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Neither one, if you are going to be killed in your house, it will most likely be by a family member or someone that you know. If you shoot someone in your house it will most likely be a family member or someone you know.
When we hear a noise in the night at our house, it's always the handguns that we reach for. I personally don't like shotguns. My husband does, but he still grabs his Glock 22. It's what he's carried and practiced with for years.
I am assuming from your name that you are parents too.
a 12 ga with 3" #4 magnum buckshot ammo launches 42 (YES, Fourty-TWO) 22-cal pellets with a SINGLE trigger pull!
IF the perp is armed, I'd prefer to NOT give him a chance to pull his trigger
(assuming he can pull a trigger as fast as I can and visa-versa),
or pull it more than once .... maybe he'll be flinging a 40 cal bullet !
- hmmmmm ONE .22cal bullet, or 42 ; ILL go with 42 ....!!!
[quote=snowtired14;45070173]Use your phone to call for help, 911, use a bat, a brick, a knife, broom stick, etc., but don't think your phone will be an effective weapon. It'll more likely get you killed. Actually get the bear spray, much more effective than an "app".[/quote]
Not against bears it isn't, about the same as the app especially if the bear is upwind of you. That stuff is only effective about 50% of the time under the best conditions.
And, if you discharge that crap in a house, you'll be in as much pain as the attacker.
Used to sell that stuff when I worked in a sporting goods store. Some greenhorn set off a can in the store one day. I will admit it's an effective way to clear a room in a hurry.
I have no problem using a shotgun against an intruder, but by the same token, just like with grizzly, if you can bluff them you don't have to engage.
I'm not advocating a cell app as the only option, just AN option that is out there. It was noted earlier in the thread that the sound of a shell being jacked into the chamber of a shotgun was a recognizable threat to an intruder, I merely noted that someone has thought of that and made it available to folks that can't have or don't want firearms for whatever reason.
Personally, I wouldn't go out to check on a noise at night without the old room sweeper, and it is live and ready to play.
Others may do things differently, their choice. I don't play nice with others though. Character flaw I guess.
A shotgun isn't going to jam. A good AR or pistol won't, either, but it still CAN happen. Bad ammo can cause it to jam up and you don't want to find out you have bad ammo at an inopportune time. If I had to have a pistol.. It'd be a revolver.
I'm talking strictly in-home defense, so the outdoors arguments are out the window for me on this.
The intimidation factor of a shotgun just can't be beat. Everyone knows that sound.. There's no mistaking it. And a good shotgun, you run out of shells.. it's still a damn good club.
If someone breaks into my house, i'd prefer NOT to have to shoot them. But, I will be prepared to if I have to. so.. Take all that together.. I'd rather have the shotgun.
A couple of things. First, permit me to explain that as a sgt. and a lt. I served in the New York City Police Department Firearms & Tactics Unit. I ran the Police Firearms Instructors School, the Heavy Weapons Training program and Research and Testing. There is a tremendous amount of myth out there in regard the 12 gauge shotgun.
Let me state, right up front, that I’m not about to engage in a debate as to which is a better anti-personnel weapon, the shotgun or the 5.56mm round. Just let’s stick to the facts.
A shotgun must be aimed. It is not a hand grenade. Here are photos of tests I ran using an Ithaca model 37 police issue shotgun and OO buckshot:
This is at ten feet:
Here is the pattern at twenty-one feet (how long is the longest room in your house?):
A shotgun spread opens up around one inch per yard distance downrange. You need to use your sights if you intend to hit your target. Spray and pray don’t work.
Then there is the matter of terminal effectiveness. Yes, I too have seen shotguns blow up cars, throw 200 lb. men across rooms, take down King Kong (OK, I made that one up…). Well, it ain’t so. Remember, a OO ball of buckshot weighs around 55 grains (there are 437.5 grains in an ounce) and is about .33” inches in diameter. Velocity is around 1,200 fps.
A normal load of OO carries 9 pellets, the magnum load 12. The power behind the gun is a bit more than being shot with either 9 or 12 .25 ACP calibers pistol rounds of ammo at the same time. It does not always cause instant incapacitation of the person hit.
So, which firearm is the best for self-defense in the home? It depends; on the users experience level, the neighborhood they live in, the size of the home.
I do not fear the sword, I fear the man wielding the sword.
Whatever you choose, make sure you are proficient with it. Proficiency is more important than the weapon itself. As for maneuvering inside with an AR, it's not that hard.
Rifle or shotgun beats any handgun decisively. For the AR, use "varmint" cartridges in 5.56 or .223. They have less over penetration through walls than handgun rounds, making your neighbors safer. The pointed plastic tip makes the cartridge aerodynamic for long distance shots. For in house use, the plastic tip pushes back into the bullet, causing the bullet to upset to a larger dia, or even fragment. The round is good for gophers or intruders, but will not penetrate barriers, so if you want that, use something else.
The AR is good short or long range. Shotgun slugs and 00 buckshot over penetrate terribly, so maybe use "tactical" (reduced power) number 4 buckshot. Another good choice would be a short lever gun in 357 magnum, with fragmenting ammo such as Glaser or Magsafe.
An AR shoulder mounted is no longer from the body, than using a handgun in the Isosceles or Weaver stance.
I don't have an AR, the Mossberg has an internal magazine, I'm not going to sleep with a locked and loaded shotgun every night. I'll stick with the Berretta, in less than 30s I can retrieve it, snap in a clip and strip one off. If that's not enough time, we're in trouble anyway.
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