What gun to purchase for home protection?

[alkemyst]

:biggrin:

I'd still say a .38 or .357 Magnum revolver, but that's me I guess.

The Colt King Cobra .357 and Ruger Blackhack .357 are the two in my night stand with jacketed hollow points.

Have a pretty nice little S&W .38 Special too, just he's just hanging out.

I guess that's 12 rounds with one in each hand, he he.

J/K but does make a back up I guess.

dual wielding would be an epic fail unless you are very proficient.

I fortunately never had to shoot someone, but I have been shot at.

I have practiced enough to be able to hit a body target from the hip and if I have the time to aim and fire can usually do decent groups even rusty.

 

[alkemyst]

So much shitty information in this thread.

No, a 12ga shotgun is not the shoulder-destroyer Jules is making it out to be. A heavy pump like an 870 is not that punishing. That said, it's still a decent kick and it's a lot for a medium-to-small female with little or no firearm experience to bring to bear. If I put an 870 with standard furniture in the hands of one of my smaller female friends, I can picture them saying 'fuck this' before they even shot it.

But I can and have taught absolutely tiny women to shoot 9mm handguns. .40S&W should not be put in the same category. .40 is harder to control than .45ACP (similar muzzle energy out of a higher pressure round in what is generally a smaller-framed gun).

This year I took someone who was MAYBE 5'1 and 120lbs shooting for the first time. Her preference was toward a Witness polymer compact. Out of everything I have, it probably has the least slide purchase and the stiffest recoil spring. She simply liked it because it fit her hand and was easy to shoot. If somebody's wife can't be taught to handle a mid-sized 9mm, she probably just shouldn't handle guns at all.

Cheap and light shotguns are more apt to recoil.

I agree though about .40 and .45ACP. A full-sized 1911 is a powerful and easy gun to shoot (assuming a good 1911).

 

[sao123]

I’m neither pro nor con for owning a gun, but the wife and I believe the time has come that we have a gun in the house for protection. This will not be a hunting gun, and it will not be a gun to show off at Walmart or the local restaurant. It will be a gun hidden somewhere in the house, (back of headboard or nightstand, or someplace else) to have only for home protection. The features that we want are:

1) Prefer semi-automatic with magazine capacity of 9 or more. We just acknowledge that we are not great shots and don’t want to spend time at a range to be a crack shot.
2) A gun that rarely jams. We understand that all semi-automatics jam, but prefer one that jams least.
3) A gun that requires the least amount of maintenance. One that can be attached to the back of your headboard for a year or two, and without any maintenance, can still be pulled and fired.

The wife and I are not total newbies to guns. Myself former military and she has taken a gun safety class. What home protection gun do you have or think is best?

Once you decide on a gun, where is the best place to purchase it? Walmart? Local Gun shop? Mail order? What is a reasonable amount of ammo to have?

Kel Tec KSG 15 round pump shotgun.
Light, Short Barrel, BOOM!

 

[MongGrel]

dual wielding would be an epic fail unless you are very proficient.

I fortunately never had to shoot someone, but I have been shot at.

I have practiced enough to be able to hit a body target from the hip and if I have the time to aim and fire can usually do decent groups even rusty.

Once again your comprehension goes into the toilet.

 

[Rinaun]

I'd suggest blow darts. First, they are silent. Second, think about it; you and your buddies all hanging around drinking a beer, talking about how you took out that armed robber with a swift poison dart to the neck. I mean you can even get fancy with the poisons and shit.

TLDR blowdart is a real mans weapon. I keep my blow dart right beside my recorder on my nightstand (a real man's instrument) in case I need to whip out some justice at any time.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yes, let's be realistic here. Most people go decades without a kitchen fire, but plenty still keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Most people go decades without a serious house fire, burglary, or serious physical damage to their home, but plenty still have homeowner's insurance.

Would you chastise someone for getting a more effective extinguisher or insurance policy for the same or less money? I doubt it.

Most people can pick up and a shotgun and hit a man-sized target within 7 yards, even if they're years out of practice or inexperienced. A pistol, not so much. I've seen plenty of people miss such targets completely at 7 yards, even with a full-sized handgun. Takes more practice and technique.

