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I've had practically everything you can name or near to it. I think a person just starting out, no experience etc...
A simple 38 revolver would probably be their best bet. In time you might want to try larger calibers and maybe semi auto but for now, keep it simple. A 38 special w/ high velocity semi wad cutters will get the job done. Clips, safety, chambering, jams, etc. can be confusing in the dark, especially if you're not real familiar. Hate to get shot in the foot by accident.
Status:
"Here and there eventually"
(set 19 days ago)
8,990 posts, read 8,468,906 times
Reputation: 4265
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrAwkwArD
I keep a "sawed off" 12g shotgun by my bed.
I think we all agree that when it comes to "in home" home defense that nothing this side of a howitzer beats a short-barrelled .12. gauge!
Not long ago, I bought a .12 gauge pump Mossberg -- with a "plastic" stock -- with interchangeable barrells. One of them was a 28'' and the other was a 20''. I realize that this particular model of Mossberg is not necessarily the best on the market, but for the price and basic use, it seemed pretty good to me. The former barrell is good for overall hunting, while the latter (20 inch) is not bad for quail hunting. And is the one I keep in the corner of our bedroom. MORE importantly though, when it comes to home defense, it is very much within legal limits as to barrell length in Texas, but not TOO much over. Perfect, I think....
Location: East Texas, with the Clan of the Cave Bear
1,386 posts, read 1,977,014 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ozonehole
The most powerful handguns around are 44 magnum, and 50 magnum. These fire large caliber, high-velocity bullets, with tremendous penetrating power. Too powerful for home defense, in my opinion. There is considerable recoil - I've fired a 44 magnum and I can say that it requires both hands to shoot, and will still make your hands sore. I've never tried a 50 magnum - I think it would knock the shooter on his/her butt. A 44 magnum would be good protection for hiking in bear country, but I wouldn't consider it practical for anything else. And far as I know, you can only buy these calibers in revolvers, not as pistols. The 44 magnum can fire 6 shots, but the 50 magnum only holds 5 rounds.
About fully automatic weapons: of course, you can't have one at home. I had a chance to fire them a few times long ago when I was in the military. They are hard to control. Looks so easy in the movies, but in real life all that recoil hitting you several times per second really throws you off balance. I imagine it's a lot easier when the gun is mounted on a turret - this is not exactly practical for home defense.
I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, but if you're going shooting for the first time, be sure to wear noise earplugs.
regards,
Robert
Robert, I appreciate your post! I would like to clarify a few points though.
First, A citizen can own a full auto at home. Has to be able to afford one first. There are a finite number of them legally in the U.S. (roughly 125,000). They are very expensive to purchase (an excellent investment though as they appreciate about 10%/year) with prices ranging from $5,000 to $35,000+. BATF tax plus intense background check plus having the dinero is all it takes. There are some cool full auto clubs all over the state. Here's a cool video from Kentucky's Knob Creek Gun Range and a night time shoot!
On the .44 magnum. I carry one in the woods all the time and it sleeps on my nightstand. I however choose .44 Special in 200 grain HP (CCI brand). Very manageable recoil out of my 4" S&W 629. In fact I have no issue with the full magnum loads and shoot off hand /one hand frequently ... I'm 5'7" and 175# ... not a big guy! Now, having said that I wouldn't choose that for my concealed carry gun as it is kinda heavy! Great bad guy stopper though! Preferred close quarters though is the short barrel shotgun!
I haven't shot the S&W 500 (50 caliber). But, it does come in a 4" barrel model! I would shoot it ... not one handed though the 1st time!
Having talked to a few Alaskan guides, the .44mag becomes mighty small in bear country!
I agree with the .38special revovler as a minimum beginner gun. I had this talk with a buddy the other night as he is not a pistol guy and wanted something for his GF! Gave the same advice. A lot of police departments put away there .38sp's though because of their lack of stopping power. But not quite the same situation though!
Robert, I appreciate your post! I would like to clarify a few points though.
First, A citizen can own a full auto at home. Has to be able to afford one first. There are a finite number of them legally in the U.S. (roughly 125,000). They are very expensive to purchase (an excellent investment though as they appreciate about 10%/year) with prices ranging from $5,000 to $35,000+. BATF tax plus intense background check plus having the dinero is all it takes. There are some cool full auto clubs all over the state. Here's a cool video from Kentucky's Knob Creek Gun Range and a night time shoot!
On the .44 magnum. I carry one in the woods all the time and it sleeps on my nightstand. I however choose .44 Special in 200 grain HP (CCI brand). Very manageable recoil out of my 4" S&W 629. In fact I have no issue with the full magnum loads and shoot off hand /one hand frequently ... I'm 5'7" and 175# ... not a big guy! Now, having said that I wouldn't choose that for my concealed carry gun as it is kinda heavy! Great bad guy stopper though! Preferred close quarters though is the short barrel shotgun!
I haven't shot the S&W 500 (50 caliber). But, it does come in a 4" barrel model! I would shoot it ... not one handed though the 1st time!
Having talked to a few Alaskan guides, the .44mag becomes mighty small in bear country!
I agree with the .38special revolver as a minimum beginner gun. I had this talk with a buddy the other night as he is not a pistol guy and wanted something for his GF! Gave the same advice. A lot of police departments put away there .38sp's though because of their lack of stopping power. But not quite the same situation though!
Interesting post, BobTex. I've never tried firing .44 special ammo in my .44 magnum, but it makes sense. If available in hollow points, it might solve the over-penetration problem. However, I'd rather use a pistol (as opposed to a 6-shot revolver) for a home defense weapon - I'm not that great a shot, and some pistols hold up to 14 cartridges. If I can't hit the bad guy after firing 13 shots, I might as well use the 14th to just shoot myself.
Over-penetration is something I seriously worry about - I live in an apartment, and I don't want to shoot through the walls and injure/kill a neighbor. Especially since the walls in this crappy building aren't much better than cardboard (I'm planning to move soon). One thing that concerns me is if the bad guy wears body armor - in that case, .44 magnum would be the way to go, or else a shotgun aimed toward the face or abdomen (sorry if this sounds yucky).
There are no bears where I live in El Paso, but I go hiking in the mountains of New Mexico, where there are both black and brown bears. I carry my .44 magnum there - that should be adequate protection against New Mexico bears, but Alaska has grizzlies and those things are HUGE - I can see why one would want a .50 magnum up there.
Currently, my home defense pistol fires .40 S&W. I'm thinking of upgrading to .45 ACP. I also have a 9 mm Beretta - excellent handgun, but I'm planning to sell it, as I'm convinced of the virtues of large caliber weapons.
I agree with you that a short-barrel 12-gauge shotgun is the best for home defense. If I'm not mistaken, 18" is the absolute shortest legally allowed for civilian use (correct me if I'm wrong).
Guns can be fun, but I hope that I never need to use these for anything but target shooting.
best regards,
Robert
Last edited by ozonehole; 01-07-2008 at 09:20 AM..
Nope. Your ammo will determine damage. Shotgun slugs will rip through walls, but birdshot/buckshot spreads the energy into a lot of low mass pellets, which don't have the same penetrating power. You could probably get through an interior wall with many of them, but they'll have very little energy left on the other side, hopefully not doing a lot of damage.
Pretty much the only thing Hollywood gets right about firearms is which way to point them. Keep that in mind...
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