Most gun owners cite self-defense as their main motivation for owning a firearm. With more than 10,000 burglaries occurring every day in the United States, it’s easy to see why more and more citizens choose to purchase a weapon for self-defense.
If you’re in the market for a gun that can help keep your family and loved ones safe in the event of a break-in or attack, there are several factors to consider before making a purchase. This article will review the benefits and potential drawbacks of various types of firearms as well as the importance of training, proper ammunition and gun safety when using a firearm for self-defense.
Shotguns
Shotguns are an extremely popular firearm for at-home self-defense. Of course, ammunition is a crucial consideration when determining whether or not a shotgun will keep you and your family safe at home. While ammunition is obviously meant to stop an intruder, it’s important to remember that a bullet can continue past its intended target. For this reason, choose ammunition that makes sense for your home environment.
If you live in close proximity to other homes, apartments or condominiums, a shotgun slug or buckshot load both have the power and velocity to break through common construction materials, whether it be a door, wall or window. However, birdshot is a suitable choice for at-home self-defense with a shotgun. Making the right decision about ammunition could keep your neighbors safe and potentially save an innocent bystander’s life.
There are a few pervasive myths concerning shotgun use today. For example, some may say, “I don’t even need to aim my shotgun to hit a bad guy.” This thinking is because of how the birdshot sprays a cone of pellets. People believe all they have to do is shoot the gun in a general direction and the target will be hit due to the spray of pellets hitting a larger target area. This kind of reasoning is extremely dangerous. It is imperative to install quality sights on your shotgun if it does not already have a factory sighting system.
Additionally, the myth that the sound of loading a shotgun will scare off an intruder is poor judgement. Some people believe if they just pump the action of the shotgun, the intruder will hear it and flee the scene. However, this is not always true and that mindset is potentially deadly. If the shell fails to chamber when you need it, as a home defender you will be left vulnerable in a time-is-life situation.
Adequate training is of the utmost importance when using a firearm for defense purposes. Without the mechanical skills that develop through regular training, you may put your loved ones, bystanders or yourself in serious danger.
Pistols
Because of their convenient size and versatility, pistols are quickly becoming a more common choice for personal protection. Although pistols can be challenging in terms of accuracy, they generally offer more capacity and maneuverability than most home defense shotguns.
In the same way that the wrong ammunition can be a deadly mistake with a shotgun, you should choose your ammunition for a pistol carefully and mindfully. 9mm, .40 and .45 acp hollow-point ammunition are the most common and well-proven options for a pistol, as opposed to a .22 LR bullet that is better for plinking and paper targets.
People argue that a revolver is preferable to a semi-automatic pistol. While it’s true that pistol proficiency takes time and effort, anyone can learn to use one. Pistols offer more shots than revolvers, which means a greater chance of defending yourself against an intruder.
Rifles
When you use a rifle for home defense, you have access to up to 6 points of contact, whereas a handgun offers 2 points of contact, (like most shotguns) in optimal conditions. These points of contact deliver better control of the muzzle, which creates better accuracy and consistency. Maneuvering a rifle through the halls of your home may not be as simple as with a handgun, but both the KelTec RDB bullpup rifle and KSG shotgun are well-suited for in-home protection.
Firearm Training and Awareness Improve Your Self-Defense
Regardless of the type of firearm that you choose to keep yourself and your family safe, the most important element of owning a gun is training. Knowing your firearm and ammunition inside and out can help you operate well under stress if an intruder does come into your home. For even more accuracy, mount a quality, bright light on your firearm to improve target identification. Identifying friend from foe is the most fundamental aspect of a low/no light situation. With the proper ammunition, training and awareness, you can defend your home and loved ones with confidence.
