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  • John2510

    Member
    Feb 15, 2011
    89
    Silver Spring, since 1973
    "Buy a shotgun!"

    Even Joe Biden says, "Buy a shotgun!" ;)

    https://youtu.be/oOpj-BEPnSg

    If you're concerned with racking it, the safety, its length, etc. I would submit for consideration the .357, which was my HD firearm for many years.

    You point it and pull the trigger, you it's gonna go bang! It also may be more practical to keep somewhere that you can actually access it when needed.

    The limited capacity may be a worthwhile trade for ease and certainty.
     

    Doug Hile

    Active Member
    Aug 21, 2010
    146
    bottom of St Marys
    I agree with the others- if I had to have only one firearm, it would be a 12ga shotgun w/00 buckshot: A Benelli or Berretta semi-auto if I had the cash, a Mossberg 590 pump if I had half that cash and a Mossberg 500 if I was cash-strapped.
    I would also suggest a Mossberg 930SPX-Tactical 12 ga. Unnecessary to rack the pump every time. Might save YOU a few seconds, when seconds count.
     

    ralph.mclean

    GOC (Grumpy Old Cop)
    Jan 27, 2018
    236
    Edgewater, MD
    It depends.

    What are the ages/sizes of the family members who will be using it?

    NOt a gun you want to use to teach your kids, unless you plan and prepare very carefully.
     

    ralph.mclean

    GOC (Grumpy Old Cop)
    Jan 27, 2018
    236
    Edgewater, MD
    Also, what are the prospective user's mechanical abilities?

    A midsize revolver might be best, if you want simplicity. You could buy a .357, but teach your family to shoot using .38 wadcutters. Saves money, and is a lot less intimidating...
     

    jeff g

    Member
    BANNED!!!
    Jul 7, 2020
    39
    (I'll tell you what) I'm going to give you real good solid advice about the OP question! Mark my words (WPS) with your question I will assume that your relatively new to the fire arms world. watch WPS warrior Poet Society (YOU WILL ABSOLUTLY LOVE this guy) he is a trainer a teacher an all around great guy! he was deployed many tour's I have been evolved with firearms my whole life and I enjoy watching his video's.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3sLHGduI3w
     
    Last edited:

    Steelteacher

    Member
    Feb 19, 2020
    27
    PG county
    Buying a firearm for hd should be a commitment to train with that gun. Buy something you enjoy shooting! It’s worth it to shoot a bunch of different guns - friends or at a rental range - before you buy. Also don’t be afraid to buy more than one if different family members take to different guns. Everyone who might fire, must practice! It only works if you can hit what you’re aiming at - in a horrible and stressful situation. Get something you’ll enjoy!
     

    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    I don't get the shotgun obsession for home defense. I own shotguns and they are too heavy and intimidating for most users. I have yet to have a new shooter try one out and tell me it was a pleasure to shoot. Carbines on the other hand...they love them.

    I'd go with a pistol caliber AR. So many options here and they'll enjoy practicing.
     

    teratos

    My hair is amazing
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 22, 2009
    59,775
    Bel Air
    I don’t understand the fascination with HD shotguns. Sure, it’s been the “go to” for decades, sure. I think the continued recommendation of a 12 gauge is just habit. Why?
    - fairly low capacity. The Mossberg 500 can hold 8.
    - you DO have to aim. Despite what people spout, the pattern at typical HD distances is relatively small.
    - Your wife, daughter, young son will probably not be using it.
    - buckshot will over-penetrate most residential barriers.

    I believe the AR-15 is the ideal HD gun.

    - very little recoil. My daughter was shooting AR’s before she was 10.
    - high capacity. I have 40 round mags in my HD gun. I can empty that mag in a hurry.
    - less over penetration. The projectiles often fragment when hitting drywall because of the energy they carry.
    - see the video on Kyle Rittenhouse. Even the dude shot in the arm was incapacitated.

