Good home defense firearm?

[lunarpowered]

I'm looking to buy a good home defense firearm with a price tag of less than $550.

I would like for it to be able to tear through intruders, but not walls.

It also needs to have low recoil as the gun will primarily be for my wife.

I was thinking along the lines of a shotgun or a Taurus judge.

Any suggestions on a gun and ammunition type?

I've not owned a shotgun yet, so any advice is appreciated.

[Sandman]

Mossberg 500 or Remington 870. Tons of accessories for either one. I load mine with 000 buck and it kicks pretty hard with that load. You can get different loads to help with recoil. You can also get a 20 gauge to help as well, but I would suggest a 12 gauge. I also own a Judge. It doesn't kick much for a little pistol but I don't know how well it would "tear through intruders". The 45 colt will tear through your walls and the .410 will hurt someone. In summary, I would get a 12 ga. shotgun and practice with it.

[midtennchip]

Boy, the Judge came immediately to mind (even before you mentioned it). I haven't shot one, so I can't comment on recoil issues. However, I think it is ideal for home defense because it seems to provide the best of both worlds. As good as shotguns are, my wife could not maneuver one around the house and (without the recoil reducing stock I put on it) our 12-gauge has too much recoil for her.

[BryanP]

First of all, if it can tear through a person it can tear through drywall. Handgun calibers and shotguns won't go through as much as rifle calibers, but there's pretty much nothing that won't go through interior walls.

My personal opinion is that the Taurus Judge is a big pile'o gimmick. From what I've heard the recoil isn't particularly mild either. But it's better than a sharp stick.

If your wife is particularly recoil sensitive then, subject to HER handling (and ideally firing) the weapon before it's purchased, I would suggest a heavy steel-framed revolver or pistol, a pistol caliber carbine, or a shotgun (either 20ga or 12ga with reduced recoil rounds).

[Will Carry]

How about a good 9mm like a Spingfield or a Glock? Better yet an XD-45! My daughter loves the XD45. A handgun has certain advantages over a long gun. A long gun like a shotgun is big and awkward when trying to move through a house. You have to keep it in your closet, where a handgun can be kept at your bedside. As for shooting through walls, you can get frangable ammo like Glazer Silver Tips, that won't penatrate walls very well but will still devistate a traget. Buck shot will go through walls too. As for the Taurus Judge, it is one of the best selling guns in America right now, it must have something that people want in a self defense gun.

My best advice is to get a shotgun for your closet and a handgun for your beside. The hangun will hold of the zombies until you can get to the shotgun. I keep a snub nosed 38sp with Crimson Trace laser grips by my bed and a 12 gauge Nova in the closet. With a back up XD45.

Edited July 3, 2010 by Will Carry

[gregintenn]

Smith and wesson revolver in 38 Special. Let her decide on the particular model. A used model 10 can still be found at a reasonable cost, but seem to be getting more and more scarce. They are hard to beat.

[lunarpowered]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Is there a shotgun shell that is less likely to injure someone on the other side of a wall? We are looking into buying a house, but until then, we are in an apartment complex which brings close proximity to neighbors.

[sigrug17]

+1 Rem 870, Moss 500 or used 590A1.

Mossberg 500 or Remington 870. Tons of accessories for either one. I load mine with 000 buck and it kicks pretty hard with that load. You can get different loads to help with recoil. You can also get a 20 gauge to help as well, but I would suggest a 12 gauge. I also own a Judge. It doesn't kick much for a little pistol but I don't know how well it would "tear through intruders". The 45 colt will tear through your walls and the .410 will hurt someone. In summary, I would get a 12 ga. shotgun and practice with it.

[BryanP]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Is there a shotgun shell that is less likely to injure someone on the other side of a wall? We are looking into buying a house, but until then, we are in an apartment complex which brings close proximity to neighbors.

Go read up at The Box'o'Truth.

The Box O' Truth - Ammo Penetration Testing

[greenego]

I think if I had one chose it would be a Mossberg 500/590 or a Remington 870. I have a Mossberg 500.

[leroy]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Is there a shotgun shell that is less likely to injure someone on the other side of a wall? We are looking into buying a house, but until then, we are in an apartment complex which brings close proximity to neighbors.

Lunar:____________

You might want to consider something like #4 shot in your shotgun. Some folks like the real fine shot, like 7 1/2; but i dont. I think it is too light.

You might want to do some reading here: Shotgunworld.com • View forum - Tactical/HD Shotguns.

Here is another good resource about shotgun loads : http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=176

Personally, I like #4 buckshot followed by #00 or # 000.

Hope this helps.

Lind regards,

Leroy

[Guest Bonedaddy]

First of all, if it can tear through a person it can tear through drywall. Handgun calibers and shotguns won't go through as much as rifle calibers, but there's pretty much nothing that won't go through interior walls.

My personal opinion is that the Taurus Judge is a big pile'o gimmick. From what I've heard the recoil isn't particularly mild either. But it's better than a sharp stick.

