Home defense

[Spectre6]

I keep a pitbull.

[dgg9]

A shotgun is a great CQB weapon, but don't think you can avoid training with it. It's very easy to short-stroke a pump shotgun.

[billy870m9]

you must have a light for whatever weapon you use....you need to be able to see your target....also it wouldnt hurt to turn your lights on....some people will say that in the dark you have the advantage, well thats how people get dead....lights on in your own house will help you to see them and take a shot, no sence in you bumping into your kids toys down the steps letting the bg know where you are

12 ga shotgun with reduce recoil 00buck knoxx spec ops stock , feels like your shooting a 22 for faster follow up shots, also a pistol on my belt if i have time.........i know it sounds stupid but i have those door alarm things from walmart, it wont stop them from getting in but it will give you advance notice that people are in your house and maybe even what part.....if it doesnt scare them away, itll wake your dog and you up giving you time to get your gear and get into place...

also i would advise to buy some snap caps for your sg pistol and starting from different parts of your house get you weapon and move through the hallways goin towards the sound you "heard" find the "target" fire and practice racking a new shell ready to fire....it might look stupid but youll see where the spots in your house you can take cover, where your gun is too big, and where a safe place to put your family at.....i do it bout once a month and have the bg in different rooms, and i feel a little better that im familiar in my house where everything is, nothing can tarin you for the real thing but atleast you have a better idea what to do.....thanks guys and try it out

[Frenchy]

Wife has a Remington 1300 20G and I believe she could use it well even in the house, nice thing about shotgun, you dont have to worry as much about what is out of the house. My .357 would be good also, but dern thing is, if you miss, the bricks would fall out the side of the house! So i have Snake shot or Shotload for the .357 Inhouse. tried them out on the range, although they dont make any big holes, 200 or so sharp little balls can do a lot of damage coming out at that speed. I tried the 9mm shotloads, and found they dont move the action at all, so they are best used in a revolver.

[deepcharge41]

I would suggest a .357 magnum, 4" barrel, 7-shot, the gun have an extra 1- instead of just 6 bullets in it, plus with power to knock down an intruder, she doesn't have to cock it like the pistol in case for the moment of fear, or nervousness in the presence of a scenario in the the house that calls for quick thinking and knowledge to handle the situations, but she needs to be prepaird and learn how to shoot it several rounds until she becomes confident with the use of this gun and the safety measures of using it.
This is only my own opinion.
frm:deepchargeak47

[Tomcat088]

I personally think alot of women wouldn't really like a .357 magnum very much. Even with a 4" barrel on it, the gun is quite hefty for a woman to hold up and keep stable, and the heft is part of what makes that particular cartridge not so punishing. The caliber does have the power to knock down an intruder, BUT it also has the power to go through your walls and hit neighbors, your own children, etc. This is part of why I view most pistols as a less than ideal home defense weapon, although they're portability is very handy. As far as not having to cock the firearm, a double action pistol or double action only pistol would fire exactly the same way as the .357 mag revolver, it requires no cocking, only a trigger pull. I do agree with you though, that being prepared for these kinds of situations, and learning how to handle the firearm of choice properly is critical.

[pghplr]

Home defense in my house is treated the same as fire drills and stranger danger out in the street. My family has a plan and know what to do if someone ever did decide to make mine theirs. Every situation is different and you can't prepare for all senerios, however you can still make a basic plan. Its not boot camp, we don't practice drills all the time. But the kids know what they need to do. Most importantly, they know what I'm going to do. So many people know what "they" personally will do (God willing they have the time)if they hear a thump in the night, but theres no telling what the rest of the people who live in your house are going to do if they start freaking out over that same thump. Its very important everyone knows you'll be shooting. My family shoots regularly and my kids are no strangers to firearms. They understand the dangers of what a gun can do. If theres an unwanted guest in the house, they're rolling under the bed screaming. Theres no time to get up and hide and hope for the best. I live in a ranch style home and giving up their position isn't really an issue as the BG is pretty much going in there. I always have lights on in the house and hiding wouldn't work. Besides, they're kids and they'll probably freak out anyway, might as well use it to your advantage. I'll either wake up to the sound of forced entry or the dogs or alarm or their screaming as they roll, or they'll wake up to my first shot into the wall or ceiling. Its all about staying low and knowing I'm going to shoot first or last. They know to get low is they're top priority. If my warning shot to the kids makes the BG go away..I win. If it doesn't, at least the kids know where they need to be. Anyone and Everyone welcome in my home knows not to come in unexpectantly. Those who don't, shouldn't be making thumping sounds. It may not be the best plan, but we're all on the same page.

[Tomcat088]

I'm just curious PLR, but do you mind me asking why you would like to fire a warning shot? I understand that warning someone could be good, but I personally would rather not shoot a hole through the ceiling and roof, and then send bullets falling down on the neighborhood. I'm going into the medical school soon, and have lots of friends who are in medical school right now, and just the other day friends were talking about some cases of fatality of "falling bullets". I'm just curious because it wouldn't not be my plan of action to fire the warning shot, but the rest sounds very good. Also if I was your neighbor, I'm not so sure I would feel comfortable with that plan either.

[aubie515]

I will have to side with Tommy on this one...I'm not going to give anyone a warning shot if they enter my personal space. You also risk hitting someone else with that "warning shot." To me it's just an accidental shooting waiting to happen.

[pghplr]

I can't disagree with your arguments. All valid points. Aubie, my personal space has 3 other people in two other rooms who may or may not have awoken to the same threat i did. The loudest alarm I have that would guarantee our plan sets in motion is the firing of my gun into a wall of my plaster/brick home,shot into a wall,opposite the kids. Is that dangerous? Obviously it is. Anytime you discharge a gun is. Especially in an enclosed building. But I'm of the opinion that if I wait til I have to shoot, by that time, where's everybody at? When I lived alone there was no need for a warning shot. I just needed to know where I was. The warning shot serves 2 purposes, to warn the BG that I'm not rolling over and maybe he/they might go away. And also to let my family know we're about to get jacked up.
As far as sending bullets throughout the neighborhood, I don't want that! It could happen and its dangerous. I would hope my brick home contains the round/rounds I'm going to shoot. Having made my decision to protect my family with a firearm, its an inherent risk that any rounds fired can make it outside at some point during a firefight with a home invader. I think my warning shot has less of a chance to make it outside because I'm placing that shot in a direction I choose. The reality is that if I'm needing to shoot more than a warning shot, those shots will be level shooting with windows and doors in the background. That leaves the question of not protecting my family with an instrument that could hurt the neighbors or not. So should I use my sons baseball bat instead? I'd be more than happy to if I knew they were breaking in with one. Maybe not. Its a real time situation where everyone needs to know what to do and where to be. I love my neighbors, and hopefully we all get together for a cook-out the next day. They can even come over and help patch the wall.
Once you decide to use firearms to protect your home, you have to accept the fact that you're creating a danger to others around you. It comes down to what you believe is the lesser of two evils. I personally feel better knowing I have "at least" the same power as my aggressor. Again, our plan my not be perfect, but in my house, if all goes well, we all know whats about to happen.