My sister wants a gun to protect the house...?

Question

She wants a Rifle, but I thought "Why a rifle? You don't need the range". I thought a Shotgun would be better. She also said, she doesn't want a handgun because she doesn't want the kids playing with it.

What do you all recommend?

(Not exactly Hunting, but I thought I'd ask the gun experts out there)

Answer 1

As exemplified by the Nebraska mall massacre, ALL firearms should be locked up & secured so children and the mentally ill cannot gain access to them.

This is the responsibility of ALL firearms owners!

As a complete novice, your sister's best bet would be to get a shotgun, but she needs professional advice & training in self-defense and safety with firearms FIRST. This is available at many local firearms dealers.

Answer 2

So you trust the government to protect you. Do you ever pay attention to what is going on around you? Your husband is 100% correct. He not only has the right to be armed, he has the obligation to do so. If you won't let him be a man and protect his family, you do need to leave. Get into the pen with the other sheep and let the government take care of you. In Switzerland every household is REQUIRED to have a military weapon and ammunition. The crime rate is extremely low and the country has never been invaded. I grew up in a house with a loaded gun next to both doors and another over the fireplace. The kids never messed with them, because they were trained to obey their parents, and were taught the appropriate use of these tools. What ought to "make you sick" is the thought of what can be done to you when the government finally succeeds in confiscating all guns. And think about what will work better when an armed criminal invades your home, your telephone or a gun in the hands of someone who knows how to use it. How long are you willing to wait for that cop neighbor to get to your house when you are being raped and sodomized, and your children are watching while they wait their turn? Of course your husband will be dead already, but at least you can be comforted by the fact that he was not obliged to use a gun to protect his family.

Answer 3

A lot of people suggest a shotgun for home defense. I myself prefer handguns. Less of a chance to an intruder being able to knock it out of the way.

I would say her best bet is a .357 magnum which can also shoot .38 special rounds as well. Smith and Wesson, Ruger, and Taurus are your better revolvers. I prefer Ruger's feel over the other two.

I also like semi-autos over revolvers, but she may not like the calibers of the autos.
If she wants to take a look, I would say Springfield Armory XD Series, Taurus PT 24/7 Series.

Your best bet is to have her go to a gun shop and just hold as many makes and models as she can to see what fits in her hand better and what is easier for her to sight in a target. Ask many questions to the sales person and do some research on manufactures websites.
Make sure that if she does buy a gun of any kind, she takes a safety class and learns all about the gun she bought.

Good luck

Answer 4

I have to agree with the people answering shotgun, there points are valid. As far as the kids go. a gun locker can be had for about $100 I have one next to the bed. When I'm at home the my keys generally hang in the lock. When I'm way the keys are with me. I have boys ages 9,11, and 12. As a extra precaution I have educated them about the guns. The have all learned how to safely handle them. Educating the child will remove some of the curiosity from the equation. Making a much safer situation.

Answer 5

Does your sister think her kids can't or won't play with a rifle or shotgun? I got news for her, they will.

Regardless of the gun, it is her responsibility to train them to leave it alone unless they have adult supervision.

I agree that she'd be better off with a .38 SPL revolver, but if she wants a rifle, she can get a Rossi M-92 SRC in .357 Magnum. She can load it with 10 or 11 .38 SPL cartridges and make things real uncomfortable for an intruder without great worry about overpenetration.

She probably doesn't want the shotgun due to the recoil. I can understand that. The Rossi M-92 SCR loaded witn .38 SPL cartridges won't recoil much more than a .22 LR rifle.

Doc

Answer 6

Kids can still play with the gun weather its a rifle or a handgun, but anyway

you are correct, a rifle is not really the ideal firearm for home protection, your best bet is likely to be a shotgun, pump action, 12 gauge.

some say handgun, but if someone breaks into your house at night and you have a handgun, you only send out one projectile at a time, so each shot has to be aimed carefully, also penetration is a factor in some handguns.

with a shotgun, some loads that you can buy will not penetrate walls, and in case you dont really need to aim with a shotgun, just point.

