Best firearm for home defense.

[Tblack89]

Most men can't properly handle the recoil of a shotgun so I doubt very many women can either.

At close range (such as a house) a shotgun blast will land like a bullet, very tight pattern.

Teach your mother-in-law how to shoot with a .22 pistol and go from there. Basically, the biggest handgun that she can shoot and handle well in the biggest caliber she can shoot well is the answer.

If that's a .22 LR then so be it.

Also, it's a good idea to put a set of ear pro muffs that allow normal sounds while blocking out gun shots by the weapon and train her to put those on when she thinks the fun is about to start.

Having lost part of my hearing at age 15 because my father thought earmuffs were stupid has really sucked these 50 years. It'll be really loud shooting inside her house.

Also train her to never fire through doors and never go outside to address sounds or intruders.

Don't forget teaching her good tactics and why a flashlight with strobe effect is priceless.

What men are you hanging out with? Pretty embarrassing!

 

[pronstar]

I’ve posted this before:

My MIL wanted a shotgun, to scare away intruders by racking the slide.

I asked her if she would be willing to actually shoot someone.

Her answer was “no, I just want to scare them away”.

So I asked her “what if it doesn’t scare them?”

She said she would shoot it into the air.

So I asked “and if that still doesn’t scare them away? Are you willing to shoot them now?

She looked puzzled, so I told her “at this point the intruder will take the shotgun from you, and will kill you with it.”

So I never did buy it for her, and she never asked again.

So my point is, you may want to make sure she’s willing to actually use the firearm as intended.

Side note:
My in-laws live with us now.

I saw my MIL outside the front door late one night, she said she thought she heard a burglar.

So I naturally asked “what would you have done if there was someone out there?”

She said she’d call the cops…using the cell phone that wasn’t in her hand.

I told her that’s a good way to get yerself hurt… just call for me the next time she thinks she hears something.


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[Axxe55]

I’ve posted this before:

My MIL wanted a shotgun, to scare away intruders by racking the slide.

I asked her if she would be willing to actually shoot someone.

Her answer was “no, I just want to scare them away”.

So I asked her “what if it doesn’t scare them?”

She said she would shoot it into the air.

So I asked “and if that still doesn’t scare them away? Are you willing to shoot them now?

She looked puzzled, so I told her “at this point the intruder will take the shotgun from you, and will kill you with it.”

So I never did buy it for her, and she never asked again.

So my point is, you may want to make sure she’s willing to actually use the firearm as intended.

Side note:
My in-laws live with us now.

I saw my MIL outside the front door late one night, she said she thought she heard a burglar.

So I naturally asked “what would you have done if there was someone out there?”

She said she’d call the cops…using the cell phone that wasn’t in her hand.

I told her that’s a good way to get yerself hurt… just call for me the next time she thinks she hears something.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Pretty close to the same advice we gave my Granny many years ago.

 

[rotor]

My wife can handle a 12 g all day and is a better shot than I am. My home defense is a Maverick 88 12g, 18.5" barrel with #4 buck. Is that right for you? I don't know but it is what I have settled on.

 

[38 and 45]

What men are you hanging out with? Pretty embarrassing!

You know I'm right though! Most men these days as children did not play outside, never played sports, and did not grow up shooting guns.

 

[glenbo]

For many years the .22LR was supposed to be the assassin's weapon of choice. It might not stop someone but can kill them. As was already posted, 10 of them in the chest will certainly get someone's attention. A .410 in the face or chest will probably make an intruder reconsider his career choice if he lives through it.

 

[candcallen]

What was that about it being better to keep ones mouth shut..........

 

[mongoose]

I was going to purchase my elderly Mom a Kel Tec PMR-30. Easy to handle recoil and 30 rounds of 22 Mag. Light weight also.

 

[Alpha.Geek]

They say an inch a yard on shot-shells is a good estimate for spread, but can she handle the recoil of #4, or 00 buck?
With a follow-up shot, or remember to pump, if a pump-action unless she goes a few more times to the range, minimum?

I agree with many a 12-gauge would be the best option, but ONLY if she is familiar with the recoil, and follow up shots, to at least 3-total, just in case...

MANY ladies LOVE .22lr pistols, but even a cheap, single-action .22 Magnum would be good, if she is a decent shot, and remembers to cock it.

Hell, I'd trust my life to a Ruger Mark IV, IF it was CLEAN AND loaded with CCI Mini-Mags... BUT I might have to squeeze off most of what is in the mag to stop a non-doped up person, but not sure about a druggie...

 

[Axxe55]

For a person of smaller stature, a 20 gauge is damn good option to consider. 20 gauge buckshot at close range will most assuredly get the job done on a home intruder.

