what is your home defense kit...?

[Guest 44M]

since I live in Antioch area, where we get robbed and vandalized quite often, I decided to upgrade my personal "home defense kit"... I have SW99 in 9mm and last week I reinforced it with Mossberg 500A and 30-30 Marlin, how is that for some homedefense weapon of choice...? any inputs?

I also traded my S&W 642 for a Ruger LCR .38 Spec. +P , wich is my car/carry weapon

revolver is so lite it's not even funny..I think ammo weighs more than a gun itself...

I got all that nice stuff at East Side gun shop on Trinity Lane, had a great time talking guns with Bill and his crew...they have great 9mm Zastava, it is a Sig copy and it feels great in hand, very solid made handgun...I might have to go back to pick it up

Db

[Erik88]

I like your setup. I love my LCR. Great little carry gun. Be safe out there!

[Guest 44M]

hey Erik, I didn't have a chance to take LCR to the range, have you shot yours? does it kick pretty hard? I was thinking about installing Eagle "secret service" wooden grips on it for easier pocket carry, those Hogue rubber grips are kind of big...

Db

[Guest 44M]

I guess my question would be more about this 30-30 Marlin for home defense... it should work pretty good in court, for jury ,some 100 years old deer rifle doesn't look as terrifying as 8" .44 magnum ...LOL

Db

[Guest Caveman]

I keep my nightstand 1911 equipped with a weapon light and CTC grip laser next to my bed. I keep my home defense Remington 887 Nitro Mag shotgun in the corner of my room nearest to my bed. My primary EDC Remington R1 1911 and my back-up S&W 638 stay in my dresser while I sleep. The rest of my collection stay in my safe. All my weapons stay in condition 1.

[Erik88]

hey Erik, I didn't have a chance to take LCR to the range, have you shot yours? does it kick pretty hard? I was thinking about installing Eagle "secret service" wooden grips on it for easier pocket carry, those Hogue rubber grips are kind of big...

Db

Yes it does have stiff recoil but it's not unbearable. +P rounds are much worse than standard loads as you would expect. I would personally not want to shoot the gun with wooden grips on it. I find the rubber grips to be very comfortable and help soak up some of the felt recoil. YMMV

[Guest Caveman]

I guess my question would be more about this 30-30 Marlin for home defense... it should work pretty good in court, for jury ,some 100 years old deer rifle doesn't look as terrifying as 8" .44 magnum ...LOL

Db

I don't really see how what type of home defense weapon you have makes any difference if you had to defend yourself in court for a justified shooting. Having to prove the shooting was justified and that you were in fear for your/family's life is what you would be concerned with. The weapon you used (as long as it was legal to own) would not be the issue IMO.

[GIJake]

I have a Springfield XD 9mm SC in my nightstand. The wife has a Bersa Thunder .380 in her nightstand. I keep a Charles Daly tactical 12 gauge pump in the closet. My M-4 lives in the office. Finally, if I'm defending the house from the roof against tangos over 100 yards away, I've got the Browning A-Bolt II in .300 WIN MAG. Saving up for a tear gas grenade launcher.

[RobertNashville]

I don't really see how what type of home defense weapon you have makes any difference if you had to defend yourself in court for a justified shooting. Having to prove the shooting was justified and that you were in fear for your/family's life is what you would be concerned with. The weapon you used (as long as it was legal to own) would not be the issue IMO.

With the weapons kit of the OP I'd be more worried about killing my next door neighbor than whether the gun looked "mean" or not...over-penetration is a real risk that everyone should take into consideration unless they live in a steel box with no windows and 5 miles from the nearest neighbor!

I have an LCR...great little gun for easy carry. While the recoil isn't bad all things considered It DOES kick; the LCR is not a gun I would ever shoot just for fun!

[Dolomite_supafly]

At night I have my 1911 on my night stand, wife has her 1911 in her nightstand and both loaded with 230 grain PDX rounds. Flashlights on both nightstands. Close by is my wife's 9mm AR with light/laser and is loaded with Hornady FTX rounds. If I have more warning I'll grab my 5.56 AR and throw on a vest. Daytime, I always have my 1911 either on my person or within reach.

The biggest part of my home defense strategy is the dogs. I have a pit and a boxer. Either one on their own would probably be a bad day but both together and it would make for a really bad day for who ever tried to cause us problems. As long as we let the dogs know "everything is ok" they are great, anything even a little off and they are ready. If we mention anything about a "bad guy" their attitude changes for the worse.

