Im thinking of going to my first Gun Show this weekend.

[A MAttR of Time]

Just a tip, we do not load ANY of our magazines to their full capacity. It eventually produces weak springs and issues you dont want. As with any weapon, care is essential to its operation. These are a few of the weapons I can personally relate to and find them reliable and they wont break the bank.

Here is a way around that problem: +10% extra power magazine springs from Wolff: http://www.gunsprings.com/1ndex.html

I rotate my mags every 6 months, but they are always loaded 100%.

[1master]

Here is a way around that problem: +10% extra power magazine springs from Wolff: http://www.gunsprings.com/1ndex.html

I rotate my mags every 6 months, but they are always loaded 100%.

Thanks for the website MattR. We did not have acess to upgraded magazines. In the Marines we just had to make do with what we were given. We couldnt even afford to get rats out of the chow-hall. :thinking My unit was also trained in CQB(close quarters battle) by Force Recon. We were taught to keep our Mags a couple shy of max.cap. to save the springs and instructed NEVER to clear any additional rooms without absolutely knowing how many rounds are in your weapon. If you were unsure you took it out and loaded a fresh one. So it wasnt necessarily the fact that we had packed mags, it was more of a matter of having the sureity of a fresh one in your weapon. We seldom exhausted full magazines. Thanks for the website again!

[frodo82801]

Home defense your best bet is a shotgun. You can see the more tactical types of weapons. Mossberg is what I have. They are fairly cheap as well. The one I have holds 8 rounds or so.

I also have a Glock that I just shot recently for the first time in about 8 or 9 years at the range. I would not recommend a handgun for home defense especially at night in the dark. Of course there are advantages to having a handgun as well if you need to have protection in a mobile situation it is not feasible to carry around a shotgun and it is harder to transport. With a shotgun you will not need to worry as much about aiming the thing and you will have a much better chance of hitting your target. Being accurate with a handgun over 20 feet requires a significant amount of skill and practice, especially in a real life situation where the target is not a piece of paper with excellent lighting ect... The first thing I would reach for would be the scatter gun.

Many ranges have a process where you can pay a fee and try out several handguns to see which one you like.

You've still got to aim a shotgun. If I recall correctly, those ducks didn't fall out of the sky just by pointing in the general direction. :)

[ephraim]

You've still got to aim a shotgun. If I recall correctly, those ducks didn't fall out of the sky just by pointing in the general direction. :)

Of course, but in a house I am not going to be hunting ducks. :) Generally we are talking about a very short range. At 20 feet you have to aim a handgun very accurately to hit the target. At 20 feet you basically have to point the shotgun at the target and pull the trigger.

in a darkened room at night I would rather have the shotgun.

[1master]

Of course, but in a house I am not going to be hunting ducks. :) Generally we are talking about a very short range. At 20 feet you have to aim a handgun very accurately to hit the target. At 20 feet you basically have to point the shotgun at the target and pull the trigger.

in a darkened room at night I would rather have the shotgun.

If you live alone then maybe a shotgun is your choice. If you have family, then I would not recommend one because If someone has your child in there arms...I can assure you that you dont want that shotgun in your hands. If you have a family my suggestion would be a reliable hand gun. Your average shotgun is way too cumbersome to manuver in tight quarters and could also be grabbed. I pray that I am never in a position to even think about using one for self-defense. Those would be my suggestions Hootmon...or either move or get a home security system.

[ephraim]

If you live alone then maybe a shotgun is your choice. If you have family, then I would not recommend one because If someone has your child in there arms...I can assure you that you dont want that shotgun in your hands. If you have a family my suggestion would be a reliable hand gun. Your average shotgun is way too cumbersome to manuver in tight quarters and could also be grabbed. I pray that I am never in a position to even think about using one for self-defense. Those would be my suggestions Hootmon...or either move or get a home security system.

I would never recommend a hand gun for home defense, especially for someone that has very little experience shooting one. Trying to hit a moving target, if you actually have to in low lighting or the dark would be very difficult. It sounds good on paper, but in actuality it is not your best bet. Someone can run up on your with a handgun and grab that as well and trying to move around can be just as difficult. Many people who have never shot do not realize how difficult marksmanship with a handgun is. If the action gets that quick I would much rather be pointing and shooting a shotgun than a handgun any day of the week and if the intruder is smart the minute he sees the end of the shotgun he would be moving quickly in the other direction.

Having said that I do have two kids and there is a valid point on the ability to hide the gun or keep it away from kids. If you have a gun safe it would be no problem. The handgun might be a little easier for you to get out, but generally that would be under lock and key as well. Currently we do not have our shotgun in the house, but we do have the glock and it is under lock and key. I pray we never have to get it out and attempt to use it.

I was in the Marine Corps so I have a bit of experience with weapons training at long distances. :)

[Colorado]

Lots of good advice.

I don't think semi autos are really a good idea for newbie’s unless you have a positive manual safety, like on the Beretta 92 in full or compact size, 9mm is fine for a lot of reasons. Otherwise like someone else mentioned a .357 revolver with a 4” barrel is a good way to go in either Smith & Wesson or Ruger and you can work your way into the .357 by shooting .38 special loads. (Cheaper and much more user friendly) Same gun shoots two different calibers.

