In some circles, talking about a gun for defense creates some terribly awkward moments. In other circles, the speaker will immediately get assailed by dozens of recommendations. It is an incredibly diverse topic, and for good reason. Home defense is literally life and death. But the decision of a defensive firearm need not be the hardest part of that.

This article may be a bit odd to some. We’re going to explore some of the concepts and basic knowledge regarding the firearms you would use for defense, then the concerns about owning them and deciding if you really need them later on.

[The Guns] A lot of people go for a pistol for defense. While a handgun does have a place in a good HD plan, it shouldn’t be the primary focus of one. Have one, know how to use it, but be aware it comes after the guard dog, alarm system, dead bolt, bright flash light and shotgun. Handguns are in all ways ballistically inferior to rifles and shotguns, and contrary to popular belief, actually harder to hit with. You have one or two hands, no shoulder stock for support, and a short barrel. This last trait means that a handgun can have a nasty muzzle flash at night (which is your typical defensive encounter) which could disrupt your natural night vision and leave you blinded. However, they can be locked in a drawer, stuck in a waistband and used with one hand while you lock the door, shield your child, push yourself to your feet, and thus, it is important to keep one handy.

Revolvers versus autos have been a long-winded debate. As many have said, it’s mostly preference. But for some people, it’s not as much preference as necessity. A revolver uses a rotating cylinder, each hole functioning as a chamber to hold the bullet when fired into the barrel. A modern revolver allows this cylinder to be flipped out for reloading. The trigger, when pulled advances the cylinder then fires the bullet; this is called double action. Cocking it with your thumb makes the pull lighter and advances the cylinder. An automatic, or auto-loader uses some kind of mechanism to automatically eject the empty casing and load the fresh one. All use a magazine, which is a box that holds fresh ammunition. Most are removable, meaning an empty magazine can be swapped with a fresh one in a pinch. They can come in a staggering number of trigger setups.

Let’s look at auto-loaders first. This would be your Colt .45, Glock, or Beretta. It has a slide going along the top of the gun. You load a full magazine, rack the slide and press the trigger; the gun will lock the slide to the rear to show you when it is empty. What this means is that if the gun jams, you can easily clear it by racking the slide, removing the mag first if necessary. There’s also a lot of firepower in autos; with a typical nine, you can get fifteen to seventeen rounds backed by a fast reload with the same. The down sides are plenty. If you have weak arms, you may not be able to properly pull back the slide, which may cause a jam. In the same vein, you may not be able to clear a jam even if you can get the gun loaded properly. Weak wrists also cause “limp wristing,” where the gun kicks around so much, there isn’t a stable base for it to operate against, sapping the recoil energy and causing a jam.

Revolvers, on the other hand, are known for reliability. Though, this isn’t absolutely true… a revolver has a complex internal mechanism used to time the cylinder. Where an automatic can be stripped down to it’s barest components for cleaning, it’s recommend that you never, ever open up a revolver completely because you may foul up the watch-like assembly of the parts. When the rare malfunction does occur, it can be exceedingly difficult to remedy. That said, they are rare. An auto can be limp-wristed, will not load the next round if the slide is blocked, and can jam if limp wristed. None of that is an issue for a revolver. You get anywhere from five to eight rounds of various calibers; revolvers can take smaller versions of their chamberings, which autos cannot. Reloading is slower, regardless of using a speedloader, moon clip or speed strip. It’s a lot harder to reload under stress, or to do so with one hand.

There’s a lot of definite differences. The elderly and slight of stature may have to use a revolver because they do not have the arm strength to load and shoot an automatic. Some, on the other hand might pack a compact automatic like a Glock because the extra rounds negate the need to carry as much spare ammo as a smaller auto or revolver. There’s a lot of reasons to choose one or the other, and you need to go to the range and put some rounds out to really know.

Rifles and shotguns are somewhat easier. Rifles are generally just a bad idea due to a rifle bullet’s tendency to penetrate both human flesh and building materials, leading to a ton of liability. However, on a farm or other place with significant private property, they may be a good option. A hunting guide will tell you all you need in this respect. If you do choose to run a rifle for defense, there are a lot of options, from war surplus bolt-action rifles that can be bought for less than a hundred dollars, to cowboy-style lever action rifles and civilian assault rifles with large magazines and a huge market for customization.

Shotguns are the standard for defensive guns. They fire scattering shot, but recoil hard and don’t hold many rounds. A pump action is simple, cheap and generally effective. Break-open designs are simple, but some are actually relatively hard to muscle open and the reloading may be quite tricky. Lever and bolt action designs are also common. As far as pump and automatic shotguns go, Remington, Benelli and Mossbergs are commonly available and very reliable.

Thankfully picking out a specific gun is rather easy compared to all the theoretical discussion. Go out to a gun store and tell the people that you’re looking for a defensive gun and want to look over some of their selection. Ask to look at their most popular models. Feel the grip, the trigger, and if it’s a long gun, how well you can shoulder it. You should be able to grasp and reach all the controls on a handgun with one hand; they’re not hand(s)guns. A rifle or shotgun should not strain your muscles to shoulder, and not so heavy it becomes hard to bring to bear. Once you find a model that fits you well, test fire it in the most common caliber. See what you can handle. Then, go home and do a Google search. Is that model hard to find? Are parts hard to find? Are they known to break? Don’t be afraid to ask on some of the popular gun boards.

