Weapon for self defense

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matches

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Can anyone recommend a rifle, shotgun and pistol for self defense? I don’t know what the average cost of a pistol would be but I have looked at rifles and shotguns at Wal-Mart and I like the idea of spending $150-200 for something like that. I am not interested in spending a small fortune on any of these because I am neither a gun enthusiast nor a gun hater. I have been consistently moderate on the issue my whole life. I think now is the time to consider home protection for my family.

So please, recommend what you consider to be the best bang for your buck for all three weapons: rifle, shotgun and pistol

Thanks
 
Wow, um . . . take a seat.

If its home defense, go with a 12 guage shotgun. Nothing stops a bad guy like a 12 guage. Well except maybe a flame thrower.

The NRA offers courses Take the First STEPS and Basic Shotgun classes

If you got family, you need to think about safety. You can ask a boat load of questions at the class. Take it. This is not the place to make the decision. And if its for protection of family, don't skimp on price. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a quality shotgun.
 
Depending on where you live, my humble suggestions are (and everyone will have an opinion):
12 Gauge: Mossberg 500 Persuader is a good gun for not much money ($250). It'll hold 6+ and has a 18 barrel. Nice and handy, but not a hunting shotgun unless you aint got another.
Pistol: Ruger P95DC. Around $300--also pretty inexpensive, but a thumper. If you're in situation that you're relying on a pistol, you want it to stop the threat quick. It's a bit safer (IMHO) than single actions.
Rifle: An AK-47. Even the $350 WASR types will do the job. Utterly reliable.

A few other suggestions if I may--try 'em before you buy them if at all possible. And use them after you get them. Learn how to take them apart and clean them, shoot them fairly often.

Take care!
 
matches,
Welcome.
Shotgun. Remington 870 Express 12 or 20 ga. (Winchester 1300 equivalent)
Handgun. S&W Model 10 .38 special 2", 3" or 4" barrel
Rifle. Ruger 10/22 w/ at least one 25 rd. magazine... tho once you master the shotgun, buy a few slugs since bigger is better. It's just that the 10/22 is a lot of fun and helps your overall proficiency, and is easy for some family members to shoot and thus master.
Take the class that Slateman suggests.
Buy ammo
Practice
Have Fun
Drill the gun safety rules into head until you live them
Buy more ammo
Practice
Have more fun
Prepare a plan for household emergencies, including fire extinguishers, flashlights, cell phones, locked doors, taking cover, teaching any children responsible behavior about firearms, strangers at door, etc.
Buy more ammo
Practice
Have more fun.
And like the Fire Extinguisher, pray you'll never need to use them for their intended purpose, just for plinking at soda cans.
 
Get yourself a decent used pumpaction 12 gauge, remington 870, mossberg 500, mossberg 835, all good choices.

Good luck.
 
Remington 870 Home Defense Model
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=36434941

Handgun
Ruger P95
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=36867737

Rifle
Marlin 336C or similar lever gun
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=36807162

You could do lots worse then the above. Each is around $300 or so. All will be stone reliable, all are plenty powerful, all are easy to find ammo for anywhere ammo is sold.

The links I posted are to a sight called gunbroker.com, think ebay for guns. I did this to show you pictures and give you an idea of real world prices. Should you decide to buy a gun online you will have to have it shipped to a local FFL(Gun Seller) who will then have to transfer the gun to you. Figure about $20-$25 shipping and another $20-$40 for transfer charges.

Good luck, shoot safe, and learn to use and maintain your weapons as well as all laws regarding their use.

Chris
 
Home defense longarm?Earlier suggestions are good.Tapping into a similar vein of thought,look into an SKSUsually can be had for under $200.00,peasant proof durable reliability...and th eadvantage of being legal in many places the AK type rifles are not.Same cartridge,a little easier to shoot in the prone.Makes a better club ,IMHO :evil:
 
I will let the others make firearm selections; you will get plenty of opinions from them.

MAKE SURE you learn proper firearm safety AS SOON AS POSSIBLE preferably before you buy anything. Chances are the 5 min intro that the fella at the gun shop is going to give you is not going to be sufficient to learn the proper maintenance of the firearm much less it's safe handling.

If you have children in the house please make sure you take the proper precautions to keep them safe. Either LOCK the guns up so there’s no chance they can get to them or if they are mature enough teach them to shoot and handle your firearm(s) as well.

Be safe, have fun, and welcome to a great hobby.
 
I wish I knew where you lived. Makes a big difference as far as what you can buy.
I have bought a lot of guns out of pawn shops but if you haven't a good knowledge of firearms find someone who is to go along.It sounds like you want to keep the price down so here is my list;
1-shotgun- any of the above but don't overlook store brands. As a second shotgun I have a J.C.Higgins. It was made by Hi Standard and is a fine shotgun.
2-Smith and Wesson wheel gun in 357 mag. Don't overlook Taurus.The quality is very good.
3-rifle- Low cost a SKS-For lever get a rossi-marlin 357 mag so you can interchange ammo from rifle to pistol.
All my personal opinion of course.
Bob
 
Wow...Thanks

Thanks a lot guys. This is a great help and excellent start. Just for the record and any future posts that come up. I am currently living in Virginia but could be living in New Mexico, Cal. or Oregon in the future. The budget issues one are because I don't exactly have $500-$1000 to put into a high quality firearm. My wife also is not the biggest fan of guns so spending too much will make things difficult. My sons are turning four this month and I will fully intend to have out of sight completely for a while. I definitely plan on getting an education in safety, proper use and maintenance. Fortunately for me, I don't do anything with out doing it 100%. Thanks again all your help, and feel free to add more it is very appreciated.
 
if you could be living anywhere, especially california, I think a pump action shotgun would be legal just about anywhere..

and you say you plan on keeping the guns out of the childrens sight.. unless you lock them up in a strong steel safe, before you hide them, I would teach them that guns can be dangerous, and to never touch one if they find it. Gun accidents are usually caused by kids who never learned about them, and their curiosity peaks, so they do things they shouldnt be doing.