I’m not knocking Glock's they just require more training in my opinion.

As far as shotguns and bird shot I have to respectfully disagree about the effectiveness of light loads especially at household ranges, or under 25 yards. The Remington 870 and Mossberg pump are both good choices, the 12 is a good way to go and you can get used to it with the lighter loads such as # 9, 7, 8, 7, 6…. and so forth and so on the bigger the number the lighter the load without getting any more complicated. Go with a 3” chamber as has been mentioned.

If you get a 12 do yourself a huge favor and ask for the lightest 9’s, 8’s or 7’s available, also known as trap loads, recoil is light and therefore manageable. Forget the pistol grip. Some of the newer guns have sights that glow, usually known as night sights, these are great in the dark when things go bump, it’s a must have on handguns and well worth the extra cost, you can add them later but will cost $75-$125 to do so. And don’t forget a really good shooting flashlight that can be attached to the shotgun or handheld with the handgun.

When you fire a 12 gauge in a light pump gun with buckshot or slugs you are in for a very rude awakening the recoil is rather harsh…severe is maybe a better word, it’s going to hurt and will leave bruises. Work your way into it and with some practice 00 buck will take you out 75 yards in a pinch, even at 100 they’d better be ducking. Slugs come into their own at the longer ranges, 50-100 yards, but require more complicated sighting systems. Keep it simple.

50 yards and more you’re really better off with a rifle and something like Matt’s CAR (cowboy assault rifle) is a good choice in 30-30, which is good for clearing out the bunkhouse out to 200 yards. With or with out a scope, depending on how old your eyes are.

A good bolt action rifle with a good scope in .308 is good to over a half a mile if you do your job and the recoil is similar to a mid range 12 gauge load.

In a perfect world 3 guns, take all the safety and educational classes, books, video’s you can get your hands on. See if a local range offers gun safety training or classes, this is crucial.

If you can only afford 1 gun the 9mm Berretta with night sights is good (revolver second choice, depending on your commitment to learn, revolver = simpler) and learn to use it safely and well.

Not a first choice for self defense but .22’s are tons of fun and cheap to shoot and have ruined the day for many bad guys.

[1master]

I would never recommend a hand gun for home defense, especially for someone that has very little experience shooting one. Trying to hit a moving target, if you actually have to in low lighting or the dark would be very difficult. It sounds good on paper, but in actuality it is not your best bet. Someone can run up on your with a handgun and grab that as well and trying to move around can be just as difficult. Many people who have never shot do not realize how difficult marksmanship with a handgun is. If the action gets that quick I would much rather be pointing and shooting a shotgun than a handgun any day of the week and if the intruder is smart the minute he sees the end of the shotgun he would be moving quickly in the other direction.

Having said that I do have two kids and there is a valid point on the ability to hide the gun or keep it away from kids. If you have a gun safe it would be no problem. The handgun might be a little easier for you to get out, but generally that would be under lock and key as well. Currently we do not have our shotgun in the house, but we do have the glock and it is under lock and key. I pray we never have to get it out and attempt to use it.

I was in the Marine Corps so I have a bit of experience with weapons training at long distances. :)

All im saying here is, if you are the average joe wanting a little "Home security" a reliable semi-auto like the Beretta 9mm I referred too would be my choice by far. Its alot more likely to keep/get you OUT of sticky stituations in the HOME. Its a solid ,reliable and universal piece of gear. Any weapon without expierience will be difficult to handle. A handgun for the average joe will find it alot easier to manage in close quarters. With some time spent at the range you can become pretty good with it. You dont need to be knocking pictures off the walls and banging into doors with a shotgun in the middle of the night. I spent 4 weeks at a training facility on Camp Pendleton with Instructors from Force Recon. All we did was train in Close Quarter Battle(CQB). We cleared everything from small buildings to larger 2-stories. We had to use our M-16's and im telling you they were cumbersome. The only time we used shotguns were for "Lock-busters". Many times I wished I had the instructors short stubby MP-5. CQB is no easy task to perform in itself and add to that the disorientation of a mid-night invasion and a pile of "un-knowns". This is only my advice from my own expierences. I was with the 1st mar. div. 3/5 weapons co. what unit were you with my fellow Jar head. If you were at Pendleton, I was on camp San-Meteo aka "The Projects".:hehee PM me if you would like.

[4given]

www.gunbroker.com

[Wally]

1Master,

Thanks for your service.

I was wondering if you would prefer an MP5 SD overall for home defense.
I saw a shrouded HK94 for $9,000. That was one of my pipe dreams. Oh Well.

I would prefer a PSG1 or an M1A as long dististance is better than being there.

I would agree that -for the experienced -practicing, a semi-auto handgun is much better than the slug gun. But you got to admit, if the first shot is yours, the shotgun will say so much more.

My 1911a1 is my preferred for close quarters, simply because I can't afford a SIG in .357Sig.