Personally I also enjoy shotguns on the range. It's not something I'd do for more than 15 minutes straight, but it makes for good variety. No one says you have to practice with the full-power self defense loads, unless of course you just want to know what they feel like.

In any case the OP has apparently settled on a Glock, so in terms of the thread this point is kinda moot.

Let me ask you this, in the situations you used a gun for self defense, was it a shotgun?

I'm not against owning guns or buying them for self defense. I'm kind of on the fence about concealed carry but that's not what this thread is about.

I took my 12 gauge shotgun to the range about a year ago and blasted holes in some zombie targets with it. Good fun but they can be a bit unwieldy and punishing to shoot. I don't have a problem shooting it but to say it has no recoil or mild recoil is just idiotic. A decent recoil pad would probably do a lot to tame that but the recoil pads most shotguns come with are pretty much an afterthought and the cheapest possible solution. Wrapping a gel filled maxi-pad over the end is not an ideal solution either. You really want to have the stock shortened by the amount thickness the recoil pad will add. You want someone who knows what the hell they're doing to perform this kind of work.

First time I ever shot a handgun I was punching holes in the center of the target at 15' with no problem and this was with a .38 special and a small frame HK squeeze cocker 9mm handgun. Shooting a handgun is not rocket science.

I own a .44 magnum revolver, a .44 magnum lever action rifle (which actually packed quite a punch to the shoulder as it was sold-I had a gunsmith shorten the stock and put a thicker recoil pad on it and it is much better now), two 1911 style .45 ACP semi-automatic handguns (one Colt and one Ruger), a Beretta Tomcat (which is almost completely worthless-I almost never shoot this gun because it is a fucking firecracker), a Glock model 17 (9mm), a Winchester model 1200 12 gauge pump, a Beretta 20 gauge Over/Under shotgun, a Ruger 10/22 rifle, a Ruger Mark III .22LR pistol, a MAK-90 and a Winchester .300 WIN MAG hunting rifle (you want to talk about a shoulder punisher, holy fuck was this one as I bought it). I feel like I'm leaving something out... oh well, I'm not opening the safe to take inventory. 😀 This is not even including guns I have owned in the past and sold off and I've shot a whole host of other guns over the years. You name it, in civilian, legal to own weapons, I've probably shot it.

I'm thinking of adding a Glock model 30 (.45 ACP) to my collection.

 

[sao123]

Let me ask you this, in the situations you used a gun for self defense, was it a shotgun?

I'm not against owning guns or buying them for self defense. I'm kind of on the fence about concealed carry but that's not what this thread is about.

I took my 12 gauge shotgun to the range about a year ago and blasted holes in some zombie targets with it. Good fun but they can be a bit unwieldy and punishing to shoot. I don't have a problem shooting it but to say it has no recoil or mild recoil is just idiotic. A decent recoil pad would probably do a lot to tame that but the recoil pads most shotguns come with are pretty much an afterthought and the cheapest possible solution.

First time I ever shot a handgun I was punching holes in the center of the target at 15' with no problem and this was with a .38 special and a small frame HK squeeze cocker 9mm handgun. Shooting a handgun is not rocket science.

I own a .44 magnum revolver, a .44 magnum lever action rifle (which actually packed quite a punch to the shoulder as it was sold-I had a gunsmith shorten the stock and put a thicker recoil pad on it and it is much better now), two 1911 style .45 ACP semi-automatic handguns (one Colt and one Ruger), a Beretta Tomcat (which is almost completely worthless-I almost never shoot this gun because it is a fucking firecracker), a Glock model 17 (9mm), a Winchester model 1200 12 gauge pump, a Beretta 20 gauge Over/Under shotgun, a Ruger 10/22 rifle, a Ruger Mark III .22LR pistol, a MAK-90 and a Winchester .300 WIN MAG hunting rifle. I feel like I'm leaving something out... oh well, I'm not opening the safe to take inventory. 😀 This is not even including guns I have owned in the past and sold off and I've shot a whole host of other guns over the years. You name it, in civilian, legal to own weapons, I've probably shot it.

