Posted on Feb 28, 2025
Would a pistol or rifle be better for home self-defense?
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I haven't used a firearm since being in the military 20 yrs ago and I wasn't infantry. My wife hasn't used one really at all. I was wondering for home use would a pistol or rifle be better? While i Have no issues with shooting the enemies of our country. I'd rather intimidate another American and not have to shoot them, so maybe a rifle might be more intimidating? I get a pistol is more wieldy and maybe easier to fire. We just want for home defense. So I wanted to get some thoughts from people more experienced then me. I do own a sword but may not be enough.
Posted 5 mo ago
Responses: 34
If I may suggest a pistol with practice would work better, cause a rifle takes more room to aim, & fire
especially in the dark. Should You run into a BAD guy he doesn't care if You have either.
especially in the dark. Should You run into a BAD guy he doesn't care if You have either.
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Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth
MSG Andrew White my mom has one in her closet...locked and loaded ready for business.
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Using any firearm to intimidate is a bad idea. I’ve seen plenty of people not frightened by having a gun pointed at them, and finding that out after you’ve drawn and centered on a target is a bad start to a potentially irreversible situation.
Rifles can be a problem for indoor use. If you’re moving between rooms, like from a bedroom to a hallway, chances are the intruder will see the rifle before you see them, and swinging the rifle around in arcs in confined spaces to center and re-center on targets is time-consuming. And you must consider your background (what’s behind your target). The rifle round might not stop where you’re shooting.
Someone has already mentioned shotguns. At night, in the dark, when you just got out of bed to investigate a sound downstairs is a bad time to find out you’re a bad marksman. Shotguns can clear hallways.
Some other things to consider:
1. Make sure everyone in your house knows how to shoot. They don’t need to be expert marksmen. But they need to know how to handle the weapon, understand that every gun should be considered loaded and chambered until safetied, where it’s stored, how to secure it, and how to shoot.
2. If there are other people in the house (especially kids), the weapon needs to be secure and locked up. Not unsecured on the kitchen table or counter.
3. Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction: Point the gun in a direction where it can't cause injury or damage if it fires.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger: Don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
5. Know your target: Be aware of what's behind your target and what will happen if you miss.
6. This is a big one. Know when you can legally engage a target with a gun. Once the cops show up, you’re a suspect until proven otherwise. Shoot someone just because they were turning around in your driveway (don’t laugh…it happens, and has recently) and you’ll be guilty of murder. A lot of local PDs and SOs have firearms training courses.
7. By the time you’ve drawn on an intruder, once you transition from a weapon ready position to aiming center mass, negotiations are over and the opportunity to talk your way out of it is gone.
8. Some jurisdictions will insist you keep the gun and the ammo separate, or keep the gun unchambered until you're ready to shoot. That's just silly.
9. Another big one. You will miss every time you try to shoot someone in the leg or arm. Hitting that target in a tactical situation is laughably impossible. If you do it, you did it by accident. Aim center mass.
Rifles can be a problem for indoor use. If you’re moving between rooms, like from a bedroom to a hallway, chances are the intruder will see the rifle before you see them, and swinging the rifle around in arcs in confined spaces to center and re-center on targets is time-consuming. And you must consider your background (what’s behind your target). The rifle round might not stop where you’re shooting.
Someone has already mentioned shotguns. At night, in the dark, when you just got out of bed to investigate a sound downstairs is a bad time to find out you’re a bad marksman. Shotguns can clear hallways.
Some other things to consider:
1. Make sure everyone in your house knows how to shoot. They don’t need to be expert marksmen. But they need to know how to handle the weapon, understand that every gun should be considered loaded and chambered until safetied, where it’s stored, how to secure it, and how to shoot.
2. If there are other people in the house (especially kids), the weapon needs to be secure and locked up. Not unsecured on the kitchen table or counter.
3. Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction: Point the gun in a direction where it can't cause injury or damage if it fires.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger: Don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
5. Know your target: Be aware of what's behind your target and what will happen if you miss.
6. This is a big one. Know when you can legally engage a target with a gun. Once the cops show up, you’re a suspect until proven otherwise. Shoot someone just because they were turning around in your driveway (don’t laugh…it happens, and has recently) and you’ll be guilty of murder. A lot of local PDs and SOs have firearms training courses.
7. By the time you’ve drawn on an intruder, once you transition from a weapon ready position to aiming center mass, negotiations are over and the opportunity to talk your way out of it is gone.
8. Some jurisdictions will insist you keep the gun and the ammo separate, or keep the gun unchambered until you're ready to shoot. That's just silly.
9. Another big one. You will miss every time you try to shoot someone in the leg or arm. Hitting that target in a tactical situation is laughably impossible. If you do it, you did it by accident. Aim center mass.
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I am a little late on this one. How ever Many thing must be taken into consideration before buying a defense weapon.
1. Your area to defend, If you live in close proximity to Neighbors, you would want a short-range weapon. No reason to have a 44 mag. living in an apartment complex, or a 308 rifle. 9 mm is a good short range weapon for close range defense. If Your intent is to repel rather than kill or injure Get a shot Gun, They have some really inexpensive .410 single shot Shotguns these days, they make a lot of noise and do not need much accuracy and recoil is really not bad. The list can go on and on as well as reasoning. My sister in law has a 357 mag. carries it in her purse ( that is a lot of weight for a purse). If you want to instill fear and not much else and Need the comfort of more than one shot again i go to the nine MM it is good in close range most come with a 7rd mag. and yes if you hit some one close range they are going down. Check with local VFW they will talk your ear off on what your options are.
1. Your area to defend, If you live in close proximity to Neighbors, you would want a short-range weapon. No reason to have a 44 mag. living in an apartment complex, or a 308 rifle. 9 mm is a good short range weapon for close range defense. If Your intent is to repel rather than kill or injure Get a shot Gun, They have some really inexpensive .410 single shot Shotguns these days, they make a lot of noise and do not need much accuracy and recoil is really not bad. The list can go on and on as well as reasoning. My sister in law has a 357 mag. carries it in her purse ( that is a lot of weight for a purse). If you want to instill fear and not much else and Need the comfort of more than one shot again i go to the nine MM it is good in close range most come with a 7rd mag. and yes if you hit some one close range they are going down. Check with local VFW they will talk your ear off on what your options are.
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I have to agree with everyone's suggestion of a shotgun. Get yourself familiar with it, take it to the range. Intimidating, large variety of ammunition options, easy to maintain.
AR's Easy to handle, lots of penetration. Easy to find accessories
Pistols are small, easy to secure.
My father, a person afraid of guns, bought a 25 ACP pistol and a 22 rifle. Neither are very intimidating or deadly, but good placement could do the trick. I would suggest 9mm or 45. 10mm is a bit much for many to handle but was designed to be a compromise between the 9 and 45. I've never used the 40, but that is a powered down 10.
-I guess you really have to ask yourself a few questions.
Can your wife handle a shotgun?
My wife knows how to use one but can't handle the kick due to injuries.
-Where do you live?
This will determine what you need and the kind of ammunition you can use.
If you are out in the country, you can use rifle, shotgun or pistol, with minimal concern.
In an apartment, you need to be concerned with overpenetration.
Shotgun? #4 or 00 buckshot.
Pistol? Look for something that doesn't over penetrate.
Rifle, more than you need. Maybe consider one with pistol rounds.
-Legal environment.
Living someplace like California or New York, you might just find yourself in trouble, just for defending yourself and need to go less-than-lethal. Some look real enough and still have a bit of a punch, but it's literally bringing a toy to a gunfight.
Again, consider the risk of over-penetration. The last thing you want is to hurt a family member or neighbor, should a round pass through a wall.
