In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

need opinions on....

Jack TorsJack Tors Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
edited April 2002 in General Discussion
im looking for a small home defense weapon. i dont want to spend more than 500 dollars. ive been looking at guns such as the ab-10 and others of that type. can anyone give me opinions on guns of that type. i like uzi but seems to be too expensive. are there any other options? thanks.

jack tors

www.skimpythongs.com

Comments

  • simonbssimonbs Member Posts: 994
    edited November -1
    If your talking about defense INSIDE the home, I'd go with a pump action 12 or 20 gauge and utilize bird shot. You could pick up a quality Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 for about $350.

    I can't comment on sub guns, I don't have much experience with them.

    We only have a few special years with our children in which they desire our time, attention, and love. After that time is over, it is gone forever, and we will be the ones that desire their time, attention, and love. Make those few, short years count -
  • Big Sky RedneckBig Sky Redneck Member Posts: 19,752 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The shotgun is the best for home defense. Even the big writers will tell you that, get a good mossberg with the shortest barrel allowed by law with an extended tube, load it up with whatever you are comfortable shooting and pray you never need it. Some guys even get all out fancy and mount flashlights, laser sights and all kinds of fancy doo dads on them. All I use is a Mossberg pump with a smooth slug barrel loaded wiht #6 high brass, anyone standing in my stair well or hallway is done for, nice thing about a shotgun is you don't need to be a good shot, with a minimal choke all you need to do is aim in the general direction.
  • Jack TorsJack Tors Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    thanks for all the advice guys, i have 3 remmington 1100 semiauto 12 guages. i was thinking i would need something small i can grab fast if someone busts in my house. i think i may purchase a small handgun as i have recently gotten my concealed wepons permits. i do not like revolvers, what is a good handgun that is small and i can carry easily? i dont know much about handguns except when i was in the airforce i carried an m9 which i think is a little too big to carry around as a concealed weapon. any other ideas? thanks

    jack tors

    www.skimpythongs.com
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Go for a good quality revolver. Under stress you want something simple. That means no safety. With an auto it has the potential to malfunction and unless you continually practice clearing drills that could get you killed. A revolver is just the ticket. Caliber should be at least .357. There are a number of manufacturers that make fine wheel guns that would fit your needs.

    My humble opinion for the average person.

    "We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*

    **Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"
  • simonbssimonbs Member Posts: 994
    edited November -1
    Go to a gun store and handle several different semi-autos and see which one you like best.

    For starters, check out the mini Glocks: G26 (9mm), G27 (.40), and so forth. You might also like the little Berettas or even the Walther PPK style.

    We only have a few special years with our children in which they desire our time, attention, and love. After that time is over, it is gone forever, and we will be the ones that desire their time, attention, and love. Make those few, short years count -
  • punchiepunchie Member Posts: 2,792
    edited November -1
    Short barrel Police/Riot shotgun and a decent 357 revolver. Used police dept trade-ins are very inexpensive and reliable. As a general rule these are shot little and carried a lot so don't worry so much about the appearance.

    One thing a lot of people forget in home defense is the use of a quality high intensity light like the SureFire or Streamlight. You just can't beat the intimidation factor of a pump shotgun being racked in the middle of the night in a quiet house, universally known as the sound of Please Leave NOW.

    AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY
  • jastrjastr Member Posts: 463 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jack Tors....
    I would say that you should go with a Glock compact.. say the G29 or the G30... extremely compact...packs tons of punch...perfect for concealment(no hammers to get snagged) double action only, no safteys, except the 2stage trigger, and if you drop it, it wont go off. Both of these guns are extremely heavy in the firepower dept. the 29 is in 10mm, and the 30 is in .45acp......plus you can find one for about $450 dollars......hmmm....sounds like a winner too me!

    lets all be responsible! shoot a criminal!
  • gap1916gap1916 Member Posts: 4,977
    edited November -1
    You might look at the Ruger PC 4o if you want a rifle/sub gun. They can be modified to take Glock or Baretta or Sig mags. My 2 cents
  • mudgemudge Member Posts: 4,225 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jack...Mrs. Mudge carries a Glock 30, loaded with Hydra-Shoks. Keeps it on her side of the bed within easy reach. As simple as a revolver. ie. Point and pull the trigger. I have my Colt Commander, (which is out of your stated price range), w/Hydra-Shoks and the trusty, short barrelled Winchester 12 ga. on my side. (Never underestimate the value of a weapon that'll clear out a hallway.)

    Mudge the defender

    I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
  • ysacresysacres Member Posts: 294 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Seattle!
    Hope your not a HUSKY? cough,choke,gag.








