Guns...a recommendation for home protection…

[dr]

I’m not a gun person in fact I’ve really owned one….my former wife had a couple but we seldom used them...fortunatly...

With that said beginning this Spring I’m going to be spending more time at a little place I have out in the middle of nowhere and want something for protection….there’s only intermittent cell service, closest neighbor is over a mile away, area renown for meth labs, pot patches, you get the picture.

I’m thinking about a shotgun as well as a handgun….any and all recommendations will be appreciated….if it’s any consideration I’m a big boy…..Local(knoxville) vs gunshow/nationwide, big box vs. small shop…new vs used....typically as a consumer I buy on price; is that smart…information on ammunition and or any good (concise) websites would be appreciated as well..

I’ll probably only have them in the house and possibly on the boat…would a carry permit be needed there?


Again, thanks…
David

[vrod02]

by from a local shop used, 12 ga.shotgun pump pistol grip. I'm a revolver guy so 357 mag. practice with 38's . Forget a lic. its your 2nd amend. right. I keep my guns fully loaded, chambered, safety off!! Only way to have them.

[Rumblefish]

by from a local shop used, 12 ga.shotgun pump pistol grip. I'm a revolver guy so 357 mag. practice with 38's . Forget a lic. its your 2nd amend. right. I keep my guns fully loaded, chambered, safety off!! Only way to have them.

Its 3am.. your asleep.. you hear a noise.. and in a woooozy state of dream you spring up to focus your hearing on a person whom is creaking the floors below as they come inside your home....

You will never hit a thing with a hand gun in the dark in this state of mind. (unless your a navy seal)

Shot Gun for the home is the only way!.. Sure youll take out most the artwork in the hall way, and a few chairs but odds are you leave a mark...

[RedDog]

to carry a loaded weapon away from home you will need a permit in TN. On the water, the laws get confusing - study up. Most of the lakes are TVA / Corp of Engineers including the ramps, i.e. Federal jurisdiction.

Get a permit. Takes 8 hours on a Saturday and some time chasing beuracatic crap such as fingerprinting, shuffleing forms, etc.

The previous poster is out of line saying forget a lic (sic, permit).

Violations of the gun laws will result in a felony conviction - meaning possible jail time, forfeture on gun ownership, loss of voting rights

excuse the spelling please - on google tv web app and no spell check - I'm an engineer, not an English major

[RedDog]

ditto on the shotgun recommendation - I don't follow it but then I have 30 rounds of 223 ready to go in my AR and a 1911 45 and another 40 cal auto under the mattras

Being new to guns, I can't stress enough the importance of practice at a range or farm to get really familar with the operation of any weapon you have.

[The Hedgehog]

ditto on the shotgun recommendation - I don't follow it but then I have 30 rounds of 223 ready to go in my AR and a 1911 45 and another 40 cal auto under the mattras
Being new to guns, I can't stress enough the importance of practice at a range or farm to get really familar with the operation of any weapon you have.

Good recommendations.

I would like to know more about the waterway thing. Got 357 in Roamer. Is the Roamer a house? Where can I go to find out?

[vrod02]

Well I dissagree with the engineer from my hometown. Why would I give the government my "permission" , location, fingerprints to carry a gun in my home or boat to protect me from them? just be careful with alchol, thats the biggest issue. gun possession while intoxicated is bad.

[zelatore]

I'll throw my vote in for a shotgun as well. My home protection gun is a short barreled Mosburg 500 pump 12 gauge. It's a fairly cheap gun that you can get almost anywhere (probably even WalMart). I have a pistol grip, but don't have it mounted.

I chose a pump gun over a semi-auto on the theory that the best defense gun should never have to be fired. I figure even the stupidest criminal should know what a shotgun sounds like when it's racked and will hopefully take that as his cue to leave without instigating a confrontation.

Handguns are great for carrying and offer easy maneuverability in tight confines, but you're VERY unlikely to actually hit anything. I forget the numbers, but even trained police have an incredibly low hit ratio to shots fired. How well do you expect an average Joe would do?

Rifles are for hunting. Next to useless for close-range home defense. Long and cumbersome.

Both rifles and handguns also suffer from over penetration concerns. Any high velocity round will punch right through the side of your house and carry on. And on. And on. Being in the country you may not have any neighbors, but at the very least consider the consequences of shooting through a wall or two (just how effective do you think drywalled interior walls would be at stopping something like a .357?) and hitting a family member on the other side of the house.

One last thing, if you're wife will be using it she may find the kick of a 12 gauge a bit much. Don't shy away from a 20 gauge. Better she actually uses the thing and gets accustomed to it than getting the bigger gun that she's scared of.

Get a shotgun, and then spend a lot of time putting shells through it. Best choice, hands down.

Google shotgun self defense. You'll find no shortage of information on the topic.

[BobinCovington]

I say a simple Mossberg shotgun is a good choice. Even a 20 gauge is a good size and weight, easy to shoot gun, low recoil/muzzle flash. You need to get some practice with it, learn gun safety and pattern it so you know what to expect. Maybe even mount a light on the end so you can see who you are facing in a dark hallway.
I would also read up on your gun laws and know what is considered self protection and what is not. I'm not sure if you need a permit for a shotgun, but check into to it and follow the laws. And store it in a way to keep it away from kids.