I'm thinking of adding a Glock model 30 (.45 ACP) to my collection.

only if you have the wrong shotgun...

12 gauge Not for home defense @ 2am:

12 gauge for home defense @ 2am:

 

[alkemyst]

Let me ask you this, in the situations you used a gun for self defense, was it a shotgun?

I'm not against owning guns or buying them for self defense. I'm kind of on the fence about concealed carry but that's not what this thread is about.

This is right up your alley as far as CC/self defense.

Most of the people I know have had to pull out a handgun to defend themselves. Only one actually had to shoot anyone.

The guns ranged from .22's to .44 mags. Most were .380's. Many of my friends ride motorcycles where it's easy to get approached late at night. Many have expensive cars and we work overnights in warehouse / industry areas.

Most use a bag to carry their gun instead of a holster like Maxpedition stuff. One used a 'fanny pack' as well as it makes it easy to say "let me give you my money and phone".

IMHO OC spray and a knife is a better daily carry.

 

[JulesMaximus]

12 gauge for home defense @ 2am:

I don't even know what the fuck that is. 😀

 

[alkemyst]

Once again your comprehension goes into the toilet.

Not really, I just don't buy your fairy tales.

 

[JulesMaximus]

This is right up your alley as far as CC/self defense.

Most of the people I know have had to pull out a handgun to defend themselves. Only one actually had to shoot anyone.

The guns ranged from .22's to .44 mags. Most were .380's. Many of my friends ride motorcycles where it's easy to get approached late at night. Many have expensive cars and we work overnights in warehouse / industry areas.

Most use a bag to carry their gun instead of a holster like Maxpedition stuff. One used a 'fanny pack' as well as it makes it easy to say "let me give you my money and phone".

IMHO OC spray and a knife is a better daily carry.

CCW where I live is near impossible to obtain but that may be changing due to a recent supreme court decision. Local Sheriff is backed up with applications and they are not even processing them until some other ruling comes down. If it becomes available I may look into it.

If I did I would carry something like the Glock 30. Something fairly easy to conceal yet packs a punch. I like the .45 ACP round. Been shooting it for decades in many different guns. I was at Turners the other day though and they had a 10mm, I think it was a Glock, that really called out to me. :wub:

 

[pontifex]

If I don't intend to carry or conceal carry; basically just home defense and perhaps the target range on occasion, is there any problem in buying used from an individual for cash? What is the risk if the gun was stolen? What if the serial number has been ground off? Is this even legal? Anything else to look out for?

buying used is fine if you know what you are doing or have someone along who knows what they are doing.

Depends on state if you have to go through an FFL to transfer it or not. In PA, all handguns must go through an FFL.

Risk of buying stolen guns is probably low unless you're buying them out of someone's trunk on the street.

yes, serial # ground off is highly illegal. it means it was probably stolen and could have been used in a crime.

 

[phucheneh]

It's not exactly hard to end up with a stolen gun. But it's more something to worry about with old guns...stuff where the original box and accessories are not an expectation, and there may have been many previous owners. If you're buying something like an old police trade-in, Soviet surplus, or some such common gun that may be 30-40 years old or more, I'm sure it's quite easy to end up with something that's been through multiple 'legit' (sort of) owners despite being stolen long ago. Although theft on that stuff can be kinda hard to track, anyway, as most people who buy and sell lots of stuff in lenient states don't bother keeping records of the serial numbers of everything in their collection.

But for recent stuff, I think you're pretty safe as long as you use some common sense. Don't buy from shady people. Don't buy guns with one mag and no box.

While a bill of sale with some ID may help weed out most of the sketchy people, in the end, it does nothing for you other than give you some circumstantial evidence that you didn't know it was stolen. Said stolen nature is only going to come to light if a) you have to use it, in which case it's going bye-bye for a while no matter what (a legit gun should be returned, but just to be safe I'd probably not have a rare and/or high-end gun as a go-to for home defense). Or b) you actually take it to the PD to have it checked. And that's the ONLY way to have it properly checked...none of the other claimed 'stolen gun' databases have the same access, and cops can not check a gun without having it in person. Or, well, they're not supposed to- if it comes up stolen and they have nothing in-hand to confiscate, they're probably in some shit.