[What else with the gun?]
Along with the gun, you should buy eye and ear protection for everyone you intend to use it. Make sure they are firearm specific; construction protection isn’t optimized for a firearm going off. Have a gunsmith install better sights if you cannot see them well. Buy a cable lock or safe if you need to; strive to keep the gun accessible. Buy a cleaning kit from a reputable manufacture (they are gun specific; some are designed to be universal), as well as oil, solvent, and gun patches. Buy enough ammunition that you can test what you’re going to keep for defense. Finally… buy a flashlight. A good flashlight. Surefire, Streamlight and Inova make excellent tactical lights. Have one mounted on your long gun, your pistol, and carry one around with you. There is so much value in being able to blind your attacker without having to shoot them… and to find out if they’re really an attacker.

In terms of ammunition, bigger is generally better, but only if you can manage it. Try to get ammo that is widely considered effective, has recoil you can deal with, and has a smaller muzzle flash. With a revolver, .357 Magnum is a popular option with JHPs (Jacketed Hollow Points) or JFPs (Jacketed Flat points) but .38 Special and .44 Special may be more effective due to their much more manageable recoil and lower cost - which is good for practicing often. Autoloaders come in a lot of calibers, the most common these days being .380 ACP, 9mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 Sig and .45 ACP. Rifles come in similar varieties. Get the JHP, ballistic tip (which is JHP with a gel insert for better ballistics) and frangible ammo (which breaks up in hard targets.)

Shotguns deserve some consideration all of their own. Common Walmart ammo is 7 1/2 birdshot. It’s small pellets that create a cloud of lead when fired. At close range, this can be devastating, but past fifteen feet, the effect against human targets is minimal. Buckshot is the preferred option. Many stand by OO (Double-O or Double-Ought), which is roughly like a nine-round burst from a pistol, but it’s penetrative qualities may become a huge disadvantage for home defense. Many like Number 4 buckshot, which is an inbetween of birdshot and full-size buckshot, containing larger pellets in decent quantity. Slugs are also available, basically large bullets fired out of the smooth-bore shotguns. As they are used beyond the optimum range of buckshot (about fifty meters), they’re probably not necessary for defensive work.

[Do you need a gun?] The first question is if you need a gun and if you can  shoulder the expense of one. If you live in an apartment complex or have many children, a stray bullet, or even an accurate one that over-penetrates can be instant tragedy. If you live in the wilderness, even if you don’t want to shoot human intruders, you may need a gun for pests or large predators. In an anti-gun neighborhood, you could get a lot of trouble that isn’t worth the extra security. Consider all of that. 

Then we have expensive. Some of you have doubtlessly taken the jump and saved a couple hundred dollars for a gun. But that isn’t the end of your costs. Do you know that there are special insurance plans for people who carry guns on a daily basis or use them for defense who become engaged in lawsuits? How much expense is that on top of car, health, and life insurance? Are you going to apply it for the spouse, too? But besides money, any gun requires the responsibility to train with it enough that you won’t hurt someone in the process, and the time to talk to your family so they understand it and do not toy with it.  That means monthly range sessions, more frequent cleaning and arguing with friends and family about range time. Granted, a lot of people who  buy defense guns take up firearms as a hobby, but it can be an issue if you’re not one of those people.

Finally, are you mentally prepared to take another person’s life? Guns are not toys. They were designed entirely to kill. If you try to wound someone, you may end up killed, and the enraged attacker may kill your family. Or you may be crucified in court for trying to “torture” your attacker. A stray bullet from your  defensive shooting may strike someone besides your attacker. How far will you go to defend your own life?

That said, the key part of being a responsible gun owner is not itching at every chance to shoot someone, but being responsible enough to realize you must do everything in your power NOT to shoot someone. There’s less doubt with home defense, but you will live easier not having to shoot someone.

[Author’s Outlook] I personally find defensive firearms an ugly reality in some parts of the world. I never relish having to take up arms in defense but it is something I am prepared to do. I have locks on my doors and an alarm system. I have a bright flashlight, know where the light switches are, and there’s only one approach to my bedroom. I can knock over a bookshelf to block the door instead of getting into a gunfight if necessary.

Contrary to most, I actually recommend semi-automatic shotguns. Pump actions are actually quite complex. A jam with a pump action can be quite tedious to clear, and the pump requires a very brisk pull to cycle cleanly. Auto reduces recoil and makes loading and clearing jams easier. Load ammo, point, pull the trigger until the gun goes empty. I’d also point out that the twenty-gauge offers much reduced recoil compared to the twelve gauge, without too much reduction in power. Most twenty guage guns are smaller, which is ideal for the confines of a house. An eighteen or twenty inch barrel is perfect for general purpose, and gives seven or eight rounds. I’d also put ghost ring sights, a sidesaddle to carry extra ammunition and a powerful, shotgun specific light. Ammo choice for me is one round of birdshot, backed by No 4 buckshot. The birdshot isn’t non-lethal, but if those wounds are enough to get my attacker to back off, I’m saved the need to kill them (be aware some autoloaders don’t like birdshot - know your gun!) and have a fast, fully lethal follow up shot if necessary.

I like an autoloader. As I’m in California, I can only get ten rounds, so I use a 1911 type pistol with a ten-round magazine and an attached flashlight. Ammo would be .45 ACP Remington Gold Saber or any other reliable JHP I could find. For most, a Glock pistol would work fine - they require a lot less practice than a single action 1911 or a double/single Beretta. In terms of revolvers, I’d prefer a four-inch wheel gun in .44 Special - unfortunately a rather rare combination. Otherwise, the S&W 627 tactical holds eight .357 Magnum or .38 Special rounds and can mount a flashlight. With speedloaders or moon clips, I’d have plenty of ammo. Either would be kept locked in the bedstand along with a belt and holster. Additionally, my charged cell phone and Surefire G3 are always on the stand itself.

That’s just my opinion. Most of this article was to get across the point that firearms are a completely personal issue with a lot of important considerations. That’s the essential thing to remember when building your defensive plan. It’s for you and your family, not other people’s opinions.