When I was a little boy, my dad’s choice of home defense gun was “American Traditional”: a double barrel 12 gauge shotgun and double-aught buckshot. Joe Biden would have approved.
The shotgun was the home defense standard in this country for centuries, but recently we’ve seen a huge surge in the adoption of the A15 rifle for this purpose. With proper ammo, it won’t penetrate through residential building materials any more than a service pistol bullet, but is very easy for all authorized members of the family to manipulate, particularly when equipped with the telescoping stock so hated by those who scream for the ban of “assault weapons.”
At the other end of the spectrum, my old friend Rich Grassi made a case in The Tactical Wire for the tiny Ruger LCP .380 pistol as part of the home defense armory. Reason: it can be constantly carried in your pocket, giving you a firearm instantly at hand wherever you are inside or outside the four walls, buying you time to fight your way to something more substantial if necessary.
As I write this, our current home defense guns motel room defense guns are a couple of .45 autos: A Springfield Armory Range Officer 1911A1 on my side, and a ROBAR Custom Glock 30-S for the lady of the house hotel room.
What’s your current approach to home defense hardware?
For day and night home defense, a Stevens 320 Security shotgun and a Browning BDM 9mm and Walther P99 Compact. For day-to-day carry, a Rossi Model 68 .38 special.
During day – I carry a .380 or .45 depending on time of year. At night its a .45 and AR-15 within reach by the bed.
K-9s are the first line of defense, next is an eleven round HK45 with a light/laser combo.
I do keep ear plugs near, but I’m seriously considering adding an H&K tactical threaded barrel and raised sights and go through the rigamarole of purchasing a suppressor. It sure would be nice if one could purchase a can as easily as a light/laser.
I do have other long arms handy if I think the situation calls for them.
Mossy 500 12-ga 8-shooter hidden, first 3 00B, last 5 are DDupleks steel-slug motor-killers…, Ruger LCS9pro on me. First mag, 124-gr Hornady American Gunner XTP, second mag, Buffalo Bore Penetrator 124-gr FMJ-FN, third mag Winchester 124 FMJ NATO.
The 12-ga is if I have to carry the fight outside the walls. I group <12" aimed fire at 50' (OR DPSST course), <16" rapid fire.
I have a safe full of rifles, but all my fightin' training is either handgun (military or police) or pump shotgun. Ya dance with who ya brung, bro.
I feel very outclassed here in such esteemed company. My home arsenal is very similar to what your family had Mas and almost exactly the same as my farm family.
I have a .22 rifle, an older Mossberg 12ga. pump in the closet and my MBR or what I call a deer rifle, is a lightweight, late 1890’s Mauser in 7.65 Arg. Now don’t laugh too hard, it still shoots center @ 100 yds.
I live alone in the thick woods, several hundred yards off the gravel road, surrounded by farms and good neighbors. Regardless, I carry an older Rossi 5 shot 38 spl. with a 3 in. barrel on my belt at all times. At night it hangs by my bed in a neck pouch, which I can just slip on if I have to get up. And at 70 years, I do have to get up.
Now I know this is not a set-up for TEOTWAWKI but the same has gotten my family through several generations. I may not be able to “spray and pray’ but I can “aim and hit”. Thanks for sharing everyone and good luck to us all.
Thanks Dennie, and TN_Man, guess I didn’t know the model 10 HB had such a long, and varied history.
I liked the one I was issued, as it pointed well, in double action shooting, and had very little recoil, especially with full wad cutter ammo, although it was a bitch to reload, at least with wadcutters, in early quick reloaders. It was actually faster to reload with 2 rounds, at a time, from 12, or 18, round belt loops, at least after I qot the the hang of doing it.
However, most of the Heavy Barrel USBP Model 10s had about a jillion rounds already fired through them, and were more than ready for replacement, or at least an Arsenal Overhaul. I eventually managed to “Trade In” the Model 10 HB, for a lesser used S&W 38/44 Outdoorsman, which was the fixed sight, .38 Spl. version S&W .357 Highway Patrol model.
Paul
I normally carry a G30 and two spare mags. At night it goes into a lockbox on my nightstand, I have a pair of pants with a belt, hoslter, mags and flashlight ready to get into.
