Best Weapon for Home Defense against Home Invasion?

[Gulfecho]

Best Weapon for a Home Invasion

Hands down, a 12 gauge Remington 870 Wingmaster with an
18" barrel equipped with an extender tube, loaded with 00 buck.
Take the pain!

 

[cmort666]

If you are really worried about it happening in your neighborhood ....... my advice is move!!!

"Move" WHERE???

Where did you want that doctor in Connecticut to move before his wife and daughters were raped and burned to death? He wasn't exactly living in Section 8 housing. Where should he have moved TO?

And for those of us who live in "bad" neighborhoods... and on modest incomes, where should we move... and can we count on some assistance from you?

 

[Mister X]

I'm in the camp that a handgun will cover all my concealed carry and home defense needs. I no longer even own an long-gun having sold off my AR and 870 awhile back. I can see the validity of using a long-gun if you have taken up a fixed location or have substantial lead time, but even then the need to go mobile or needing a free hand remains a strong possibility. Plus, most people do not keep their long-guns in a ready condition and there is a good chance there won't be ample time to make it ready and the situational stress of a home invasion coupled with compressed time frames make handling mistakes more likely. I like the idea of layers of protection as a deterrent and to gain valuable time. A security system, lighting and quality reinforced doors and windows go a long way in keeping you and your family safe. Your particular circumstances must be considered to help determine your individual plan and what weapons are the best fit.

Michael Janich validating the carry at home/small handgun idea...Concealed Carry Tactics to Neutralize a Home Invasion

Massad Ayoob gives his advice on the topic... The Massad Ayoob Chronicles, Part V - The Truth About Guns

David Kenik of Armed Response gives his take on long-gun or handgun in the home... Armed Response - Tips for the Armed Citizen: Long gun or pistol in the home?

Chris Costa of Magpul fame...

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dtxxvHF_pTY[/ame]

...

 

[Old cop]

I've never been the victim of a home invasion but have had to use a gun to defend my life during my LEO career. Given that experience I depend on the weapon I can shoot accurately under extreme stress, for me that's my Model 10 snub. No one can really be ready for the rush of fright that a situation like this can bring but you can at least prepare at the range.

 

[jimmib]

as I posted earlier on another thread I carry all day everyday...that is my personal preference....my choice of pistols vary as to what I am doing on any given day...as I got older I had to re-think things and change thing around the house as a primary defense...I now have storm doors that are locked at night as one more barrier between me and trouble....I installed a home monitoring system to warn me if someone breaks in while we are sleeping or let the neighbors know when we are gone....our society is changing and there are a lot more people now (good and bad).....I hope I am prepared for something that never happens to me or a loved one....find your own comfort zone

 

[Gulfecho]

Mr. X

In your post Chris brings up some good points about a suppressor and temporarily losing ones hearing. It's just my wife and I in the home. I would not expect her to use a 12 gauge, so his examples are relevant to many. Thankfully, it is not in my situation.

 

[Kanewpadle]

As I too have posted in other threads like this, I don't carry at home. Don't need to. One is close by but the thought of lounging around or cleaning house with a gun strapped to me is unappealing.

Because I'm a professional locksmith I know what it takes to keep people out short of putting bars on the windows. And that's exactly what I have done.

Steel doors with the best deadbolts you can buy and 3M security film on all exterior glass. Expensive? Yes. Delay buying two or three guns and you can afford it.

 

[BAM-BAM]

"Move" WHERE???

Where did you want that doctor in Connecticut to move before his wife and daughters were raped and burned to death? He wasn't exactly living in Section 8 housing. Where should he have moved TO?

And for those of us who live in "bad" neighborhoods... and on modest incomes, where should we move... and can we count on some assistance from you?

I was responding .......to the OP and his question.......but

1st to your point about the Conn. home invasion; anything is possible ..... anywhere...... which is why I have a cc permit and firearms.... but

if's he's raising the question ...... because he feels there is a high probability that he may face this situation.......IMHO the first and "best step" is to move!

ie how do I stop that truck bearing down on me...... the "best" thing to do is get out of the way.............

now lets talk about alternatives if the "best" way isn't available...

 

[cmort666]

if's he's raising the question ...... because he feels there is a high probability that he may face this situation.......IMHO the first and "best step" is to move!

1. How do you assess that "probability"? If there's a sudden rash of home invasions in your neighborhood, do you instantly pack up and move? That happened in my neighborhood when I was a kid living on the south side of Chicago. How fast, and WHERE should we have moved... remembering that it was CHICAGO?
2. What if you can't AFFORD to live in a "safe" neighborhood?

 

[Gulfecho]

Moving

Are we talking about which weapon is the best in a home invasion situation or if Mayflower is a good moving company?

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

20 years ago there were certain areas of Chattanooga that were high crime, still are decades later. You don't have to be a criminologist to comprehend these things. Just an observer of reality.

When I relocated to Chattanooga I asked my new boss where is a good area to live. I asked a realtor the same question. Got the same answer. That's not by chance. This isn't something that requires a $20 billion dollar government study. These are things we understand as intelligent adults.