When buying, bring your wife along. See if she can handle what you select.
If there is a range, you should try out the different options, to see if both of you handle.
AR's Easy to handle, lots of penetration. Easy to find accessories
Pistols are small, easy to secure.
My father, a person afraid of guns, bought a 25 ACP pistol and a 22 rifle. Neither are very intimidating or deadly, but good placement could do the trick. I would suggest 9mm or 45. 10mm is a bit much for many to handle but was designed to be a compromise between the 9 and 45. I've never used the 40, but that is a powered down 10.
-I guess you really have to ask yourself a few questions.
Can your wife handle a shotgun?
My wife knows how to use one but can't handle the kick due to injuries.
-Where do you live?
This will determine what you need and the kind of ammunition you can use.
If you are out in the country, you can use rifle, shotgun or pistol, with minimal concern.
In an apartment, you need to be concerned with overpenetration.
Shotgun? #4 or 00 buckshot.
Pistol? Look for something that doesn't over penetrate.
Rifle, more than you need. Maybe consider one with pistol rounds.
-Legal environment.
Living someplace like California or New York, you might just find yourself in trouble, just for defending yourself and need to go less-than-lethal. Some look real enough and still have a bit of a punch, but it's literally bringing a toy to a gunfight.
Again, consider the risk of over-penetration. The last thing you want is to hurt a family member or neighbor, should a round pass through a wall.
When buying, bring your wife along. See if she can handle what you select.
If there is a range, you should try out the different options, to see if both of you handle.
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LOL .... sorry. I just had an image of somebody brandishing a sword at an intruder. Anyway ... what you are probably wanting is a 20 ga tactical pump shotgun, loaded with 00 buckshot. It will mess things up. When an intruder sees 1/4 of an interior door disappear, they tend to reevaluate their situation. You could intersperse a slug or two with your 00 buckshot also.
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Shotgun. The great equalizer. Just the sound of chambering a round can stop them in their tracks.
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MSgt Craig Gauger
Many years ago, my wife had a breather call our home a couple of times. I gave her one of my ref whistles and told to blow it as loud and as long as she can, if he called again. He only called one more time and she handled it!
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Get some training to refresh yourself and have her get training also, you never know when it will be necessary.
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I have a KSG with slugs in one magazine topped with a flash bang, and 00 Buck in the other. Actual experience is the flash bang works about most of the time. For the rest, I have a choice that works 100% of the time. Score so far: Flash Bang 3-1. Slug 1-0. That was a revisiting cougar that had chickenitis. Fish and Game guy who went to school with my kid said "awesome". Did take out a bear with my 460 S&W at the neighbors around five years ago. Neighbor has a new rug.
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I highly recommend a Pump action shotgun. If you are a bad guy, someplace that you should not be, hearing the action of a 12 gauge says "get the F*** out of my house" in every known language. A 12 ga does not require aiming, she can just point, and she can hold the butt against the wall or a door jam to eat rocoil.
other than that, a handgun with a flashlight/laser is a good choice, using FRANGIBLE ammunition to avoid shooting through walls.
I have a Remington 870 and a Sig M-17 that is nightsight, laser and Flashlight equipped in the bedroom. My desk comes equipped with a nightsight, flashlight and laser, suppressor ready Glock G-19X. My carry handgun is a Colt M-1911A1 as issued or an M-9 again, as issued. In all cases I use frangible ammunition unless using a suppressor.
other than that, a handgun with a flashlight/laser is a good choice, using FRANGIBLE ammunition to avoid shooting through walls.
I have a Remington 870 and a Sig M-17 that is nightsight, laser and Flashlight equipped in the bedroom. My desk comes equipped with a nightsight, flashlight and laser, suppressor ready Glock G-19X. My carry handgun is a Colt M-1911A1 as issued or an M-9 again, as issued. In all cases I use frangible ammunition unless using a suppressor.
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