The NRA has a program to help you out, Eddie Eagle..

http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/

actually, now that I think about it, you probably dont want to keep a home defense gun in a safe, you might have trouble getting to it when you most need it. Just teach your kids about gun safety, and to never touch your guns, and how the consequences could be fatal. Keeping them in the dark is more dangerous.
 
I have been consistently moderate on the issue my whole life. I think now is the time to consider home protection for my family.
Click to expand...

Before you go out and spend money on a bunch of guns, I have a couple of rhetorical questions for you:

1)Are you willing to take at least one safety course and one defense-oriented course where you learn the proper and legal role for employing firearms?

2)Are you willing to spend at least a minimum amount of time practicing to maintain proficiency?

3)Are you willing to take another human life?
 
Welcome aboard Matches.

Whatever you decide to go with, please remember one thing.

Owning firearms does not make you and your family safe. No more then buying a hammer and nails makes you a carpenter.

You will need to practice and follow the safety rules. Also, don't get overwhelmed with all the choices. Just start somewhere (shotgun is a good place to start) and you will learn as you go just like the rest of us did.

Good luck and by all means, check back with any questions you have.
 
As I'm sure you know, kids can be quite resourceful. PLEASE make sure if you’re not going to LOCK up whatever your firearm choice is, that you at least keep the firearm and the ammo in VERY separate places. I'm not trying to tell you how to keep your home or raise your kids but accidents do happen.

My advice; at least buy a cheap cable lock or similar.
 
1)Are you willing to take at least one safety course and one defense-oriented course where you learn the proper and legal role for employing firearms?

2)Are you willing to spend at least a minimum amount of time practicing to maintain proficiency?

3)Are you willing to take another human life?
Click to expand...

1. Yes, I guess I wasn't clear above. I totally intend to educate my self to the fullest. This forum was my first stop after making my decision today. My next stop is to follow some of your advice and learn.

2. Practicing isn't an issue. I have shot with friends in the past and had a great time. I just was never interested in owning any firearms as a hobby.

3. I truly hope I am never in the position to take another persons life. If I am, well, so be it. If someone is putting my family and me in danger then I will not hesitate to put a hole in that person. Nor will I feel any remorse.
 
Safes

I certainly will take the right precautions and lock these weapons up. At the moment my concern for safety isn't focused on an intruder. So locking them up until needed (hopefully never) is not a problem. I am just looking at what goes on with people regarding their nature in tough times. Some people are very helpful and some are very ruthless. The fact of the matter is I am in N. Virginia which at the moment is probably target No. 1 for a dirty bomb or something like that. That means, worst case scenario, the DC metro area will be F@$%ed. I don't want to be paranoid but I also don't want to be caught with my pants down... so to speak.
 
well matches, you seem to have the right attitude. Welcome aboard, and I think you will find soon enough that guns can be more than just a defense-tool, and eventually a big money pit :D ( or as some say , a good investment ;) )
 
That brings up another question

As you know I am looking for something more affordable. What am I looking at typically for resale if I want to upgrade? Do guns lose there value like cars, do some makers actually gain value like Steinway pianos (that’s what I heard at least)
 
Welcome Matches. It sounds like you are taking a thoughtful approach to this. Listen to everyone, than make up your own mind. Good luck.

Personally I would recommend a revolver, .38cal or larger. Many will disagree but I believe them to be more reliable if they are going to spend a lot of time at the ready but not being used. The biggest reason is no magazine springs to get tired. I also think they are a little easier to use.

Whatever you decide on, practice regularly. A weapon is a tool and you need to be proficient if you want to get the most out of it.

And don't forget to let us know what you decide on.
 
Good, you're thinking from the right place then. Believe it or not, there are people who think that a gun works like a crucifix on a vampire, that you just wave it in the general direction of an interloper and and they'll go away.

As far as value, guns generally don't depreciate as much as cars. If you buy good or high quality firearms, they will generally not depreciate a great deal.

For what you're looking to spend, consider paring it down to one or two choices. Perhaps a shotgun and a pistol.

Also, I would highly recommend that your wife also attend the basic intro class. Even though she doesn't like guns or shooting, it's extremely important that she at least be familiar with the basics of gun safety.
 
Guns are actually pretty good investments.

I agree, a shotgun and/or a pistol, preferably a revolver. Easier to use, clean, and maintain.
 
I'd second or third or 4th what everyone else said. I'm a dealer, and recently I have had a lot of friends that have decided that they need guns. I've actually talked a couple of them out of it because they weren't really interested in spending any time learning to use them. Please take the time to learn safety and practice with your gun.

As for guns:

If I could only have one gun for self defense, it would be a 12 gauge pump. I prefer the 870, but those mossbergs seem to work as well.
 
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