Extremeskins Gun Owners: Home Defense Recommendations

[jpillian]

Fellow Extremeskin...ers:

Following the recent events in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, I've decided that it's finally time for me to get off my duff and get a weapon of some sort for potential home defense (i.e, if the crap hits the fan ever in my neck of the woods, I don't want to be the one guy armed with a 2x4!)

I've got a military background, so I know military weapons. However, I'm fairly clueless as to anything outside of a M4/AK-47/SAW or an M1A2 Abrams

What are your recommendations?

I've had recommended to me several shotguns (Mossberg 500/Remmington 870) -- and I honestly prefer the pricing of these weapons ($300-$350) and the availablility of many adds ons for them. I also like the fact that it DOES have a fairly limited range. I have no aspirations to be involved in any competitions with this weapon whatsoever -- so I really don't believe I'd appreciate the minor performance gains I'd receive from higher end rigs. In general, I'd rather not spend more than $500-600 total for a weapon and add ons.

Thoughts from my esteemed ES colleagues?

[Ghost of]

JP---

I'm not ex-military(my dad was, but he never owned a gun, that I know of, after coming back from 'Nam) but I have a few weapons. I say, you can never go wrong with planning for each potential stage of a combat. That means that not only should you have firearms but also melee weapons in case your main weapon is damaged or, heaven forbid, out of ammo.

I carry, but that may be something you don't worry about. I have a .40 Taurus pistol and .32 Kel-Tec. You may or may not want something that smaller hands and frame can shoot like a mouse gun(such as the Kel-tec or NAA .25) Don't know your family situation.

But also, 1)Shotgun 2)Rifle for long-range engagements(if a marauding band of thugs is approaching you don't want to have to engage at close range with a shotgun) 3)handguns for slightly more rapid-fire and close-in combat 4) A sword 5)a knife (perhaps brassknuckles and TAsers as well)

Again, don't know your fam situation, but that would be my set-up. Heck, even if you had to buy a safe or lock your bedroom door, that'd be fine I think.

I want to be prepared, and not just for mass civil unrest, but just anything you may not 'expect.' People will mock you rather than support you in many cases, but you can't listen to them because even if the odds are 1-in-1 million--you're going to be glad you had things available if YOU are that ONE.

[Pete]

The Mossberg 500, 12GA pump is a great home defence weapon for the price. There are 4 different barrels you can get that I know of. For home defence, I would go with the modifyed choke being home defence is often close range. It would also have much to do with what type of load you want to use. Mod choke and 1X buck shot work well together. I don't like slugs for home defence, you have to be right on target, so unless your real cool at the time a spread of shot is better.

Mossberg offers an Improved cyl, modifyed choke, full choke, and the "slugster" barrels.

I've had a 500A for almost 30 years now, and have never had a problem with it. Hunted with it for years, and then converted it to an asult style weapon about 8 years ago. If you look hard enough, you can come up with pistol grip forearm, mag lite barrel mount, and floding stock.

I read an article on home defence weapons a long time ago. They were very high on semi auto 22 cal rifles. I didn't buy into it, but do have a Ruger 10/22 semi auto. I got my hands on a larger capicity mag for it years ago, so If I had to, I could put a lot of hollow points into a person fairly fast.

:2cents:

[DaFunky1]

Mossberg 500a, Remington 870, Winchester 1200/1300 are all good home defense shot guns. You can get parts for any of the shotguns mentioned above at a reasonable price. I have a 500a, paid $100 used, with a pistol grip rear stock. It has an 18 1/2 inch, just over the legal limit, barrel and is great at close range. If you have family then I wouldn't recommend pistols or rifles because the rounds will travel through walls and can hit the ones you are trying to protect.

I like knowing I can point and shoot and not worry about aiming if it came to it. Shotguns can be much more forgiving at close range than a pistol.

Peace

[Soliloquy]

Bumpity-bump. Interested in hearing more on this as well.

[Skinsfan1311]

Mossberg 500a, Remington 870, Winchester 1200/1300 are all good home defense shot guns. You can get parts for any of the shotguns mentioned above at a reasonable price. I have a 500a, paid $100 used, with a pistol grip rear stock. It has an 18 1/2 inch, just over the legal limit, barrel and is great at close range. If you have family then I wouldn't recommend pistols or rifles because the rounds will travel through walls and can hit the ones you are trying to protect.