Dolomite

[Guest Caveman]

I have a Springfield XD 9mm SC in my nightstand. The wife has a Bersa Thunder .380 in her nightstand. I keep a Charles Daly tactical 12 gauge pump in the closet. My M-4 lives in the office. Finally, if I'm defending the house from the roof against tangos over 100 yards away, I've got the Browning A-Bolt II in .300 WIN MAG. Saving up for a tear gas grenade launcher.

My Fiancee has a Bersa Thunder as her nightstand pistol as well, she loves it. It was the first pistol I bought her and her first ever, she learned to shoot with it. We have never had a single issue with it. She has a S&W Bodyguard 380 as her EDC now that she has a permit, but her trusty Bersa stays on the nightstand. By the way, what arsenal is complete without a grenade launcher

[tnhawk]

An XD45 stays at my computer desk, a G27 or 1911 is on my belt. Several hounds make anyones presence known if they approach the house or vehicles.

Edited January 25, 2011 by tnhawk

[Guest Atchley]

Taurus judge on the nightstand

Mossberg 590 in the floor beside the bed

[Guest Caveman]

With the weapons kit of the OP I'd be more worried about killing my next door neighbor than whether the gun looked "mean" or not...over-penetration is a real risk that everyone should take into consideration unless they live in a steel box with no windows and 5 miles from the nearest neighbor!

I have an LCR...great little gun for easy carry. While the recoil isn't bad all things considered It DOES kick; the LCR is not a gun I would ever shoot just for fun!

I worry about over penetration a lot. I have two little girls and all I can imagine when pondering a home invasion is a round ending up through their bedroom wall and .....well, you get the drift. That is why I switched from an AR to a shotgun in the bedroom corner. I keep my shotgun loaded with Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buckshot and my nightstand pistol is loaded with Glaser Blue Safety Slug.

I shot Erik's LCR at the last TGO shoot, it is a fun revolver. I have run +p through my S&W 638 Airweight when plinking and the LCR definitely has a bit more recoil, but nothing the average man couldn't handle effectively. Having to holding the revolver so tight to remain in control bothers me more than the actual recoil itself. I agree that I would not run more than a few cylinders through it in any given session though, your hand will be sore. As a matter of fact I switched the grips on my S&W to Hogue grips for that very reason, they are thicker and more "rubbery" than the factory grips and allow me to maintain control over the weapon without having to hold it as tight.

[Krull]

2 GSD's that sleep at the foot of my bed and a Taurus Judge on the nightstand.

[shaftbass]

Just a small Streamlight and a J-frame with a laser sight. Everything else is locked in the safe.

[Guest 44M]

yes, I agree about dogs, they are very helpful, I used to have two but since I moved to an apartment I can't have any....in my house I had german shephard and alaskan malamute, alarm system and guns...so it was pretty secure place...

Db

[M1_Garand]

Right now the nightstand gun is a Glock 22 with a choice of 15 and 22 (factory) round magazines. My fiance has an LCP at her disposal, and I have a M1 Garand and a 1903 Springfield loaded and ready to go in the bedroom if required. The plan is to replace the long guns from "hd" duty with a good pump action shotgun and an AR / AK clone this year.

[RobertNashville]

I worry about over penetration a lot. I have two little girls and all I can imagine when pondering a home invasion is a round ending up through their bedroom wall and .....well, you get the drift. That is why I switched from an AR to a shotgun in the bedroom corner. I keep my shotgun loaded with Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buckshot and my nightstand pistol is loaded with Glaser Blue Safety Slug.

Actually, I would suggest that and AR .223/5.56, especially with home defense ammo is LESS prone to over-penetration (with the benefit of better performance when they hit the bad guy) and why many law enforcement agencies are switching from shotguns to ARs when entering homes (warrant service, etc).

I've seen some pretty eye-opening demonstrations of how various rounds/calibers penetrate drywall...even the lowly .38 Spcl went a lot further than one might think.

I have a 12 ga pump too and will use it if necessary but my weapon of choice for home defense (assuming I can get to it) is my SCAR in .223; the shotgun second and my.45 third.

