Best Gun for Home Defense?

[Kruel J]

Agree on telling others what to do. However would you recomend a shotgun or AR/Ak to a first time buyer who just wants someting to defnd their house. I think the AR/ AK i a better choice for them if they arent concerned about hunting. For a first time gun buyer I would say AR/Ak, a shotgun is more for someone who is dedicated to it more. (Think in the same way a snub nose revolver is for someone who has perfected it vs a longer barreled one)

Disagree. I don't think an AR is the best choice for a "first time buyer". They are more complex to operate than a pump action 12 gauge, they require external mags so one more thing for the first time buyer to forget or lose and they generally require more maintenance and upkeep than a pump 12. I had a Mossberg 500 for about 15 years and lost count of how many boxes I ran through it. Never cleaned or oiled it once. I'm not recommending that, just using it as an example. If the average Joe Homeowner buys an AR, oils it and then puts it in the closet for years at a time, pretty good chance it will malfunction when he grabs it for a bump in the night.

 

[DB is Here]

The sound of racking a pump shotgun gets the undivided attention of all in earshot. Home defense, Shotty hands down. Pick another venue, get a different answer.

The End.

 

[Savage Jav]

The sound of racking a pump shotgun gets the undivided attention of all in earshot. Home defense, Shotty hands down. Pick another venue, get a different answer.

The End.

And you have one less round for when he doesnt go away

 

[DB is Here]

And you have one less round for when he doesnt go away

LOL, he ran when I jacked it.

 

[Savage Jav]

Never heard anyone describe a pump shotgun with a cylinder bore and 00 buck as being a technical tool.

It requires you to operate it vs loading an ar for someone, teaching them to use the safety and telling them to keep pulling the trigger until the person stops doing what their doing

 

[Savage Jav]

Disagree. I don't think an AR is the best choice for a "first time buyer". They are more complex to operate than a pump action 12 gauge, they require external mags so one more thing for the first time buyer to forget or lose and they generally require more maintenance and upkeep than a pump 12. I had a Mossberg 500 for about 15 years and lost count of how many boxes I ran through it. Never cleaned or oiled it once. I'm not recommending that, just using it as an example. If the average Joe Homeowner buys an AR, oils it and then puts it in the closet for years at a time, pretty good chance it will malfunction when he grabs it for a bump in the night.

I disagree that if you leave an ar in your closet for years it wont run. An ar or ak is more simple to teach someone to use than a shotgun. Stick a magazine in rack the charging hangle and start shooting vs trying to be tedious about loading shells

 

[Savage Jav]

Think of the untrained person who has never shot a gun and has no clue what their doing. 50-60 years ago when more people hunted, yes I would say a shotgun is better because they are familiar with it. With an untrained person that familiarity goes away.

 

[Kruel J]

Think of the untrained person who has never shot a gun and has no clue what their doing. 50-60 years ago when more people hunted, yes I would say a shotgun is better because they are familiar with it. With an untrained person that familiarity goes away.

So how is an AR easier to learn than a shotgun? Are just talking about recoil?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

If recoil is a concern in the shotgun...
"Light / Reduced" buckshot loads are available ...And there are plenty of choices in 20 gauge if a 12 gauge proves to be "too much gun"...in the words of Rooster Cogburn...
Andy

 

[Savage Jav]

Recoil and shooting.

So how is an AR easier to learn than a shotgun? Are just talking about recoil?

Recoil and shooting. I can load an AR for anyone and tell them to flip the switch and start pulling. Vs loading a shotgun for then and have them press the safety and have to try and rack it each time. Plus I would say most AR's are lighter than most shotguns making them easier to handle.

Again I agree it comes to preference but to the untrained/first time gun buyer an AR is a better option. Plus with the market right now you can get into an AR for pretty much the same price as a shotgun. (maybe a few dollars more but definitely not the price difference of the early and mid 2000's

 

[Savage Jav]

I see this as the argument on Inrange Tv for bolt action rifles vs semi automatic. You can still use a shotgun but its definitly obsolescent if not obsolete when compared with an AR for home defense.

 

[DB is Here]

Is the subject easiest to shoot or best home defense?

 

[Savage Jav]

Anything you can do with a shotgun you can do better with an AR short of energy on target in whuch case 556 is more then enough to kill two legged animals

 

[Savage Jav]

Home defense but you still have to shoot it. Harder to shoot without stress is harder to shoot with stress. You dont "rise to the occasion"

 

[DB is Here]

After 4 years in the military & 10 years as an LEO I'll stick with the 12 gauge for home defense. I've seen what the mere sight and sound will do to stop a man in his tracks. I'll tap out of this convo.

 

[Kruel J]

Anything you can do with a shotgun you can do better with an AR short of energy on target in whuch case 556 is more then enough to kill two legged animals

Completely disagree. But you do you.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Any of these "Best gun for_____" threads...can be boiled down to :
Used what gun you want...get good at what gun you use...and continue to practice with the same.
Andy

 

[No_Regerts]

After 4 years in the military & 10 years as an LEO I'll stick with the 12 gauge for home defense. I've seen what the mere sight and sound will do to stop a man in his tracks. I'll tap out of this convo.

Ive also seen what a load of 00 buck does within a few feet. If there is more than one bad guy, seeing your buddy lose all of his head besides the lower jaw ought to make them think twice.

You just have to put the thing to your shoulder, use the bead and pull the trigger. Nothing to it. If 9 rounds of 12ga doesn't get you out of the woods in your own home, you were going to lose anyway.

 

[CRBMoA]

Coming from the perspective of a man that is introducing his wife to firearms, anything I relate will be reduced to 'sample size of one' or YMMV, but I can tell you without hesitation that my degree holding, educated wife has about as much chance of operating an AR in the dark as [use your own imagination - not a good look to get banned on the first day].

How do you explain to a novice how the AR system operates, how to load, charge, clear and reload a weapon when you cannot even discuss the operating parts without pointing at them?

Versus - Pump the pump, pull the thingie, don't point it at yourself.

Just my 0.02.

 

[Kruel J]

Coming from the perspective of a man that is introducing his wife to firearms, anything I relate will be reduced to 'sample size of one' or YMMV, but I can tell you without hesitation that my degree holding, educated wife has about as much chance of operating an AR in the dark as [use your own imagination - not a good look to get banned on the first day].

How do you explain to a novice how the AR system operates, how to load, charge, clear and reload a weapon when you cannot even discuss the operating parts without pointing at them?

Versus - Pump the pump, pull the thingie, don't point it at yourself.

Just my 0.02.

This!