You might want to rethink your Home Defense gun

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Post 174 is excellent. Probably should add that even a head shot will not necessarily stop instantly unless the small locus of of points with in the head, the CNS, is hit.
 
Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch offers solutions to this problem:
1) Carry spare ammunition whenever you carry a gun.
2) Carry in your house.
3) Have access to a long gun but realize you may not be able to get to it.

 
Just took my new M&P 2.0 full size out for a spin yesterday. I was using my carry gun (Shield) previously for dual duty.
 
Somebody mentioned about living in an apartment and being "limited" in what alterations they could make, so I have a couple of suggestions.
This one would not be visible to the landlord or property manager and that is simply replace the screws in the door plate where the bolt goes into the frame. If you remove one of those screws you will likely find that they are less than 1.5" long and do NOT go into a stud. Get a "grade 8" (hardened) screw at least 3" long (if you can find them) that are the same size as the existing screws. Drill out the hole to at least 2" depth and carefully screw in the longer screw. I say "carefully" as you don't want to snap said screw off in the hole.
This suggestion MIGHT not go over so well. Find a nice, heavy "screw eye" and screw it into the closest stud to the non-hinge side but less than a foot above the floor. Screw another smaller eye on the door at the same level and attach a piece of chain to the door side that you can hook into the frame side. This helps hold the lower part of the door from being kicked in as easily. You can also try one of those extendable poles that wedges between the floor and the underside of the doorknob but "how strong is your doorknob" and "what do you use to keep the part on the floor from sliding or being forced back away from the door"?
If the landlord is okay with this, you can also put an old-fashioned "I-bolt" on the lower part of the door that does much the same as the chain and eyes above, but it may require modifications to the frame or trim around the door.
 
Somebody mentioned about living in an apartment and being "limited" in what alterations they could make, so I have a couple of suggestions.
This one would not be visible to the landlord or property manager and that is simply replace the screws in the door plate where the bolt goes into the frame.

I did this exact same thing when I lived in an apartment. Only difference was I made sure the longer screws I used were the same color when the apartment was built. That way, when the building manager did repairs in the complex there wasn't a sore thumb door frame with different colored screws.
 
I'm sticking with a Model 60 in the drawer and an 870 WM in the corner of the closet.
 
I learned some hard lessons - all those years ago on the street... The first (and in my opinion - the most important...) is that a handgun is what you use because you couldn't get to a better weapon in a close quarters fight, period. The actual results of a deadly shooting rarely seemed to involve whoever was shot simply dropping to the ground and ceasing whatever they intended to do (and that goes for victim or perpetrator... the human animal can take killing shots - but they just don't kill right away....). There really are a few folks around so dangerous that you might just have to outrun them - after hitting them a killing shot...

My choice was then - and still is now... a 12ga shotgun every time for close quarters work - and the basic 00buck round in just 2 3/4 standard size is all that's needed for conflicts at less than 15 meters range. One good center of mass hit is pretty much a fight ender at close quarters - and that's what I'll be reaching for if I'm ever forced to defend home and family. If I lived in a rural area I'd swap that shotgun for a carbine...

I'll say right now that I hope to never ever need it again. What you will go through afterwards won't be any fun at all - and I know what I'm talking about. Fortunately my one shooting incident was in uniform all those years ago - but I still was in and out of court for six months afterwards before the case was finally ruled a justifiable homicide... It really did take almost three years to get my head screwed back on straight though.... Coping with taking a life wasn't easy at all for me.
Thank you for validating my choice of a Mossberg 590 as my home defense weapon. It's loaded with 00 buck, and is within arm's reach of my bed. If someone kicks in my front door, I'm not going to try to clear the house. But if they kick-in my bedroom door, I think I'll be able to make the shot from 12 feet. And I agree with you, that one shot a that distance should be a fight ender. I just pray that I'm never put in that position.
 
With regards to home invasion...
Consider hardening your doors and windows to make it so they can't be easily "kicked".
This means steel doors & frames and "security" storm doors.
Also consider outfitting INTERIOR doors with steel doors & frames with deadbolt locks that can be unlocked from the inside (example bedroom door) or are double cylinder (example: kitchen to basement, closets, bathrooms).

While doing this type of hardening won't stop the marines, and it isn't the intent to do so, all you need is 30 seconds maybe less to prepare.
Also, knowing where an intruder can and can't go easily is a HUGE tactical advantage.
And 3M security film on the windows. 58 seconds to get in if the first move is shooting at the window, vs 3 seconds without it.
 
Criminals usually work in groups, sometimes one car following another. Don't get fooled by females either, I've been reading more and more about female accomplices driving the getaway car.

https://amp.kob.com/articles/fbi-seeks-jeyden-barnhill-pretrial-release-5308692.html

https://www.abqjournal.com/1300514/female-suspect-in-crime-spree-gets-away-again.html?amp=1

This is the reason I bought a high cap SA.
A female is sometimes the one who tries to gain entry. I experienced that twice -- once during the day, "I'm from the DWP and we need to survey something in your back yard but I'm not allowed to go there without you because that would be trespassing", and once in the wee small hours, a woman banging on a back window saying she needs my help.
 
I think I’m ready. I have 6 rounds loaded in a K Frame.:p

I am always curious what is so important about continuing on with your crimes when you start getting shot at during what appears to be a simple home invasion. Do the perps think there are gold bars in the safe in this house or are figuring if the resident is using deadly force to defend his property then there must be something good or are they just in survival mode?

You hear stories about meth heads doing what ever it takes to get their fix and about how they can be quite spectacular bullet sponges.
In my thankfully former neighborhood there were a lot of crazies and drug addicts (due to the homeless population). That is a nasty combination, I heard many stories about such types being shot repeatedly but continuing the activity they were being shot for.
 
In the real world people don't drop as if they were struck by lightning when they are shot.
A couple of years ago there was a terrorist in Israel who ran over a man with his car, then got out and started stabbing him. A nearby armed citizen appeared and shot the terrorist from maybe 10 feet away. Terrorist fell down but got up again. Armed citizen shot him again. Terrorist went down again but again got up. Finally after the third iteration of this he stayed down. It was captured on surveillance video and IMO should be required watching for anybody who plans on defending him- or herself.
 
And 3M security film on the windows. 58 seconds to get in if the first move is shooting at the window, vs 3 seconds without it.
Great idea!
Note that I didn't reveal everything we did to harden the house.
Check out what you can do for your car along this same window film vein.

Also get a fool proof security system and lights that you can control electronically.

I mentioned hardening the interior doors because it's seldom done or mentioned in typical home defense recommendations. Yes there is lately mention of having a safe room but not of having multiple obstacles specifically designed not just as a safe room but to steer an invader a certain way based on one's own home layout.

Think about the advantage you have if you can assume with a high degree of certainty that invader "X" is not in this room, that room, the basement or the garage, for example.
Think about being able to escape, tell this information to the cops or to the person to whom you're speaking with on the phone.

We found just how much time 30-60 seconds is when we gamed our house.
If you have that magic minute you win.
We hope.
 
I like the way a shotgun can instantly neutralize a threat, but going through doors with a long gun can be a problem. Still my Rem 11-87 has a Surefire light. Any home defense piece should have a light since one is more likely to need it at night.

Going through a door I like my .45acp Kimber TLE with a Surefire X 400 (light and laser). Since my outer walls are foot thick concrete I don't worry about overpenetration.

But I'm spoiled. I also have an H+K 94 with a Surefire, and my own 300 acre shooting facility,..
 
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