I also have an AR with optic and a Mossberg 500 with light and side-saddle in a quick-access cabinet. The cabinet also has a shoulder bag with a few magazines, some 12 gauge, and an IFAK stuffed into it.
An M&P 9L & 2 extra mags sit at my right hand in our home office where we are most of the time. At night, that same gun & mags are on the floor in same spot every night.
As elastic waist band shorts in the summer & sweat pants when it’s colder don’t lend themselves well to a gun in the pocket I also have a Glock 26 with a 17 rd mag and 2 extra mags stashed in the cushions of the couch in the living room when I sit and read sometimes. There is also a Springfield Armory XD 3″ 9mm & extra mags attached to magnets under a kitchen counter when I am cooking, doing dishes or we are reloading on our Dillon 550B set up on the kitchen table.
My carry gun and go-to home defense is my CZ-82.
Dennis said: “Most, if not all of us that follow this blog, are ‘gun’ people. I would go even further to hazard the guess that most of us own and practice fairly regularly with a large array of weapons…”
I guess that you can say that I’m a gun person since I own guns, so I squeak under that line and under the “own” in the next line since I’ve indeed owned a large variety of guns over the years (but I fail the “practice fairly regularly” test). But kept any ready for immediate use? Nope, neither I nor my wife ever felt the need, so never spent much time thinking about what I would use if I were to do so.
Lo those many years ago when I was single I had some guns which were ostensibly for home protection (12-guage with BB shot, Walther PPK/S .380 with first-generation Glaser Safety Slugs), but I always kept them locked in my gun safe a couple of rooms away from my bedroom so even then they were more for hobbyism than practical use.
Dennis, still friends.
Colt 1911, the way God and St. John of Ogden meant us to use.
I like to keep it simple. Some folks call me a senior citizen. I have knee and leg problems so when I get up in the morning I put my S&W .38 Airweight 642-2 in my pocket before I come downstairs from my bedroom and it stays in my pocket until I climb those stairs to my bedroom at night. Next to the bed in an electronic touch safe is a Beretta Px4 Storm in 9mm holding 17 rounds. I don’t have to get out of bed to reach it and I have two locks on the door so I have time to get it if I need it.
A shotgun is nice if you live alone. With a patern it leaves i wouldnt trust it if the intruder shields themselves with a family member. A handgun is nice as a backup but even LEO’s have a hard time putting a suspect down with multiple shots if the subject is high on meth. At night an ar15 rifle helps keep the barrel stable, red dot assists at night keeping the defenders eyes both open which you cannot do with a pistol or hunting rifle. AR15 is suitable for a solution and is versitile no matter which family member has to defend themselves or others in the household. With the right ammo you will not have to worry about penitration.
A Ruger LCP is in my pocket at all times while at home. I keep a Ruger SR1911 by my bed, and also have a Daniel Defense AR and Remington 870 close by. There are also several stashed handguns of differing varieties throughout the house.
Dennis is probably very correct about most of us being “gun people”. Certainly, the two that I mentioned above (my S&W Model 10 and Mossberg 12 Gauge) do not represent my entire arsenal. They are simply the ones that I keep in my bedroom for nighttime home defense. I have a few other firearms cached around the house so that I can quickly lay my hands upon a firearm in any room. I generally do not carry in my home preferring to simply have several firearms located around that I can easily reach instead.
My carry guns, when I leave the house, are different from my home defense firearms. I do not try to make them do “double-duty” and use the same firearms for both carry and home defense. My carry handguns tend to be of the small, handy type that will fit in a pocket. They are chambered for the usual suspects (.38 spl, 9mm, .380, etc.) depending upon how small I need to go.
I also have the usual assortment of range guns including a number of revolvers (S&W, Charter Arms, Taurus – I like revolvers) plus various rifles including an AR and a Ruger mini. The range guns, however, live in the safe unless I am actually going to the range. I even have some automatic pistols, such as a 1911 plus a few others. I don’t have any glocks, of course. I am not that decadent! 🙂
I also have the usual assortment of motion-sensor lights and an alarm system.
So, there is a bunch of different firearms that I could use for home defense. However, the primary ones are the S&W and Mossberg for the reasons listed above.
