Sure, I can jump into this. Everyone else has, and I’m smarter than at least some of them.
If you’ve read anything I’ve ever written before, you can probably anticipate my answer: it depends.
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It’s your situation; plan for that.
I, for example, live in a trailer in a trailer park. Very thin
walls, single pane windows, and close neighbors with the same
construction. Over-penetration is a very real concern. Apartment people have similar issues.
If I lived in a wood frame house, it would somewhat different. An adobe or brick house is even less like to allow rounds to exit the building.
And if I lived out in the middle of nowhere, I could use pretty much anything I felt like without worrying about innocent bystanders.
I could see some living situations where a rifle would be the best choice. Even a heavier caliber, like a .308. That would be completely ridiculous for me, but everyone’s situation is their own.
I’m going to list four different guns I have that I’d consider useful for home defense. This is hardly an exhaustive list; it’s representative.
The handguns.
Specifically, my Springfield XDM with the TLR-1 HL on it.
This is my go to “bump in the night” gun. There are several reasons for this.
- See above about where I live. There is no firearm in the world that won’t over-penetrate should I miss, but the .40 is less likely than the others to overpenetrate than the other two after hitting a target.
- My trailer is small. 400 sq ft if I’m generous with the cabinetry. A long gun is really not helpful.
- It has 16 rounds +1. Pretty sure that will handle any bumps in the night. And the others are pretty close, should I need them.
Unless I’m walking/hiking, this is on my nightstand. Give my over-penetration concerns, I should probably have a 9mm, not a .40. Unfortunately, I have a shortage of railed, full size guns. My Sig SP2022 has a rail, but I carry it from time to time so I don’t want to hang a light on it. So the Springfield it is.
What about during the day? My day job is working from home. Even in my nice, safe, neighborhood, though, I have a gun on me pretty much all the time. Specifically, my J-frame is in a pocket.
The shotgun.
The Mossberg 500. I haven’t written specifically about the shotgun, but I did mention the light recently.
It’s mainly a backup for the handgun. I suppose if, for some reason, I have several minutes to get ready for an intruder, I may go ahead and use the shotgun.
This one makes me think more than the other two. There are just so many ammunition choices available the 12 gauge it’s crazy.
The sidesaddle rounds are slugs. I’m unlikely to use them, but they’re not in the way so they’re not hurting anything.
What’s in the tube is 2 3/4″ #4 buckshot. For me, 00 buck isn’t really a good idea, although I have some around if I need it. I do not have a round in the chamber. No, it’s not so I can make that scary racking sound and scare away every criminal in 10 sq miles.
I’ve considered birdshot. At 10 yards it might be effective. It’s the “might” that concerns me. Besides, this is not my primary. It’s a backup. If I grab this, either I have time to see something coming or things have seriously gone to hell. The more effective rounds are a better choice for me.
The AR-15.
In my case, it’s an AR pistol. Specifically, a Palmetto State Armory kit I put together with a lower I bought from a local gun store. The shorter barrel still provides more than enough velocity to be effective, at least at the ranges I’m like to need it.
This is, by far, the least likely to be useful for me. The pistol itself is great. The optic is wonderful. The round is more than sufficient. I just think the other three are more useful for me.
I suppose if a riot comes by me this could be useful. That’s a pretty unlikely scenario, although anything’s possible. Even then, I’m more likely to stay inside and grab the Mossberg.
Maybe if a herd of javelina starts rampaging through the park? As you can see, I’m digging a bit to find a use for this. In my particular situation. For some of you, an AR could be a perfectly viable solution.
It’s loaded with 55 gr 5.56 NATO. Again, not one in the chamber. Hey, I get to make a scary noise getting this ready, too.
Seriously, why do so many people talk about how scary a pump shotgun sound is? Using the charging handle on an AR isn’t exactly comforting, is it? For that matter, racking the slide on a handgun would probably send me away if I was invading someone else’s home.
Miscellaneous.
Since I live alone and have no kids to worry about, when I’m home there may be a few other things around, if the J-frame is insufficient.
The Rossi .357 rifle is not locked up when I’m home. A couple of my carry guns are just in a cabinet in the bedroom, specifically the SP2022, the P365, even the Pico. Although if the Pico and the 2022 are right next to each other, well, the Sig is the right answer.
See the light.
One thing you’ll notice is that the XDM, Mossberg, and the AR all have WML’s on them. For me, I think a light is essential on a “bump in the night” gun.
A non-weapon mounted light is also very handy. There are a hundred inexpensive ones you can get on Amazon if you like. If you want better, I have a couple ideas: Surefire G2X Tactical 600 and the Streamlight 66608 Microstream.
For nighttime spotting/disorienting of intruders, I consider the Surefire the better choice. Much brighter.
Storage considerations.
I have to admit that I may not be all that helpful here. I live alone. Any visitors I have are adults and aware that I have firearms. There’s a good chance they’ve fired at least a couple of mine. They may have some of their own.
In other words, I don’t have to worry about kids getting hold of something they shouldn’t and shooting someone.
Nor do I have contractors or service people in here on a regular basis. If I did, I’d have to take some precautions I don’t have to now.
Conclusion.
As I said up front, the answer to the best home defense gun is entirely dependent on you and your situation. It’s where you live, what you have available, and how effective you are with each option you may have. In other words, if you practice a lot with your AR but not so much with your handgun, then maybe that swings the pendulum for you towards the AR.
As for what you have, you may not have a lot of real choices here. Maybe you own one or two firearms and those are your options. If you only have you dad’s 4″ .357 revolver, well, then that’s what you have. Maybe you only have a .22 LR rifle. It’s hardly my first choice, but I’d head out to the range and shoot it a lot if possible if that’s what I had.
What I’m getting at is, something you can use well is more important than what it actually is.
Look at your situation, plan for all the possibilities you can think of. You’ll miss some; we can’t think of everything. But do the best you can and you’ll be fine.