If your wife is particularly recoil sensitive then, subject to HER handling (and ideally firing) the weapon before it's purchased, I would suggest a heavy steel-framed revolver or pistol, a pistol caliber carbine, or a shotgun (either 20ga or 12ga with reduced recoil rounds).

According to the test I've seen on TV, the .223 will only penetrate 1 wall and stop in the next, a 9mm. will go through 3 walls and out the exterior wall. Far more than a .45 will do. A .45 will only shoot through 1 side of the trunk of a car while a 9mm or 38 super will go through both sides and through the target on the other side. A .410 in a slug or buckshot has considerably more energy than any .45 made but because of its weight slows quickly when encountering obstacles. The Judge is not a bad choice. Just let her shoot it and get used to it. It'll do the job. This is one reason I keep .85gr. frangible in my 9 for most situations and .147 gr HP for the spar mag. A lot of people don't think so but the frangible will shoot through 1 inch of OSB and then some before it stops from my own tests. Just get her to shootin'. Confidence always whoops wussy wrist.

[Desert Rat]

2.5 in a Judge is light recoil while 3 has a bit of a kick but not much. The Ultra light has more kick and the 45 long colt is not as bad as the 3 inch shells. A 20 gauge with #4 shot is not bad but a 12 gauge is more versatile and if you look there is low recoil rounds for it. There are extra barrels for the 590 or the 500 and with a Knoxx stock the recoil is reduced.

A used 500 with a 18.5 barrel and add a knoxx stock. Later you can add longer barrels. I like the 500 and 870 for the shorter barrels but like the 590 for the magazine capacity. The 500 590 and 870 have the most after market goodies available from what I have seen.

[lunarpowered]

http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=176

That site answered a lot of the questions I had.

I will have to take my wife to a range that rents the Taurus Judge.

[Guest coldblackwind]

In your price range, I would say 500, or 870, add a recoil reducing stock, and use a low recoil buckshot. There are some made specifically to be low recoil, wolf also makes 00 buck in a low base shell, much less recoil. If penetration is a real issue, you could go for birdshot, which shouldn't penetrate as much, however, while it will shred a person, it may not kill/stop them. As for the judge, I'm not really impressed with them. 410 as a self defense round leaves a lot to be desired, and I've heard of a lot of the judges getting sent back with serious issues.

[Desert Rat]

I have 4 Judges and would suggest 45 long colt and use the Crimson trace grip. The Ultra light is manageable and my wife along with my 71 year old female cousin have no problem shooting them. Federal makes a 2.5 inch #4 shot just for the judge and Winchester makes a 000 buck shot. If you have snakes this would be my recommendation as that is the primary use for mine. However the 12 gauge is a more versatile weapon with more options. That is what sits beside the bed. I just added an 835 Mossy that I will trick out for home defense with a shorter barrel and Knoxx stock.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Desert Rat

[Guest drv2fst]

I would suggest (like others) the 9mm medium sized pistol like springfield or glock. 9mm is cheap and therefore affordable to practice with often. A shotgun is great for middle of the night but awkward to answer the door with.

[lunarpowered]

Went to the range today with my wife and we were told that every gun will shoot ammunition through multiple walls until it hits something solid. With that being said, the Taurus Judge felt really off balanced and was not a good fit.

We are currently debating on Smith and Wesson M&P 40C and a Remington 870 ShurShot.

[Desert Rat]

I Googled this : 'low recoil 12 gauge ammo' and got 166k results.

[SHbicycle]

410 side by side #00 and if you want to spend $550 on it you can get 5 of them.

[enfield]

You'll probably ignore this, but the best choice is an AR with soft point ammo.

Check out the Box O' Truth website.

[satalac]

Went to the range today with my wife and we were told that every gun will shoot ammunition through multiple walls until it hits something solid. With that being said, the Taurus Judge felt really off balanced and was not a good fit.

We are currently debating on Smith and Wesson M&P 40C and a Remington 870 ShurShot.

I have both a M&P 40C and a Remington 870. My wife is more comfortable with the 40C, but it is also my carry gun, so I made sure she knew how to use the 870 if I wasn't around. Either one will do a good job, but the 870 would be my go to in a home invasion scenario.

[Guest db99wj]

This ought to get things going but who cares about the recoil in a self defense situation. Let her shoot with a load that she is "OK" with for practice and use a heavier load for self defense. Look the box of truth mentioned above for penetration tests.

There are stocks that reduce recoil as well by Blackhawks/ knoxx.

http://www.blackhawk.com/catalog/Shotgun-Stocks,165.htm

[satalac]

This ought to get things going but who cares about the recoil in a self defense situation. Let her shoot with a load that she is "OK" with for practice and use a heavier load for self defense. Look the box of truth mentioned above for penetration tests.

There are stocks that reduce recoil as well by Blackhawks/ knoxx.

Shotgun Stock & Recoil Pads | Mossberg Stock & Shotgun Pistol Grip Stock - BLACKHAWK!

My Knoxx stock didn't really reduce the recoil by as much as I thought it would on my 870. But, if you are wanting it for someone worried about recoil, there are low recoil loads that will still do the job.