Get him to buy a used Mini-14. If things aren't crazy there, he can get an older model for under $500. Get 5 20 round Ruger magazines @ $30 each. If you can't get the high cap mags, get the 10 rounders. Buy .223 JSP with the rest of the money.
Now he has a reliable, handy carbine. He can leave the action open and lock up the magazines, and pop one in when he needs it. Good to go in 30 seconds if he has one of those small safes by his bed.
tclu.....if you choose the shatter gun go for the shortests legal barrel you can. also i've seen some guy on the internet using a rifled barrel or rifled choke tube and was getting some crazy results. it seems the rifling makes the pattern really open up and gives you a much better pattern for dispatching bad guys at close range. and yes....i own several 12,20 guage guns but i've spent many days and advil teaching my wife and kids on use and saftey.
i would point out tho that a shotgun "upstairs" does no good when you might be home in the living room "downstairs" if you experience a home invasion. a pistol can easily be carried with you and can be hidden when guest come over.( old aunt lola would never know she's sitting on a glock hidden under the couch cushions.....but if the stock of a shotgun keeps sticking in her girdle you may have some 'splaning to do" )
Thats an interesting point about rifling having an effect on shot pattern. I watched this video on the Taurus Judge a while back and the guy in the video talks about that same thing. kinda cool.
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i would point out tho that a shotgun "upstairs" does no good when you might be home in the living room "downstairs" if you experience a home invasion. a pistol can easily be carried with you and can be hidden when guest come over.( old aunt lola would never know she's sitting on a glock hidden under the couch cushions.....but if the stock of a shotgun keeps sticking in her girdle you may have some 'splaning to do" )
Another good point rockman. thanks for adding your thoughts to the thread.
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Rockman, I do definately agree on that. I love that I can very easily put my pistol near me. I can put it on the desk next to my laptop, or on the bathroom counter when Im in the shower, or in the night stand when I'm in bed. And in every case it could be brought into action much quicker than a long gun, especially in the night-stand scenario where retreiving and orienting 6+lb, 3' long gun with groggy eyes and muscles will be much more difficult than with a 2lb, 8" handgun,
For non gun people nothing beats a pump 12ga shotgun, very easy to use and effective downrange. You can leave the magazine loaded and the chamber empty and be in action in seconds, besides every bad guy knows what chambering a round in a pump shotgun sounds like so you might not even have to shoot!!! By the time a kid can cycle the action and load the chamber they should have been trained in proper firearm safety!!!!
Mossberg, Remington and FN all make good ones. I recommend Remington 8 pellet reduced recoil buckshot for self defence.
The wife recently sent me downstairs in the middle of the night because she thought she heard someone (and she has pretty good ears). So I went through my arsenal and selected what seemed like a good choice and off I went. I will not make that choice again.
There are things that can go wrong when discharging a fiream inside your house and chief amongst them is "Where is the backstop?" A shotgun stops inside your house at the first wall. But cartridge ammo may stop in your neighbor's house or upstairs in your kid's rooms.
Next time the wife wakes me up, it's the shotgun or my 13" survival knife.
If she is recoil sensitive, even a .410 will do the job, at least better than any handgun one might use for HD. Five .36" pellets at 1100fps per shot is still like five 9mm FMJs.
I shot IPSC competition for many years and some of that was 2 gun matches (shotgun and pistol). the shotgun is an easy winner. this was a tactical combat style competition with multiple shoot and no-shoot targets in the areas. If i have to defend my home, the 1911 goes in the small of my back as a backup, and the 18" mossberg is on housecleaning duty.
Well if your pistol is something like my baby here .
Glock gen 4 Rough Frame 17 , 9mm 33rd mags
with Advanced armament 9mm silencer with a Streamlight TLR-2 light laser combo.
The only hitch is, if I used that, right before I called the cops I'd take the silencer & hi-cap mags & put them in the safe & insert an original 10-round mag with a couple of rounds in it.
