Best firearm for home defense.

[Axxe55]

Old people need old guns!

 

[popsgarland]

I have one made in 1956 and one made in 1903.

Is that old enough?

 

[davewho]

My mother in law just went on her first range trip with a friend (my father in law died). She wants to buy a firearm for home defense. The guy told her a shotgun would be best due to not having to accurately aim as much to hit your target. I totally disagree with the advice the guy gave her. She's a very small woman (about 5' tall).

What do you guys think?

I sold firearms at Bass Pro for a few years after I retired. I was constantly amazed by the stupid stuff guys purchased for their wife’s for HD that after she tried it they’d need to replace. Twelve gauge shot guns, tiny pistols, gigantic revolvers ”cuz thar re-liable!” I’d always ask the guys to bring in the spouse. They’d say, “I know what she needs.” I’d ask the guys what their wife shoots now and they’d be evasive. “Well, uh, she‘s been shootin’ shotguns her whole life!” When I probed I’d find out they were 28G, 20G and 16G bird guns the family inherited from great grand dad. Which is good shot-gun wise but does not say she’s gunna reliably sling up a 12G tactical pump/auto like a special operator, switching from buck to slugs and back as needed. (When you watch a female 12G operator deftly handle a tactical scatter gun it is a thing of beauty.)
If a woman is familiar with a handgun then I’d lean that way. If she has current experience with tactical shot guns I‘d lean that way. If she’s not had any firearms training at all. I’d default to an AR style rifle. The US has trained up millions and millions of 18 year olds with AR pattern rifles with relative success. They have no recoil, they‘re fully adjustable out the box. Two points of contact means inherent accuracy over a pistol/revolver. And there are plenty of training materials. Everybody you know has at least one and chances are the ammo for it is stashed in a cool, dry place on the homestead already. My local indoor range has classes just for women shooting “carbines.” Women are empowered by the modern sporting rifle. They can do stuff with one they never would have dreamed of prior to some good training. They go from defenseless to formidable. This is good.
Respectfully-

 

[davewho]

The problem is I don't think she knows yet. But I think the reason she found her friends shotgun recommendation so appealing is she thinks going with a shotgun will = no need for training because you can just point a shotgun in a general direction and just fire and you have a good chance of hitting your target!

That is the opposite of reality. Shotguns require a lot of training and practice before any proficiency is achieved. More than other weapons systems.
Respectfully-

 

[davewho]

I didn't read through all the responses so forgive me if I give a similar response to someone else. For a small woman I would probably lean more towards an AR-15. While I keep a shotgun next to my bed, and do feel a shotgun is one of the best home defenses, I don't think it's best for everyone. An AR-15 has far less recoil and less weight than most shotguns. It's also often shorter and easier to aim. I believe an AR-15 is easier to learn to shoot well with over a handgun. Most women that are new to firearms, that I observed, are often surprised how easy an AR-15 is to shoot.

This!
Respectfully-

 

[gdr_11]

Obvious answer to me would be to take her to a couple of ranges that rent guns so she can try a number of them. The 'right' gun would be the one where the weight, comfort and natural pointability is the best in her hands. Makes no difference the type or caliber, it if doesn't handle and point well for her it is the wrong gun. A .22lr accurately placed will be very effective compared to a larger caliber that misses.

My two cents because I never try to tell anyone what to buy; I always encourage them to go for personal fit and ease of handling

 

[cbp210]

I would opt for the 20 gauge shotgun O/U. My daughter at the age of eight started off with a 20 gauge Stoeger Condor youth model shotgun and she was able to shoot it with ease. This brand was designed for youths and small framed people.

 

[ShadyOaksGunRange]

bring her over to shoot a bunch of rentals...the correct gun will select her. Do you buy her shoes?

 

[magholder]

I think proper training with a pistol would be better then a shotgun!