Paul Edwards,
I failed to mention that occasionally Smith and Wesson would slip in a Model 13, when filling a purchase by the department. The Model 13 was identical in appearance to the Model 10, but chambered in .357 magnum. I wasn’t lucky enough to have one of these issued to me. I doubt that the Quartermaster Unit ever noticed the difference, even though .357 magnum was stamped on the barrel.
Dave – the liberal – since you’re not using your guns, would you be interested in selling them?
Mas – question about your “Lady of the Hotel Room’s” choice of gun – the 30S. I have some history with that firearm. My question to both you and Gail (Gail, mainly because I’m sure my hands are bigger than hers) is: Do you ever have problems getting to the mag release – without adjusting your grip? My inability to consistently be able to drop mags is the sole reason I sold my last 30S. I tried every commercial adaptation I could, even made one myself – to no avail. My current EDC is a Sig P320C/.45 ACP (love those big slugs) that is darn near perfect for my mitts.
Wife has a charter arms .38 “Pink Lady,” but it’s really only to impress her friends with. Oh, you half to have the pink holster with it also. My EDC although not very popular is a Sig 290 RS 9mm w/ laser and extended mag. S & W bodyguard .38 near the bed because my wife can operate it if needed. Have AR’s, AK’s and shotguns if necessary but not loaded. Love 1911’s, Glocks and M-9’s but as I get older I prefer smaller stuff. Just got a Glock 43 w/ Alien Gear holster but haven’t tried it yet. Last gun purchased though was a : Savage 116 .30-06 with scope, but I haven’t shot it yet either. Like pistol caliber carbines over an AR’s inside the house. I read all Mas’s stuff!
On me or near me when I’m up and about is usually a Kahr P9 w/night sights. At night it’s within reach by the bed, along with a spare magazine.
If time allows, I can grab my Maverick 88 with a scary ATI Talon adjustable stock and 5+1 capacity to either take care of things or fight my way to the gun room. At that point, providing I’m still fully functional and uninjured, whoever’s in the house best start getting the hell out.
An HK USP with light attached and loaded with Federal hollowpoints, and an Rem 870 with 00 buck.
Don-PA — She doesn’t have the world’s longest fingers, so she stabs the mag release with her support hand thumb to begin a reload.
@Don-Pa: Sorry, but you’re a few months too late. All I have left are a couple of guns which belong to my sons and which I’m keeping for them because they don’t have gun safes.
Thanks, Mas for the quick response. Ya know, it’s such a shame ’cause the 30S was damn near perfect for me. I have you to thank for me even buying the Glock – your articles just sold me on trying it. I just wasn’t comfortable with shifting digits around to reload.
My wife keeps a G19, her hand picked S&W M60, or a 16″ 357Magnum Lever handy. Inside the home I prefer a 870 once we’re set, and until then – something like a G23 or 45ACP of some flavor on my person. A bathrobe pocket can also carry any of several lightweight handguns.
We don’t have NORAD for our home, but the dogs get treats for barking at strangers, so…..
A Sig P226 in 9mm with spare mag and flashlight in my night stand. A G17 equipped ditto in my wife’s. I have an AR15 with attached light and Sig red dot in the closet (it goes into the upstairs gun safe whenever we leave the house).
I carry a Glock model 22 in .40 Smith and Wesson in a holster on my hip at home and away as well as a few spare mags in the event of a zombie apocolypse. At night it sits beside my bed in a holster in case I need it. I also have handy an AR-15 with a red-dot holographic sight just in case the Glock isn’t enough to convince the bad guy(s) to vamoose. And I have enough ammo on hand that neither firearm feels deprived.
In addition to the actual firearms, I always have a Fenix light (900+ lumens) handy in case I need to temporarily blind a bad guy or two.
At night in the 2nd floor master bedroom Mossberg 930 tactical semi auto empty chamber with 5 of the 7+1 shell capacity in tube starting with 1 #1 buck, 2 00 buck last 2 Winchester PDX (3 buck and a 1oz slug combo). A Mesa Tactical 6 shell side saddle with 3 PDX, 2 00 Buck and 1 #1 buck. This allows loading the last 2 spaces in the tube or 3 if a shell is chambered or for reloading. A Streamlight TLR 1 weapons light is attached with a remote switch. Springfield XDM in 40 S&W Trijicon HD night sights and a Streamlight TLR 4 light and green laser, loaded with 14 rounds of Corbon DPX and 1 extra loaded magazine. *Electronic ears both protect and enhance your hearing are with the guns.