[mrfixxall]

+++ shotgun,,a over and under i think would be ideal,leave 2 in the chambers under the bed and when your ready to rock and roll just close it and your ready..no safety to mess with,,second choice would be a .38 with buck shot shells,again no safety to deal with,just make sure you have one of those crown royal bags handy full of ammo for a quick reload..

[Ghost]

I’m not a gun person in fact I’ve really owned one….my former wife had a couple but we seldom used them...fortunatly...

With that said beginning this Spring I’m going to be spending more time at a little place I have out in the middle of nowhere and want something for protection….there’s only intermittent cell service, closest neighbor is over a mile away, area renown for meth labs, pot patches, you get the picture.

I’m thinking about a shotgun as well as a handgun….any and all recommendations will be appreciated….if it’s any consideration I’m a big boy…..Local(knoxville) vs gunshow/nationwide, big box vs. small shop…new vs used....typically as a consumer I buy on price; is that smart…information on ammunition and or any good (concise) websites would be appreciated as well..

I’ll probably only have them in the house and possibly on the boat…would a carry permit be needed there?


Again, thanks…
David

Given what you describe, In order of priority, I think you'll want:

0. some GOOD means to hide them or a safe to lock them up or BOTH, as it sounds like you will be absent from the property a lot of the time. Unless you are bringing them all with you each time you visit, you want them not stolen when you arrive.

1. pistol with a holster you can carry on your own land (at least) as you are out walking/working/whatever if you choose to. A gun in the house won't help you if you run into trouble outside and a long gun will be too big and in your way for many things. I like Fixx's idea about shotshells for the pistol.

2. 12-gauge shotgun. If it is for home defense,I'd recommend a semiauto/pump with at least 5 rounds, more if you can. A two-shot double-barrel is not enough shots for home defense in my view, no offense to Fixx, who is probably a better shot than I am. Though I would agree that if you do have an over/under double barrel, it's GREAT for reliability and simplicity. Easy to know what you have in it. Easy to keep it cracked open, and then shut each night, ready to go. But if you're using it for home defense out in the sticks, two shots may not be enough and reloading in a life-or-death situation in the dark is a test no one wants to have to pass.

3. rifle. Something with a LOT more range than the first two. Probably around 30 caliber. 30-06, .308, 30-30 something very common like that. Maybe scoped, a common deer rifle. This would almost never be for self-defense at night, so think long range with good vision. No worries about flash. Anything at night will be close range, pistol/shotgun.

4. As has been noted, set aside time to practice. If you haven't had some jams while practicing, it's not enough.

[John C in PA]

Here are my recommendations and comments:

1. handgun: buy a Ruger SP101 revolver with the 3" barrel and chambered in .357 magnum. Its stainless so it won't rust, the 3" barrel is better for accuracy, and being a revolver if you have a misfire you just pull the trigger again. And its built like a brick ****house!
2. handgun ammo: buy .38 Special target loads for practice and full power .357 hollow points for carry ammo. Fire a box of the .357 to give you an idea of the muzzle blast and to sight in the gun. NEVER carry handloaded ammo.
3. shotgun: about the best and most reliable is a Remington 12 ga. pump action Model 870 in the black (I hate the word "tactical") finish. The barrel is 18.5" and easy to swing. The action is smooth and the stock is polymer so it won't tend to split if wet. Make sure you remove the plug that restricts the number of rounds for waterflow hunting.
4. shotgun ammo: you can practice with Walmart cheapo ammo. Buy the lowest velocity they sell so it won't beat you up. For home defense, buy 12 ga. 00 Buck "low recoil" self defense ammo as the powder selected has a power curve that won't beat your shoulder up.
5. I DON'T recommend that you buy a pistol grip shotgun. Unless you practice with a SWAT team its way too difficult to hold the shotgun steady at the back end. At home defense range the shot spread isn't that wide so you don't want to handicap yourself.
6. I DON'T recommend using any high velocity rifle round for in-home use as the muzzle blast will disorient you. Outside the home .223 is fine. Buy a Vortex flash suppressor to really minimize muzzle flash.
7. be 100% legal. If you get caught its a felony and you will have to forfeit your guns and gun rights permanently. A good gunshop should help here. You will have to research carry laws on the water as they probably vary depending who is responsible for the water (private, state, local, Corps of Engrs).
8. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

John C

[mrfixxall]

Dont forget to teach the wife too

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpFDHO-tqUY&feature=fvw[/media]

[jstrahn]

One more person on the shotgun bandwagon. Mossberg makes a home defense model that has an 8 shell capacity. Inexpensive and configurable.

[Phil S]

All good info...nearly every post mentions practice though, which is great advice.

See if there's a shooting range / gun shop in your area. Most will let you try out any gun you like for a small fee and the cost of the ammo (obviously, in hopes you will buy from them.) It's a great way to try a lot of different guns. I'm a 357 fan for a handgun personally. Keep in practice with whatever you decide on though.

With kind regards,
Phil S.