What's a good set of defense weapons?

[Darrell KSR]

I know so much of it depends on the person, and the best defense weapon from a concealed carry standpoint is one you *will* carry, but I'm not really asking that.

I'm asking--if you had sufficient (but not unlimited) resources to determine what you needed, and you were starting from scratch, what would you choose?

Just as a starting point, I'd throw out the following categories:

A. At-home defense
B. Concealed carry (would it differ just "out," versus "in your office?")
C. In car
D. Other

Then if your resources are even more limited, and you had to start cutting back, what 1 or 2 weapons would you settle on?

I know it will be vastly different from what I have/want, but thought this might be good discussion.

I'll post what I would "kinda" like later in the thread. Also, I thought about putting it in the Front Porch, but there might be anti-gun people that may not want to read this, so I decided to put it here, where we've had good gun discussions already anyway.

[suncat05]

A. At home defense........can't beat a 12 gauge shotgun. Period. Remington 870. With 00 buck.
B. & C.........as far as concealed carry in a handgun..........whatever fits most comfortably in your hand, and most comfortably in whatever conveyance/holster you choose to use to carry it in. Whatever is most comfortable and gives you the most ease of access.
D. Get a good quality folding knife, a good brand name that you can trust and that will reliably lock if you need it. Good folding knives can be kind of pricey, but again, here is that pesky question: if you really need to use that knife, what is your life worth?
These are my answers to your question. Others may have other ideas. It ultimately comes down to your choices and information made available to you. I hope my answers help you make good decisions.

[suncat05]

Of course, you could also get a big, mean Rottweiler.............just sayin'...........

[DanISSELisdaman]

Yep, I agree, nothing beats a shotgun for home defense. and you can't beat a 12 ga. 870. A short barrel would be nice, like in an 870 Express, to make it legal. C&D..... I also agree with suncat on the conceal carry, though for someone not really familiar with guns, a revolver might be the best way to go. And whatever you decide on for concealed carry would be fine for carrying in the car. D......A knife is a good weapon, but it's for up close and personal use. If you use a knife, don't let them know you have it till they feel it. A baseball bat, piece of pipe or whatever is available always beats nothing.

[KeithKSR]

D can be far ranging. An AR or AK style rifle with lots of ammo and high capacity clips, just to scare the liberals off the lawn; a nice weighty softball bat; a large variety of knives; a 1911 is a bit large to conceal carry all the time, but is a good home defense/self-defense weapon in the right hands.

In the everyday carry folding knife category I have taken to carrying spring assisted folders. The advantage to them is you can take them out and open them with just one hand, and opening them is lightning quick. If you need the knife for defensive purposes there are a lot of advantages to needing just one hand and the lightning quick opening of the knife. In addition to the defensive uses it is really handy for every day use to carry a knife that doesn't require two hands to open.

I know a lot of people are big on the Remington 870, but the Mossberg 500 is a good choice as well. I have both, and when it comes to overall operation and smoothness of the action I prefer the Mossberg. My Mossberg eats everything and the Remington is more prone to jamming. On the other hand I can outfit the Remington with a magazine extension tube in order to increase capacity.

There are some newer pumps on the market that are imported by H&R and others that can be had at some good prices that come equipped as home defense weapons that come with the 18.5" barrel, extended magazine tube and even upgraded ghost ring sights. I haven't used any of these, but given the price point I would not be adverse to trying one out. They have gotten pretty good reviews from buyers, which are the reviews I usually put more emphasis on.

[DanISSELisdaman]

Hmmmm....I have never seen an 870 Rem. jam and I have put a lot of lead through them.

[suncat05]

Truthfully, any good quality shotgun will work. Doesn't have to be a Remington, that was just the first one that came to mind because I handle them all the time. Mossberg, Ithaca, Savage, Benelli............there's lots to choose from. But I stand by the 12 gauge with 00 buck. It is absolutely a proven commodity for home defense purposes.

[CitizenBBN]

Saiga 12 ga with a 12 round mag and tacticool lights and lasers and stuff.

[KeithKSR]

Hmmmm....I have never seen an 870 Rem. jam and I have put a lot of lead through them.

I have, they are prone to jamming. You can google Remington 870 jamming and get loads of hits, it has been a huge problem with the Express, in particular those built over the last 10 to 15 years. The immediate fix used by a lot of people is hitting it butt first on the ground while holding the slide. This is a bit extreme for me.

When I got my 870 Express three or four years ago I opted to purchase a used older 870, as they aren't as prone to jamming.

The 870 Wingmaster doesn't have the same issues.

The issue is with QC and poor fit and finish to the slide rails and ejectors. Polishing the internal ejection system to remove tooling marks seems to be one of the most common fixes.

Remington has been riding on the rep it spent years building during much of the past 15 years; they need to get back to high quality production.

[Doc]

A. At-home defense



B. Concealed carry (would it differ just "out," versus "in your office?")



C. In car



D. Other

.

[Darrell KSR]

Doc wins.

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[suncat05]

That's why I like and respect Doc so much.........he just has that ability to bring up such good conversation points!