 

[Axxe55]

They say an inch a yard on shot-shells is a good estimate for spread, but can she handle the recoil of #4, or 00 buck?
With a follow-up shot, or remember to pump, if a pump-action unless she goes a few more times to the range, minimum?

I agree with many a 12-gauge would be the best option, but ONLY if she is familiar with the recoil, and follow up shots, to at least 3-total, just in case...

Why three shots?

 

[RoadRunner]

You may want to take a look at the Mossberg 510 youth with the 18.5" barrel and adjustable stock.

​

 

[V-Tach]

Owning a gun does not make one..."safe"

Too many unknowns to give anything other than opinions....

Talk to her....would she really use it? Could she really use it physically and mentally?

Take her to the range and let her handle and shoot different firearms.....

and yes......sometimes a .22 can be the right answer.....

and please don't put a 10 inch .44 Blackhawk in her hand to shoot first....j/k.....kinda....

 

[seeker_two]

The two most important questions I have are:

1. What guns does she have experience shooting now?
2. What is the purpose of this gun? Home defense only? Home and car defense? Concealed carry?

If I had to make one HD suggestion cold, I would recommend a Ruger 10/22 carbine with 25rd. magazines. It's a lot easier to manipulate and shoot than a shotgun, and 25 CCI Velocitors to the face and chest will motivate a perp to be somewhere else. If car and concealed carry are on the table, my suggestion would change to a Taurus TX22 or SIG P322.

I know .22lr isn't a powerhouse, but hits matter more than muzzle energy. And, ballistically, most .22lr is like getting stabbed with a 12"-18" icepick. Not many folks are shrugging that off.....

 

[Shady]

I was going to purchase my elderly Mom a Kel Tec PMR-30. Easy to handle recoil and 30 rounds of 22 Mag. Light weight also.

Its a cool gun and I love mine BUT

If you don't pack the mags correctly its a jam o matic.

No I don't want to stand down range of one because when they work they work well.

 

[Jarine88]

All this “use a shotgun” talk makes me think about a certain president.

The spread at close ranges (e.g., indoor hallway) is about the size of a fist. Better than a small projectile, but not close to what most people envision.

If going the shotgun route, birdshot may be a better choice compared to buckshot to avoid over penetration through walls. Birdshot will still tear a body up.

We tend to think of knock down power and all the exceptions to the rules. However, when someone starts shooting, the vast majority of people head for cover or retreat. The intention is to stop the threat.

As others have mentioned, a .22LR or .22Mag may be the answer. The right .380 may also be a good choice. I know the .380 failed the FBI penetration test, but she is not trying to shoot through car doors.

 

[2ManyGuns]

IMO, the best gun is the one she is willing to practice with, can handle with ease, and is inexpensive, reliable enough to stash multiple ones throughout the house. Maybe something like the RIA M206 (38 Spl). One to keep on her person and 2 or 3 stashed in various locations in her home.

 

[Fishkiller]

If I recall Brandon said get a double barrel and shoot it off the porch.

Joe Biden Back On That Double Barrel Shotgun Tip – Everyday No Days Off

www.everydaynodaysoff.com

 

[karlac]

All this “use a shotgun” talk makes me think about a certain president.

The spread at close ranges (e.g., indoor hallway) is about the size of a fist. Better than a small projectile, but not close to what most people envision.

If going the shotgun route, birdshot may be a better choice compared to buckshot to avoid over penetration through walls. Birdshot will still tear a body up.

We tend to think of knock down power and all the exceptions to the rules. However, when someone starts shooting, the vast majority of people head for cover or retreat. The intention is to stop the threat.

As others have mentioned, a .22LR or .22Mag may be the answer. The right .380 may also be a good choice. I know the .380 failed the FBI penetration test, but she is not trying to shoot through car doors.

^ QFT

IRRC, the first mention of the likelihood of mitigation of collateral damage in the situation as originally stated in the OP, and certainly a major consideration.

.410 short barrel would be on my short list for recommendations. It was good enough for my great grandmother, for both indoors and out, until she passed at 103.

 

[Axxe55]

Owning a gun does not make one..."safe"

Too many unknowns to give anything other than opinions....

Talk to her....would she really use it? Could she really use it physically and mentally?

Take her to the range and let her handle and shoot different firearms.....

and yes......sometimes a .22 can be the right answer.....

and please don't put a 10 inch .44 Blackhawk in her hand to shoot first....j/k.....kinda....

The mental aspect is probably one of the bigger factors that needs to be addressed. In a self-defense situation, one must come to terms with the possibility of taking another person's life. Some people can never grasp this, and if they can't owning or having a gun could be a bad decision, and a weapon that could be very easily used against them.

Giving that, there are other options that should be considered, such as pepper spray, taser, or a very bright flashlight with strobe function.