Home defense -?

[turtle5353]

My wife wanted a gun for when I was working out of town. We got her a nice little 380 semi-auto. We tried the 9mm but the grips were kinda big for her hands and the action was difficult for her to pull back. The 380 is nice and small and she loves it. We have 2 small children at home and both know, and respect guns. My oldest started shooting pistols at 6. All my guns are in a fireproof safe locked up. We have 1 gun in the bedroom in a small vault the size of a book. Only me or my wife can open it, it has a keypad you lay your hand on to open. I think a shotgun would be a little cumbersome for home defense unless the zombie apocalypse was coming. But I do have several of them.

 

[CZ-75]

I'll chime in, and consider myself somewhat an expert in the subject.

Back when Ohio first passed our CCW law, I quickly signed up for a class so I could get my license. In class, there were many "trophy wives" who obviously had never even handled a gun before. They were extremely nervous and would visibly shake from being nervous on the range.

I saw an opportunity , and started a small business to educate people on firearms and firearm safety. I started by holding clinics for women at local golf clubs. 7:00PM - 9:30PM at the clubhouse, then offered in-home sessions for anyone interested. These sessions were all about how to handle a gun, nomenclature, and gun safety.

I also offered to escort people to the range, and practice with my firearms, or something they want to rent from the range.

Full size shotguns were too big and heavy in at least 80% of the ladies I taught. And of the 20% who were able to shoulder a shotgun, about half didn't like the recoil. And if you think dropping down to a 20ga helps, it really doesn't.

I would suggest finding a handgun that she could carry concealed if legal in your state. One gun can serve both home defense and CCW. The added benefit is being familiar with your one weapon, rather than 2 different ones.

Semi-auto pistols are way more complicated than revolvers. With a revolver, you pull the trigger... no messing with slides, safety switches, mag releases, etc. The only down side to a revolver is width and limited number of rounds. But the chance she will ever need more than 5 shots is remote.

Don't start with a concealed carry piece. The sharp recoil associated with a small lightweight pistol is scary to most women. Start with a full size revolver, probably in .38 special. The recoil is somewhat tame. Then, move either to larger caliber, or smaller gun.

Honestly, with bullet design these days, there is nothing wrong with .380 for personal defense. However, larger caliber is almost always better. Just start her off with a small caliber and let her progress from there.

 

[Don C]

Three things are needed when having firearms and children:

Firearm security

Training (parents AND CHILDREN)

DISCIPLINE (PARENTS AND CHILDREN)

The extra emphasis is placed on discipline because it seems that too often parents lack the discipline needed to be able to take care of and discipline their children. Without discipline the parents won't take proper care of the firearm nor take the time to train their children. Without discipline the children will not treat the firearms with respect nor stay away from them. Hiding or locking firearms won't work any better than hiding or locking up Christmas presents.

My wife and I always had a variety of firearms. Our two sons are now adults and we never had any problems with them and our guns.

 

[T-Tom]

I'll chime in, and consider myself somewhat an expert in the subject.

Back when Ohio first passed our CCW law, I quickly signed up for a class so I could get my license. In class, there were many "trophy wives" who obviously had never even handled a gun before. They were extremely nervous and would visibly shake from being nervous on the range.

I saw an opportunity , and started a small business to educate people on firearms and firearm safety. I started by holding clinics for women at local golf clubs. 7:00PM - 9:30PM at the clubhouse, then offered in-home sessions for anyone interested. These sessions were all about how to handle a gun, nomenclature, and gun safety.

I also offered to escort people to the range, and practice with my firearms, or something they want to rent from the range.

Full size shotguns were too big and heavy in at least 80% of the ladies I taught. And of the 20% who were able to shoulder a shotgun, about half didn't like the recoil. And if you think dropping down to a 20ga helps, it really doesn't.

I would suggest finding a handgun that she could carry concealed if legal in your state. One gun can serve both home defense and CCW. The added benefit is being familiar with your one weapon, rather than 2 different ones.

Semi-auto pistols are way more complicated than revolvers. With a revolver, you pull the trigger... no messing with slides, safety switches, mag releases, etc. The only down side to a revolver is width and limited number of rounds. But the chance she will ever need more than 5 shots is remote.

Don't start with a concealed carry piece. The sharp recoil associated with a small lightweight pistol is scary to most women. Start with a full size revolver, probably in .38 special. The recoil is somewhat tame. Then, move either to larger caliber, or smaller gun.

Honestly, with bullet design these days, there is nothing wrong with .380 for personal defense. However, larger caliber is almost always better. Just start her off with a small caliber and let her progress from there.

+1 to this. My 2 cents.

 

[rpmcarter]

step one: classes

step two: a good German Shepard/ Akita/Doberman

step three: 20 gauge

add pistol as necessary.

Case in point some black guy came to our door last night selling something . The dog is barking up a storm and she barely has the door open but trying to be poliite. He says " I can help you shut that dog up" I got off the sofa and ask her what he said...did I hear that right did I hear that right in a fairly loud voice. Then I said open the door and let Jasper out...we'll see who shuts up! He decided to leave.

