What is better for home protection? A pistol or a shotgun?

Answer 1

Get the riot control shotgun. Smaller and easier to handle. Clicking the chamber will scare off most criminals. If not, just blast the heck out of the walls. Plus you won't be likely to kill a neighbor in their home.

Answer 2

I will give you a number of reasons for a shotgun over a pistol; even though I follow the old rule that the best weapon possible is the one you have in your hand at the time. In a close encounter situation you are going to be excited and jumpy and not thinking clearly, hence you may not be able to aim between the eyes and yadda. With a 12 gauge pump you don't have to worry about aiming, in the general direction blast away, the perp will get the general idea very quickly ( the sound a a shell being racked into the chamber scares most people so bad they had better be wearing depends ). Thinking in advance of the innocents; the neighbors children and TV set; with a solid slug from a pistol somebody could get hurt. With 5 or 6 shot it is not going to penetrate 5 walls or three houses; just the immediate problem in front of you will have a hole you can throw a watermelon through. Have a wonderful day.

Answer 3

That's a pretty hotly-debated subject. Ultimately, the best advice I could give you would be... Whether a pistol or shotgun is better for home protection depends a great deal on how comfortable or competent you are with a pistol or shotgun. If you've used pistols in the past, and are comfortable with them, they do offer a level of versatility not afforded by the shotgun. (ie: they can be your carry gun and your home gun) If, however, you've been a hunter, clay shooter, etc., but haven't had much exposure to pistols, you may be better off with the shotgun. Assuming the handgun is of sufficient caliber (I recommend .38 or above) both are effective within the confines of an average sized room, though a shotgun does give you a 9/1 ratio of projectiles on average. There are pros and cons to both, involving ease of movement and wielding, accuracy and control, overpenetration potential, and stopping power. Either way, if you're living in a condo, I'd recommend taking steps to avoid overpenetration. Frangible rounds, such as mag-safe, greatly decrease the potential to kill your neighbors through a wall, while still providing an effective and hard-hitting defense round. They are expensive, but well worth the money. For close-quarters shotgun, I am comfortable with the first two rounds being a mid-weight bird shot, which will still stop someone from killing or hurting me, without the bystander dangers of buckshot in such tight quarters. The next two are buckshot, though, in case the first aren't as effective as I needed them to be. Whether or not I'd have the time to fire a 3rd or 4th round while under attack is a risk I'm ok with taking.

Answer 4

This is sorta a loaded question. A pistol will give you better accuracy, the ability to shoot more than just two rounds and better stopping power. A shotgun has a wider spray pattern so wherever you aim a large section is gonna get hit, buckshot is a pain in the butt to dig out. The main question here is, Are you willing to take a human life? I was told by many police officers that if your gonna pull the trigger shoot to kill. If you injure someone the consequences can be severe, financially and legally. They could sue you and they will win cuz our legal system is so screwed up and they also are still alive to testify against you. Personally I have both a shotgun and a pistol in my home. The shotgun is in plain sight next to the bed, literally at arms length away, and the pistol is in a drawer next to the bed. If you are startled awake and have the time to retrieve your pistol good, if not and the intruder is within a few feet the shotgun is right there, no drawer to fumble with.......If you do shoot an intruder just remember to keep saying to the police these exact words. " I FELT THAT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER"

Answer 5

A 12 gauge riot gun is the most effective. It's shorter than most shotguns used for hunting and you can get it with a pistol grip instead of a full length stock. Makes it easier to move around.

Take it to a range and have an instructor show you how to use it. Then practice with it until your not afraid of it anymore. They are a great weapon and when you chamber in a round most intruders are going leave a long brown trail trying to get away from you.

Answer 6

tShotgun, Shotgun Shotgun. A pistol can over-penetrate your Target go through your wall and into your neighbors head. A shotgun with nubmer 8 bird shot is what the fish and game uses to kill bears in residential areas. I think it should work at home.Plus if you miss shouldn't kill your neighbor.

Answer 7

pump shotgun. anyone telling you pistol of not to bright. pistols are MUCH less accurate, they lack the stopping power of a shotgun, and unless your a very good shot, your probably gonna miss your target with a pistol. shotguns have better stopping power then any other firearm at close range. you can literally blow a intruders head(or a limb) off with one shot. a shotgun with the proper load( small shot is what i recommend) will not penetrate walls so you won't shoot your family or neighbors accidentally. it requires the least amount of training to hit your target at close range, unlike a pistol which requires lots of training. and last but not least, your much More likely to scare a intruder off simply buy pumping a round into the chamber, cocking a pistol is very unlikely to scare anyone off, because they probably won't hear it.

Answer 8

It depends on the situation. If you are going to barricade yourself and wait for the police (smartest alternative if alone) then a shotgun. If you would have to get family members I would go with a pistol as it is easier to move around the house with. Myself I have both, my wife will barricade herself with the shotgun and call the police while I get the children to a safe area.

Answer 9

The Shotgun is # 1 best choice loaded with #4 shot pellets is plenty*.... In a handgun nothing less than a 357 Magnum or 45ACP*... Good to have both available for home protection*...

Answer 10

A pistol, it has more shots. A shotgun will break your stuff to pieces if you miss. A pistol will just put holes in your stuff. A pistol can be kept under your pillow or in a small drawer, while a shotgun takes up more space. One advantage of a shotgun would be when it runs our of ammo, you can beat the intruder over the head with the butt of the shotgun, its like hitting someone with a baseball bat.