Reason being, the cops will take it as evidence for an indeterminate period of time, so it's best to not give them all your best toys, even if you DO have license for the silencer.
It's also why folks should seriously consider having TWO of the same pistol on hand...Glocks are inexpensive enough to do so. This way you can quickly transfer the fun stuff back & forth.
__________________ Marlin & Calico Specialist
I'm not just Trigger Happy, I'm Trigger Ecstatic!!
I shot IPSC competition for many years and some of that was 2 gun matches (shotgun and pistol). the shotgun is an easy winner. this was a tactical combat style competition with multiple shoot and no-shoot targets in the areas. If i have to defend my home, the 1911 goes in the small of my back as a backup, and the 18" mossberg is on housecleaning duty.
Bingo, the pistol is for the short time period while you have yer wife or kids reload the shotgun
__________________ Marlin & Calico Specialist
I'm not just Trigger Happy, I'm Trigger Ecstatic!!
A pistol by far is the best home defence weapon hands down. I have a defence shotgun, I have more guns than I'll ever need or use for home defence.
BUT a pistol in and adaquit caliber is best for ovious reason's. At the least it's handier, the size and depending on caliber is as deadly as a gun can be.
You can conceal it and take it with you.
A rifle or shotgun you can't conceal.
I'll probably get alot of flack for this but here goes:
I say NONE OF THE ABOVE!!
Think about this:
You wake up and here someone in your house. First thing that happens is your adrenaline level sky rockets, your pulse goes over the rev limiter, and your eye sight goes into "tunnel vision". You grab whatever gun you've chosen, peek out your bedroom door, and there he is; a nasty home invader.. You shoot, you miss, you fire again, and again, and again, finally bringing the intruder down. You run to your childs room to make sure he/she is safe, and oops, those misses, found a resting place in your child. In any event where you are not 100% sure of yourself, your equipment, or your surroundings, do you really want to be discharging a weapon in your house that is built with drywall?
Without some sort of training, practice, or real life experience, I would say to your friend: "buy a big ass can of OC pepper spray and cover the M... F...er with the foam and then beat him senseless until the police show up"
There are lots of less than lethal methods here that won't endanger yourself, your family, or your neighbors.
Now, I am a huge fan of shotguns, rifles, and pistols. I was in the military, own several firearms, and shoot in local IPSC matches, so I don't want anyone thinking I am some liberal anti-gun advocate here. I just want people to realize the dangers of shooting through walls, doors, or whatever when there are innocent people in the house.
rockman7 pretty well said it all and I agree. A pistol is the better home defence firearm.
An 18'' barreled shotgun makes a nice back up, but it easier for the bugger to grab if your surprised one or two.
If you had to go outdoors to check out a strange noise I'd leave the pistol with the wife and make a sweep around the property with the defence shotgun.
What was the last serious crime in his neighborhood?
Is his home perimeter secure with motion lights, defensive landscaping, and an alarm? Dog?
Are there any visible attractions for burglars and bad guys? (Big Screen TV, High End McMansion, smoking hot wife?)
Generally, I'd suggest the obligatory home defense handgun ($300-$450) secured in a quick access safe with a loaded magazine or two ready. I would suggest non-lethal weapons (OC-spray or taser) available in selected areas within the house. If he comes in under budget, he could look at fire safety upgrades (extinguishers, escape ladders, etc.). A first aid class might be a good investment.
5 .36 pellets from a shotgun will not do as much damage as 5 9mm fmj's. The 9mm full metal jacket rounds will penetrate much deeper.
You are correct but..... in the time you fire 5 9mm rounds I will have fired 5 .410 shotshells for a grand total of 25 .36 pellets doing 1,100 fps so the shotty is a little more attractive in that aspect.
You are correct but..... in the time you fire 5 9mm rounds I will have fired 5 .410 shotshells for a grand total of 25 .36 pellets doing 1,100 fps so the shotty is a little more attractive in that aspect.
But, in the same amount of time, I will have fired 7 rds of 12G....So I Win!
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