    If so, a big gun will be quick and painless.

    A hot barrel, is a warm fuzzy feeling.
  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    SaxonP said quote:Looooong sigh. Here we go again.

    For a firearm intended to defend one's home I would advise against any shotgun or rifle. Too long to handle in tight hallways and small rooms. May get jumped in dark by intruder and a long gun is an invitation for him to grab it and try to take it away from you.


    What are you doing wandering through hallways and rooms? If you have an intruder, retreat to a 'safe room' which can be defined as a room with a solid, lockable door, in which you keep a telephone and a means of defense (a shotgun being one of the best). Get in your 'safe room' and call the police. The shotgun is only if the intruder attempts to enter your 'safe' room.

    BTW, mounting a flashlight on your gun (be it a shotgun or a handgun) does accomplish one positive thing - it gives the bad guy a great positive aiming point!!!!

    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
  • thesupermonkeythesupermonkey Member Posts: 3,905 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jack Tors,
    Also consider where you live, and how many people are in your home. Shotguns are a good choice for people who live in apartments and/or have children. The first shell or two can be beanbag rounds, which are far less likely to be lethal. Secondly, the shotgun can be loaded with birdshot, which is devastating on impact but has very little penetration value when compared to a bullet. Most physicians will tell you birdshot wounds are generally the ugliest. Birdshot also won't penetrate more than one or two layers of dry wall unless you're point blank. Shotguns are heavier and more difficult to operate for small hands. I disagree with Saxon. I think if your in a "panic situation while still groggy and not thinking clearly" you'll have a much better chance of hitting your target with a shotgun. Any weapon can be taken from you. Practice clearing your rooms. Training pays off in the long run...
    Just a thought...
    Munkey




    Don't worry about the bullet with your name on it, worry about the fragmentation grenade addressed 'To Occupant'.
  • cheezecheeze Member Posts: 815 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I say get a pistol. You'd be suprised how easy it is for someone to take away your shotgun. And that is always a possibility, no matter how bad a55 you are. Don't use any flashlights or lasers, it tells the bad guys right where you are. Or beanbag rounds, bad idea.

    PS I guess the shotgun would be easier for you to take away from the bad guy if he got it away from you too. Hmm, I'm not sure what I think anymore.

    Dragon's Lair Fighting Arts, Dragon Style Wind Fist Kung Fu.
  • Big Sky RedneckBig Sky Redneck Member Posts: 19,752 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I want a shotgun for home defense simply because of the hit factor with a handgun. How am I going to get cornered in my own house? I have a 75# mutt that will give me plenty of warning before I get into a bad situation, Unless I get stormed by multiple persons I will be standing at the top of the stairs once muttly starts yapping and I guarentee you that the fisrt bozo to poke his head up the stairwell looses it! A handgun in that situation may get you killed, a shotgun that will spread asap will give a big advantage. If you break into my house you better believe in god because when my mossberg speaks somebody is heading to the gates.
  • k.stanonikk.stanonik Member Posts: 2,109 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get a shot gun with a 18.5" barrel, do not go with a pistol grip, use the rifle stock kept tucked close to the body. I someone trys to take it from you you will have enough leverage to keep control. the shorter barrel allows you the ability to move rather easily. I agree with the safe room, get your family in the room, call the police and wait, if the person enters the safe room, let him have it.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Jack Tors,

    Listen to the Lt and Saxon we know what we're talking about.

    There is the possibility (however slight) that an auto will jam. Unless you are very well trained in clerance drills/malfunction drills this is bad news in a stress situation. With the exception of a few auto models w/no safety you also have that issue to contend with under stress conditions. GO WITH A REVOLVER.

    "We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*

    **Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"
  • SawzSawz Member Posts: 6,049
    edited November -1
    What ever you decide on as a carry gun.revolver or semiauto the biggest thing is to get used to it. So it becomes automatic reflex to you. Practice Practice Practice. And make sure it feels good in your hand.


    "Respect your Tools"
    "Freedom is not Free"
  • BullzeyesDadBullzeyesDad Member Posts: 64 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    To Jack. Have you read about the ColtCombatCommander? Try the .45 version per say and have a gun for several different applications.
    Just my oppinion sir.
  • woodsrunnerwoodsrunner Member Posts: 5,378 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'll throw in a fourth vote for the .357 mag revolver. It's a model 27 S&W that resides in my night stand. I used to swear by the shotgun like others. Until I realized my insurance company would be more likely to replace my stolen property, than my shot up property. I might add that I have my choice of many guns including 2 1911's. The 357 DA revolver has much less of a fumble factor than other gun types.

