Is a 10 round 9mm pistol enough for home defence?

[Old Guy]

The question on a 10 round pistol, 9mm pistol, being enough for home defense.

As you are in possession of that pistol right now, question answered.

Me, personally, carry a Glock 19, 15 round magazine, plus one in the pipe, 16 rounds? Why you say? Why not I say.

But as you are not in the market for an other pistol, what to do to maximize your firearm. If you are dressed, be armed. Carry a cartridge that is known to have been proved to work in actual shootings.

Now, hitting good spots, is more important than, within reason, what you shoot that spot with.

Just like Real Estate, Location/Location/Location. Every extra $10.00 you can collect, a box of cheap target 9mm.
Because shooting from your carry holster, dressed the way you dress really.

So, even though the chance of using a carried Pistol, in defense, is remote, as we all know, it does and could happen. So when you, with adrenalin courses through your veins, you do not hook up your cover in your draw!

 

[bubba in ca]

Its not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

Lotta mission drift online, you are not storming a crack house, you are shooting a burglar at 0 to 10 feet.

 

[Predator55]

How good of a shot are you? If ten rounds isn't enough for a SD situation them something is wrong. Even with multiple attackers you should have plenty, keep both guns at the ready or an extra mag or two.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I carry one of Nik Makarov's automatic pistols for carry purposes. 8+1.

Truth be known while I'd MUCH, MUCH rather have a 12 gauge shotgun or .30 caliber central-firing automatic rifle at the bedside, the Makarov pulls nightstand duty when I'm traveling or on the trail.

 

[susieqz]

some of us think 6 rounds plus lots of practice is fine.

 

[Kleanbore]

Several people have mentioned "practice". Jeff White spoke of training.

Do not confuse the two.

Rob Pincus and Claude Werner describe the difference abut the same way. Here's Claude:

First of all, let’s distinguish between training and practice. My definition of training is something you do under the guidance and supervision of someone else. Practice is something you do on your own to maintain or hone skills you have or are developing.​

If you practice shooting at a stationary target at the square range and trying to achieve what look to you like effective hits, that skill set could prove terribly insufficient for you in a defensive situation.

The reason for that is that a violent criminal just cannot be expected to stand still and let you aim at the parts of his anatomy which you like to aim and squeeze off a sufficient number of rounds to come out unscathed.

The first thing the neophyte notices in defense training drills is the rapidity of fire for which the student will strive.

Half of my eight shot capacity is apt to be gone in roughly a second on the first target. And I don't want to and up with too few after that.

Your ten shots would be better.

Now, you can take that succession and enter it into one on capacity if you like, but a better idea would be to use it to try to gain an underlying appreciation of just what the real world that breaks through your door might bring,...

 

[boom boom]

First, what is your home defense plan--do you plan to confront any intrusion with a firearm immediately (which practically means carrying a pistol in the house or staging weapons) or do you plan to retreat to a designated saferoom. Do you plan to carry outside of the home which practically means a pistol and CCW issues? How dangerous is your neighborhood and neighbors--(e.g. bars on surrounding houses and constant police presence tell you something)? Do you have a lifestyle that might cause you to be a target (e.g. expensive cars, flashing cash, jewelry, own a cash basis business, etc.)? Do you hang out or are related with troublesome people or engage in a bit of trouble yourself? Do you have little ones in the house? Do you permit drunk buddies or relatives to come in at 3am to crash? Are your locks, doors, and windows more secure? Do you have an alarm system and use it? What is your overall budget? Is your significant other willing to adopt the armed lifestyle which means something both of you can employ? Do you have the time and money to train?

Figure out your plan based on these and other additional variables of your choosing and the ten shots thing simply becomes another variable to consider in light of choosing your tactics to relate to your strategic plan.

Be realistic with your capabilities, budget, etc. and revise your plans when conditions warrant.

For example: recently, I adopted carbines for self defense at home simply because with inflammatory arthritis, my hand's fine motor skills have deteriorated and my tolerance for recoil is much less. I also want more capacity and ergonomics is critical because my reloading difficulties are greater and my choice of hardware is related to something that is not extremely painful for practice and training. Given prior military service, I fell back on the AR 15 as the solution for home use because I trained on it and know its capabilities. Sadly, I had to downgrade my beloved revolvers and use of shotguns to backups or fun guns because I know that in my current state, they are sub-optimal.

 

[azrocks]

Not really any such thing as 'enough' or 'not enough'. It all boils down to what you own that does the job the best and possibly - how far you're willing to go to get something better. As others have pointed out, the chances of you actually needing a gun to defend your home - particularly in the near future - are likely very slim. So chances are great that the consequences of your decision won't come home to roost. But if they do...

I'd sell one of your handguns and buy a shotgun. Much more effective than a handgun for home defense, a good one can still be very low cost, and now you have two firearm options instead of two of the same option.

 

[tarosean]

You will be fighting humans not square footage.

Given the square footage, we know those humans wont be much further than an arms length away...

 

[Rockrivr1]

Not much else to add to this other then to say that if you need more then 10 rounds to defend your home you've pissed someone off and their coming to get you. Otherwise most burglars are not going to stick around and get into a gun battle with you.

 

[Kleanbore]

....most burglars are not going to stick around and get into a gun battle with you.

And, of course, most will elect to not come in to a house known to be occupied.

But some do come in.

Will those elect to depart rather than do harm when they learn the house is occupied?

Who knows?

But considering the stakes, one cannot reasonably count on their doing so.

An intruder who comes upon a resident with a gun will likely perceive little choice but to shoot.