    YMMV.
     

    grimnar15

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 21, 2019
    1,645
    I don’t understand the fascination with HD shotguns. Sure, it’s been the “go to” for decades, sure. I think the continued recommendation of a 12 gauge is just habit. Why?
    - fairly low capacity. The Mossberg 500 can hold 8.
    - you DO have to aim. Despite what people spout, the pattern at typical HD distances is relatively small.
    - Your wife, daughter, young son will probably not be using it.
    - buckshot will over-penetrate most residential barriers.

    I believe the AR-15 is the ideal HD gun.

    - very little recoil. My daughter was shooting AR’s before she was 10.
    - high capacity. I have 40 round mags in my HD gun. I can empty that mag in a hurry.
    - less over penetration. The projectiles often fragment when hitting drywall because of the energy they carry.
    - see the video on Kyle Rittenhouse. Even the dude shot in the arm was incapacitated.

    YMMV.

    I agree 100% and as discussed previously, we have very similar setups. I never asked what HD Ammo you use.
     

    airsporter

    Active Member
    Apr 28, 2011
    386
    Western MD
    I have a couple 12ga 870 police mags. What I was trained with. But, have been experimenting with a Mossberg 510 20ga pump (youth version of 500) that has both a 22" VR and an 18.5" plain barrel. It handles like an M1 carbine - short and light. Low recoil with #1 buck. Maybe a better all around "family" choice?
     

    lemmdus

    Active Member
    Feb 24, 2015
    380
    Its a great choice, but as others have said you and your spouse need to fire that firearm in training, know in advance where you can and can not point it. If the intruder is in the hall way and behind them the kids' rooms, the buckshot will go through the drywall at that range. Secondly, I am going to be straight with this, some women might have a problem with a 12ga (not all, but some). My wife can handle it. You might want to look at a 20ga too. For home defense and the distance you would need to reach a 20ga will work just as well as a 12ga.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    Mrs Biggfoot and Littlefoot44 would disagree . But heck , for SD 20ga will work perfectly well . I've even had 20ga on HD duty at times and felt well protected . Plenty of full size grown males Like 20ga on purpose . I'll even have to go only slightly on a limb to say that a 3in 20ga using lead shot , can do most anything a 2.75in 12ga historically did . ( Disclaimer - Not as many specalized LE less lethal rounds , and not the distance of handload buckshot and specialized buckshot chokes from 12ga , but that's about it .)
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    6,893
    Pasadena
    I'd go .50 cal with armor piercing incendiary rounds. Cut the barrel down to 10"-12" so you can navigate your house more easily and vaporize any enemy targets in your path. It's my go to HD setup.
     

    SkiPatrolDude

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 24, 2017
    3,331
    Timonium-Lutherville
    I believe the AR-15 is the ideal HD gun.


    YMMV.

    Totally agree. And, generally speaking, the same ammo you plink with most often still offers adequate terminal ballistics inside the home (not including m855 and others like it).

    You really can't beat the power advantage of a rifle over a pistol caliber.

    The AR15 platform is undoubtedly one of the best home defense platforms for most people, and I wish popular American sentiments matched that. When I discuss an AR15 for home defense to non-gun owning folks (not necessarily anti gun), i am often met with gasps or laughter, like I'm not right in the head.

    Just before quarantine I went to a friends house to detail strip and clean his one and only firearm, a Remington 870. He's had it for about 10 years and could not hardly run it through it's basic manual of arms. This is probably a lot of folks...one gun with a few boxes of ammo, under 20 rounds through it in it's lifetime.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    ^^Agreed with all that.

    My aunt bought a 12 ga for home defense and she didn’t even know how to unload it. If you don’t train with it, it’s not going to help you when you need it. Train like you fight.

    Along those lines, get a couple dummies/snap caps to train with loading, running the action and safely unloading it.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    You done it now , and brought up " power " in the context of felon cease & desist . * At across the room distances * Buckshot ( closely grouped , large Buckshot ) is more decisive than anything else man portable .
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    You done it now , and brought up " power " in the context of felon cease & desist . * At across the room distances * Buckshot ( closely grouped , large Buckshot ) is more decisive than anything else man portable .

    Dunno. A 40mm grenade launcher is man portable.
     

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