Andy: This is The Secure Family Podcast.
Welcome friend.
I'm Andy, the host, and I'm also the founder of The Secure Dad.
This show is all about empowering parents to protect themselves and their family.
I believe that security is the foundation of happiness, and I want
your family to be safe and happy.
The information that I share on this podcast is for general
information purposes only.
My goal is to empower you to make safer decisions for yourself and your family.
Because our safety is our own responsibility Today I want to discuss the
best firearms that we can use to defend our homes in the event of a break-in.
All of that and more coming up on The Secure Family Podcast.
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So I want to address the most common question that I get.
And I get this question in person through email and online.
The most common question I get is this, "What is the best gun for home
defense?" Now, this is a great question and I'm happy to share my perspective.
I really appreciate it when people want to ask this question because that
means that they want to know more about how to defend themselves and their
families before they just go out and buy what the salesman tells them to buy.
I think it's a really good sign.
And when somebody wants to know how to protect their family and their
home, I'm always happy to help.
But understand I am not a licensed firearm instructor or expert in this field.
This is just my opinion.
And you may not agree with the information that I give here, and that's fine.
What we discuss next comes from my experience, my conversations
with law enforcement, military personnel, and educated gun
owners who I trust and respect.
If you've been listening to this podcast, you know that I am all about
a holistic approach to home security.
Meaning that there is no single solution that is going to keep our
home safe, including firearm ownership.
There's not one single product that you can buy that will instantly make
your home the safest on the block.
It's a combination of things.
It's commitment.
I call this combination the layered home defense strategy, and it breaks
down into four parts, which is discipline, deter, fortify, and defend.
I go in depth about this in my book, Home Security: The Secure Dad's
Guide, which is available on Amazon.
Now, another question that I get sometimes is if a gun is necessary for home defense.
Does that mean that you must have a firearm in your home to feel safe?
Well, if you're not comfortable around guns and they make you
nervous, then please don't get one.
There's nothing worse than someone who buys a gun and they're scared of it.
If you buy a firearm, make sure that you know how to use it and store it properly.
So let's take a look at our original question.
What's the best firearm for home defense?
To get the best answer to this question, there are a few
things that we have to consider.
First, let's consider where we live.
The first principle to owning a firearm is to know the gun laws of your state.
You need to know what type of ammunition that you can own, and if there is
a restriction on magazine size.
Plus, know what your state's castle doctrine and stand
your ground laws look like.
Another aspect of where we live in reference to home defense is what
type of home that you have and where you can and cannot shoot.
For simplicity's sake, let's say that you own a nine millimeter pistol.
That's a very popular choice.
If you are left with no other option but to fire around in defense of your
yourself and your family, there's a good chance that you might miss your target.
You may fire five rounds, two hit, and three miss.
Being under that kind of pressure can affect your decision making and
abilities of your fine motor skills.
It won't be like shooting paper targets down at the range.
So understand that you'll be under a lot of stress depending on your
ammunition choice and shot placement.
That nine millimeter round is going to penetrate the drywall vinyl
siding and may leave your home at potentially a deadly velocity.
If you live in an apartment, you may fire a round that penetrates several of your
neighbor's rooms before it actually stops.
So understanding our ammunition, the construction of our home
is extraordinarily vital.
The best thing that you can do to avoid potentially hurting someone
with over penetration is to know the defensive shooting angles of your home.
For example, never fired towards a wall that is part of your safe room.
Your family should be in there.
So there are places in your home that you need to scout in advance to make
sure that in the event that you miss the chances of hurting someone who
is innocent are absolutely minimized.
And this is something that you can do during the day when everything is normal.
Just kind of walk around your house and say, okay, I can't shoot here, can't
shoot here, but this is a good place.
Once you have those things in mind, it's gonna make things a whole lot easier
when you're under a lot of stress.
I also suggest that you look at hollow point ammunition and defensive rounds.
If they're legal in your state.
This will help you with over penetration as well, but it's not
a hundred percent foolproof either, so just have that understanding.
All right, so let's go over the three main types of firearms that are available
to most buyers, and that is shotguns, AR platform rifles, and handguns.
So we'll start with shotguns.
I feel the biggest advantage that a shotgun gives you is stopping power.
You can achieve more stopping power in a single shot of 12
gauge shotgun than you can with multiple rounds of, say, .380 ACP.
If you use something like Birdshot, placement is a bit more forgiving as
the shot will spread over the distance.
This will increase your chances of hitting the threat and stopping them.
Some people think that it may be hard to maneuver the long barrel around in your
home, and that is certainly true, so the shotgun isn't as effective, but there's
actually home defense shotgun courses that you can take, and I highly suggest that.
The barrels on those home defense models are around 18 inches and can hold about
seven rounds, and that's pretty good.
Please understand that there is a minimum barrel length involved here, and people
will knock on your front door if they find out that, uh, you have a shotgun
barrel shorter than what the law allows.
So just use some common sense here.
You might be wondering if it's okay to use your dad's Beretta Silver
Pigeon as a home defense gun.