The house has motion senor exterior lights and the interior is alarmed in zones so you can sleep and move upstairs with the entry sensors and motion detectors active on the first floor. WIFI cameras are tied with the alarm motion sensors so you can see the first floor and stairway on your iPhone which I charge at night in the master. Inexpensive overlapping coverage motion sensor lights are on the first floor and stairway so you can remain in the dark but any one coming up the stairs is backlit and has their night vision degraded. An intruder could unplug one but in going to the light they would activate another. Hopefully with the alarm going off and the lights coming on only, a drugged up or very determined intruder is going to stick around. The live camera feed and a 5 minute rewind would provide good inelegance before deciding the clear the house or fort up and wait for the police.
All our semi auto handguns including the carry compacts are all .40 S&Ws loaded with Corbon DPX with Trijicon HD night sights. This provides consistent daylight, low light sight pictures and recoil for all the hand guns. Several quick access safes are placed in convenient locations. When you are out or the grand kids are around the weapons are secured when they need to be but in handy known locations when you come back home.
Those with firearms scattered around the house; I wonder how they go about locking them up when they leave? Crooks know how to look behind bookcases too.
Locally, we had a nice fellow who was helping a friend to learn how to shoot. The family kids were in to soccer and the whole family went to a soccer match and were gone a couple of days. Well, the friend that was learning how to shoot told a friend who told a friend, etc. the family got home and 25 or so guns were gone along with 500 rnds. of ammo.
When I took my Mag-40 class, I think, on the questionnaire, one of the questions was,”How do you store your guns”.
6 inch GP 100 With Hornady .357 Critical Defense.
@ Randy,
I use various techniques to conceal the firearms located around the house. For obvious reasons, I am not going to go into specifics.
It would take a very complete, and time-consuming search, to locate them all. Certainly, they are not just lying out in the open.
I am counting on the alarm system to cut the time that the thieves have to search. Indeed, my house was broken into about a year ago while I was away on a multi-day trip. The alarm system triggered and the cops arrived in 8 minutes. All the thieves could do was grab two or three items and then skedaddle. They did more damage (dollar-wise) in breaking in then the dollar value of what they stole. Unfortunately, the thieves got away and were never caught. I have hardened my defenses somewhat since then.
If I am going to be away for any length of time, say several days, then I move them into the gun safe and lock them up before I go. However, for normal day trips (to work, to the grocery store, etc.) I do not make that effort. Only if I am going to be gone overnight do I put everything in the safe.
Judging from the number of responses this subject generates every time it comes up, this is everyone’s favorite topic. I like reading about all of your choices, too, so I’m glad Mas revisits it from time to time.
My carry gun is a Glock 27 with Trijicon night sights & CT lasergrips. It’s not my favorite Glock, but it’s more concealable than most & I prefer a double stack magazine with even larger backup magazines just in case. I carry it in a Holsters Plus kydex belt holster even around the house, not just because it’s immediately available in the event of an emergency, but also because I like guns & I feel more comfortable when I’m wearing it than I do when I’m not. It also serves as my bedside gun, along with several other handguns, shotguns, & rifles.
Unlike some of you, I do not worry about my ammunition choices penetrating walls because almost everything will penetrate at least one wall, so you just have to choose your shots carefully. Also, I believe that it is extremely unlikely that I will miss what I’m shooting at within the very close room length distances of my house, especially when looking down the barrel of a long gun or when using a laser which allows me to see the red dot on the target itself with both eyes open, even when the gun is not held at eye level, giving me a broad field of view. In addition, if you are defending your own home, you should have a plan that will allow you to identify your attacker(s) well before they can spot you. I’m a strong believer in the tactic of retreating to a safe room, calling 911, & using a shotgun as “artillery”, which Mas has taught for several years.