[JReedEsq]

Actually, I would suggest that and AR .223/5.56, especially with home defense ammo is LESS prone to over-penetration (with the benefit of better performance when they hit the bad guy) and why many law enforcement agencies are switching from shotguns to ARs when entering homes (warrant service, etc).

I've seen some pretty eye-opening demonstrations of how various rounds/calibers penetrate drywall...even the lowly .38 Spcl went a lot further than one might think.

I have a 12 ga pump too and will use it if necessary but my weapon of choice for home defense (assuming I can get to it) is my SCAR in .223; the shotgun second and my.45 third.

I understand that an AR with the right load may penetrate less than buckshot but what about the fact that you'll likely burst an eardrum if you have to use it inside with no hearing protection? Am I the only one with that concern? To address the question posted, I usually have either my Glock 17 or my Glock 22 with a spare mag and a bright flashlight out and everything else is locked up. This is for convienence so that I can stick it in a quick acess pistol safe before we get the my toddler out of his room in the morning. For a handgun load, I believe the 135 grain Federals in my Glock 22 offer more expansion and less penetration than the 165 grain Golden Sabers that I would use on the rare occasion I carry .40 instead of a 9mm outside the house. If I really suspected someone was coming to the house and I had time, I'd get out my 870 with #4 buck. If I suspected it was more than one person, I'd have to get out the RRA. They stay locked up all the time, but I'd wager I can get to them faster than it would take for LEO to respond to a 911 call.

Edited January 25, 2011 by JReedEsq

[RobertNashville]

I understand that an AR with the right load may penetrate less than buckshot but what about the fact that you'll likely burst an eardrum if you have to use it inside with no hearing protection? Am I the only one with that concern?

That's a very valid point. I would say that discharging any firearm of any caliber inside a room/home presents a hearing problem.

When I'm home and "up" I have either a .45 or my little LCR somewhere close by if not actually on my person and if I have to fire I'll fire and hope my ears can take it...at night, however, along with spare keys, alarm system control, tactical flashlight and my SCAR, I also have a pair of electronic ear protectos...not only will they protect my hearing in the event I have to discharge my SCAR but me having hearing protection and the bad guy likely not having it is a "+" for me...also, the amplification of ambiant sounds provided is a further "+" for me.

To address the question posted, I usually have either my Glock 17 or my Glock 22 with a spare mag and a bright flashlight out and everything else is locked up. This is for convienence so that I can stick it in a quick acess pistol safe before we get the my toddler out of his room in the morning. For a handgun load, I believe the 135 grain Federals in my Glock 22 offer more expansion and less penetration than the 165 grain Golden Sabers that I would use for carrying outside the house. If I really suspected someone was coming to the house and I had time, I'd get out my 870 with #4 buck. If I suspected it was more than one person, I'd have to get out the RRA. They stay locked up all the time, but I'd wager I can get to them faster than it would take for LEO to respond to a 911 call.

Since I don't have any children at home I don't need to take the precautions many of you do...most of my weapons are locked in my safe but the one's I have around and accessible for quick protection are not!

[Guest 44M]

hmmm...does anyone uses a suppressor (silencer) on their home guns? would that be a good idea? to get a handgun with a suppressor?

Db

[Guest bkelm18]

My usual setup is my S&W MP9 or my S&W 1911 on the desk next to my bed while I sleep, or on me while I'm awake. My Saiga 12 sits in the corner at night.

[RobertNashville]

hmmm...does anyone uses a suppressor (silencer) on their home guns? would that be a good idea? to get a handgun with a suppressor?

Db

I would say that would be exchanging a difficult/expensive solution when a simpler one is available (such as the electronic ear protection I mentioned above...a lot less expensive than a suppressor and no federal paperwork to fill out!).

Moreover, while any firearm in hand is better than any not in hand, a handgun really shouldn't be the "first choice" for defending yourself unless circumstances dictate it....we carry a handgun on our person because it's isn't practical to carry a rifle or shotgun everywhere we go but I think most would agree that when defending your life, the rifle or shotgun would be what you would want to have.

[Guest 44M]

I maybe wrong, but I don't think there is any federal paperwork needed for the purchase of the silencer, the only problem I see with silencer is price, ones I could dig out on the line are all from $600-$700 and up...as far as electronic protection goes, thats good for the shooter, but what about his wife and kids? is that thug going to have to wait to brake in your home until you all have ear protection on? ... I think silencer for home defense weapon would be a great idea, if you can afford it...

Db