# Shotgun vs. Handgun for Personal Defense in the Home



## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)




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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I'm prepared with both.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Interesting. I think it would be more situational to the layout of your home I have some tight corners to navigate.where a long gun may not be practical. In my bedroom, back against the wall and a charging deranged attacker... Yeah, I want a shotgun.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Shotgun has a higher hit chance and lower penetration.
For that reason, it is my preference.

That said, I still clip the light on the rail of my 19 every night before laying it back down on the nightstand.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Something not addressed is getting woke up from a noise & being half awake. How's that work for sighting a handgun?


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I've been following Clint Smith for years.
And here is something else Clint has said - in a close encounter if you have a shotgun fire the gun as soon as the muzzle covers flesh. If that is the bad guys leg or arm, at one foot distance you have just removed that leg or arm. 

My favorite Clint saying: "No one who has ever survived a gunfight has ever wished for a smaller gun or less ammo.
FWIW - He is a combat wounded Marine veteran of Vietnam.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

When I was young and dumber,reloading 12 gages. We would place the muzzle against an 4-6" oak or pine sapling. The 2 3/4 " 1 1/8 oz skeet load would rip right thru and leave a round hole.
My 1 1/2oz #5 magnums would blow a hole in 3/4" ply at 15 yards. That was the distance from the boat to a rivals blind.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

AR-10 308, I don't have to worry about neighbors. I may have to shoot through a vehicle, wall, tree or body armor. So I don't want something that doesn't penetrate. 

That's also why I have a 500 mag with custom loaded 500 grain XTP's. I want to change cover into concealment. Go ahead and try to hide once you screw up and start something.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> Something not addressed is getting woke up from a noise & being half awake. How's that work for sighting a handgun?


With a 200 lumen beam of sunlight filling the room, it works pretty well.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I've been following Clint Smith for years.
> And here is something else Clint has said - in a close encounter if you have a shotgun fire the gun as soon as the muzzle covers flesh. If that is the bad guys leg or arm, at one foot distance you have just removed that leg or arm.
> 
> My favorite Clint saying: "No one who has ever survived a gunfight has ever wished for a smaller gun or less ammo.
> FWIW - He is a combat wounded Marine veteran of Vietnam.


I disagree. First thing is identifying as friend or foe.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

He didn't address going around corners with a long gun. There's a big advantage to a handgun there, IMHO.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I have both as well. My HD shotgun is a Mossberg 500 with a Raptor grip on it which I like so much better than the factory grip!

Raptor Grip for Mossberg 500 Series $25.95 | Shockwave Technologies


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## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

We use hand guns because of the layout of our home, there's lots of twists and turns and tight corners. Shotguns are just too long to use in some of our areas.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

sideKahr said:


> He didn't address going around corners with a long gun. There's a big advantage to a handgun there, IMHO.


Exactly. In my home, however, our bedroom is located in a back corner of the house. I'll have the shotgun and just let the bad guy come to me. He'll be easy to see in the doorway.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Have both but I gotta say there is no other definitive sound that strikes terror into someone as the sound of pumping a shotgun.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

HuntingHawk said:


> I disagree. First thing is identifying as friend or foe.


Hmm. let me see.
"a close encounter" "the bad guys leg or arm"
I thought I was pretty clear. The target had already been established.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

Sasquatch said:


> Have both but I gotta say there is no other definitive sound that strikes terror into someone as the sound of pumping a shotgun.


Yep. It's genetic. Even if you've never heard it before, you know what it is and you know it's bad news for someone.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

The sound of a racking shot gun tells me several things. That you are armed, so my awareness level goes to 25 on the 1 to 10 scale; and also it tells me where you are. 
Just as a flashlight or weapon light tells me exactly where you are.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> Have both but I gotta say there is no other definitive sound that strikes terror into someone as the sound of pumping a shotgun.


I can think of one that strikes more fear into the holder of said shotgun... a shell falling on the floor.

Revealing your location via sound is an invitation to receive blind fire.
The only sound he needs to hear is the rapid expansion of burning gunpower and hot lead.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Kauboy said:


> I can think of one that strikes more fear into the holder of said shotgun... a shell falling on the floor.
> 
> Revealing your location via sound is an invitation to receive blind fire.
> The only sound he needs to hear is the rapid expansion of burning gunpower and hot lead.