Look as mossberg shotguns, with the short barrels and the pistol grips, a lot of people use those and are quite satisfied (myself included)

Answer 7

A pump action shotgun. Keep the chamber empty and the magazine full. You still have to keep it away from the kids. If someone breaks into the house when she is home all she has to do is jack a shell into the chamber. Just the sound of the action will scare most bad guys away unless they are intent on killing her. Also, shot from a shotgun will not go through the walls of the house. A rifle shot will. And a handgun is nice and small.......but not very good for home defense. All you have to do with a shotgun is point the gun in the direction of the bad guy and pull the trigger. A handgun or rifle have to be aimed. A scared person is more likely to miss with a rifle or handgun and get shot themselves.

Answer 8

This all depends on how much she is going to practice. How much she already knows and where she lives. If I live on a 1000 acre ranch with no neighbors for miles, then I want the most firepower I can have and that would be a rifle. An m-4 type with two 30 rd mags taped together would be very good for an isolated house like that. Now in an apartment building in the middle of a large city it is not going to be very affective.

The pistol comment scares me I think she needs to sit down and think about how she can protect her home without a firearm.

The pistol is the go to home defense firearm why easy small, light weight, easy maint., can be hidden rather easy too. A shotgun is not so easy to hide and for a small stature lady it could be a bit too much to be shooting. Making it more of a risk to her than to the attacker, you can get Glasser safety slugs for pistols. If you are shooting #6 to #8 shot I think you can open yourself up to a big lawsuit if you shot someone with that load.

I would rather see her take a personal defense class before going straight to a gun. Learn the basics before going to expert. Right you do not start playing baseball in the MLB you start in little league to learn. I would like for her to take a NRA approved class Look at some of these set up just for women.
http://www.nrahq.org/women/index.asp

After taking a basic firearms safety class them she needs to shop around and shoot some shotguns and pistols to see which one she likes the best. Then get good with that firearm weather it is a shotgun or pistol.

She needs to have a good locking container to keep what ever firearm it is in. An unsecured firearm around children is a tragedy waiting to happen. For pistols they make mini safes that are activated by pressing a code in with your fingers and that company has a new model with a Biometric lock as well. If she gets a shotgun a small Stack-on safe that you can bolt to the floor and studs in a wall hidden in the back closet would be great.

Answer 9

Unless she needs the additional range that a rifle affords, it is probably a bad idea. A shotgun firing any shot load won't be as likely to overpenetrate interior walls, etc. A shotgun is easier to hit with than a rifle or handgun. At indoor ranges, a shotgun is formidable-it has devastating power against human targets. A slide-action shotgun is a very intimidating weapon, both in the sound it makes being operated, and in the 3/4" hole in the business end. Remington 870 would be my choice, but Mossberg makes a less expensive shotgun.

Answer 10

Your sister should educate herself about guns in general. Join a local gun club. Find something She feels comfortable with. For in the house a shotgun is good loaded with lite shot. I prefer a 410 gage for inside defense. Get a good lock and go to the range frequently to keep comfortable with the gun.
Did I say get a gun lock! As soon as the children are old enough have the discussion with them about what it means to die. How guns do this to living things in an instant.
My dad had this discussion with me when I was about 6 years old. It made a lasting impression. I was not even allowed to point even a toy gun directly at anyone.
He showed me where the gun cabinet was (it was locked)
As soon as I was old enough I got a hunting license 12 years old and went hunting for the table. Teach the children about guns and they will be less likely to have an accident or do something stupid.
The NRA has excellent programs for kids.
I suggest you and your sister read "To Ride Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth" by Jeff Cooper
This is an exelent sorce for firearms self defence mixed with some interesting life experiances of a Texas Ranger and self defence consultant.

Answer 11

First of all, I need more information.
Is this a rural house? What is surrounding her house?
What is her shooting competency?
Does her state allow semi-auto rifles?

There are self-defense experts that say a semi-auto rifle is a good option because of less manipulation during times of stress. A thirty round magazine filled with 28 rounds should get the job done. If it doesn't the bolt will lock back slam another mag in hit the bolt release and your back in action.