We have talked a lot about pistols in this blog, but what are the other options besides a pistol for home defense?
Long Guns can be a possibility. Some options include a Shotgun and a Rifle. My prior post about shotguns is here.
What other options are available for home defense?
A few come to mind including:
- Modern Sporting Rifle
- Lever Action and Semi-auto Carbine
- Pistol Caliber Carbines
Modern Sporting Rifle
A modern sporting rifle in a caliber of 5.56x45mm or .223 is a great choice. There are many different types including the most popular AR platform. AR stands for Armalite Rifle that was originally created by Armalite Division of Fairchild Aircraft company. Contrary to common belief it does not stand for assault rifle. The AR platform is highly customizable and makes a fine defensive weapon.
Many if not most police departments have moved away from shotguns in patrol cars in favor of AR rifles. The main reason for this is an AR is more accurate, and less likely to cause over penetration in an urban/suburban setting, you can fire further out than a shot gun when the situation arises, its lighter and holds more ammo than a typical shot gun. Penetration can be controlled only by using proper soft pointed ammunition designed for this. Most often sold in .223 Remington vs 5.56×45 NATO. You can fire .223 Remington in a 5.56 buy should not fire 5.56 in a .223 Remington due to pressure differences in the chamber.
The AR is highly effective and tends to not have as much over penetration as one might think given the right ammunition. Several studies have shown less penetration with proper rifle cartridges compared to a shotgun. There are a number of informal studies and YouTube videos you can view on this.
What are some reasons I might not want a modern sporting rifle?
Some states have tougher regulation of MSRs than others, It can be more difficult to purchase in some states. Some states have “banned” modern sporting rifles however those bans by and large are being overturned by the courts. Used in a defense shooting the news media may portray you as an rather than a victim. Frankly much of modern news media is so anti-gun they will take any possibility to push their agenda. Remember news is paid by commercials not actual news.
A good choice for an MSR would be a 16 inch barrel with an adjustable stock, this can be used for multiple family members and adjusted. While Red dot can be helpful regular iron sights or MBUS sights will work just fine. Make sure your rifle is outfitted with a sling. I personally prefer a two point sling connected with a QD sling attachment, however they do not need to be fancy to work.
Other Semi Auto and Lever Actions
A modern Ruger Ranch Rifle in 223 is a good choice. Other choices might include a lever action carbine in a pistol caliber such as a .357 Magnum or a 44 Magnum. However I would only recommend using .44 Spl for home defense inside as the .44 Mag will have deep penetration and over penetrate. Lever action rifles hold a decent amount of ammo, are fast to cycle and reliable. I have yet to have a lever action fail on min in shooting them for over 30 years. They have made a come back recently with Ruger buying Marlin and brining back the lever gun. As well as Henry manufacturing lever guns.
Pistol Caliber Carbines
Pistol Caliber Carbines or PCCs are modeler semi automatics in pistol calibers such as 9x19mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP. These are similar to the lever actions above but are semi-automatic where you don’t manually load the next round with the lever. PCCs provide a compact packaged rifle shooting modern defensive cartridges at slightly higher velocities than their pistol counterparts. There are numerous PCCs on the market today, and I have not tested any however they look like very promising packages. Again with PCCs some states regulate them as “assault weapons” so availability may be limited in your state under current laws and court rulings.
–Castle