And if you hit squarely, he will never even hear it.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

rice paddy daddy said:


> The sound of a racking shot gun tells me several things. That you are armed, so my awareness level goes to 25 on the 1 to 10 scale; and also it tells me where you are.
> Just as a flashlight or weapon light tells me exactly where you are.


Using the wrong flashlight/weapon light is a big mistake.
Using none at all can lead to an even bigger mistake. (I've got two little ones)

You make a noise in my house in the dead of night, you are first blinded by sunlight, then if necessary, wounded by gunfire.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Short barrel shotgun. If using were legal of course.














Something like that.


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> Something not addressed is getting woke up from a noise & being half awake. How's that work for sighting a handgun?


If I am not awake enough to hit a guy across the room from me, I'm not awake enough to be sure of my target, so I've got no business putting finger to trigger. That said, nothing like a shot of adrenaline to give you that GOOD MORNING alertness.

Also: With a handgun, I can squat low and peek around corners if necessary. People are biased to look at 'human height' and will often not notice things lower nearly as quickly. Or so a combat veteran told me.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

The best weapon for home defense is the one you can get to in a hurry. Break in while I'm in the bathroom, you will be facing a .22. If I'm in bed, my 45 is handy and the GF has a 12 gauge on her side. If I'm at my computer, you face the AR-15, and so on.

As far as sighting when half asleep... really no need to use the sights. We aren't talking 25 yards here, more like 15 or 20 feet. At that range, it's just point n shoot.

I don't plan to ask an intruder to wait until I fetch the ideal weapon, I'm gonna use whatever is closest.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

My security system includes living in a quiet, rural area with not much traffic on the road, especially after dark. Very quiet. The perimeter is fenced, no one can just amble up to the door.
The 4 dogs are inside at night, but still very aware of what's going on outside. And if someone did manage to sneak up the first kick on the door it would be pandemonium. 
Giving me plenty of time to get one or more of my weapons - S&W 38 Special on the night stand, Mini 14 leaning against the wall at the head of the bed, or the SXS double barrel 20 gauge in the corner.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

While I agree with HuntingHawk, we live alone. If I have someone spending the night, all firearms get locked up for such a reason. Otherwise, I have a 20 Ga available and ready and the wife has her 9mm available. Plus my pistol is almost readily available. I live in a residential area, so my first choice is the 20 Ga. so I don't have as much to worry about over penetration. BUT that being said, under normal circumstances I will NOT be going out of the bedroom to investigate. The police will be called and I and the wife will remain in the bedroom at the ready in case the fool decides to come and join us. Everything is insured, let the police catch him and haul him away if he is only interested in stealing. If he has more on his mind, we will deal with that if and when he opens the bedroom door.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Don't want to put a damper on all you pistol cowboys fun but just remember you better hit your target with every round that comes out of your gun because you are responsible for everyone. If you live in a neighborhood it would be one you if a stray went through a wall and hit a neighbor. I have a pistol and have no problem using it if I have to. It is stored right next to the shotty and in my situation and for the layout of my house I'm grabbing the riot gun every time.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

rice paddy daddy said:


> The sound of a racking shot gun tells me several things. That you are armed, so my awareness level goes to 25 on the 1 to 10 scale; and also it tells me where you are.
> Just as a flashlight or weapon light tells me exactly where you are.


That's why I always have a round chambered. If the bad guy hears my shotgun racking, it's only because he survived the first shot.


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## turbo6 (Jun 27, 2014)

Shotgun is ideal however I opted for handguns because they require less space to store and with children in the house it's easier to secure them.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Need to consider skill ,level, experience and confidence also


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Pistol is my choice because of my hallway. I can hide behind a barrier and shoot down the hallway with my left hand with G-Lock
There is a 870 20 and a 556 within arms reach if the need arises.


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

Sasquatch said:


> Have both but I gotta say there is no other definitive sound that strikes terror into someone as the sound of pumping a shotgun.


The sound of me bump firing my 40 round P Mag in your direction weather or not contact is made. Will out do the sound of a racked gun. I have never shit my pants from hearing some one rack a shot gun. It is a misconception.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Unless there are reports of civil unrest in the news, my long guns stay in the safe. Handgun is always at the ready ... so are the four dogs.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Your pistol is for fighting your way back to the long gun you shouldn't have dropped in the first place.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Personal opinion: he is looking to sell his course to more people.

Everyone needs to go back to "basic" training, . . . something that is lacking in the video. He us using a scenario that he should be teaching totally against: house clearing 1 on 1.

