Personal/Home Defense Ammo
- Thread starter puppetz007
- Start date
I always suggest to people that if they are truly looking for a weapon for home defense to get a Reminton 870 loaded with 00 buck.
The reason being is that to be proficient with a hand gun in a stressfull situation you absolutely have to train... Often. Most people don't.
A shotgun is far superior for home defense than any handgun. The mere sound of a round being chambered is enough to scare most intruders away. If you have to shoot, 9 .32cal rounds going down range is more effective than one 9mm round. Plus, you can shoot from the hip and be just as accurate at close range as a handgun.
My .02
The reason being is that to be proficient with a hand gun in a stressfull situation you absolutely have to train... Often. Most people don't.
A shotgun is far superior for home defense than any handgun. The mere sound of a round being chambered is enough to scare most intruders away. If you have to shoot, 9 .32cal rounds going down range is more effective than one 9mm round. Plus, you can shoot from the hip and be just as accurate at close range as a handgun.
My .02
Ive never understood this. Why wouldn't you have a round chambered already? If Im being awaken from a dead sleep, the bad guy has the advantage already. I don't want to be going through a checklist before I can shoot. Round chambered, TLR-1 attached, no safety.
Agree 100% about the training. Most people don't realize that it is their responsibility to train and become proficient so they don't injure an innocent if they have to use the gun. Im lucky my job is to shoot guns for the Navy.
Thai
Elite Member
Haha, that's great , I'd like your post but tapatalk don't do that.
That's OK...i don't need no stinking "Like"...my reputation on here is (in)famous!
GMZ
I didn't intend for that sentence to mean that a person should not have a round chambered.
If the shooter is trained they won't have to go through a checklist, it will be automatic. My point was that unless a person intends to frequently train with a weapon (handgun) they should probably go for something a bit more idiot proof.
I shoot guns for a living as well, probably not as much as you, but much more than the average LEO.
Oh no worries, its just a tic I have. Part of my job is marksmanship instruction so I have to deal with all the wives tales and urban legends.
I get a kick out of people that say they would rack their slide if someone broke in to scare them away. Well you would have just ejected one of your rounds if you did that and put yourself at more of a disadvantage. :redbrick:
Supra725
New member
I run Federal Hst in mine..
LE - Tactical HST
I run 147 gr in my 9mm and 165 gr in my .40..
personally, don't just buy an box and not try it out..
go to the range and try it.. you have to know how it feeds and handles in your gun.. some guns might be pickier than the other.. but you won't know until you try it out for yourself..
for shotgun. I run low recoil 00 buck and hydrashok slugs in mine.
theizzardking,
check out this video..
Art of the Dynamic Shotgun Trailer - Magpul Dynamics - YouTube
with how things are in the world; when people starts to get desperate, they will break into your house.. at that point.. is either he is going down or I'm..
LE - Tactical HST
I run 147 gr in my 9mm and 165 gr in my .40..
personally, don't just buy an box and not try it out..
go to the range and try it.. you have to know how it feeds and handles in your gun.. some guns might be pickier than the other.. but you won't know until you try it out for yourself..
for shotgun. I run low recoil 00 buck and hydrashok slugs in mine.
theizzardking,
check out this video..
Art of the Dynamic Shotgun Trailer - Magpul Dynamics - YouTube
with how things are in the world; when people starts to get desperate, they will break into your house.. at that point.. is either he is going down or I'm..
This is extremely important! You dont want to find out that the ammo you have chosen doesnt work well in your gun when you need it. Test out all your carry mags as well.
BrianSD_42
New member
What do you guys think of the M1911 ?
RunninInGA
New member
I'm interested in hearing some opinions on this one as well, especially from some of the more experienced/knowledgeable guys.
I just got a Kimber 1911 that my ship had made special for us. I only got it because I got promoted here and I figured I would regret if I didnt. I wouldnt buy one for HD or to carry personally. I may be labeled a heretic but its a bit like the Mustang, amazing in its day but an old design/idea now.
I would say a mid sized polymer frame gun would be a good place to start depending on your criteria. They are small enough to carry but have plenty of capacity to take care of business. Glock 19, M&P 9, XD. I was a die hard Glock man until the 4th gen came out and made me look elsewhere. Went M&P and never looked back its everything a Glock should be.
I would recommend that you go to a range where you can rent different guns to see which one you like and are comfortable with, since after all you are betting your life on it...
