Home Defense - Handgun or Shotgun

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In your opinion, which is a better home defense gun?

  • Handgun

    Votes: 77 30.2%
  • Shotgun

    Votes: 178 69.8%

  • Total voters
    255

Soulman

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I vote shotgun, with a round in the chamber. I would not count on the sound of a slide being racked to affect a dope-head breaking into my house. The only thing you can count on to intimidate any intruder is a nice hole all the way through his chest that is big enough for you to read the clock on the wall through.

However, I agree with the poster that said that a pistol on the hip is better than a shotgun on the other side of the house when an intruder suddenly appears in the hallway blocking your access to said shotgun.

I carry with a round in the chamber on my CC pistol, but I will not keep a round chambered in a shotgun or rifle. I figure being in my home, the bad guy(s) will need to go through at least a door or window and that should give me the second it takes to put a round in the chamber. Hunter safety taught me that a round chambered in either a shotgun or a rifle is dangerous since they don't have the drop safeties pistols do.
 

nofearfactor

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Whichever one I can get to first.

Back in the day before home alarm systems I was woke out of my sleep at 7 years old by a man with a pillow over my head pushing my face down into the bed smothering me while in the process of beating my grandmother who was sleeping next to me. Neighbors hearing the screams were already en route and he tried to leave out of the back of the house but was stopped by our neighbors shotgun. That was the first and I gaurentee the last time I will ever be a victim of crime. Its been 33 years and I have been a night owl/day sleeper ever since. (Any of my brothers and sisters whoever tried to put a pillow over my head even just playing around got the fight of their lives on their hands,it cant be done). I am now pro aware and ready for the next *******. I boxed and did martial arts from an early age all thru my life and have always worked the bag as if it was that guy. Ive been fighting a faceless attacker in my workouts all my life. When I boxed in the ring it was always him in my mind on the other side- and it has always seemed like I couldnt punch someone hard enough to satisfy my revenge. To this day I have a jackhammer punch because of that. And the person who decides to break into my house the next time will be getting 33 years of revenge thrown at them.

As a kid my cop father always had a locked and loaded shotgun nearby as well as his loaded pistols. I do the same. If they trigger the alarm then I will go into ready mode and I will grab whichever is closest to me and work with that until I can get to something else. Its a nightly process same as setting the alarm of putting out my HD go-tos after everyone has gone to bed. When I'm gone out on the road working my wife knows go thru the same routine. My kids are teens now and have been drilled until they are tired of it. They know what to do if awoke to sounds out in the living room or garage,wherever-hit the deck and try to get to their closets,lay down and cover up. And as backups they both have their own firearms and know how to use them. Our bedroom is the furthest room in the very back of the house and my gun safe is in the room near a large walk-in closet in the bedroom. The wife and her brothers and sisters were raised by an NRA card carrying hunter and she knows her way around a gun. Still,she doesnt call me paranoid,just a little too aware and ready. O well.
 

bigwilly

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I keep debating what to use for my home defense weapon. My problem is my three boys rooms are on the other side of the house, and a bad guy would probably be in between. So, over penetration is a major concern. I've read all the drywall penetration articles and they even had a segment on pdtv. Their tests showed .223 had the least penetration of all but birdshot, but by the time I could make it to the gun vault it may be too late. Hard to keep a shotgun or rifle close with three little ones.
 

LtCCMPUnit42

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How so? Ever checked your pattern at 3 yards? It's what, 3 inches?

I wouldn't say easier to get a hit, but I would say a helluva more effective it. It's like being hit with 9 .32 bullets at once. That's why I'd go with a shotgun if we had one.

Right now, the choice is Baby Eagle .40 w/ cheap Federal JHPs or XD .45 w/ Winchester Ranger Ts. They are both on the nightstand.

They do make shotgun barrels and screw in chokes that are specifically built to spread the sot at close range.
 

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