1. If there is a perp in your house, . . . let him come to you. Going to him gives him a +10 advantage over you. He knows where you are, . . . you don't know where he is.

2. Try laying in your bed and then doing two things: pick up your pistol and dry fire it at your bedroom door, . . . then lay back down, . . . then try picking up a shotgun and dry firing it toward the door. If your SO is timing you, . . . my bet is that it took you an easy twice as long to get the shotty into play. 

Time is of the essence in this scenario.

Now if you have a double barrel, . . . it might be almost as quick as the pistol, . . . but after 2 rounds, . . . you are "Winchester" my friend, . . . out of ammo, . . . and a single shot has even less.

Then we go to the master-mind shotgun argument "just the sound of the round racking into the chamber will cause him to pee his pants", . . . a Snopes verified urban legend that has no justification whatsoever. Factually, . . . as mentioned earlier, . . . it definitely gives away your position, your weapon, . . . and if it is like the vast majority of 870's I've seen, . . . you're only up to 4 rounds, . . . one less than a J frame.

Now to be fair, . . . his argument AS HE PRESENTED IT is OK, . . . but only a novice will go around a corner, . . . down a hall way, . . . or into an open room in a full "arms forward" position, . . . and he knows it. That is just not the way one stays alive in house clearing 1 on 1.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

alterego said:


> The sound of me bump firing my 40 round P Mag in your direction weather or not contact is made. Will out do the sound of a racked gun. I have never shit my pants from hearing some one rack a shot gun. It is a misconception.


I refer you to post #27.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I like my Mossberg 500. She will have a 9mm pistol, light and a cell phone. We need to plan for having to actually retain or retake our home sometime.


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

I'm normally a light sleeper, which bites as I currently work 3rd shift. Point is I wake easily and can function fine. 
Most "experts" will tell you; If you're trying to clear a house, the shotgun is for teamwork only. Otherwise it is for tunnels/hallways and choke points. Let the neanderthal come to you. And normally, I would agree.

However, Boss's bedroom is at one end of the house and the puppies are all at the opposite end, so Boss Dog is coming out! 
I keep a handgun at bedside along with an equipped duty belt, but a shotty is readily available; cylinder bore with 12 gauge 00 buck. Un-chambered because grandkids could encounter it wandering into Boss's bedroom at night when he's there (if mama won't let them in hers). If the BG sticks around to enjoy the barking dog and then the blaring house alarm, he doesn't deserve to hear anything else (racking the slide). He wouldn't hear it with all the racket anyway, just receive the gift of an eternity as a frying sausage patty.



turbo6 said:


> Shotgun is ideal however I opted for handguns because they require less space to store and with children in the house it's easier to secure them.


If you have more than two guns, you need a safe, then you can put long guns in it too. Figure out the cost of the safe versus replacing your guns. Plus you can keep other stuff in it. Camera, watches, other jewelry, cash, etc.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

For me, it's a matter of time. If I am alerted in time, I'll go for my shotgun and hopefully have my pistol in my pocket for backup. If I am caught with only a few seconds, then my .45 is within reach, loaded, and ready to go.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I have two handguns. A 45 on my side, loaded and chambered. Safety on. 40 on her side, loaded not chambered. ( Her preferance ). Also have a 12 gauge, pistol grip, shotgun, loaded, 00 and slugs, not chambered. I am rethinking this as I am agreeing there is no need to give my position away and he deserves no warning. I have a two story house and the master is upstairs so my plan was always to wait for him to come to me. He, or they, will have to climb the stairs and once they are there I will have the advantage. Once there they won't know what hits them. They either have to get up to me fast or leave fast because the alarm horn will be going off and the cops will be rolling. In the event the alarm is not sounding for some reason then I wait....if he doesn't come up then eventually I will have to clear the house. But wife will have called the police and be armed and I will have both shotgun and 45.


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## turbo6 (Jun 27, 2014)

Boss Dog said:


> If you have more than two guns, you need a safe, then you can put long guns in it too. Figure out the cost of the safe versus replacing your guns. Plus you can keep other stuff in it. Camera, watches, other jewelry, cash, etc.


I have a safe just a smaller one, once I get a few long guns we'll upgrade to a bigger, taller size.


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## CWOLDOJAX (Sep 5, 2013)

Pir8fan said:


> That's why I always have a round chambered. If the bad guy hears my shotgun racking, it's only because he survived the first shot.