Supra725
New member
+1
just like GMZ said, go out to an shop and try out the different kind of firearms.. It took me an while to find my first one... I tried out XD's,M&P's, 1911's,Glock's,Beretta's,Colt's.. take your time and choose the right one..
is all about personal preferences.. go out to and store and try on different ones..
Atlanta_man
New member
Thai
Elite Member
Since no one ask, i will offer my opinion.
For me, these are the criteria for a handgun:
1. No external safety. This will only hang you up at the wrong time when you need to pull the trigger.
2. Since i always carry with a round chambered, a glock-trigger or 1911 trigger is just too sensitive (aka easy to go bang) for me. So, i prefer a DA/SA or DA-only trigger for safety reasons. I don't want to get stuck by external safety, BUT i also don't want a trigger that can easily be pulled by adrenaline. Basically, i want a trigger that only fires the gun when i truly want to. (DA = double action; SA = single action)
3. Caliber that is cheap enough to practice. In other words, .40 caliber is a great caliber in a handgun ("just perfect" in goldilock's term), but too damn expensive to practice. And as noted above, practice is everything in handling a handgun. No practice = worthless for me.
4. Caliber must be strong enough to stop people...yet, controllable. So, for me, 380 is too light, even in +P. I would choose either .45 or 9mm. I chose 9mm because it is cheap and in +P hollows, it is fairly effective at stopping bad folks. A .45 is nice, but the kick (recoil) is too much for me to be accurate. This may not matter in a close range confrontation...so, others may like .45.
But, for a home defense gun and a first timer, i would recommend either a shotgun or a revolver. Our home gun (for my wife) is a Ruger SP101 revolver with 38 special. (It can hold .357, but it would be too much for her.) Revolvers are reliable and easy to use...yet the trigger requires a deliberate pull before the gun goes bang. My gun safe at bedside has the Ruger and Sig P239 all the time. Both are loaded...and the 239 always has a round chambered.
YMMV.
For me, these are the criteria for a handgun:
1. No external safety. This will only hang you up at the wrong time when you need to pull the trigger.
2. Since i always carry with a round chambered, a glock-trigger or 1911 trigger is just too sensitive (aka easy to go bang) for me. So, i prefer a DA/SA or DA-only trigger for safety reasons. I don't want to get stuck by external safety, BUT i also don't want a trigger that can easily be pulled by adrenaline. Basically, i want a trigger that only fires the gun when i truly want to. (DA = double action; SA = single action)
3. Caliber that is cheap enough to practice. In other words, .40 caliber is a great caliber in a handgun ("just perfect" in goldilock's term), but too damn expensive to practice. And as noted above, practice is everything in handling a handgun. No practice = worthless for me.
4. Caliber must be strong enough to stop people...yet, controllable. So, for me, 380 is too light, even in +P. I would choose either .45 or 9mm. I chose 9mm because it is cheap and in +P hollows, it is fairly effective at stopping bad folks. A .45 is nice, but the kick (recoil) is too much for me to be accurate. This may not matter in a close range confrontation...so, others may like .45.
But, for a home defense gun and a first timer, i would recommend either a shotgun or a revolver. Our home gun (for my wife) is a Ruger SP101 revolver with 38 special. (It can hold .357, but it would be too much for her.) Revolvers are reliable and easy to use...yet the trigger requires a deliberate pull before the gun goes bang. My gun safe at bedside has the Ruger and Sig P239 all the time. Both are loaded...and the 239 always has a round chambered.
YMMV.
shadow247
New member
I would hit a gun show. It's the easiest and quickest way to get your hands on lots of pistols in one day. You can usually find a good deal on pistols there too. I would like to recommend the Walther PK380, but I am having issues with the one I bought about 6 months ago. I am sending it back to S&W for service this week if I can ever remember to call them and get the shipping tag sent out.
I have a Ruger 22/45 for target practice, which I would highly recommend. It costs 20 bucks for 500 rounds of ammo and is an easy gun to shoot all afternoon.
For home defense, I would recommend a short barreled pump shotgun. A pistol requires more skill to operate, while a pump shotty racking up will scare the piss out of most intruders, meaning you may not ever have to use it.
I have a Ruger 22/45 for target practice, which I would highly recommend. It costs 20 bucks for 500 rounds of ammo and is an easy gun to shoot all afternoon.
For home defense, I would recommend a short barreled pump shotgun. A pistol requires more skill to operate, while a pump shotty racking up will scare the piss out of most intruders, meaning you may not ever have to use it.
