What is the best gun for home defense?

Question

besides a shotgun can you suggest a handgun that is easy to use and has great accuracy thanks

Answer 1

The best gun is NO gun.

To little grenadier8408: I have grown up. When will you?

Answer 2

*****F N FIVE SEVEN*****
FN 5.7 the ultimate combat pistol in my estimation shoots the fast LOW RECOIL 5.7 HIGH PENETRATION rounds and long distance accuracy.. even the hollow points are very penetrable.
With low recoil and high penetration (plus a 20 round mag) you put this gun in hands of a unskilled user they will have the ability for faster follow up shots and engage multiple targets easy and accuralty.
If some one else has one of these in there hands you will have a Problem! You put one of these in a skilled combatant. You will have a serious problem.... If you engage someone with this handgun in there hand you should treat them as they were armed with a rifle. And take cover.
You also can get a 10 round mag extension.. 30 rounds in a semi auto is pretty deadly.....

Next to this i would suggest, a glock 19, berreta 92fs, or some small 38 revoulver.

Spanky

Answer 3

I hate to tell you a shotgun, but the best gun for home defense really is a shotgun. I don't know if you have kids or other people living with you, but one of the main advantages with a shotgun is that the ammo you can use with it doesn't penetrate walls as much as many of the pistol calibers out there (this is important because if you miss and penetrate a wall, you could kill someone else in your house or apartment). Despite this, a 12 or even 20 gauge shotgun still has the stopping power of any pistol out there, which makes it an excellent choice for home defense.

Now, to actually answer your question, let's consider a few things.

First, what range will you be shooting at? Probably no more than 5-10 yards.

Second, will there be other people living in the house or apartment complex? Most likely, so a caliber that doesn't penetrate walls is wise here.

With these two things in mind, let's first select a caliber. Since larger calibers like the .45, .40 S&W, and the .357 magnum all are powerful rounds, they will almost certainly contradict number 2, and therefore should not be considered. Next, since your range is very small (likely no more than 25 feet), accuracy at long range really isn't an issue. With these combined, we get the several different possible calibers: 9mm, .380 auto (or 9mm short) and the .38 special. We'll discard the .32 since it really isn't good as a defensive round.

As for the rounds we did select, any of them should be good for home defense. The 9mm is the biggest caliber, and it's also usually the cheapest. That means more stopping power and more range time, which makes it an excellent option. The .380, with a gun that uses a blowback mechanism, is simple in construction, easy to mantain, and accurate at the ranges you will encounter in home defense. It too is an overall good choice, but the ammo is more expensive than the 9mm, even if the guns themselves are usually cheaper (good .380s can be had for $250 or less). As for the .38 special, this would be a good round if you were to select a revovler. While not quite as powerful as the 9mm, it's still an excellent defensive round, given your situation.

As for guns, well, that depends on the round.

For 9mm, either the Glock (the actual model (Glock 17, 19 or 26) will depend on the size of your hands and how you like the grip) or a line of guns made (actually imported) by Springfield called the XD in 9mm would both be excellent choices. Both are priced around $500, and both have excellent reputations.

As for the .380, I personally own a Bersa Thunder .380 and I love it. It's accurate, easy to mantain, and cheap ($250 or less). I would recommend it.

And as for the .38, I honestly don't have a lot of experience with the round, so asking around either at a gun shop or a gun forum on the internet would be good bet. Smith and Wesson is usually the name if you're looking for a revovler, at least in my experience. Except to pay around $400 for a good revovler in the .38 special.

Hope this helps.

Also, I would definitely take the advice of the person who suggested a safety/handling course (try to go for an NRA course) when you get your new firearm. Having good training is one of the most important aspects of owning a firearm.

Edit:
"To touch on Gomakemeasandwich wonderful post, I suggest a larger pistol round of...is to find a round that will guarantee maximum wound trauma and penetration."

This poster makes a good point that multiple shots might be necessary, but there's a flip side to using a larger caliber--control of recoil for multiple shots. Depending on the gun you choose, both of the rounds the poster mentioned can generate a lot of recoil, making it harder to get off a second or third shot. I don't know your build, but you have to be pretty strong to handle the recoil either caliber and get off second and third shots at the rate that you'd be able to with a smaller caliber. I just thought I'd mention that.

Answer 4

To touch on Gomakemeasandwich wonderful post, I suggest a larger pistol round of either .40 S&W or .45 ACP. Home defence is a serious consideration and concealibility is not the big issue here, so the larger round has a better chance of stopping, but beware people can have their heart shot out and still be moving or trying to kill you for up to 15 SECONDS. This means follow up shots are likely because you will be operating on adrenaline and your accuracy may not be up to speed. A good stopping round like I have mentioned might persuade the attacker to stop due to traumatic shock, but if he is drugged up, you might need to kill him which requires multiple shots or a shot into the CNS, or the brain. People can be fatally wounded, but it could take up to 2 days for them to die, which means they might be trying to cause you harm, so for defence, the goal is to find a round that will guarantee maximum wound trauma and penetration.

Answer 5

Try a Glock 19 in 9mm. Nearly foolproof, very accurate and easy to operate. Get training before you attempt to use it. Don't even go near a range or shooting facility without proper training, because you WILL get escorted off the property if you endanger other shooters, and very likely the shooters you endangered will have unkind words with you. Don't get in a hurry with this, and play it cool and SAFE.

Remember that simply having a firearm does not confer some magical "safety blanket" over you and your home; you HAVE to train to be effective, because this stuff is NOT like what you see in stupid Hollyweird movies. If you feel the slightest doubt about your ability to shoulder the responsibility of taking another person's life to save your own, DO NOT meddle with firearms. Try Tasers, stun guns or pepper spray instead.

Oh, and to Mr. "the best gun is NO gun": Grow up.

Answer 6

I would answer this way...anything from .380 on up to about a .45 ACP that you are confident with (can use it without hurting yourself out of a dead sleep) and able to use well (put a bullet on intended target and not harm persons or property not intended to be targets)

That gives you lots of options. I love my 9mm Beretta and my .380 Bersa, but I am confident that out of a dead sleep , the best weapon for me is my Smith and Wesson .38 special Model 10 Revolver. I know I can use it in the dark without hurting myself and I know I can hit what I aim at with it. I get 6 tries.

Answer 7

Compact .38 is great. Revolver works best because it is safer keeping it loaded than a semi-auto. But if you have any kids never leave a gun around. Loaded or unloaded.

I prefer the 12-gauge tho. I have a custom holder I made underneath the box spring. Its gangsta and very accessible.

Answer 8

Best is 357 Magnum because you can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in it also*... You end up with two guns for the price of one*... It will put them in the grave, no problem*... very comfortable to shoot*...

Answer 9

A revolver in either 357 magnum, 38- WCF or forty-anything.

Answer 10

The biggest gun would be the best. If the intruder just saw it he would run. Make sure to keep it out of reach of children and don't brandish it at every little noise.

Answer 11

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