After the first shot the perp may not hear anything because he/she/it is deaf now... however, they can watch you rack it and worry or hurry.


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## Prepping 2015 (Jan 6, 2015)

In the UK, it's insanely hard to get a handgun, the easiest option, if you want a firearm, is a shotgun. But this easy access to shotguns has led to a lot of gang violence in cities such as liverpool, involving shootings.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I've got a .40 sig chambered by the bed with a streamlight tlr1hl attached. Not sure if I'll use it or not but it has come in handy in the past for critter control. There's also a mossy 500 behind the bedroom door loaded but not chambered. I also have a 30-30 loaded and chambered strategically hidden near the front door. I've thought about changing out the marlin for the ar but haven't decided yet.

I think the flashlight has both pros and cons. It could blind someone temporarily and buy you another second or so that could save your life. But as mentioned if there is multiple attackers it could give you away or even blind you. I keep one on my hd handgun anyway, it's there if I decide I need it.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

I strongly oppose the whole idea of jacking a round into a shotgun in order to give someone a warning. First, if they break into my home they don't deserve a warning, they should assume that any home that they break into has armed people inside, and unlike many, I assume that anyone who breaks into my home is armed and is as good as shot as I, if not better. If I am wrong, no problem, if I am right, cycling a round through a pump action shotgun may result in me getting shot before I have a chance to complete the action. 
I go under premise that someone who breaks into my house is very nervous, is armed, and may shoot at anything that startles him.

A large part of the problem with threads like this is not only does everyone have different opinions, but they also have different situations. My wife and I live alone on the edge of town. If I hear a noise I will remain in my bedroom waiting for the intruder to enter because I have control of the area, which I would lose if I left the bedroom. The most important things in my house would be in my bedroom, my wife, myself, and a majority of my firearms. On the other if I had children, the situation would radically change. I would have to protect them, something I couldn't do if I remained in my bedroom, and I would have to be sure that it is in fact an intruder and not one of my children roaming around. I would need to leave my bedroom, I would need a light to identify who is making the noise, and I would have to be concerned with whatever I was firing might go through a wall and hit someone to didn't intend to shoot.

Personally, I have a 1911 loaded with hollow points next to the bed. Once I have that in hand, given time I will move to the closet and get a 12 gauge loaded is #4 shot, which is more then adequate for the ranges I will be firing at in my bedroom.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

If you are chambering a round when the Bg is near by you are already a bit late. No one is scared off by the sound of it. Once again a move plot and that is about it.
Sounds like a Joe Binden trick.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Good points NSY. I live in the middle of nowhere, closest neighbors are a half mile away. Plus I have outside dogs as the first layer of defense. Not worried about accidentally shooting a neighbor. Plus anybody who comes at night uninvited in the house is not there to say hello. No kids in the house. Like you said, my situation would be radically different if I lived in a neighborhood in the city.


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> I've got a .40 sig chambered by the bed with a streamlight tlr1hl attached. Not sure if I'll use it or not but it has come in handy in the past for critter control. There's also a mossy 500 behind the bedroom door loaded but not chambered. I also have a 30-30 loaded and chambered strategically hidden near the front door. I've thought about changing out the marlin for the ar but haven't decided yet.
> 
> I think the flashlight has both pros and cons. It could blind someone temporarily and buy you another second or so that could save your life. But as mentioned if there is multiple attackers it could give you away or even blind you. I keep one on my hd handgun anyway, it's there if I decide I need it.


When woke in the middle of the night in the dark and you grab your super-duper 200 lumen flashbang electric torch and turn it on, the flash from the walls (white especially) can indeed blind you as well as Mr. BG.

I know you didn't mention 200 lumens but, many buy them for the bragging rights and I do have a couple I use at work. At home it's a 60 lumen flashlight that sits at bedside. Just wanted to get that in.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> ...Plus anybody who comes at night uninvited in the house is not there to say hello...


Over a generation ago....Mrs Slippy and I were newly married and she of course moved into the apartment that I had occupied prior to our marriage. One clear spring night, we fell asleep and forgot to lock the door to our apartment. I awoke to Mrs Slippy "nudging" on me and whispering loudly to wake up. There in our bedroom was a young female, dressed only in a small t-shirt and nothing else.