I like knowing I can point and shoot and not worry about aiming if it came to it. Shotguns can be much more forgiving at close range than a pistol.

Peace

BINGO! I second the Mossberg...cheap & reliable....point in the general direction, pull the trigger, and it's all she wrote....

[chomerics]

A glock 9mm is readily available, and the ammo is caried in just about every gun store. For long range, a 30-06 will work, and a simple 12 gauge. Three guns, each for its own purpose. Do me a favor though, if you have kids, keep the guns locked and don't ever show them where the key. My friend's little brother almost killed somebody when we were younger by playing his dads .45.

:2cents:

[Johnny Punani2]

http://www.gunblast.com/Barrett-M468.htm

If the S hits the fan your going to need a weapon that can "touch" close and intermediate range targets.

[Blondie]

I own several handguns.

I have a Glock 26 9mm. Not heavy.....and a 5 lb. pull. I also have a .38 Smith and Wesson...and a 22 pearl handled derringer.

I do not have a shotgun or rifle.

Blondie

[twa]

The remmington or mossberg is perfect for in home defense,with a pistol grip and minimal barrel length. The stopping power is plenty sufficent without endangering your family or nieghbors If you do not have children a pistol is a nice addition ,but not really needed. I keep one in the bedroom and another in the study.

[tex]

If you can only get one firearm make it a 12 ga. chambered for 3 inch magnum shells.

Had plenty troubles with Mossberg shotgun ejectors. Go with the 870, you won’t regret it.

Remington Model 870™ Express® Synthetic (18" Barrel)

http://www.remington.com/firearms/shotguns/870expsyn18.htm

A nice to have firearm is the Ruger 10/22 rifle chambered for 22 LR. Great for foraging small game and it beats a sharp stick for self defense.

A handgun should be way down the list. They are underpowered, expensive and hard to hit with. If you gotta have one go for solid simplicity. A revolver chambered for the .357 magnum fits the bill. Ruger builds their wheel guns as tough as tanks, hard to go wrong there.

[SkinsForLife260]

I have a paintball gun.

13 balls persecond. Its good for now.

[Commander PK]

I own a Mossberg 12 Gauge shotgun, and a Glock 22 .40 Caliber Pistol.

I have a couple thousand rounds of premium hollow point ammo for my Glock, and several hundred Federal 12 Ga. slugs.

The guns won't do you any good if you run out of ammunition for them. I have enough to keep things interesting for a while if the :pooh: hits the fan.

[Fred Jones]

Glock or Sig make good handguns. Whatever you choose make sure you get to the know the gun. Learn how to take it apart and clean it. Go the range often and make sure you have a gun safe at home if you have kids. At the very least have a gun lock if you have kids.

[jpillian]

Thanks folks! Lots of great input on this thread.

Right now I'm leaning towards just getting a plain jane Remington 870. Down the road perhaps I'll add some goodies.

I've already got a Colt 1911 .45 -- but it's a limited edition weapon, that I got from my parents when I graduated from West Point -- so I haven't, and don't plan to fire it.

I'd love to hear more recommendations if folks have em!

[SnyderShrugged]

Great thread!

I didnt realize that the Mossburg 500 could be modified to home protection. I've got one and I'd like to look into it.

Any suggested links???

[BlueTalon]

I like the Mossberg. Just be sure you have the 8-round magazine, not the 5-round.

Keep in mind, if you're really thinking of something for home defense, that the bad guys aren't going to be crashing in while you're standing conveniently next to your gun. You're more likely to be sitting on the toilet or in bed. So, I recommend having something strategically located in a few different parts of your house or apartment, so that you never are trapped, or have to go toward the danger to get your gun.

Besides the shotgun, I recommend a revolver. (Some people don't like revolvers, but they're foolproof, and you can get a good quality gun for far less than you'd pay for a good quality semi-auto pistol.) If you like the short-range aspect of the shotguns, you can also get shot-type ammo for you handguns.

[jpillian]

That's a good point, Blue Talon.