On the subject of shotguns, my favorite has always been the Benelli M-1 Super 90 Tactical, which is just about perfect for me. Lately, however, I’ve been very tempted to get either a Kel-Tec KSG or a Standard Manufacturing Company DP-12 because of their compact length, maneuverability in tight spaces, & 14 round dual magazine capacity. I have had some experience with both & I’m very impressed with them. I’ll probably end up buying one of each, but I’m leaning toward getting the KSG first because it’s lighter, less expensive, & I like the idea of being able to switch back & forth between the two magazines, each of which can be loaded with distinctively different rounds if necessary. The advantage of the DP-12, which is also calling to me, is the ability to fire two rounds with each pump of the shotgun because it has twin barrels as well as twin magazines. I’m surprised that no one here has mentioned either one of them as weapons of choice (unless I missed something). I’m also surprised that more people haven’t expressed a preference for a Tavor over an AR because of it’s short overall length.
On another subject, I cannot understand why so many gun manufacturers are failing to realize the potential for compact, lightweight, semi-auto, affordable, easy to shoot, pistol caliber carbines for home protection. Other than Hi-Point, there’s not much to choose from.
Lastly, I also have a set of enhanced electronic hearing protectors at hand in my bedroom in the hope that I can prevent myself from becoming any more deaf than I already am.
Dave–VA,
The Keltec Sub 2000 comes in pistol calibers and can be had, made for Glock magazines. I bought one several years ago in the Glock 19 configuration. It weighs around 4lbs., takes the 32 rd. Glock extended mags. I’ve shot several thousands of rounds through it without a hick-up. It folds up and I carry it, a Glock 26 (which will use these same mags), three 32rd. mags, four 15 rd. mags, all fully loaded, and all in a laptop case, when I travel. No one’s the wiser when you carry it into a hotel. (or into a restaurant I would suppose). Just FYI.
@ Dave–VA,
Concerning the lack of compact, semi-auto, pistol caliber carbines:
I think the problem is that no well-established firearms manufacturer has ever produced one at a good price point.
As you noted, Hi-Point produces them at a good price point. I am sure that they sell a bunch of them. However, Hi-Point is not generally considered a top quality manufacturer and some people are probably reluctant to trust them for home defense.
I have one of the older “planet of the apes” style Hi-Point carbines in .40 S&W caliber. I picked it up (used) for $140. I have been favorably impressed with it. It is a pain to strip down for detailed cleaning but I have found it to be very reliable. I have only put a couple of hundred rounds through the gun but I can’t recall ever having a malfunction with it. I currently use it as a “Trunk Gun”.
A few of the top firearm manufacturers have attempted pistol caliber carbines. However, they typically end up being fairly expensive. After all, if you can buy a good AR or AK for the same money, why go for the pistol caliber carbine?
In my opinion, the price for these carbines needs to be well below the price for an AR or AK. They should really be competitive with handguns not rifles cost-wise.
If some well-known manufacturer (Ruger, for example) was to make a 9mm carbine that cost about the same as their 9mm handguns, say $400 to $450, and if it was light and handy and had good magazine capacity (20 to 30 rounds) then I predict that they would fly off the shelves. However, increase the price into the low-end AR and AK range ($600 to $1000) and people will buy the AR’s instead. The pistol caliber carbines cannot compete with them at the same price point. They need to be less expensive to really sell.
Dennis,
Thanks for the information. I knew Kel-Tec made one, but I couldn’t remember the model number. It’s a perfect example of what I was talking about & they have proved that it can be done for a reasonable price. Now that I know it’s still available, I’m going to try to get one. Kel-Tec has come up with some very innovative designs in recent years, but they are not as good at actually getting their guns out on store shelves everywhere. If they were & if they marketed them properly, I think they could sell a lot of these, but maybe they don’t have the manufacturing capability to do that.
TN_MAN,
I agree with your assessment of the situation. The old discontinued Marlin Camp Carbine is a good example of the concept, although I don’t remember ever seeing it marketed as a home defense gun. If Marlin could revive it with a synthetic stock & high capacity magazines in the price range you suggested, as Kel-Tec has, or if Ruger would make something similar & market it as a family home defense gun for people who are not particularly adept at shooting a handgun, I think it would sell very well. A simple “non-threatening” design, like a Ruger 10/22 in a larger caliber, with very little recoil would be very attractive to first time gun buyers. There are a lot of places where it is not viable to own an AR or to use one for self-protection & there are a lot of people who cannot or do not want to spend even $600 to buy one, so I think there is a market for more inoffensive looking carbines like these. As you pointed out so well, brand name & price point are the keys to success with this.