Now, the Silver Pigeon, which is a phenomenal shotgun by the way, has a
30 inch barrel that's more than a foot difference and barrel length between a
shotgun that is used for competition and one that is designed for home defense.
Plus an over under shotgun like that is only good to have the maximum of what,
two rounds before you have to reload, so you might wanna rethink that option.
You might wanna consider getting a youth model 20 gauge shotgun
that is smaller and lighter.
You can maneuver it a little bit easier and the 20 gauge will have less kick
and still have plenty of stopping power.
It's not a bad idea.
I've heard this from other reliable sources as well.
If you're looking at researching a home defense shotgun, I'd start with the
Remington Model 870 Home Defense, or the Mossberg 510 Youth Mini Super Bantam.
It's an all purpose shotgun.
So now let's talk about AR platform rifles.
These are very popular for hunting, competitive shooting, and home defense.
At first glance, the two big advantages of these is the length of the barrel for
accuracy and also the magazine capacity.
They offer shooters better accuracy over handguns because of the length
of the barrel and the butt stock is anchored to your shoulder.
This gives you better control and a higher round count.
Some can have considerable magazine capacity of 30 or more rounds.
Another advantage to these is that they are modular and
they can be easily customized.
You can add rail mounts and equip things like tactical lights and even lasers.
I think having a light on a home defense gun is a must.
You need to be able to identify an intruder in your home.
And honestly, the possibilities are really endless for what you
can do with one of these rifles.
Because of that, I hesitate to even try to tell you where to start your
research on an AR because there's just so many options out there.
You could spend a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars.
I do suggest that you consider an AR chambered in .223, or
.556 and you can argue all day long about which one is best.
But both are great for home defense.
As for manufacturers, you can go with Palmetto State Armory,
Springfield, or Daniel Defense.
Those are three good ones to start with.
So now let's move on to a very popular option for home defense, the handgun.
Now the handgun breaks down into two subcategories, which is
semi-auto pistols and revolvers.
No matter which you choose.
Handguns are useful for their smaller size and their maneuverability.
You don't need to be concerned with barrel length and moving through a home
like you do with a shotgun or an AR.
And most handguns can be operated with one hand, make it easier for you to open
doors and move people outta harm's way.
Also, the small size opens up many opportunities for safe, quick storage.
Many companies make fast access safes that could be mounted on bedside tables
or the underside of a bed for quick access to your handgun when you really need it.
This is a great option for keeping the gun out of your kids' hands, but also
able to get it during an emergency.
With a semi-auto pistol, again, you have the option for a decent magazine
size, depending on your caliber.
Another advantage to the pistol is a mount.
If your pistol is large enough, it may have an accessory rail where you can add
a light or a laser, or a combo of both.
And also depending on the model, you can upgrade the standard sites to night sites.
This will assist you in shot placement in the dark and in high stress situations.
If you want a handgun that is easy to use and own, then consider a revolver.
What makes revolvers so easy is the minimal moving parts
compared to a semi-auto pistol.
Revolvers have a central cylinder that rotates with each trigger pull, and
there's not much of an opportunity for a malfunction, which is really good.
Revolvers come in all sorts of calibers and have great stopping power.
However, the disadvantage to these is the set number of rounds and reloading is
gonna take longer than a semi-auto pistol.
And a disadvantage of all handguns is the size.
The smaller the gun, the harder the recoil is to manage.
To start your research on a pistol, I would look at the Glock 19.
It has been the most popular gun in America for what seems like
forever, and you can find lots of accessories to go with them.
For a revolver, consider investigating the Smith and Wesson 462.
And as an alternative, look at the Taurus Judge that can shoot
a .45 and a .410 shot shell.
It is massive though, but it's a great gun.
Lastly, I wanna mention that no matter what type of firearm you choose for home
defense, you have to store it safely.
Make sure any gun you own is locked away so that children
cannot get to it and potentially hurt themselves or someone else.
And it goes for teenagers as well.
Also make sure that they're stored securely so that if your home is
burglarized while you're out, a safe might prevent the bad guys from walking
out with your guns to hurt somebody else.
So to answer our initial question, the best firearm for home defense
is the one that you have researched, trained with, and can store safely.
This goes back to there's no single product that is going to
instantly make your home safer.
You can't go out and buy a Mossberg 500 and believe that your family is now 100%
safe at home because you bought one thing.
I get that way of thinking.
I really do.
Security really begins with your mindset and a willingness to do what is necessary
to keep yourself and your family safe.
In the end, I think people ask what's the best firearm for home defense?
Because they don't know the real question, which is, what do I really need to
consider before I make a very personal firearm purchase for home defense?
I hope what I said has been useful to you.
If you're looking for a firearm for home defense, I have named a few
models for you to start your research.
I hope they work out for you.
And if you already have a home defense gun, then I hope that
what I said has affirmed the good decision that you've already made.
As always, I encourage you to go get hands-on training with
whatever firearms you own.
You will learn a lot and have a lot of fun.
Well, that concludes this episode of The Secure Family Podcast.
Thank you, friend for listening.
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I am Andy Murphy reminding you that our safety is our own responsibility.