Best house gun?

[PALADIN85020]

A friend of mine asked my advice on buying a house gun - basically for protection at home; he has not had a lot of experience with guns, although he's an Army veteran.

Here's what I suggested for him. First, I'd recommend a revolver for several reasons. 1) Not a whole lot to remember such as condition of readiness, safety on or off, cock it or not, etc. Just point and pull the trigger. 2) When loaded, there are no severely compressed springs to go bad. Load today, use it five years from now. It will still go bang. 3) Almost total reliability. The only malfunction drill is to pull the trigger again.

So the question boils down to which revolver would probably be best for him. Some criteria here: 1) Not overly heavy. 2) a powerful caliber, but also able to fire easier loads for practice. 3) Relatively maintenance free. 4) Barrel length not to exceed 4" so an opponent cannot grab it away easily.

Here's what I recommended for him: This is a Model 66-1 4" stainless revolver, chambered (of course) in .357 Magnum, and able to use .38 specials for practice. I think it will fill the bill for him as a nightstand gun. He and his wife live alone together, and there are no children to worry about in the house - of course, when the grandkids come to visit, I've advised him to secure it by opening the cylinder and padlocking the topstrap. Then he can put it away knowing it cannot be fired by anyone without the key or the combination.

We'll be trying to find one for him locally at the next gun show.

Any other opinions on the ideal gun for this guy?

 

[Krull]

How about a 625? .45 auto in a four inch revolver should be pretty easy to handle,and the moon clips shouldn't pose much trouble to load.

And a cylinder full of some .230 gr JHP ought to clear out any intruders post haste.

ETA:

Could also steer him to a 686+ with seven in the cylinder and a four inch tube.

 

[cp1969]

The 66-1 is a very good choice, but a 12 ga. pump might be as good or better.

 

[bubbiesdad]

Actually, for home protection, a pump action shotgun with buckshot is ideal.

 

[michael thornton]

I have always thought the shotgun was the best house gun, but i also understand that a long gun is big and bulky, so i think you need a pump 12 ga and a hand gun?

 

[.45 1911]

A 4" .357 Magnum revolver is a very good choice. A 686+ is another very good choice with that extra .357 Magnum round.

 

[shermbob]

Actually, for home protection, a pump action shotgun with buckshot is ideal.

+1 I get the shotgun and wife follows with 357.

 

[DeadAye]

12 gauge pump - That's a BAD sound in the dark

I keep a 686 handy though and my wife takes very good cover with an old Model 12 Winchester and a Cell Phone (Not one of those communication deals that rely on wires, btw)

I believe in being proactive and she's reactive. Opposites attract

 

[jimmyj]

12 gauge short barrel shotgun
.38spl 4" Model 10 revolver

 

[Rule3]

The M-66 is a fine choice but I do not recommend 357 Mag. As most problems occur at night, if they have to use it, they will be deaf and blind.

How many of us practice shooting in the dark , barely awake with no ear protection?? Next time at the range, shoot some 357's with no ear protection.

Put some 38 +P in it and it's just as effective. I also do not think a 12 gauge is needed either. A 20 with buck shot will do the job.

I sleep with a 45 auto.

 

[sipowicz]

If a house were after me, I'd go with a wrecking ball or bulldozer over a gun.

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

12 gauge short barrel shotgun
.38spl 4" Model 10 revolver

........+1

 

[Farmer17]

I've gone back and forth on the best house gun and whether it's a shotgun or handgun, and right now I think a light 20 gauge youth model shotgun is best. Unless your house is the size of Bill Gates' house, ranges will be very short and no handgun is a great one-shot stopper. You can blast someone in the torso with a magnum or a .45 but they still can have enough life left in them to fling a round or two in your direction before they go down, and at short range they are likely to hit you. If you put a good load of buckshot in the perp's upper chest it will cause enough mass trauma he will probably pass out or die near instantly and not be able to return fire. A youth model 870/1100 20 gauge is light enough to hold with one hand while you are opening doors and is very handy in tight hallways and corners, while having plenty of power at house ranges.

 

[Evil One]

12 gauge pump - That's a BAD sound in the dark

It sure is... it can give an armed intruder your exact location.
I have a 12 gauge coach gun on my side of the bed... backed up with a 1911.
The wife has a Benelli 121M1 semi auto 12 gauge riot gun on her side... backed up by HER 1911.
Both are loaded up and chambered.
Mine with hammers down... hers with safety on.

Handguns are to get to the long guns.


Jim

 

[7shooter]

........+1

I agree . Any 4" k frame loaded with 38 +p and a 18 or 20 " 12 or 20 gauge stored cruiser ready in the bedroom. If price is a consideration check out the J&G sales website. They have a number of used k frames at very reasonable prices. Most are DAO which is ideal for self defense. My current favorite house gun is a model 64 DAO I got from J&G for $ 239. It has a great trigger and is a joy to shoot. I keep a revolver handy because I worry about my wife dealing with a semi auto malfuction. She is a good shot but not interested in learning how to clear malfunctions.

 

[vytoland]

I agree . Any 4" k frame loaded with 38 +p and a 18 or 20 " 12 or 20 gauge stored cruiser ready in the bedroom. If price is a consideration check out the J&G sales website. They have a number of used k frames at very reasonable prices. Most are DAO which is ideal for self defense. My current favorite house gun is a model 64 DAO I got from J&G for $ 239. It has a great trigger and is a joy to shoot. I keep a revolver handy because I worry about my wife dealing with a semi auto malfuction. She is a good shot but not interested in learning how to clear malfunctions.

+1 a S&W model 64 from j&g sales is a very good home defense firearm. it is what i use for protection.

 

[jkc]

I agree with your recommendation of a 4", .357, DA revolver as a general purpose self-defense tool for the novice/casual shooter. However, for a "house" gun, to be used to investigate bumps-in-the-night, I've come to favor a handgun with a weapon mounted light, such as the Surefire models. These permit a free hand to manipulate doors, light switches, etc., the weaponlights have intrinsic "tactical" blinding value, and provide an enormous operator advantage in terms of target ID/acquisition. Various semi-autos are equipped with light-mounting rails, Glocks and Springfield XD's among the almost revolver-simple examples, and at least one S&W revolver, the Thunder Ranch branded .45 ACP, which would be an excellent tool for the intended purpose.

 

[max]

I have recommended 4 inch 357/38 revolvers to folks for years. I recommend that they stick to 38 sp rounds and practice.

 

[P&R Fan]

M12 Winchester Riot Gun in the bedroom corner. M1 Carbine in bedroom closet. Glock G22 in headboard of bed. M10 S&W 4" in kitchen. M624 4" in office. Also lots of flashlights and a cell phone always in reach.
Not to mention a pre-menopausal Wife. Trust me, you DON'T want to get on HER bad side.

 

[cp1969]

Not to mention a pre-menopausal Wife.

You ain't seen NOTHING, yet. Wait til you deal with a Post.