The idea that you necessarily pack up and move if someone breaks into a house in the neighborhood after 20 years of relatively no problems is just silly talk in search off a silly answer. Now if the neighborhood is in decline that's another matter. Low income or otherwise incapacitated people may just be stuck where they are.

-----

The best gun for home defense is one that serves the particular situation best. I carry an LCP in my pocket from morning till night. There is a 1911 on the nightstand and a 12ga along side the bed. Options....

 

[Arik]

I didnt read past the AR since there's was already wrong information. A slow moving 12G round penetrate more than a fast moving 223. That has been proven over and over

 

[BAM-BAM]

Are we talking about which weapon is the best in a home invasion situation or if Mayflower is a good moving company?

Dang.....if I know!!!

I don't run towards the gunfire....... I try to step out of the way of trucks bearing down on me....suggested that if you have a heightened level of concern that you face the probability/possibility of home invasion where you live think about living somewhere else.................

cmort666 seems to take offence at my suggestion ..... and overlook the comment in my last post that if that isn't a possibility then lets look at alternatives.....

Cmort666 you're right some can't afford to move..... other's can't afford the short barreled suppressed AR-15 someone will suggest.... or the MP-5 in your (Cmort666) post, or even a Mossburg 590/500.......some can't afford security systems or automatic lighting...... or a pack of Rottweilers....... adding bars to the windows and doors......all suggested in this thread.

Most of us are more likely to need a fire extinguisher than a gun to repel boarders.......there is no "right" answer to the OP's question/post.....as Cmort stated in his first post here....."it totally depends on your Specific situation."

I gave a suggestion...... I don't know the OP "specific situation"


Edit: Ditto to "Chat.......Phil's" comments post #31

 

[DD357]

Easy AR or similar carbine, it's not even close.

 

[RJJ 1971]

Anything is better than nothing for self defense in home invasion.
I have children so I can't and won't leave unattended firearms all over my house.

* Kitchen - knives/utensils.
* Family room - golf clubs or baseball bats in corners or behind
couches/chairs.
* Bedroom - nightstand pistol or under bed shotgun.
* Garage - what can't I use to defend myself.
* Anywhere else - I can try to make someone go to sleep
manually with my hands, if I get the opening.



Keeping the fingers crossed the day never happens, but if it does, just hoping I don't freeze up.

 

[GatorFarmer]

It is also worth remembering the old saying, "Yay though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the meanest so and so in the valley..." At some point comes the realization that any unwanted visitors may well have far more to fear from you than you from them. Shrug.

 

[Inusuit]

As others have mentioned, I find the advice to "just move" somewhat annoying. I see it frequently addressed to people who live in California or Connecticut or some other less than gun friendly state. Those giving that sort of advice apparently do not understand that gun ownership is down the list of priorities for me, and I assume others.

Family proximity, employment, financial concerns are all factors that the "just move" posters apparently do not take into consideration. I wonder if they would or could "just move" because of other issues.

I'm fortunate to live in a gun friendly state, but I have a home and property, friends and family, a part time job and volunteer work that I value. Not so easy to "just move."

Talk is cheap and free advice usually worth the price.

 

[SC_Mike]

I'm comfortable with a high capacity 12 ga and #4 buckshot with a strong light.

 

[Kifaru]

Obviously, there can be no single answer to the OP's question. It will be as varied as each individual's situation. The perfect solution for a single man living in an apartment in Chicago is likely very different than for the family living on a 300 acre ranch in Montana. Logistics, local/state laws, population density, LEO response time, potential collateral damage, your friends and associates: the list could fill volumes, and each circumstance may require at least a slightly different approach.

I don't think it's necessary to turn your home into a fortress, just make it more trouble than it's worth. My neighborhood is an odd mix of horse properties, brand-new McMansions, and regular suburban homes. I'm sure not one of my neighbors has the same solutions as I do. Some may not even consider locking their doors during the day, and others have big dogs, big security systems, and big guns out the wazoo (my next-door neighbor is a gunsmith who works out of his home).

For myself, the 642 slips easily into the pocket of my cargo shorts for outdoor summer chores or jacket if I'm raking leaves or shoveling snow. Inside the home, I keep a bright flashlight on the nightstand and a model 64 locked in a quick-access lockbox. I want to be fully awake by the time I have a gun in my hand. I know my home. I know my neighbors. I know my abilities. I don't worry too much about it.

I do have smoke detectors and 4 fire extinguishers in the house and one in the garage (not counting the ones in the cars), however. In dealing with a fire, grabbing a fire extinguisher is the best immediate action. In dealing with intruders, barricading the family in our bedroom and dialing 911 could be the best option. I don't want to deal with getting a possible IV drug-user's blood out of my carpets if I don't have to.

 

[LenS]

Due to the immediacy of NEED, the only really good answer is the one on your hip or in your pocket!

You use that one to fight your way to a long gun . . . if you have the time to do so, which is highly unlikely.