But anyway, if you lose a stolen gun and know who you bought it from, the best you can do is sue them. And trying to get money out of criminals in civil court is probably not something I'd bank on.

 

[alkemyst]

CCW where I live is near impossible to obtain but that may be changing due to a recent supreme court decision. Local Sheriff is backed up with applications and they are not even processing them until some other ruling comes down. If it becomes available I may look into it.

If I did I would carry something like the Glock 30. Something fairly easy to conceal yet packs a punch. I like the .45 ACP round. Been shooting it for decades in many different guns. I was at Turners the other day though and they had a 10mm, I think it was a Glock, that really called out to me. :wub:

I am a big guy, I can't imagine hiding .45 or 10mm with a decent capacity.

I'd test out the gun of my choice for carry, the CZ P-01.

 

[mnewsham]

If you've got the money for it, I have been thinking about picking up a Benelli M2 for home defense. They are pricey, but having fired one, they shoot very very nicely.

 

[MongGrel]

Not really, I just don't buy your fairy tales.

You're a very fucked up person is all I can say.

 

[phucheneh]

I am a big guy, I can't imagine hiding .45 or 10mm with a decent capacity.

I'd test out the gun of my choice for carry, the CZ P-01.

I was amazed when I held my P239 up to an HK45-C and had to deem them to be pretty much the same size. There are definitely some 45's out there that rival your average compact 9mm. Compact, of course, still meaning 'not exactly tiny'...if I can't get my whole hand on the grip, that's a subcompact, which is way bigger than 'pocket.'

For a ~15rd 9mm, an alloy or polymer CZ/clone is hard to beat. Barely bigger than a G19, given the right choice of grips. IIRC about 1.1" thick. Mmmm...

 

[MongGrel]

Not really, I just don't buy your fairy tales.

What the hell do you mean from fairy tails to begin with.

What a Moron.

My 35th reunion would be next year btw, but I doubt I'll go to it or be posting stupid shit all over the forums.

 

[OverVolt]

Very simple. A semi auto AK platform shotgun (I use 12 gauge) like the Saiga or Vepr with 12 round mags or 20-30 round drums. Mags can be replaced in < 2 seconds for 12 more rounds. That's a lot of buckshot being fired at once and giving you the most stopping power in close quarters bar none.

I'm envisioning a scene where a bad guy breaks in and you unload like 24 buckshot in 10 seconds and the bad guy and all your neighbors drop dead. Thats not really a good idea unless you live on alot of land.

 

[sao123]

I don't even know what the fuck that is. 😀

Kel Tec KSG pump action tactical shotgun.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Kel Tec KSG pump action tactical shotgun.

Yeah, I have no use for that. Seems kind of gimmicky if you ask me.

 

[Raizinman]

Last set of questions:

What accessories are available for the Glock 19? Are any of these accessories ordered from Glock when you order the gun, or are they purchased separately?

I’m a little embarrassed to say that I really like the laser light pointer attachment like you see on TV.

What accessories do you recommend?

What type of cleaning kit do I need?

Does this gun need disassembly to clean?

Do you use a hard or soft brush on the inside of the barrel?

Is it better to use a lockbox or a trigger lock (or both) when securing the gun?

 

[HumblePie]

That's going to be one of my next purchases.

How do you like it?

Works for her. Little small for me, but I can use it. Pretty good at destroying clay and beer cans though 🙂 Empty ones always the empty ones.... or the keystone ones.


On a serious note, with reduced recoil it is no discernible kick at all. Friend's 5 year old can shoot it without any problem.

For smaller framed people that have a hard time using a handgun reliably in a tense situation, the two choices I would make would either be that shotgun OR a hi point 9mm carbine.

 

[PliotronX]

Last set of questions:

What accessories are available for the Glock 19? Are any of these accessories ordered from Glock when you order the gun, or are they purchased separately?

I&#8217;m a little embarrassed to say that I really like the laser light pointer attachment like you see on TV.

What accessories do you recommend?