 

[hyena429]

Three things are needed when having firearms and children:

Firearm security

Training (parents AND CHILDREN)

DISCIPLINE (PARENTS AND CHILDREN)

The extra emphasis is placed on discipline because it seems that too often parents lack the discipline needed to be able to take care of and discipline their children. Without discipline the parents won't take proper care of the firearm nor take the time to train their children. Without discipline the children will not treat the firearms with respect nor stay away from them. Hiding or locking firearms won't work any better than hiding or locking up Christmas presents.

My wife and I always had a variety of firearms. Our two sons are now adults and we never had any problems with them and our guns.

Yup i agree Don, train train train, and teach teach teach.. My dad had 45/70's and 58 cals on the wall with plenty of ammo " no locks" ..But!! He took me out and let my curious arse shoot them monsters..After pulling the trigger on them, i did not want anything to do with them!! they hurt the hell out of me being a little kid, and showed me the power and how terrible it can be, and not something i should mess with!! like being shocked by a electric fence for the first time, after that, kid does not feel the need to play with them and will stick to the plastic ones that dont hurt till they are ready

As for a good home defense gun in town, it is hard to beat the old Taurus judge in 410/ 45 for ladies....No jamming, or slide to worry to pull back, i know some gals have issues with pulling back the slide properly. dual purpose and great in town gun with the defensive 410 shot gun rounds..and not too shabby with 45 auto at the range, and hardly any kick with 410 shot rounds...cheap gun to buy too. " not my choice as a daily shooter or anything" but great gun for home defense!! don't got to worry about 410 shot going far with the short barrel too. " threw homes and such" One i praticed with " with buck shot" pattern was pretty weak at past 25-30ish foot.. "riflings make the shot spread out far too far past that" Perfict for in the home...15 foot..you cannot miss!!

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Turning a corner or moving through a doorway with a long gun is a tricky thing to do. I have to vote no on shotguns as a primary home defense weapon.

"Racking the slide" on a pump shotgun is akin to saying "Here I am and I intend to mess you up" If an intruder is armed and hears that he may well point towards the sound and start shooting.

The only intimidating noise a gun should produce is that of a round being fired.

My kids are old enough that I would not worry about leaving a loaded gun accessible . . . it is everyone else that comes and goes that makes me feel a locking instant access safe is the way to go. (Okay I'm scared of my girlfriend-I admit it )

Look at biometric if you can afford it. access is almost instantaneous.

 

[sicndhed]

Turning a corner or moving through a doorway with a long gun is a tricky thing to do. I have to vote no on shotguns as a primary home defense weapon.

"Racking the slide" on a pump shotgun is akin to saying "Here I am and I intend to mess you up" If an intruder is armed and hears that he may well point towards the sound and start shooting.

The only intimidating noise a gun should produce is that of a round being fired.

^^^Yep. There is no single weapon or tactic that will be the best course of action for all threats. In many situations cycling a slide (pump or pistol) will send an intruder running. The criminal who is prepared to kill his victims just got some free information/motivation if he hears the homeowner is armed. Scanning your home with a flashlight presents the same problem. The punk will run but the real bad guy sees you first if you're holding a light. The criminal has a pretty big advantage if he is ready to kill during his trespass. The law abiding citizen needs to evaluate the threat before firing (in most states). Even with castle laws that allow the home owner to kill any trespassers the issue of mistakenly killing a family member comes into play if the home owner fries on what is perceived as a threat without take the time (and risk) of positively identifying who is walking in the dark house/garage/property. I hear a lot of people saying that if they ever "hear" someone in their house they will shoot first and then evaluate the situation. That's great until somebody who is not a foe gets in the line of fire.

I agree with the comments about revolvers being a good choice for the gun owner who wants the least complicated weapon. The downside to a revolver is the fact that the ease of use becomes a big negative IF a child ever gets access the the weapon.

 

[4Vforever]

step one: classes

step two: a good German Shepard/ Akita/Doberman

step three: 20 gauge

add pistol as necessary.

Case in point some black guy came to our door last night selling something . The dog is barking up a storm and she barely has the door open but trying to be poliite. He says " I can help you shut that dog up" I got off the sofa and ask her what he said...did I hear that right did I hear that right in a fairly loud voice. Then I said open the door and let Jasper out...we'll see who shuts up! He decided to leave.

Love it, but you shouldn't have said anything at all, just opened the door let the dog out and then asked him to show his techniques on shutting up the dog now once the dog had hold of him or chasing him down the street. A good dog or two or three (like we have) are the best form of home defence you can have. Come to our house when we're home and they're the biggest sooks and attention seekers going, but when we're not or they think there's danger (even mucking around with the wife) and they're not the same three sooky attention seeking dogs then, just ask two of my mates who even know the dogs.

 

[Luke]

step one: classes

step two: a good German Shepard/ Akita/Doberman

step three: 20 gauge

add pistol as necessary.

Case in point some black guy came to our door last night selling something . The dog is barking up a storm and she barely has the door open but trying to be poliite. He says " I can help you shut that dog up" I got off the sofa and ask her what he said...did I hear that right did I hear that right in a fairly loud voice. Then I said open the door and let Jasper out...we'll see who shuts up! He decided to leave.