[Doc]

I saw number 1 and number 4 today

As for number 2, there is a reason that Chihuahua's are the same size as a football

[CitizenBBN]

Doc wins.

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Bring the dogs. I'm not worried.

saiga12.jpg

[dan_bgblue]

.20 gauge shotgun for me in semi auto for home defense.

[dan_bgblue]

Also my zombie apocalypse weapon. I spent about 2 weeks reshaping and honing the edge. I have not had to try it out, but I am betting it will cut a zombie in half with one stroke.

[kingcat]

The proper escort maybe...they say these weapons have never been touched

[KeithKSR]

The proper escort maybe...they say these weapons have never been touched

Rosie O'Donnell!

[BigBluePappy]

Rosie ugly sister.

Rosie O'Donnell!

[CitizenBBN]

Rosie ugly sister.

Ugly brother maybe. Damnamighty.

Can we go back to talking guns. I'm going to have nightmares now.

[Darrell KSR]

Yech. A perfectly good weapon's thread ruined!

I said I'd tell you what I'd "kinda like," so here's what I have/what I'd kinda like. Probably not that bad overall.

At-home: .45 ACP (Glock 36) and a single shot 16 gauge. Wife likes a S&W 39-2 9mm, which she can handle more easily than the .45. What I'd "kinda like?" A semi-auto 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotgun.
CCW: .45 ACP (see above). Also temporarily, S&W 640 .38 special revolver. Eventually that goes to my daughter. What I'd kinda like? A small 9mm or .380 here as a backup.
Car: I'd kinda like a Judge or Governor myself. But for now, the .45 ACP will have to do.

On a whim many years ago, I bought a Boker Top Lock automatic knife. Not a bad little backup to some other things. I'm ok with that, although Dan's zombie blade looked pretty cool. Actually, I have one in the garage, but it's a cheapie, and it's probably dull and I couldn't find it if I needed it anyway.

[bigsky]

Brain.
911, responsive cops,
nosy light sleeping neighbors
Good locks/windows
.45acp

My dog stayed asleep on the couch as the drunk football players pursued by the cop came thru the window, wrestled their way thru my house, and ran out the front door at 1am. Note entry #1; I did not shoot them.

[KeithKSR]

Brain.
911, responsive cops,
nosy light sleeping neighbors
Good locks/windows
.45acp

My dog stayed asleep on the couch as the drunk football players pursued by the cop came thru the window, wrestled their way thru my house, and ran out the front door at 1am. Note entry #1; I did not shoot them.

Time for a younger, meaner dog.

[Darrell KSR]

Brain.
911, responsive cops,
nosy light sleeping neighbors
Good locks/windows
.45acp

My dog stayed asleep on the couch as the drunk football players pursued by the cop came thru the window, wrestled their way thru my house, and ran out the front door at 1am. Note entry #1; I did not shoot them.

You are no Theodore Wafer.

[blueboss]

I've got a 12 ga in the front a 20 ga in the back a .38 special in the middle. Some other surprise above and below for grabbing on the way up or down


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[UKStucat]

For home defense I have my Dad's trusty old 22 rifle plus plenty of bullets. That has made me feel safe for a lot of years now. I probably should upgrade but have never done so and I feel safe with it in my closet.

[Darrell KSR]

A 22 can be very effective

[Crazy4Blue]

I'm looking for a gun for home protection, something that I can have fun with (clays)' something my boys can also shoot and something with easy to find cheap ammo. I'm thinking 20 gauge. Any other suggestions?

[blueboss]

I'm looking for a gun for home protection, something that I can have fun with (clays)' something my boys can also shoot and something with easy to find cheap ammo. I'm thinking 20 gauge. Any other suggestions?

I started as a pup with a 410, and as stated above .22's work well in the home, plus they're fun to plink around with, however the rounds will travel and you have to be cognizant of the backdrop.

There are a lot more knowledgeable gun guys on here than me though...

[CitizenBBN]

I'm looking for a gun for home protection, something that I can have fun with (clays)' something my boys can also shoot and something with easy to find cheap ammo. I'm thinking 20 gauge. Any other suggestions?

If you're going in the direction of a long gun for home protection, definitely a shotgun. 20 gauge is a good choice, it has somewhat less recoil without a lot of loss of stopping power.

Pump is most reliable and is strongly preferred for that, but not everyone can operate one efficiently, esp if they don't practice enough. If not there are good autos that are very reliable.

A good compromise between sport shooting and home defense is to get one with the full stock but pistol grip. Somewhat better control. The problem of having one for both is that ideally for home defense you have a short barrel that you can maneuver in hallways and such, much shorter than you'd use for trap/skeet. You can get one with interchangeable barrels, but I'd probably not try to double up the use. Get the home defense gun, then get the sporting gun.

In pumps the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 are the two most popular, in autos the Rem 1100 is the most popular. 18" barrel is my recommendation, with 00 buck loads. Won't overpenetrate as much as many other rounds, harder to miss. I'd get an adjustable stock with pistol grip.