 

[TheDan]

 

[Sam Colt]

 

[DougC]

My mother in law just went on her first range trip with a friend (my father in law died). She wants to buy a firearm for home defense. The guy told her a shotgun would be best due to not having to accurately aim as much to hit your target. I totally disagree with the advice the guy gave her. She's a very small woman (about 5' tall).

What do you guys think?

Great question to be asked to help a first time gun owner. We do have millions of them since the virus panic started back in 2020. Most of this discussion has been around getting a suitable shotgun but a few chimed in going for pistol and/or rifle. A spokesperson for the US Concealed Carry Association says that an AR-15 pattern rifle is best for home defense. Take a listen.

I would disagree with his views that an AR-15 is most suitable. Too many situations call for another type of firearm to be available for home defense. Like where do you safely and securely store the rifle and have it readily available. Persons with various disabilities who can't hold up a rifle/shotgun.

There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs. So maybe have something of everything. Gun up!!!

 

[Tcruse]

What he said.

Ability to aim accurately I'm a situation with your adrenaline pumping is not an easy task for the untrained.

A shotgun allows for some margin of error.

Just get her used to shouldering it properly and managing the recoil.

I've seen the smallest of women handle a 12 gauge like it's nobodies business.



MK

Sent from somewhere over the Soviet Union

A shotgun allows for some margin of error. - true but not really very much as most self defense distances and also has the problem of not being on your person most of the time. Same problem with any long gun, have a handgun in a holster and practice POGO (Pants On Gun On) both at home and other places.

 

[Tcruse]

Very true, but there are nine pellets instead of one if your aim is off by a little. Even if not a direct center mass hit, some of those nine pellets might hit the target.

But the ones that miss are still your responsibility!

 

[easy rider]

But the ones that miss are still your responsibility!

That can be said for any ammo. The difference may be in power over distance.

 

[DougC]

Here is 3-gun test of sheet wall barriers from the US Concealed Carry Association by the same party I referenced on this topic in earlier reply. Does the test change your mind from one firearm to another?

 

[Axxe55]

Here is 3-gun test of sheet wall barriers from the US Concealed Carry Association by the same party I referenced on this topic in earlier reply. Does the test change your mind from one firearm to another?

Reinforces some of my own informal testing I did many years ago when the controversy of bird-shot vs buck-shot came up on another gun forum.

Funny thing is, all the nay-sayers that proclaimed buck-shot was the only acceptable round for home defense, would never "volunteer" to be shot with bird-shot when they claimed it would only piss off a bad guy if used for home defense!

 

[mongoose]

Reinforces some of my own informal testing I did many years ago when the controversy of bird-shot vs buck-shot came up on another gun forum.

Funny thing is, all the nay-sayers that proclaimed buck-shot was the only acceptable round for home defense, would never "volunteer" to be shot with bird-shot when they claimed it would only piss off a bad guy if used for home defense!

I was amazed at the penetration and damage I could inflict with 7 1/2 dove loads on an old trailer home. This included the gaping holes I made in the outside wall and exterior aluminum skin. So much I kept a loaded 12 gage and a box of dove loads in my trailer home bedroom encase I needed to make an “ emergency “ exit during a potential fire.

 

[Axxe55]

I was amazed at the penetration and damage I could inflict with 7 1/2 dove loads on an old trailer home. This included the gaping holes I made in the outside wall and exterior aluminum skin. So much I kept a loaded 12 gage and a box of dove loads in my trailer home bedroom encase I needed to make an “ emergency “ exit during a potential fire.

I suspect those people who claim that only buck-shot is lethal and that bird-shot isn't, have never actually tested it out on various types of building materials. #6 bird-shot will easily penetrate 1/2" plywood and even sheetmetal of a car door at about 15 feet!

For home defense, yes, buck-shot is superior and the better choice, but bird-shot at close range could be very lethal.

 

[General Zod]

She needs to hold off on buying a home defense gun until she's comfortable shooting and handling firearms, then she pretty much needs to buy what she's most comfortable using. You never know, she might turn out to be a dead shot with a pistol.