What type of cleaning kit do I need?

Does this gun need disassembly to clean?

Do you use a hard or soft brush on the inside of the barrel?

Is it better to use a lockbox or a trigger lock (or both) when securing the gun?

Yes, disassembly is necessary but there are few parts to a Glock so the process is easy. There are great videos for reference on Youtube, and for general cleaning I like the philosophy of this one even though it is a different gun. It's about 20 minutes but well worth the watch. It's only slightly different to take the Glock apart and the drops of lubrication can be a little different.

Use a nylon loop on one of these with the cotton patches first for the barrel, then either a brass brush or ideally a jag, then followup with the patches with a drop or two of oil again. Cleaning kits are totally handy and acceptable. Just know that solvents strong enough to clean copper turn green as an indicator that there may still be copper in the barrel and brass reacts to these solvents so may give a false green tint even though the copper has been removed. If you use one product to clean, lubricate, and protect it, make it Weapon Shield. For optimal cleaning of the barrel however, add this to your kit.

Operational locks like the trigger or cable can be tricky in the dark or if you don't have access to the key it will pose a problem. For these reasons, I like biotmetric locks. This is one I use at the ready and the caveat is that it is battery powered and when that battery dies you have to resort to the key so I like to use lithium batteries for maximum life. Its small size means that it can be easily stolen entirely unless you bolt it or secure it to something else and that's up to the owner how they go about it but this size means the options are limitless for placement.

I actually haven't looked into the laser attachment but I would think any would do. Green lasers may be more easily visible for you. The only accessory I can recommend at this time is the XS Big Dot sights. They have the fastest sight acquisition and great low light visibility but that may not matter with a laser 🙂

 

[irishScott]

Let me ask you this, in the situations you used a gun for self defense, was it a shotgun?

I'm not against owning guns or buying them for self defense. I'm kind of on the fence about concealed carry but that's not what this thread is about.

I took my 12 gauge shotgun to the range about a year ago and blasted holes in some zombie targets with it. Good fun but they can be a bit unwieldy and punishing to shoot. I don't have a problem shooting it but to say it has no recoil or mild recoil is just idiotic. A decent recoil pad would probably do a lot to tame that but the recoil pads most shotguns come with are pretty much an afterthought and the cheapest possible solution. Wrapping a gel filled maxi-pad over the end is not an ideal solution either. You really want to have the stock shortened by the amount thickness the recoil pad will add. You want someone who knows what the hell they're doing to perform this kind of work.

First time I ever shot a handgun I was punching holes in the center of the target at 15' with no problem and this was with a .38 special and a small frame HK squeeze cocker 9mm handgun. Shooting a handgun is not rocket science.

I own a .44 magnum revolver, a .44 magnum lever action rifle (which actually packed quite a punch to the shoulder as it was sold-I had a gunsmith shorten the stock and put a thicker recoil pad on it and it is much better now), two 1911 style .45 ACP semi-automatic handguns (one Colt and one Ruger), a Beretta Tomcat (which is almost completely worthless-I almost never shoot this gun because it is a fucking firecracker), a Glock model 17 (9mm), a Winchester model 1200 12 gauge pump, a Beretta 20 gauge Over/Under shotgun, a Ruger 10/22 rifle, a Ruger Mark III .22LR pistol, a MAK-90 and a Winchester .300 WIN MAG hunting rifle (you want to talk about a shoulder punisher, holy fuck was this one as I bought it). I feel like I'm leaving something out... oh well, I'm not opening the safe to take inventory. 😀 This is not even including guns I have owned in the past and sold off and I've shot a whole host of other guns over the years. You name it, in civilian, legal to own weapons, I've probably shot it.

I'm thinking of adding a Glock model 30 (.45 ACP) to my collection.

In both situations I was out and about, and I don't ever see myself carrying a shotgun around, so no.

I never said shotguns had no recoil, just that it's manageable and easier to aim/hit with than a handgun IMO, that's just the physics of the gun. Two handed grip + longer sight radius.

Sweet collection! And Glock 30s aren't bad. Fired a friend's at the range once, surprisingly minimal recoil given the light weight and the .45.