When Something Goes Bump in the Night

THE TIME HAS COME!!! (Followed by gleeful, if somewhat maniacal, laughter.) I have written about politics, policy, and my worldview thus far, but this time I’m going to write a post just for fun. I am going to write about one of my favorite topics of discussion – firearms (more gleeful laughter)! Specifically I’m going to write about home defense firearms.

There are about as many different views on this topic as there are lobbyists in Washington. What type of firearm? What caliber? How many rounds should the weapon hold? Where should the firearm be kept? Who will be the primary user? All of these are valid questions, but unfortunately there are a host of different answers depending on whom you ask. I will attempt to address these questions in this post and give my two cents on the best home defense firearm at the end of this diatribe.

What type of firearm should I use for home defense? First, the answer to that question depends on where you live. Do you live in an apartment in the city, a house in the suburbs, or on a homestead out in the middle of nowhere? (I am going to assume that there are no statutes precluding ownership of certain types of firearms where you live, sorry California and certain major cities). If you live in a densely populated environment, such as an apartment complex, you have to be very concerned about over penetration of errant projectiles. That effectively rules out all rifles shooting reasonably priced, reliable ammunition and leaves you with handguns and shotguns. While both handguns and shotguns still run the risk of penetrating walls and ventilating innocent neighbors, ammunition is readily available for both that drastically reduces this possibility. This same line of reasoning also holds true for houses in the suburbs, while individuals living on a homestead in the country can safely choose rifles without very much fear of endangering their neighbors.

So back to what type of firearm should I use? I would strongly discourage anyone from using a rifle of any type for home defense, regardless of living arrangement. Rifles capable of routinely stopping a human have a significant amount of recoil. Engaging a target effectively in a lethal force situation with a rifle requires a level of training rarely seen outside of the military. So unless you want to invest in a significant amount of range time with a close quarters battle (CQB) instructor I would steer clear of rifles as home defense weapons. That brings us back to handguns and shotguns. Handguns have some clear advantages over shotguns. They are compact. They are easy to store in the nightstand. There are a myriad of calibers in various models and it’s usually easy to find a range to practice. Their compact size makes them easy to maneuver in the close environment of the home. If you use a double action revolver, a handgun is dead reliable. The drawbacks to a handgun are inherent inaccuracy when compared to their longer barreled cousins and the amount of training necessary to effectively neutralize a lethal threat in the low-light, adrenaline charged event of a home invasion.

The shotgun has its advantages and disadvantages as well. The biggest advantage of a shotgun is that it shoots a pattern as opposed to a single bullet. This makes precise aiming a bit less critical. Pump action shotguns also have the benefit of being extremely reliable and there is a wide range of shotgun ammunition available for various applications including home defense. The major disadvantage to the shotgun is size. Its longer overall length can make it difficult to maneuver in the tight confines of the home. It also is at a disadvantage compared to the pistol in the number of rounds it can hold. Most stock shotguns have a magazine capacity of 4 shells in the magazine plus one in the chamber while a handgun may hold anywhere from 6 to 15 rounds.

With all that said my weapon of choice to defend my castle is a Remington 870 shotgun loaded with #3 buckshot. I keep the shotgun close at hand because having been in a few lethal force encounters I appreciate the negative impact of adrenaline, darkness, and surprise on the ability to precisely aim a weapon. The barrel on my 870 is 18” long with a modified choke so at the limited ranges within my four walls it is a truly devastating weapon. The limited magazine capacity doesn’t really bother me because a solid hit with that weapon will drop a man in his tracks and in all likelihood keep him down. My Remington is a 20ga although I’ll likely upgrade it to a 12ga in the near future. Additionally, the added length and weight of the weapon isn’t really a detriment to navigating about my house in the dead of night while seeing what went “bump”.

I would recommend that most people use a pump action shotgun with a short barrel for home defense. It is a very simple weapon to learn to handle effectively and ammunition is cheap and easy to come by thus making practice more likely. At close range it has devastating effect and in most homes the reduced range isn’t really a factor. For those reasons I strongly advise anyone who asks to get a shotgun for home defense and it never hurts to have a back up, so go ahead and by that sexy pistol in the glass case too. You’ll be able to afford it because most pump action shotguns have the advantage of being relatively cheap.