Well dogs can't bark with their mouth full lol. Love your work.

 

[rpmcarter]

step one: classes

step two: a good German Shepard/ Akita/Doberman

step three: 20 gauge

add pistol as necessary.

Case in point some black guy came to our door last night selling something . The dog is barking up a storm and she barely has the door open but trying to be poliite. He says " I can help you shut that dog up" I got off the sofa and ask her what he said...did I hear that right did I hear that right in a fairly loud voice. Then I said open the door and let Jasper out...we'll see who shuts up! He decided to leave.

Love it, but you shouldn't have said anything at all, just opened the door let the dog out and then asked him to show his techniques on shutting up the dog now once the dog had hold of him or chasing him down the street. A good dog or two or three (like we have) are the best form of home defence you can have. Come to our house when we're home and they're the biggest sooks and attention seekers going, but when we're not or they think there's danger (even mucking around with the wife) and they're not the same three sooky attention seeking dogs then, just ask two of my mates who even know the dogs.

ahhh yeah its's kinda funny. My yellow Lab goes 100 and big and stocky looking. Has a bark that you can hear in the street outside that you could give him a steak and a Classical CD and he'd be fixed for the afternoon. The Shepard on the other hand is pretty big for his breed and quiet...oh he'll bark but their trait is quiet bark later after his bite. The neighbors nicknamed him Cujo!!! should explain it all.

 

[Don65Stang]

Just today my 12 year old daughter said "Dad, let's load up on 40 cal ammo and go to the range". Guess what...I will not deny that request.

 

[1972MustangSVH]

"Turning a corner or moving through a doorway with a long gun is a tricky thing to do. I have to vote no on shotguns as a primary home defense weapon."

Turning a corner is not an option unless your CQB trained. I have fire power located all over the house and taught everyone to move to a defensive posture and if you think it necessary to engage, then screw the walls and light em up. This isn't the movies, you can't hide behind drywall, empty 55 gallon drums, or aluminum helicopter fuselages.

 

[hyena429]

My fav home defense revolver is my black powder 44 remington. I keep it loaded on only 5, resting on dead cil, ..Nice blidning flash..Chance of catching them on fire, and shooting my own custom poured conical bullets Not something i would recomend thou for everyone..lol...All counts how late it is, and what is going on, " i will show up at the door with the proper artillery. lol

 

[Luke]

My fav home defense revolver is my black powder 44 remington. I keep it loaded on only 5, resting on dead cil, ..Nice blidning flash..Chance of catching them on fire, and shooting my own custom poured conical bullets Not something i would recomend thou for everyone..lol...All counts how late it is, and what is going on, " i will show up at the door with the proper artillery. lol

Haha hope you have a fire extinguisher next to it as well

 

[hyena429]

My fav home defense revolver is my black powder 44 remington. I keep it loaded on only 5, resting on dead cil, ..Nice blidning flash..Chance of catching them on fire, and shooting my own custom poured conical bullets Not something i would recomend thou for everyone..lol...All counts how late it is, and what is going on, " i will show up at the door with the proper artillery. lol

Haha hope you have a fire extinguisher next to it as well

Oh yes..plus i know the spark range I done a lot of night firing test with it..lol old vid i did at night with it.

 

[73MustangCoupe]

We have small dogs. They won't do much damage, but they yap up a storm and let us know there's a problem. My wife and I both have pistols. She has a Ruger LC9 and I have a S&W M&P40C. She carries the Ruger, but really, really likes my Browning Hi-Power. She fired a 1911 at the range a while back and really liked the feel of the 45, so that is high on the list for her home defense weapon. We have a shotgun, but she really hates shooting it because of the recoil.

We live in the country. If something happens, it might be 10-15 minutes before the law arrives. My wife and daughter undestand that, and they are familiar with all of the firearms in the house. Some they like better than other, but they do know how to use them all.

That being said, they're not going to play Rambo. If someone breaks in, they'll lock themselves in the bedroom, call 911, and yell to the intruder that they are armed and that if they enter they will be shot. Then they hunker down behind cover, and wait for the cops to arrive. Nobody wants to kill someone over stuff, but if you have to defend yourself or your family, I made sure my wife and kids are able.

 

[rpmcarter]

LOL you live in the country and get 15 minute response time? I live in a pretty secure area and the substation (not sandwiches) is 2 miles away. It may be 1 hour for a response. but let me get the Mach I out and they are all poised on the street for action.

 

[73MustangCoupe]

I say 15 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes for me to get to town, doing the speed limits. Depending on where they are in the county, and if they're not busy with other stuff, it could be as quick as 10-15 minutes. It could be longer, though. Like I said, we have to defend ourselves out here. But then again, they are law ENFORCEMENT. Not personal protectors. It is judges that protect the citizenry, by locking up bad guys. Unfortunately, far to often, they slap them on the wrists and turn them loose to victimize productive members of society again and again.

Teach your daughters to shoot, because a restraining order is just a piece of paper.

 

[Don65Stang]

All the firepower talk has inspired me to start another thread about EDC pistols.