I also agree with your assessment of Hi-Point. I do not trust their quality, especially in a life or death situation, although their carbines do seem to be better than their pistols.
As for other alternatives, in case anyone reading this is feeling left out, the M-1 carbine is a great gun & I love mine, but even the new reproductions are too expensive these days. The Kriss Vector is also available, but it’s too heavy & way too expensive, although I wish I could own a suppressed full-auto one in .45ACP. And I still believe that pistol caliber lever action rifles are good home defense guns, particularly Winchester Model 1892 reproductions.
Mossberg 590A1, AR, SKS, 1911, SP101 and a HiPoint.
For distance work, Mauser, Enfield, Mosin-Nagant and Eddystone.
I like diversity.
Tahn Said:
I feel very outclassed here in such esteemed company.
I have a late 1890’s Mauser in 7.65 Arg. Now don’t laugh too hard, it still shoots center @ 100 yds.
Don’t sell your Mauser short, I fired many a DCM match with mine, kept up with the ‘mouse guns’ just fine. Loaded with really light bullets I could shoot all day and no pain.
Dave the liberal one – my bad as I thought by your post you were getting rid of ALL your guns.
If I am out of bed a Ruger LCR .357 is in my pocket, if I go out the door, unless it is to the VA I am also wearing either a G27 or a 3″ 629 depending on the time of year (Bear Country). On my bedside table is a Sig P220 with a TLR4 laser/light and a 10 round magazine. My Significant other has a G23 with a TLR3 light on her bedside table. Long guns for home defense are a .40S&W Olympic Arms AR that has a 33 round Glock Magazine in it or John (The Genius) Brownings Winchester Model 12 chambered in 16 gauge with #6 shot. If I am carrying a long gun around the wood lot it is a Ruger GSR Scout Rifle (left handed).
Daytime, 1911 Govt with green laser, loaded with Guard Dog .45ACP strong side OWB holster, 1 reload mag and 1 sm CS aerosol on weak side; G36 with tritium front, loaded same, in LH SOB holster. On the night stand, the G36 (I can always find that with the tritium front) and a Coast hi-lumen (but not blinding) flashlight. Gunsite 77 and 78.
Before the skiing accident where all my guns fell to the bottom of an alpine lake…. Wait what…
Still looking for a really secure yet rapid access locking system for a readi access AR15. Oh, that isn’t $300 PLUS.
Whit
Suppressed G17 with subsonic Remington lead tipped hollow points. Spare 33rd G magazine loaded the same. Figure the Rem. subsonic load is about the same as 38 spl. When away from home my wife has G19 loaded with Gold Dot +p 124 gr and HER 870. Suppressor tax in my name and really don’t know the legalities of it being used out of my possession. Any help here Mas……………..
Jeff, if you are still monitoring this comment thread, be sure to read the comments for the blog entry “HOME CARRY” Thursday, September 1, where Mas responds to your suppressor question.
William, thanks for the catch on that.
Glock G20 with 180g Hornady XTP. Recoil and follow-up are not a problem for me. Backup is an M&P 40 Compact.
Glock 17 9mm with Surefire X300 and 33 round Glock OEM magazine loaded with Federal HST 124-grain +P. We live in rural Arkansas where the one late night deputy on duty often is on the other side of the county or sometimes home taking calls. Very long response times could result. So, I’m looking for sustainability until LE arrives.
I also keep a concealed Colt 6920 in my bedroom. It’s equipped with a 40-round Pmag, Aimpoint Pro, Surefire Mini-Scout light, and Proctor Way of the Gun sling. In a nearby room, I also keep a hidden Remington 870 Police with factory extended magazine tube, VTAC sling, and VTAC light mount with Streamlight flashlight. It’s loaded with Federal Tactical “Flite Control” 8-pellet reduced recoil and equipped with a side-mounted ARES Gear 5-round shotshell carrier for quicker reloads. Thanks for Mas for all the guidance over the years…
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