However, I'm honestly not so worried about someone knocking down my door to get at me. Nor am I really worried about a serial killer of some variety coming after my family (i.e., BTK). I realize one basic fact: If someone wants to kill me, and I'm not looking for him? I'm probably meat. I'm a pretty aware guy, but I'll admit my head is not on a swivel. I got out of the military (and didn't puruse similar jobs) because quite frankly, I don't want to live like that. And I don't think your average citizen needs to in order to live safe/prudent lives.

But that is a very good point about perhaps stashing a few things around the house. Not a bad idea. Perhaps not a firearm in every bathroom, but something that could be useful wouldn't be a bad idea.

What I do think is quite a bit more probable -- is that at some point in time, things will get hairy in my neck of the woods. Civilization is just too fragile IMHO. People are so insulated in their comfortable worlds, that when that crumbles due to whatever -- they snap. And I don't want to be one of the dumbasses breaking into the local Walmart to get firearms when that happens :laugh:

(Now would that be finding, or looting....)

skin-n-vegas -- I've run across a few decent sites in the last few days while researching this. One of the simplest is here: http://www.thearmedcitizen.com/gunpages/mossberg.htm

(look about halfway down the page under "Accessories - Dressing Up the Mossberg")

[BlueTalon]

jpillian, the whole thing about New Orleans is about how they should have known, and should have been prepared, and when they acted it was already too late, etc.

Guns are exacly like insurance. You go through life, hoping you never need it. But if something happens, that is NOT the time to find out that you don't have any, or that what you have is crap. If you're thinking in terms of society going bad, you're right -- you don't want to be part of the crowd that's thinking the same thing you are at the last minute, rushing to WalMart to get some firepower.

If you're thinking that thought, then you really need multiple firearms. Of course, if you have kids that complicates things, but nevertheless you probably need four or five guns. That way, no matter what direction danger is coming from, you can move away from it and towards something that will help you.

Might I suggest that if the bad guy has a gun, a baseball bat won't help you. And I know you said you aren't worried about someone crashing in -- but if things do get hairy in your neck of the woods, the possibilities of that happening go significantly higher.

Good luck. I'm happy to help with any other advice!

[jpillian]

Might I suggest that if the bad guy has a gun, a baseball bat won't help you. And I know you said you aren't worried about someone crashing in -- but if things do get hairy in your neck of the woods, the possibilities of that happening go significantly higher.

Very true -- a valid point to ponder.

[Commander PK]

I owned a Ruger GP100 Six shot revolver. It had been modified for competitive shooting. I decided I didn't need a gun like that, and sold it to my grandfather. Nice gun, not a good gun for home defense though. I'm thinking about attaching a lazer pointer to my Glock. Lazer pointers make it easy.

[BlueTalon]

I owned a Ruger GP100 Six shot revolver. It had been modified for competitive shooting. I decided I didn't need a gun like that, and sold it to my grandfather. Nice gun, not a good gun for home defense though. I'm thinking about attaching a lazer pointer to my Glock. Lazer pointers make it easy.

Why do you think it's not a good gun for home defense? I think it's an excellent gun for home defense.

[jrockster21]

skin-n-vegas -- I've run across a few decent sites in the last few days while researching this. One of the simplest is here: http://www.thearmedcitizen.com/gunpages/mossberg.htm

(look about halfway down the page under "Accessories - Dressing Up the Mossberg")

From your article:

There are some who would recommend a shotgun as the best first choice for a home defense firearm. Others would point out that, generally, a shotgun's length make it less desirable or unsuited for use to protect the home. Still others would point out that if it is ever used, after the body is hauled off, it's up to you to clean up the major mess of skull and bone fragments, teeth, chunks of flesh or brain tissue.

:puke:

[jrockster21]

Man....I hope I never have to carry/use/own a firearm. And if I do, I would probably go with the shotgun and use the non-lethal ammo they use in riots. Those can really F somebody up without killing them.

This thread is definitely a solid dose of reality....

[Pete]

Man....I hope I never have to carry/use/own a firearm. And if I do, I would probably go with the shotgun and use the non-lethal ammo they use in riots. Those can really F somebody up without killing them.

This thread is definitely a solid dose of reality....

While I also hope I never have to use a firearm to protect my home, the ruel is, If your going to draw your weapon, shoot to kill.

The way I see it, I have a large (German Shep) dog as a warning system. If somebody hears that dog going nuts and still trys to get into my home, there going to get shot.