TTAG posits the suggestion that the AR-15 is the ideal home defense weapon:
The AR-15 has earned a reputation as one of the most versatile and effective firearms available today.
…and then the article goes on to compare the AR to other gun types like shotguns and handguns, listing all the pros and cons of each choice.
In the past, I would have come down on one side or the other. My dislike of the AR poodleshooter notwithstanding, there’s nothing wrong with having one as a home defense weapon, albeit with some reservations.
Side note: I am curious, in an academic kind of way, whether that super-loud CRACK! of the .223/5.56mm cartridge causes more damage to one’s hearing than would, say, a shotgun blast, the .357 Mag’s report or the 7.62x39mm coming out of an AK’s short barrel. If anyone has actual data on the topic, please feel free to share it. Suffice it to say that I keep about me several pairs of foam earplugs — trouser pocket, bedside, car and next to my living-room chair — which, if time permits, I would certainly try to insert before shooting any gun inside the house or car, or even outside.
In terms of which gun you prefer, therefore, I would support just about any choice, as long as you have a damn gun handy in the first place. Locked up in a safe is just plain silly, of course, despite those of the Nanny State persuasion trying to impose such “safety” measures on us, all of which I pretty much ignore anyway. I own several guns, I’m extremely careful about the handling thereof, and I try to keep myself “well-regulated” in their use.
In my own case, I have a .357 revolver next to the bed as my “first line” of defense, and a semi-auto rifle under the bed as my preferred long gun option. Next to my chair in the living room is of course my 1911 (which I carry every single time I leave the house, without exception — unless I feel in an old-fashioned frame of mind, in which case I strap on one of my revolvers, along with a couple of speedloaders, of course, ditto spare mags of .45 ACP for the 1911). If I’m going to be away for an extended period, e.g. on vacation or even just an overnight stay, I also carry a backup piece. In the car there’s another semi-auto rifle in case of an extra-busy social occasion.
Those are my choices. Others may vary, and whatever their decision, I’m okay with it. (I know a guy who carries a .22 pistol, and who can dump all ten rounds into a head-sized target in about four seconds, 100% of the time. Pity the fool.) As long as you are proficient in the use of whatever gun you choose, that’s okay and I will never really argue with your choices.
“Why not a shotgun, Kim?”
I dunno. I find the recoil of the 12-gauge cartridge unpleasant, and the low capacity of cartridges (5-odd) and lengthy reload time a little off-putting. Of course, I’m never going to argue with the deadly efficacy of the shotgun — one or two rounds usually suffices to end any hostile encounter anyway — but I’ve just never been a habitual user of shotguns outside of sporting clays with friends and family. (It’s a social choice rather than an anti-social one, in other words.)
As I said, go ahead and make the decision that suits you yourself, not the choice that the Smart Set and/or Tacticool Dudes think you should. (I suspect that most of my Readers are of similar mindset anyway.)
And all that said, I think I’m off to the range. Semi-auto rifle time…
AR 15 is good for home defense, especially the 16 inch carbine length.
AK 47 is a better gun. Little more punch with the 762, however 556 is no slouch
For those with recoil sensitivity, laugh all you want, a good 22 LR rifle, will do wonders. a few rounds near the facial area will remove most if not all of the fight out of an aggressive asshole hell bent on ass fucking you without permission.
Revolvers are awesome, I agree. 357 has power and versatility.
As to experiencing the ‘CRACK’ of the firearm, a silencer goes a long way to reducing that sound impulse. That’s why mine resides on the bullpup by my bed.
In an interest to be fast and maneuverable, in the past 2 years I have spent about 4000 rds (home outside shooting range) with (2) S&W M+P .22 pistols in Vedder kydex holsters. I can reliably draw and put 8 rds in an 8″ gong in 4 seconds.
One .22 is next to the living room couch and the other is on the table next to the bed. There are other guns of every flavor scattered all around the house and workshop.
https://www.vedderholsters.com/prodraw/
While rifles are indeed good for putting people down quickly, I live in a neighborhood full of frame houses.
My house is also somewhat compact, and the longest possible indoor distance is about 25 feet.
