Home Defense weapon selection

[jcribbs]

I live in suburbia in Northern Virginia, and the neighbors' house is pretty close to mine. My biggest nightmare is to engage an intruder at the top of the stairs from my bedroom door. The reason for this is as follows:

In a direct line
15+ feet from door to the top of the stairs
sheetrock/insulation/vinyl siding
15 - 20 feet to the neighbors house
vinyl siding/insulation/sheetrock
5 year old little girl

Is there a firearm option for me that will have some stopping power but not endanger that child? I have heard that a 20 gauge with birdshot will work, but I would like to bounce this off of some people with more knowledge than either myself or those I heard that from (if you knew us, you would know that that was not really a compliment as we really have no clue on this subject...). Thanks.

[Erik]

I'm hardly an expert on this.
But there have been tests made at the Box O'Truths website
He used a 12ga, with #4 and #1buckshot. Based on what I see there, I'd have doubts on using a 20ga with birdshots as a self defense load. But as I said, I'm not an expert.

[SeekHer]

The choice of weapon(s) is determined by the site-specific requirements and there is no one solution that covers all avenues, regardless what others may think and write…

You could get a handgun and load it with frangible bullets like those made by Cor-Bon/Glaser and others that won’t ricochet much when hitting a hard surface but are devastating on soft flesh…

You could also go with a rifle but the chances of over-penetration is greatly increased due to the increased velocity but a nice SKS semi auto would be a good choice otherwise…cheap, powerful enough, don’t have to really pamper them since they’re Mil-Surp, multiple shot without having to rack a slide or draw a bolt…

I would recommend a shotgun either 12, 16 or 20 bore loaded with #4 buckshot…I prefer double barrels guns myself as I almost abhor pump actions (exception is the Ithaca 37—downward ejection) and would much prefer a semi auto if I’m using full house (heavy) loads as the recoil is softened greatly but it may not cycle a much reduced power loads…If a wife or older child is in your home then it almost screams out 20 bore which at stair length distances will definitely put the miscreant down and out…

I say #4 buck (.240) as it will give nearly three times the number of pellets then #00 buck (.330) will...Another effective pellet is #2 buck (.270) with half again as many pellets per ounce but at the distances you're describing the spread would only be between the size of a softball baseball and a volleyball depending on choke selected...

Please note, that whatever weight load you have of shot—buck, bird or slug—it will recoil the same with the same powder load…Usually commercial buck loads are loaded heavier then bird loads as their intended target, deer, weigh a few pounds more then a quail does and the pellets require more energy to achieve lethal penetration and accordingly recoil harder against your shoulder…

You can get what are called coach guns, used now mostly in Cowboy Action Shooting that have eared hammers that you cock back to arm…It is what we have; 1 in 12 and 3 in 20 for the wife and kids…You can leave them loaded with the hammers down so you won’t get spring tension and you’ll know instantly if your gun is cocked or not by looking at the hammers; no having to look under the trigger to see if it is red (shootable) or on safe...You can have two different loads in the barrels, say #4 buck and maybe a #BB in the other barrel or you can have both the same but with different chokes in the barrels like Improved Cylinder (Imp or Imp Cyl) and Modified (M or Mod)...There is nothing, legally, that is shorter so they are a delight to handle--much shorter then any other shotgun with the same length barrel…Mount a recoil pad—slip on or permanent (I prefer LimbSaver)--to ease the practice sessions and you’ll be set…

There are also less then lethal solutions available from TASERS to bean bags for shotguns if you’re adverse to shooting the bastard…

[chrisb]

I would go with a 20 guage pump. A mossberg or remington would be a perfect affodable choice. SeekHer is right on IMO, with the shot choice.

[308Mike]

I would NOT use bird shot on an intruder, it doesn't have enough penetration to do enough damage to cause immediate incapacitation. I'd go with a minimum of #4 buck. You hit someone in the thigh with that and it'll do SERIOUS damage, yet won't go nearly as far through walls as 00 buck or slugs - even though you might want/need that capability, which is why I mix my rounds in my shotgun. You could do the same by putting heaver-duty rounds in a stock sleeve to have available if needed. You can feel the difference of slug rounds in the dark, so if you mix a few buck and slugs in the sleeve, you know which is which by feel and can load accordingly - if necessary.

Don't forget to practice!! While under stress, you WILL perform as you've trained so you want to develop good habits to start with.

[Aglifter]

Maybe a frangible rifle round in 223? Possibly, get some bullet proofing material and install it to shield the girl's bedroom - although the Box o'truth wasn't very impressed by the bullet proofing stuff they tested.

[Precision]

as with most things there are trade offs.

handguns:
frangible ammo -- upside they will not over-penetrate anything much thicker than a cardboard
box and do massive soft tissue damage.
-- downside $2-5 per round so running a few hundred through your gun is
pretty much out of the question as is any significant practice time
may or may not penetrate thick bone properly
hollow points -- upside greatly reduced over-penetration especially with "heavy slow bullets"
if they expand, they do massive tissue damage
--downside $.50-1.50 pr round so running sufficient practice rounds is an issue
much greater over-penetration potential than frangible
some semi-auto's are finicky about hollow points
ball ammo --upside CHEAP and RELIABLE
--downside extreme risk of over-penetration
relatively little tissue damage

Shotguns:
birdshot -- upside somewhat wider pattern and tons more pellets
almost no risk of over penetration
-- downside shallow bloody wound with very little likelihood of stopping a
determined attacker
needs multiple follow up shots and even then may not stop the attacker

buckshot -- upside has huge knock down power and a fairly wide pattern (3-8")
depending on choke and distance
fairly easy to aim and requires significantly less accuracy compared to
a rifle or a handgun
I load #4 buck shot for social work
racking a shotgun or a miss often scares away opportunistic intruders
--downside larger (OO buck and such) have few pellets and strong possibility of
over-penetration
people unfamiliar with shooting shotguns are often intimidated and stunned by
the initial shot

slugs -- upside if you hit someone with 1+ oz of lead they will KNOW it
-- downside even if you hit them you have a huge risk of over-penetration not
to mention a miss
most slugs have SERIOUS recoil
you are back to needing the same precision shooting of a rifle or handgun

rifles
I see little to any use for a rifle within the confines of a home. Others will argue that point, but in your situation I see the huge liabilities with very few positives.


My home defense needs are fulfilled with my carry gun if I am up and active with a 18" pump shotgun (12 Ga) loaded with #4 buckshot as back-up.
If I am sleeping, then my nightstand gun is a .40 full-sized Glock backed up by the same pump gun.

I live alone (for now) but have guests (some of whom are not totally gun friendly) and thus need a low over-penetration asset. The 12Ga with #4 buckshot fills that category for me.

YMMV

hope that helps

[First Shirt]

We keep a Mossberg M-500 20 ga. in the bedroom closet, in addition to the his n' hers nightstand guns. It's loaded with standard velocity, 2 3/4" #4 buckshot, because at shotgun distances, #4 is the best choice, IMHO.

[randy]

...You could also go with a rifle but the chances of over-penetration is greatly increased due to the increased velocity but a nice SKS semi auto would be a good choice otherwise…cheap, powerful enough, don’t have to really pamper them since they’re Mil-Surp, multiple shot without having to rack a slide or draw a bolt…

And don't forget the handy bayonet on the end!

[chrisb]

One thing I will say in defense of bird shot. Up close and personal, it is going to put a big ass hole in someone. I once, stupidly, shot a hole in a door with a .410 shooting bird shot. I was 10' from the door probably and it shot out about a 1" hole in the steel-cladded door. A 12 guage that close is gonna make a mess.