Best Home Defense Guns
OK, I know everyone has their own opinion on “Home Defense” weapons. Well, that includes me. My opinion is “Go with what you know.” My background is 26+ years of military service, with much of that in Special Ops, including Direct Action units. I carried a rifle & pistol during hostage rescues or provided overwatch with a semi-auto sniper rifle while the other assaulters conducted the raid. Since retiring, I went from “shooting & blowing stuff up” to teaching people how to “shoot & blow stuff up.” I also host a YouTube channel called “Tactical RIFLEman.” So, can you guess which weapon I would pick for Home Defense? Again, “Go with what you know.”
VIDEO: OK, I know everyone has their own opinion on “Home Defense” weapons. Well, that includes me. Now, you know I don’t mind voicing my opinion and I’m a little “long-winded”, but I ask that you bare with me. My opinion is “Go with what you know.”
Best Gun for Home Defense?
If you only practice with a pistol; use that pistol for home defense. If you carry a rifle for a living, then it only makes sense for you to use the same type weapon for home defense. Now, you notice that I’ve mentioned a pistol and a rifle. I haven’t said anything about a shotgun. That surprises many of you, because “everyone” on the internet/TV/movies push using a shotgun for home defense.
- It doesn’t go through walls like a pistol
- The “Racking Sound” will scare the intruder away.
- You don’t have to aim
- Better in low light
- The Pump Shotgun will never jam
- Weapon of choice for Zombies
Well, call me crazy, but to me, for Home Defense, I want:
- Accuracy, so I don’t hit friendlies
- Stopping power
- Something that I have “Muscle-memory” with, for ease of use in hasty situations
In my world, Shotguns are for breaching doors and shooting birds.
Shotgun for Home Defense
For the Shotgun Lovers out there… Yes, I know a shotgun has great stopping power, close up. I live on 63 acres. Yes, I used “bird shot” for the “long range” hallway demonstration, and your “Buckshot” would have grouped tighter. Oh course it would have. I was demonstrating the fallacy of what many viewers believe, which is that bird shot is “better” because it won’t go through walls. I could have shot Buckshot at that target, and it would have succeeded, but it wasn’t needed. Yes, I shot “birdshot” at the hostage demonstration, and your “Buckshot” would have grouped better; but only slightly. I have actually demonstrated this very drill with Buckshot many times (remember, I teach this stuff for a living) and the Buckshot always fails the hostage demonstration. Yes, your shotgun has a tighter choke and you are using special “Flight Control” shotgun shells that group tighter. Yep, that’s great. However, this video was for the rest of the planet that is using standard shotguns with standard ammo.
I like Shotguns. Those are my shotguns on the table. I own close to as many shotguns as I do rifles. I know their strengths and their versatility. That said, there is a reason every hostage rescue and direct-action unit on the planet uses a carbine for a primary weapon system.
Rifles for Home Defense
One thing I would like to point out, is that I misspoke when I said “AR.” I meant to say “Rifle.” I was holding one of my ARs in my hands and, as you might have judged by my tone, I was a little amped up during this video. I wasn’t even going to film it, but another “Gun Guy” and myself had just had a heated “friendly discussion” about this subject, and the film crew was like “Can you say that again on film?” If I had to film it again, I would have said “Rifle,” as most any semi-auto rifle is better than a shotgun or pistol for home defense. Whether it is an KelTec, AK, Travor, AR, or a new SIG MPX; a good short carbine will never let you down.
I’m not going to bring just a pistol to a gunfight; I’m going to bring a rifle. Now, before you comment why I carry a pistol EDC; I carry a pistol every day because I am NOT planning on getting into a gunfight. I carry the pistol just in case.
Again, go with what you know. If you don’t train with your firearm, you shouldn’t have it. However, whether you pick a rifle, pistol, or shotgun; if you are proficient with it, you will win the day. That said, there is always room to improve the odds.
- Know the angles: You know where the family members are in your house. Avoid shooting those angles. If you can’t; yell for the family members to lay on the ground, then crouch and fire upward at your opponent, taking the loved ones out of the backstop.
- Ammo: For home defense, I recommend good tactical frangible ammunition, like that made by Inceptor. Their 5.56mm, AK-47, and 300BLK are all awesome. They deliver all the kinetic energy of jacketed lead ammo, but fragment immediately, preventing the pass-through of multiple objects (think neighbors). What I really like are their tactical 9mm, which has a kind of reversed “rifling’ on the slugs. Think of it as paddle boards on a boat. As soon as it hits anything, this spinning projectile tears itself apart, with these fins helping to increase the effect. The secondary cavitation is incredible. Yes, Frang is more expensive. Isn’t your family worth it? Mine is.
- Now, when that home alarm goes off; you can bet I’m coming prepared. I’ll be praying it was nothing. I’ll be praying they won’t be stupid… but if they come to hurt my family, rest assured I will exercise my right to spend the next two weeks cleaning bio-hazard from all over my walls.
A good rifle, with a white light and good optic… along with a quality way to secure it safely; that’s all you need. Enough said. Again, just my opinion. Go with what you know. I know I’m choosing a rifle.
I hope you enjoyed the video. We put out a new Tactical Rifleman video every Friday. Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next time.
Strength & Honor, TR.
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