I've had a Glock 21 W/hi-cap mags for twenty years now. Tens of thousands of rounds through it with no issues. It's the most comfortable handgun for me. Operating, aiming and shooting it accurately has become second nature.
If it ever comes down to using it for self defense, the .45 ACP has a good track record of stopping power.
My only suggestion is if you're planning to use a firearm for self defense, practice shooting it a lot. Become very proficient with every aspect of it's operation, so if you ever need to use it in a life or death situation, you can do so instinctively.
If it ever comes down to using it for self defense, the .45 ACP has a good track record of stopping power.
My only suggestion is if you're planning to use a firearm for self defense, practice shooting it a lot. Become very proficient with every aspect of it's operation, so if you ever need to use it in a life or death situation, you can do so instinctively.
calikev
New member
If the gun is strickly for home defense then the 870 shotgun is the best in my opinion. I put a pistol grip on mine and a heat shield and shoot it all the time so I'm deadly accurate with it. The good thing about the shotty is that you don't have to be good. Get some low recoil 00 buck as stated by someone else and shoot it at the range so you know what the recoil feels like. God forbide you have to use it on any human, BUT If you do and you shoot 1st and hit...it will be the only shot that night.
Personally my SHTF gun is a Sig P220. It's a 45 so no need to worry about whether you stopped the robber or not...you did! If you hit an arm or leg, then that arm or leg is gone. The 45 will be controllable and deadly accurate in a home defense situation. Most people buy 9's because they are accurate and travel well, but at 10-15 feet how good do you need to be? If it's further than that then you should be safe enough to get away without having a shootout.
Remember this is home defense. How big is your house? That's what you need to cover...your house, not your neighborhood. Ideally you have power to 25 ft and a bullet that hit, stops and spreads....that fully describes a 45 cal. I would also recommend a Sig P229 because you can have a 40 cal and change the barrel to 357 Sig in a few seconds and use the same mags. Awesome gun! Pricey, but awesome and as reliable as Sig's motto says..."To Hell & Back!
Unfortunately, here in CA I don't have many options, but when we go to the FL house I get to be a kid and really enjoy shooting the high capacity rifles and handguns.
Last thing...practice, practice, practice! And take the wife with you. My wife is as lethal as me at this point and no longer nags me about going to the range or having the gun. She understands, respects and knows how to operate our weapons.
Personally my SHTF gun is a Sig P220. It's a 45 so no need to worry about whether you stopped the robber or not...you did! If you hit an arm or leg, then that arm or leg is gone. The 45 will be controllable and deadly accurate in a home defense situation. Most people buy 9's because they are accurate and travel well, but at 10-15 feet how good do you need to be? If it's further than that then you should be safe enough to get away without having a shootout.
Remember this is home defense. How big is your house? That's what you need to cover...your house, not your neighborhood. Ideally you have power to 25 ft and a bullet that hit, stops and spreads....that fully describes a 45 cal. I would also recommend a Sig P229 because you can have a 40 cal and change the barrel to 357 Sig in a few seconds and use the same mags. Awesome gun! Pricey, but awesome and as reliable as Sig's motto says..."To Hell & Back!
Unfortunately, here in CA I don't have many options, but when we go to the FL house I get to be a kid and really enjoy shooting the high capacity rifles and handguns.
Last thing...practice, practice, practice! And take the wife with you. My wife is as lethal as me at this point and no longer nags me about going to the range or having the gun. She understands, respects and knows how to operate our weapons.
calikev
New member
Sorry...forgot to actually answer the OP question. Speer Gold dot is by far the best I've put in any handgun I've owned.
I shoot the cheap Walmart Winchester white/red label box stuff for practice at the range. Test fire Speer gold dot a few boxes and then keep Speer for your home defense gun. Much more accurate and not a messy to clean up. The cheap stuff makes a mess but is good for practicing, especially for newbies to handguns. It gives you a reason to really learn your gun and tear it down to clean it.
I shoot the cheap Walmart Winchester white/red label box stuff for practice at the range. Test fire Speer gold dot a few boxes and then keep Speer for your home defense gun. Much more accurate and not a messy to clean up. The cheap stuff makes a mess but is good for practicing, especially for newbies to handguns. It gives you a reason to really learn your gun and tear it down to clean it.
4runnerBrett
New member
I carry a Ruger lcp .380 with winchester personal protection bullets. I chose this as it is good pocket gun. If i was to buy a pistol only for home defense i would probably buy a ruger lc9 which is 9mm. 9mm is good round which has great prices on bullets and still good stopping power.
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