Pistol or long gun-home defense - Page 2

Cirdan · January 1, 2019, 11:01 PM

I don't know why we keep these threads up. Endless arguments about over penetration and power, with unlikely scenarios driving our choices.

Last training class I took was from a guy who grew up the son of the local police chief. As a result, he spent his teen years playing the bad guy in all sorts of training scenarios.

Most interesting point he made is the average number of bad guys in a late night home robbery is 2.1. He then asked an intelligent question - do you really want to walk into an situation in a dark house where you do not know how many people you are up against and where they are? He's a single father with a daughter. His recommended solution is grab the kid and barricade yourself in a room. Call 911 and wait. If someone kicks in the door, that's a hostile act and you can start shooting. Sounds like a plan.

For me, Glock 19 with a light (no laser) and a cell phone. Light because most of these things happen after dark, and I like to see what I'm shooting at. No long gun, because they're awkward in tight quarters and the end of the barrel can be close enough for the BG to grab. At the same time, I'm pretty confident of hitting the target with a handgun at those distances. Might be different for you.

vito · January 2, 2019, 03:14 PM

I very frequently have young grandchildren in my home. I know myself well enough that I will not rely upon waiting to secure a shotgun or rifle when I know the kids are coming over. Handguns can be safely stored and immediately accessible in several GunVault safes that I keep in different parts of my home. I keep a Mossberg 500 loaded with 7 rounds of 00 buck in a ShotLock mounted inside my closet, which is fairly accessible but not for the proverbial "bump in the night" that wakes me and gets me to grab a firearm as quickly as possible.

And while I am not an expert shot by any means, I feel confident that in the close distances of inside my home that I can use my Glock 17 with a rail light to hit the target I am aiming at. In the extremely unlikely case of having a prolonged gun fight inside my home, I would retreat to the master bedroom closet and get the 12 gauge.

L2R · January 2, 2019, 04:15 PM

Your individual situation, dictates your needs.
Dwelling,property size and children are a huge factor.

I wanted:
*something that me or my wife could shoot accurately under duress and half asleep.
*something with more stopping power and accuracy than what an intruder would typically have in hand
*something to minimize flash and noise
*accurate to 50 yards (far fetched to think I would be under attack at edge of property but weird things happen)

I have no children at home so I have no plans to move about or clear the house.

A small carbine with suppressor fits the bill for us.
I just don't see anyone making it up the stairs and down the hallway.

I would hope that the red dot on the wall would discourage them from walking up the stairs.

Kvon2 · January 2, 2019, 06:23 PM

Quote:

His recommended solution is grab the kid and barricade yourself in a room. Call 911 and wait. If someone kicks in the door, that's a hostile act and you can start shooting. Sounds like a plan.

this is the plan in my household. No kids at the moment but if we are confident that someone is in the home lock the bedroom door, arm ourselves, call the police.

An overwhelming majority of the time they want your tv, laptop, etc... Home invaders almost never want to see the home owner.

Don't seek out the threat if you're confident its there.

January 2, 2019, 03:14 PM	#27
vito Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2004 Location: IL Posts: 853	I very frequently have young grandchildren in my home. I know myself well enough that I will not rely upon waiting to secure a shotgun or rifle when I know the kids are coming over. Handguns can be safely stored and immediately accessible in several GunVault safes that I keep in different parts of my home. I keep a Mossberg 500 loaded with 7 rounds of 00 buck in a ShotLock mounted inside my closet, which is fairly accessible but not for the proverbial "bump in the night" that wakes me and gets me to grab a firearm as quickly as possible. And while I am not an expert shot by any means, I feel confident that in the close distances of inside my home that I can use my Glock 17 with a rail light to hit the target I am aiming at. In the extremely unlikely case of having a prolonged gun fight inside my home, I would retreat to the master bedroom closet and get the 12 gauge. __________________ People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” ― George Orwell

January 2, 2019, 04:15 PM	#28
L2R Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 358	Your individual situation, dictates your needs. Dwelling,property size and children are a huge factor. I wanted: something that me or my wife could shoot accurately under duress and half asleep. something with more stopping power and accuracy than what an intruder would typically have in hand something to minimize flash and noise accurate to 50 yards (far fetched to think I would be under attack at edge of property but weird things happen) I have no children at home so I have no plans to move about or clear the house. A small carbine with suppressor fits the bill for us. I just don't see anyone making it up the stairs and down the hallway. I would hope that the red dot on the wall would discourage them from walking up the stairs. __________________ L2R

January 1, 2019, 11:01 PM	#26
Cirdan Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2013 Location: Tahoe Posts: 363	I don't know why we keep these threads up. Endless arguments about over penetration and power, with unlikely scenarios driving our choices. Last training class I took was from a guy who grew up the son of the local police chief. As a result, he spent his teen years playing the bad guy in all sorts of training scenarios. Most interesting point he made is the average number of bad guys in a late night home robbery is 2.1. He then asked an intelligent question - do you really want to walk into an situation in a dark house where you do not know how many people you are up against and where they are? He's a single father with a daughter. His recommended solution is grab the kid and barricade yourself in a room. Call 911 and wait. If someone kicks in the door, that's a hostile act and you can start shooting. Sounds like a plan. For me, Glock 19 with a light (no laser) and a cell phone. Light because most of these things happen after dark, and I like to see what I'm shooting at. No long gun, because they're awkward in tight quarters and the end of the barrel can be close enough for the BG to grab. At the same time, I'm pretty confident of hitting the target with a handgun at those distances. Might be different for you.