I'll have to look into that.



The only thing with a shotgun is it sprays everywhere. I can't imagine the damage that would do to the house.
I'm not really a fan of dogs. I like them, but I don't like the idea of having to participate in their waste evacuating activities.
I've been planning to get a security system. I could put up a 360* POE system that monitors everything, including inside the house at the front and back door. It's just my roof is very narrow and it makes me a bit reluctant to do it. BUt I probably should.
I thought about the machete, but I just don't think it would be as intimidating as a gun. People that do home invasions usually are kind of crazy, but a gun is a bit more threatening.



Well, I live in a cement block house and I don't think a 556 AR round is going to go through that. I could be wrong though.



That would be okay, if criminals didn't already have guns. I don't think they would be intimidated by a club, if they have any kind of gun on me.



I love the flip on the ground with the shotgun. I guess that's how you dodge bullets, lol. Iframes, just like Dark Souls. I don't need a gun, just need to learn to dodge.

Roger Moore actually could dodge bullets. Little known fact

 

[rav3n]

Well, I live in a cement block house and I don't think a 556 AR round is going to go through that. I could be wrong though.

Irrelevant to the interior walls and doesn't take into consideration the windows. Lemme guess. You have no windows and all your interior walls are cement blocks, right?

 

[anticlimatic]

Why is a trained soldier asking a bunch of millennial nerds for firearm advice?

 

[SD45T-2]

So I live in a shady area. I chose to live here because the housing prices were reasonable and I wouldn't need a loan. I love my house and most of the people are alright, but lately there have been shootings and break-ins around the area related to drugs. And the back of my neighborhood is known for drug dealing.

That all said, I've decided to buy a gun for home defense. I have experience with a M4, M9 Beretta, some AK47 (I don't know what kind it was), and a Keltech KSG. Since I have military training, I could also get a concealed weapon permit, but I'm not sure how practical it is to carry around a gun all the time...and despite being a veteran, I'm not really big on guns and don't own even one. I did like going to the range with a 240B, but that's illegal and an offensive/suppressive weapon, lol.

I think I want some kind of AR type weapon with a short muzzle for close-quarter 3-points-of-contact accuracy, but maybe a pistol is more practical? Maybe an AK47 would work better, but I don't know much about them either.

This might not be the best place to ask this, but I'm curious if there are any gun nuts with some good advice/recommendations.

Is it just you or are there other occupants to worry about?

An AK-47 would be perfect if your neighborhood was somewhere like Afghanistan or Syria.

Anything with serious fire power will cut through walls like butter.

How are you defining serious firepower?

The only thing with a shotgun is it sprays everywhere. I can't imagine the damage that would do to the house.

It would probably depend some on the ammo and the choke. If it was indoors and a range of maybe a few yards, the pellets wouldn't necessarily have a chance to get too terribly spread out. There are videos out there of people shooting birdshot/buckshot into targets at different distances with different chokes to see what the dispersion is like.

Well, I live in a cement block house and I don't think a 556 AR round is going to go through that. I could be wrong though.

For breaking down walls like that you'd probably want that 240 or a .50 BMG.

 

[???]

Irrelevant to the interior walls and doesn't take into consideration the windows. Lemme guess. You have no windows and all your interior walls are cement blocks, right?

1. I live alone.
2. 556 isn't serious firepower.
3. I have thick hurricane windows, which supposedly could stop small caliber rounds like 556 AR rounds. Although that's not what I bought them for.
4. I'm a Mandalorian.
5. Can't we just be friends?

Why is a trained soldier asking a bunch of millennial nerds for firearm advice?

This might not be the best place to ask this, but I'm curious if there are any gun nuts with some good advice/recommendations.

Why do millennial nerds not bother to read OPs, but respond (un)critically anyway?

Is it just you or are there other occupants to worry about?

Just me. Though I might get a cat.

An AK-47 would be perfect if your neighborhood was somewhere like Afghanistan or Syria.

Perfect might not be the right word. I think it's required.
Perfect is not having to live there perhaps.

It would probably depend some on the ammo and the choke. If it was indoors and a range of maybe a few yards, the pellets wouldn't necessarily have a chance to get too terribly spread out. There are videos out there of people shooting birdshot/buckshot into targets at different distances with different chokes to see what the dispersion is like.

I'm kind of torn between wanting to be sure they stay down with a bullet and using rock salt. I'm leaing towards -> if someone 'isn't' intimidated by a loaded rifle pointed at them, then they probably deserve to get shot? over using a rock salt shotgun. I guess the idea of the gun is maybe I wouldn't even have to use it.

For breaking down walls like that you'd probably want that 240 or a .50 BMG.

I can't imagine what that would do to a body. I've heard of warthogs gunning people down in a field and people say there is nothing left afterwards. Just a spray of red.

 

[rav3n]

1. I live alone.
2. 556 isn't serious firepower.
3. I have thick hurricane windows, which supposedly could stop small caliber rounds like 556 AR rounds. Although that's not what I bought them for.
4. I'm a Mandalorian.
5. Can't we just be friends?

Guess again. The AR-15 went through two storm windows in a row and stopped at the third one.

 

[???]

So I'm not sure what kind of hurricane glass they used in the video, but the windows come in different thicknesses and types. Mine is double-pan, the thickest they had, and the most expensive, rated for category 5.
But Okay, let's assume a 556 could go through it. So what's your recommendation for home defense then?

 

[TeezerK]

Hey, OP, how did your story end? I face simmilar issue right now.

 

[Abordage]

Hey, OP, how did your story end? I face simmilar issue right now.

How the hell did you find this thread? It's old, LOL. By the way, OP, are you into hunting? I have no problem with self defence, because I have a.22 Remington rifle that belonged to my grandpa. It's just perfect. It had a problem with scope (it was all covered with scratches) but I "modified" the rifle by throwing away old scope and buying a new one.

 

[Tomb1]

Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum... too pricey grab yourself a .357. you don't need any kind of machine gun or shot-gun because if somebody breaks into your house the chance they come in with a machine gun is nil. probably they'll be carrying a little six shooter, at best a glock or .9 mm. .44 guarantees you'll be the favorite in any shoot-out, i don't care where ya hit 'em they ain't getting off a second shot. on the flipside there's numerous spots they coudl hit you with their shitty little toygun and you're still going to have enough adrenaline to get off a shot.

 

[highlander]

Bear spray repellant. A hell of a lot safer