A shotgun is more than enough for that, and loaded with birdshot, will take down any unarmored human with one or two rounds without unduly endangering my neighbors.
Point taken. We live in a cul-de-sac. My front line 12 GA is a Benelli Super 90 M1 loaded with #2 steel shot. Devastating up close, less so at distance.
That said, nothing beats an AR build for versatility.
Many years, even decades, ago I was home sick watching an afternoon talk show with a guest who was a former burglar turned home security consultant. The host asked him what gun scared him most in the hands of a householder, and his answer stuck with me. He said the most scared he’d ever been was when he looked up the stairs of a home he’d thought was empty and saw a man with a compound hunting bow, arrow nocked and drawn back. He said a gun could be something the homeowner bought and never practiced with, but a bow was something he USED. He would be able to put that arrow wherever he wanted to, and the four blade arrowhead looked like it would really HURT. He offered to call the police himself.
A long time ago on another continent my wife and I were laying in bed, with our toddler in her room. It was about 3 in the morning, and we were awakened by sounds of things being rattled around in the living room. I distinctly remember my wife going down the hall yelling Spawns name–she had assumed that Child had gotten up and was playing. Then I hear her scream GET OUT.
Two youths had broken into our house. One was standing in the doorway and ran when my wife yelled. The other was in the kitchen and slammed a aluminium water bottle upside her head as he ran past.
I, of course, was in motion as soon as I heard her yell, but by the time I got down the hallway the miscreants were long gone.
This was in a nation where having a tool for self-defense was illegal, and using a “weapon of opportunity” would get you investigated.
A home invasion, or even a single thief breaking in to a your home when you’re there is–for most people a “none in a lifetime event”. If it happens once you’re unlucky. If it happens to you enough that you can collect data on it…you’re living your life wrong.
Thus the best tool for home defense is the tool you’re best with, the tool you an use without conscious thought.
As to hearing protection, I don’t think foamies are the right answer. First off they take way too long to get stuck in. Secondly they block low level sounds–the guy in the other room that you didn’t notice because you were target fixated.
There’s even a question of whether you need to worry about audio damage from a high-stress gunfight. There’s this thing called “auditory exclusion” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditory_exclusion https://www.vanceoutdoors.com/range/blog/hearing-protection) that generally seems to protect your hearing in short term, high stress events.
On hearing. My preferred choice is my electronic ear muffs. After the first shot, especially indoors, I will still be able to hear. With the likely coming batshit crazy festivities, I can see myself pulling guard duty on our tiny patch of Texas, outdoors, at night. Possible legal consequences be damned. With my electronic muffs, I can hear sounds near and far that I would not without them.
My bedside .45 is in a tiny little safe bolted to the nightstand. The safe is basically a sliding drawer with a spring-loaded lid that pups up 90° when the safe opens. The bottom and lid of the safe are foam-lined, and there’s just enough room for a full-sized 1911 and a couple of spare magazines. A full-sized Mag-Lite with batteries changed every 6 months regardless of usage stands on end next to the nightstand.
The safe is accessed through a “Simplex”-type 5-button combination with a twist knob next to the buttons. Every night going to bed I punch in the combination, turn the knob, and slide the drawer out by only a couple of inches. Should ghoulies, ghosties, or long-legged beasties be noted during the night I simply pull the drawer the rest of the way out, grab the flashlight and spare mags, and I’ve got 24 rounds of 230-grain-hollowpoint deterrent in hand (8-round McCormick PowerMags).
Every morning when I get up I slide the drawer closed and turn the knob, locking the safe. It’s reasonably inconspicuous, but if somebody does a house burglary while we’re not home they could simply demolish the nightstand (it’s just wood) and take the entire safe to be opened later at their leisure. It’s sturdy enough to resist a crowbar from the front, but if the furniture it’s bolted to is removed they could probably cut through the bottom with a chisel. Unless they’re willing to expend a lengthy period of time inside doing that, it will deter the casual burglar or tweaker that typically doesn’t do much more than grab whatever is loose and available. In any case, it’s just the one 1911 that I’d lose; the rest are in the good gun safe in the basement, which would be impossible to open in less than a whole bunch of hours (and weighs far, far too much to be moved).
