Home defense setup

[geetarman]

I could use some advice here. In looking over my home defense handguns, I use mostly striker fired. I have both 9mm and 45acp in Glock platforms and 45acp in Springfield XDM. I also have a Sig or two around the house but no revolvers.

In the unlikely but possible scenario of waking up at zero dark thirty with someone in the house, do you think you are better off with ALL your home defense weapons being on a similar platform as opposed to a mix of 1911, hammer fired Sigs and striker fired?

Anyone have experience or advice on caliber commonality on your home defense setup? Do you have a mix of .40, .45 and 9mm?

[CWKahrFan]

Different strokes for different folks I guess...

Your post is clear and well-written so I figure your mind/coordination is very good.

I enjoy a variety of guns and don't choose to limit my possibilites based on the routine-and-familiarity argument...

I see the point but, jeepers creepers, the odds that I'll ever even be involved in a gunfight are very low so I'm not going to over-think it.

Worst-case scenario, I figure if I wind up dead "because of" some possible-fraction-of-a-second difference in equipment... It musta just been "my time". I'm not going to be thinking "if only I woulda' had one of those other whatever kinda guns..."

Equipment IS important but I have limits on my obsession...

[Steviewonder1]

I carry a G-19 in the house and have everything from 3 other 9MM all the way up to a .223 spread across the house. It just depends on where I might get caught or challenged what else I come across. This includes 1 of everything in the Gun Room. I have remote video and a chime alarm for any door opened. I work at home and the wife works at her place of business.

[fun2shoot]

I place either a 92fs or sometimes a g17 near the bed with 2 led flashlights one in the bag and on a table and a spare mag. And a 8 shot 12 ga Mossberg pump under the bed. Or sometime carry a 2in 38sp when im walking around the house, cause its small.

[Kreyzhorse]

As long as you are familiar with your guns, hammer vs striker fired won't make any difference. My SD / HD are a mix of revolvers, autos and a shotgun all in different cartridges.

[bbqbob51]

As Kreyzhorse said being familiar with your firearms is key. To accomplish this you must practice and I fear that too many of us with guns in the house do not practice enough.
What I was told in the firearms safety course I took for my CCL was if you are not willing to go out and practice with a handgun at least once a month then forget about semi-auto, go with a revolver instead. Their reasoning was there is complicated vs. simple with the revolver being the pretty much foolproof. No safety, no racking the slide, no stovepiping and clearing of the stovepiping to be proficient at.
I do go out and practice every few weeks so I am comfortable with my 9mm Stoeger Cougar for a house gun. My wife rarely practices so she has a 38spl Taurus revolver in our quick access safe.
When I conceal carry I have opted to go with a Ruger .38spl LCR. For that purpose I want the simplest gun possible, In a split second I want to be able to just draw, point and shoot.

[geetarman]

I do shoot at the indoor range once or twice a week and the outdorr range once a week all year long.

I usually take three handguns to the indoor range and one or two handguns and one or two rifles to the outdoor range.

I try to give all of them a turn but find I really gravitate to the Dan Wessons and I do not have any of them in my home setup.

I am going to the indoor range in the morning and will probably take a P229, P220 and a P226.

[Webleymkv]

I have three main handguns that are "in the rotation" for both HD and CCW and are thus kept loaded in a separate safe. All three of these guns are S&W revolvers so I do tend to stick with basically the same platform (they are different models and frame sizes though). I do not, however, limit myself to one caliber as the three guns in question are chambered for .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .44 Magnum. I don't really think of commonality of ammunition or reloading as much of an issue for HD because I figure that between three loaded revolvers, a loaded shotgun, a loaded semi-auto rifle, and a fixed-blade knife that if I can't solve the problem a reload isn't going to do me much good.

[AZAK]

The one variable that I DO personally believe is relevant to CCW and HD is safety direction.

IF there is a safety involved in a handgun it should operate in the same manner as any other handguns that might be in your mix.

All of my handguns with safeties are all of the 1911 mindset. I shoot my guns, and my thumb says, "down is off, up is on."

Ever try to turn on a hallway light switch and have to think for a second about it? This thought process does not belong in a self-defense situation.

YMMV

[DE Shooter]

I have many firearms suitable for HD; they are locked in a safe (I have kids). I have one HD piece, my Glock M19, that is available for use nearly instantly, after bedtime. I try to shoot all my stuff as much as I can. But specific HD shooting drills, with my M19, are always part of a range visit. I also practice darkened shooting conditions once in awhile... quite an experience.

[L_Killkenny]

I'm not a proponent of "similar platforms". Of all my guns none are the same and I have zero issues working the controls on any of them. Case in point, my most similar guns are a pair of pump 12ga's, one Winchester, one Remington. Both have safeties on the trigger guard but one is in front the other in the rear. Due to what ever nuances in feel the guns have, no matter how small, I can bounce back and forth all day between them and never confuse the safeties. I can't recall every trying to work a safety in front when it's actually in the rear and vise versa with either of these guns. Now I have owned both guns for decades and grew up shooting a twin to the Remington so neither is new. Were talkin mucho rounds thru both guns. I also have or had many handguns. None of them very close in design. Revolvers, semi's, SA's, DA's, Hammer fired, striker fired, safeties in all sorts on locations including on the slide, etc.. After a few good range sessions operating the guns becomes second nature even when using other guns in a close time span. It's amazing what your mind will do without you even thinkin about it.

[pgdion]

All of mine are hammer fired but mostly because all of my center fire pistols are hammer fired (I just like hammers better). Although all of mine are not the same manufacturer, all of the guns I use for SD/HD operate similarly. In other words, the 5905 operates for the most part like the Beretta and the Stoeger do. But again, it's more because I just prefer that type of gun ... especially for self defense.

- phil

[hermannr]

My night stand gun is a DA revolver I have owned for 45 years..it's called familiarity. I have several different pistols/rifles/shotguns scattered about the house, but the night stand gun is the one I have the most experience with, even though it is only a .38...along with the fact that you can do nothing wrong in you sleep haze to make it inoperable.

[thedudeabides]

SA/DA Sig and Remmy 870.

[DVC9]

For immediate use...
The headboard of our bed contains a Md-24 44spl on my side and a Md 19, on my wifes side.

If time is available...
Across the room in my dresser is a Beretta 96 in a Desantis Shoulder holster & 2 spare mags. A Tac light is clipped to the harness.

An 870P sits in the corner beside the dresser.

[BloodyBucket03]

My Mossberg 500 is my primary HD weapon then my AR15 is my second to that. My Mossy is cruiser safe right next to my bed loaded with Hornady Tap 00 Buck.