Thread: Your home defense choice, and why?

My S&W model 36, snubby in 38sp, loaded w/critical defense. Resides in my nightstand drawer in close reach!

Originally Posted by Harryball

This subject comes up a lot. It is a subject that is well worth the discussion. My personal choice is my pistol. You ask why? I have kids in the house. It is hard to control all the kids and a long gun. The pistol allows me to be very compact and effective in the role it plays in my home defense.

Now, I am not saying that a shotgun or a rifle is wrong, it is just wrong for my context. That really is the reason for this post. I hope that we can discuss this in a manor that will cause us to look at what we are doing and make sure that its right for the context we are in. Your thoughts...

I feel the same about the handgun. if I was aware of an approaching situation, well then it might be different

Shotgun with a 16.5 inch barrel by the bed. Glock 40 by the chair.

Head of my bed, four-inch Smith 10-5 loaded with +P 158 grain LSWCHP. On the dresser next to the bed, my carry gun, a Smith 640, same ammo. I live alone, no worries about kids having access to my guns.

Ruger SR40 in bedside safe. 18.5 barrel 12 gauge in locker in closet if I have time. No kids. But not willing to have loaded guns laying around.

considering I have a nearly 3 year old and a nearly 5 year old....my guns are not by the chair, by my bead, under my pillow...on the table...on the counter....

Mine are up high, out of reach of little hands but with loaded mags ready for use.

We have ready to rack our LCP and my husbands Glock 21. My S&W 6 shooter is also loaded and ready to go at all times. I keep it full of lead so that it will not go through my walls so easily.

Our newest addition is the Walther P88 compact but it doesn't have a home yet so it is not on the grab list. I have a concelment clock on the way so once it get here, it will be mounted in the kitchen and loaded up with the Walther.

My husband keeps a Makarov .380 out in the shop. It is a good little pistol. Shoot well for a .380. Keeps them in the middle even at 25 yards.

No kids in the house, just me and the wife.

I keep my Sig P250C in a bedside commercial quality file cabinet. My Sig has a StreamLight TLR-1 on it. Great gun / light combo.

i have more loaded guns laying around the house than Obama has coverups.

my home defense firearm just depends on what room i am in.

it's just me and 6 four-legged intruder alert systems. no kids and no neighbors within 500yds to accidentally shoot thru a wall.

Originally Posted by Broondog

i have more loaded guns laying around the house than Obama has coverups.

my home defense firearm just depends on what room i am in.

it's just me and 6 four-legged intruder alert systems. no kids and no neighbors within 500yds to accidentally shoot thru a wall.

Dogs are great early warning systems,you can actually tell by the differences in their barking of what's approaching,,, or they hear a noise outside,,or just messing with each other.
What do you think Mr. Broondog ?

My Bersa Thunder 380 with Crimson Trace laser grips kept in a biometric safe by my bed.

I forgot to mention that my true first line of defense is 2 70lb Lab/Something else muts who love to bark at strangers.

Sig P220 in bedroom, Sig P220 in main room, Beretta 45ACP Storm carbine in bedroom. Oh, and a alarm-system dog.

Originally Posted by pic

I feel the same about the handgun. if I was aware of an approaching situation, well then it might be different

Yea, If I knew where someone was coming from and had the family in place, I would use the AR, unfortunately the BGs do not notify us when and where they are coming from....

A combination of my S&W SD40 .40 and a snub-nosed EAA Windicator .357 Magnum,both with JHP +P ammo,both within arm's reach of my side of the bed.

Originally Posted by momtotwo

considering I have a nearly 3 year old and a nearly 5 year old....my guns are not by the chair, by my bead, under my pillow...on the table...on the counter....

Mine are up high, out of reach of little hands but with loaded mags ready for use.

We have ready to rack our LCP and my husbands Glock 21. My S&W 6 shooter is also loaded and ready to go at all times. I keep it full of lead so that it will not go through my walls so easily.

Our newest addition is the Walther P88 compact but it doesn't have a home yet so it is not on the grab list. I have a concelment clock on the way so once it get here, it will be mounted in the kitchen and loaded up with the Walther.

My husband keeps a Makarov .380 out in the shop. It is a good little pistol. Shoot well for a .380. Keeps them in the middle even at 25 yards.

Where do you live? Sounds momoftwo really lays down the law! Nice!

I have a moat around my house, with a lot of really hungry alligators in it.

Originally Posted by guardrail

Shotgun with a 16.5 inch barrel by the bed. Glock 40 by the chair.

That would be illegal. A legal shotgun must have a barrel 18 inches or longer. Specific brand/model is a matter of taste, preference, hand fit, etc. Type of weapon should depend on your situation and emergency plan. If you can barricade yourself in a room with your cell phone, a shotgun is hard to beat. A pump shotgun is pretty reliable and can carry 6+ shells in an expended magazine. But it's hard to move through the house with a shotgun although a sling helps. Will you need to move through your house? Where are your children? Who else is in the house? What is your floor plan? Is over-penetration an issue? The right kind of gun really depends almost entirely on your situation.

Originally Posted by guardrail

Shotgun with a 16.5 inch barrel by the bed. Glock 40 by the chair.

That would be illegal. A legal shotgun must have a barrel 18 inches or longer. Specific brand/model is a matter of taste, preference, hand fit, etc. Type of weapon should depend on your situation and emergency plan. If you can barricade yourself in a room with your cell phone, a shotgun is hard to beat. A pump shotgun is pretty reliable and can carry 6+ shells in an expended magazine. But it's hard to move through the house with a shotgun although a sling helps. Will you need to move through your house? Where are your children? Who else is in the house? What is your floor plan? Is over-penetration an issue? The right kind of gun really depends almost entirely on your situation.

I depend upon a Glock 19 and 23 for homedefense and a .357 snubnose with Critical Defense for last ditch gun. If the intruder makes it through all that then I was always in over my head. I have two large cats that would purr a man to death.lol....

Originally Posted by pic

Dogs are great early warning systems,you can actually tell by the differences in their barking of what's approaching,,, or they hear a noise outside,,or just messing with each other.
What do you think Mr. Broondog ?

very true. there's the "omg a leaf blew away" bark, the "neighbor dog is here" bark, the "look at those silly horses running around" bark, and the all important "moving vehicle up by the barn" bark.

nobody gets any closer than 350yds without warning.

Originally Posted by Broondog

very true. there's the "omg a leaf blew away" bark, the "neighbor dog is here" bark, the "look at those silly horses running around" bark, and the all important "moving vehicle up by the barn" bark.

nobody gets any closer than 350yds without warning.

lol, great, thanks

I'm going to have to rely on my SA XD40 until I save enough to go buy a double barreled 12GA. so I can go stand on my deck and do a "biden blast" to scare the BG off.

P30 on nightstand, 12ga under bed, 170lb Great Pyr sleeping in bedroom doorway. Wife's side has SP101 on nightstand, but we share the dog.

Originally Posted by XD40inAVL

I'm going to have to rely on my SA XD40 until I save enough to go buy a double barreled 12GA. so I can go stand on my deck and do a "biden blast" to scare the BG off.