    Woods

    How big a boy are ya?
  • pickenuppickenup Member Posts: 22,844 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whichever one you choose please think about what thesupermonkey said about penetration. You do not want to wake up groggy fire off a few rounds and then find out you have shot through your house and the people next door need the ambulance for a gunshot wound. If you are familiar with a short barrel shotgun, it clears the hall and does not shoot through walls very well. Unless you live in a forest with no other houses around, then a 50 cal. bmg would work nice.


    If I knew then, what I know now.
  • wundudneewundudnee Member Posts: 6,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Woods,
    I am with you on that 27 smith. Smoothest trigger of any gun I have ever shot. That and my model 12 army 20" riot loaded with birdshot. Forget the rubber bullets. They taught me to never point a gun at anything you didn't want to kill.

    ....................
    AD ASTRA PER ASPERA

    To the stars through difficulties
    standard.jpg
  • twinstwins Member Posts: 647 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    12 ga w/ 6 or 7 shot

    That way when said perp sues, if he lives, or his family, you were just a bird hunter defending your family and sheetrock will generally stop it from over penetrating.
  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jack,

    (1) Welcome!

    (2) While I agree w/ much which has been said here, my vote is for a manual action no matter what. If a semi-auto jams in the field or on the range, no biggie . . . and hopefully you are more than half awake. Rousted out of bed, adrenaline pumping, the simpler the better. If your M1100 should jam, will you have the time & presence of mind to clear it?

    Inexpensive 12 ga pump w/ bird shot, as so many others have advocated. As a backup, a revolver - period. For the same reasons as above. Check out the new RBCD handgun ammo; designed to lose all it's energy on impact = low penetration of structural elements and max damage to perps. I picked some of this up & was very impressed with what it does / does not do in my limited personal tests (stuff is very expensive). In tight quarters, I'd be as comfortable as the situation warranted w/ my .38 snubby and that load. It is available in virtually all common handgun calibers, BTW. This is now my carry ammo in all handguns.
  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good grief -- In the first place, I would get a pistol grip for one of those shotguns you already own and install it on the one with the shortest barrel. At least then you do have a shotgun option in the house. They are intimidating as hell. I agree that birdshot is good for in-home use at shorter ranges particularly when you don't have time to think much.

    As for your pistol, you said you didn't like revolvers and I respect that particularly because the trigger pull is heavier, the wife or girlfriend may not be able to shoot it easily and the fact that there are only five or six rounds means that if you miss you are running out of ammo too fast. There's no need to buy a huge gun now that the mag capacity has been reduced to 10 by law. Glocks ARE very size efficient and have a reputation for reliability with very little break-in shooting. They come in literally all sizes, so there's no question about your finding one to fit your hand. They are simple to learn too.

    There ARE other good choices in compacts. I like the HK USPs, but they will cost a little more than your $500. Even Glocks retail around $525 now at some dealers' shops. So shop around. Other worthwhile choices of a semi-auto that's not "too big" would include a large number of .40 caliber models. Stay away from the cheap-o Hi Points. They're the only Saturday Night Specials left on the market. Any semi-auto by Browning, Glock, ParaOrdnance, HK, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and yes, CZ and EAA may make you quite happy. As somebody else said, hold several in your hand. Check their ease of trigger pull. Rack the slide. Drop the magazine and re-insert it.

    By the way, the Glock standard trigger pull is about 5 pounds, while the average revolver or double action gun is 12 pounds -- more than I like. The Taurus Milleniums are a nice 9 pounds, which is fine. I believe the new ParaOrd LDA triggers are about 7 pounds. ParaOrdnance still provides coupons for high capacity magazines with your purchase, so you might wind up with a bonus if you get a larger ParaOrd. But that's less of an issue if you're buying a compact, since most compacts hold 9 to 11 .40 caliber rounds at best anyway, double-stacked.

    If you find double-stacks too fat in the grip, try the new Glock single stack models.

    -- Life NRA Member
    "If dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    Saxon, yes and no. You said quote:You really can't call the cops every time you hear something creak in the dark. When you do go to check it out, the handgun held by your side muzzle down is better than a long gun at "port arms." Make sense? and I agree that a handgun is easier to hold in a 'retention' position - but, if there is a bad guy and he is close enough to grab the muzzle of your shotgun, he is also close enough to BUTTSTROKE.

    BTW, on the few occasions when I answer the door later than I like, I carry a revolver, simply because handling both door and shotgun is a bit awkward (and the handgun is VERY close to my recliner )

    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
Sign In or Register to comment.