Short barreled AR chambered in .300 Blackout, subsonic and suppressed. At indoor ranges (25 yards or less) think of 300 BLK as .45ACP with better ballistics. 220 grain bullet, going just about 1000 fps. My hearing will not be sacrificed if I have to put down the gremlin, and I don’t have to go looking for hearing protection in those moments where reaction speed is at a premium. It’s not Hollywood quiet, but it’s close, and hearing safe.
Of course, there’s a 9mm pistol and a 12 gauge nearby (as in, in the same room) should circumstances required additional resources. And should I need more range, there’s a 30-30 loaded Win 94 above a doorway near the front door.
And I haven’t even touched the safe yet. If I have to get into the safe, well, let’s just say that old combat rifles may be old, but they’re still very effective. A Garand still sends serious lead downrange, and quickly.
For all the talk about what is best, this is mostly just gun guys jawboning about what we get all nerdy about: guns. End of the day, pick your arm of choice, and practice and be proficient in it. If you are proficient in your weapon of choice, you will be a force to be reckoned with should the fight come your way. It’s like 9mm pistols: there are a dozen or more brands that make perfectly good pistols that are generally very reliable. Pick the one you like, and practice with it.
I don’t like any of them, except perhaps the Browning High Power and CZ 75B .
“If you are proficient in your weapon of choice, you will be a force to be reckoned with should the fight come your way.”
I have no doubt you are indeed proficient in your weapon of choice. You’ve practiced with it regularly and with a purpose, not just sending random rounds downrange. You just get fewer bullets in your weapon of choice. Take care to use them thoughtfully. 😉
With any luck, we won’t have to use them at all. Pray that it stays so.
But be prepared just in case.
A 5.56 AR with decent ammo is a very good HD / SD weapon.
What makes good ammo? Go for something that expands. So yeah, your 855 or 193 is nice and cheap, but find a different bullet for business work.
My own rifles are stocked with 62 grain Gold Dot soft point. If you can’t find GD, look for Federal Fusion 5.56 – it’s the same bullet.
As a bonus, it’s a very good hunting bullet for the caliber.
I have a 92AF INOX in the nightstand and a Glock 20 10mm in the foyer coat closet. These are there to get me to my AR pistol. The AR has an 11.5 inch barrel and is chambered in 9mm. The HST ammo is 1220 fps in the INOX but in the AR pistol it is 1460fps.
I have 4 shotguns stashed around the house and a cottage in the country, because I am double plus ungood with rifles or handguns.
I can hit targets with handguns and rifles and game with rifles but it takes concentration, squinting, trying to get the bastard scope working, stance, grunting slowly, care, focus and a sloooow trigger pull.
Shotguns I point, lead and shoot, clay disks and birds. It’s easy. If I miss my reload and re-fire cycle is quick and efficient. I have no idea why. My oldest son, the hunter, says I’m an idiot savant. He emphasizes the first word.
I am absurdly confident that if I need to shoot at an aggressive human or beast with a shotgun I’ll have no problem. Handgun or rifle? No, I’ll hit exactly what I do not want to hit, probably my own foot, or worse.
We are weird, are we not?
Your comment about your expert friend with the .22 is a good one.
People continuously disparage the .22 LR as a defensive round, but it’s fucking easy to shoot so follow up shots are very effective. Ten rounds of .22 LR hollow points delivered in a few seconds at lounge room range is going to deter almost every bad guy. A few of those rounds in the brain housing group will finish any fight.
I’m an ex infantryman with near on 50 years experience with high power rifles and handguns. If I had a good quality .22 semiauto pistol with a 20 round mag for home defence I’d feel well armed.
I own semiauto rifles and handguns but, California being the fascist paradise it is, an AR/AK is “problematic” as the media likes to say. Fortunately my favorite rifles are all lever actions so my home defense carbine is a Marlin 1894 in 357. This is backed up by a S&W 686P next to the desk where I work and a 442 on top of a bookcase.
Nothing fancy or exotic.