It turned out to be one of our neighbors who had been out drinking with her buddies, came home and wanted some male companionship. In her drunken stupor, she meant to surprise her boyfriend who lived a few doors down from us but by accident chose our place. I got her a pair of Mrs Slippy's shorts and we walked her home.

I must admit that Mrs Slippy was not 100% positive that it was a mistake on our scanitly dressed intruder's part as I was quite a dashing young man at the time...:icon_smile:

And, in hindsight, I never thought about reaching for the Mossberg in the closet...


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Honestly, I am not at all worried about a home invasion. Neither us nor our neighbors are drug dealers (the #1 motive for home invasion is stealing drugs), and anyone "casing" our property can clearly see we are poor and most likely have no cash in the house.

I am more worried about predators after my chickens, or Billy Bubba Boy out night poaching deer sending a projectile where it shouldn't be.


In the county we live in crime other than drug sales/possetion, or daytime theft/burglary to support a drug habit, is very rare. If there is one killing a year it is a big deal. Home invasion? Not even on the radar.

Now, y'all in the cities or suburbs are on your own.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

My idea of home defense is a person should be cowering in the far corner of the bedroom behind a locked door and have the single shot shotgun loaded up with birdshot ready to rumble when the bad guy comes on in. .12 gauge for manly men. .20 gauge for wimmenly wimmen.


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## TxBorderCop (Nov 19, 2012)

I have a 1911 with a Streamlight TLR-2 ready to go. I also have an M4 in hot standby with Surefire M900LT and a LaserMax Uni-Max green. Wife has her XD40 on her side.

I have two Labs as my alarm system, one of which is a mean little shit. She will bite anyone who goes near her Baby (my 14 year old son). His bedroom is right next to ours, so I have to go hunt the idiot who decided to come into my house.

Since I live in the country, the only place I am concerned about over penetration is near the Boy's room. And our bedroom door remains open unless SWMBO and I get a chance to have nocturnal activities. Afterwards, I open the door. I check all the doors prior to going to bed, and since I work swings right now, I don't get home until 0130 or so. If the intruder decides to enter the house from the walk out basement, the stairwell will be their fatal funnel.

All this is conjecture, hopefully no one on here will have to deal with it. But with the way society is becoming, it becomes more and more prevalent. We get break in's during the summers, when we get a lot of the big city trash and transient fruit pickers who travel around trying to find homes to break into. Happened last year, unfortunately for the robbers, the house they decided to break into was occupied and they didn't make it out alive.


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## Piratesailor (Nov 9, 2012)

Slippy... I'm rolling laughing about your story... accident huh.. wrong apartment huh...suuurrrrrre. LOL

For me, IF someone was in the house and got past the dogs, and specifically the chihauhau, then I'm coming after them. I have a child in the house and will not let then "come to me" and roam the house. 

I'll use a pistol too. shotgun, although good for scatter and "near miss" is not good in my house. All about preferencea and what works for you and your house.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Piratesailor said:


> Slippy... I'm rolling laughing about your story... accident huh.. wrong apartment huh...suuurrrrrre. LOL
> 
> For me, IF someone was in the house and got past the dogs, and specifically the chihauhau, then I'm coming after them. I have a child in the house and will not let then "come to me" and roam the house.
> 
> I'll use a pistol too. shotgun, although good for scatter and "near miss" is not good in my house. All about preferencea and what works for you and your house.


It was pretty funny and we still laugh at it to this day...and it happened in 1987. The rest of the story...Since the apartment complex was mainly young people we would meet at the pool on the weekends and drink beer and socialize like young people do. So the next day, me, Mrs Slippy and a couple of neighbors walk to the pool with a cooler of adult beverages. Upon arrival, in the corner is the girl who "broke" into our apartment all huddled up with the dude that she was looking for last night. Me being Me, walked over and said hello and the poor chick was so embarrassed. Her eyes were pleading with me (non-verbally) to not say a thing about last night.

I didn't at least not to her or the dude she was sportin' that day at the pool. BUT, I told another buddy and damn if he didn't ask her out a few weeks later thinking she was easy, peasy...It turned out she had stopped drinking and she told my buddy that somethings had happened lately that were the result of her drinking so she had quit.

Me and Mrs Slippy laughed more than once about that too.


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## keith9365 (Apr 23, 2014)

TacticalCanuck said:


> Short barrel shotgun. If using were legal of course.
> View attachment 9450
> View attachment 9450
> 
> ...


Holy crap bro! If you are in the states you just painted an ATF target on your back!


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