And what is that second guy in the other room most apt to do at the sound of gunfire?

I would not count on his leaving his partner in crime to fend for himself.

None of that address the original question directly, but it does underscore the seriousness of the question.

 

[shafter]

I would feel fine with either in that role provided you can keep a clear head in an emergency and have some degree of proficiency.

 

[nebraska_farmer]

Wouldn't hurt to keep some extra mags lying around your place.

 

[JB357MAG]

Thanks a lot fella's, there's a bunch of good info here for me
to chew on!!

I live alone and also have a J frame 38 clone, a 22 revolver and
a TCP 738 .380.

I didnt want to sell the AR but it helped my home buying project
quite a bit.

I am not opposed to getting a 12 gauge and in fact my Dad has one
that he may give to me.

I also can stage a couple guns around the house.

Thanks again, cant wait to finally be a home owner.

Jimmy

 

[TikkaShooter]

We live in a forest surrounded by trees; so our choice of home defense weapons are different than most folks.
I put a lot more faith in the Pitts than most other things. They let us know when deer are at the feeder and the NV says they are right.

 

[CaptTripps]

Its enough, like someone said, you will most likely either be dead or victorious before you expend all your ammo. Keep a few spare magazines where you can get to them and don't worry. I'd be more concerned about beefing up the weak points in my home. Doors, windows, blind spots, low-light areas. If you don;t have security doors you can reinforce them with long screws into the studs on either side, "jamb armor" which is a steel plate that your deadbolt and knob latch interface with. Security film over the windows which will make them a lot tougher and harder to smash in. Motion activated and passive lighting. Maybe bars on the exterior of the windows.

 

[Old Guy]

Boom Boom #32 post, good info.

At my age, 80, I have no arthritis in my fingers, or hands/arms. So using the Glock 19 I carry all the time, is a no brainer.

Your thoughts on the Carbine? Good idea. Sounds like you might have a few $s lying about? Have you thought about spending the cash to go with a Silencer?

Talking to the 911 operator after letting a couple of 5.56 rounds off in the house? You can talk, but you most likely will not hear the response.

 

[FAS1]

Just keep an extra magazine loaded and with the gun. Practice grabbing the gun with your strong hand and then the spare magazine with your weak hand. Probably won't need it but if you have time grab the spare and slide it into your waistband.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Is a 10 round 9mm pistol enough for home defence?

Well, my go-to-guns for HD are a five-shot .38 and a pump 12ga four rounds of #00 in the tube, by the bedside, with cellphone, maglite, fire extinguisher, and handradio tuned to National Weather Service.

If a 10 round 9mm pistol is enough, it is enough. I won't argue that a double stack 9mm with 14 to 18 rounds would not be better for some people, or that a M4 with 30 rounds might be ideal (especially if you lived on a dead end road in the boonies surrounded by neighbors who are paranoid druggies). I have kept a M1 carbine with 30 rounds SNHP as a ready gun or a 12ga double coach gun or a .45 ACP pistol with 8 rounds.

Choices are important. If the question were to be should 10 rounds be a limit, I'd say no. Choose what you are comfortable with and is adequate to your circumstances.

 

[Old Guy]

Where do I get a 30 round magazine for my M1 carbine?

 

[HankR]

I think you'll be fine. I'd suggest getting

1) shotgun (or borrow dad's), and
2) spare handgun mags

Before investing in another AR for your current needs, but if you're an AR guy I'd try to get that while prices are low and availability is high.

 

[Kleanbore]

Before asking about round count, shotguns, carbines, etc., ask yourself these questions:

1. At anytime in the night or day, where are you likely to be in the house?
2. What are the possible points of ingress for evildoers?
3. For any combination--of where you are, of where they come in--how would you get to your gun?
4. Could you always get to it in two or three seconds?

From those you can realistically assess just how useful a long arm is really likely to be.

You can determine where your much more portable handgun has to be. On you, perhaps?

And you can start thinking about what do do about those points of ingress.

 

[boom boom]

Thanks Old Guy,

Seriously considering silencer in the future as AR-15's are loud---that is one reason that I made sure to have no muzzle brakes on mine and threaded barrels that could accept a silencer.

Right now have Walker Ears beside my bed as a compromise.

I had to consider a lot of issues when a few years back, a guy was dealing drugs across the street in one of the safest precincts in my county. Don't want to get into the details but police were of little assistance until the house was foreclosed. The sheriff's deputy who was assisting the foreclosure when the bank representatives opened the house discovered numerous fake ids, all kinds of pills, hash, meth, etc. This guy caused a crime wave for about three years until the foreclosure occurred (he was the brother of the guy who still owned the house but the brother lived elsewhere).

This required setting up a plan for my wife and my safety which we have pretty much followed. Gotten a little slack in training due to health issues which I hope have stabilized but know I need to get back to it.

 

[agtman]

10-rounds of something bigger is always more effective than 10-rds of the mini-meter, if you're legally restricted to a max of ten rounds in your autoloader.

I know you specified "home defense" usage, but just FYI: back during the dark days of the 1990's federal AWB/Hi-Cap mag ban, folks living in CCW-permissive states were opting to carry 10-round 45s, 40s, and 10mms over a 10-rd 9mm.

It's always good to pay attention to history .. .

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

For me personally, HD, where size and concealing isn't really a requirement, I want as much bang for my buck as I can get.

You may not NEED more than ten rounds, or you may. Why take the chance in your own home? There's no reason why a full size higher capacity handgun shouldn't be used, unless of course something smaller is all you have.

That being said, my nightstand pistol is a full size 9mm with a 20rd mag. I sleep well enough.