Buying a Gun for Home Defense

Things are getting crazy, you know it and I know it. I’ve had the same conversation with quite a few people now and they all sound like this.

Them: I think I need to buy a gun!
Me: Yeah that would be a good choice.
Them: What should I get?
Me: Launches into 20 minute dialogue about every option and they zone out 30 seconds in.
Them: So an AR-15?
Me: Well sort of…….

The AR-15 is a fantastic platform, and in the 5.56 configuration you have a great chance of finding ammo (and usually at a decent price if you exclude the last 3 months). I think every person should own an AR, I own a few! There are so many options out there though, and I want to touch on a few of them here. Each option has challenges associated with it, and it is my mission to make sure that you are informed of the work (yes work!) that you will have to put in to safely use each one.

Handgun
Everyone wants a handgun for their first gun, it’s small compared to a rifle and for many it is less intimidating. They say things like, I’ll put it in my purse/glovebox/nightstand and if I need it I can pull it out and use it, it seems like sound logic but if we dig a little deeper you will see that is not the case! Handguns are a beautiful thing, the ability to pack a literal cannon in your pocket or waistband allows you to secure yourself against almost any threat you would face in the outside world.

There is a dangerous downside in home defense though…………………….

Most people that will buy a handgun for home defense and not concealed carry just tuck it away in a safe or (shudder) an unsecured drawer (please don’t do this!) and imagine that if there is a home invasion they will turn into John Wick and smoke all of the baddies in 3 seconds flat. Out of all of the platforms I am covering today handguns are the least forgiving when it comes to lack of training, in fact to shoot proficiently in handgun you need to train often and with purpose.

Handguns have no bracing, they float out in front of you and every shot requires more work to get back on target. If you haven’t trained and don’t know what that feels like the odds are your second and third shots are going to go wild (ie trigger jerk, recoil anticipation, poor recoil management). If you cannot accurately put rounds where they need to go, you should not be using that weapon in a home defense situation.

Most handguns are coming out of the box with iron sights standard, and most of us aren’t dropping the big bucks to run specialized slides with red dot sights. These standard sights are going to be hard to see compared to a red that you might run on other platforms. There are ways around this, I have tritium sights that glow bright in every dark condition, but this combined with the recoil management creates a dangerous environment for you and any bystanders in the event.

Shotgun
The trusty shotgun, the sound of a pump action racking a round will send shivers down the spine of any home invader and quite possibly send them running without any further action on your end. People lean on shotguns because of its foolproof method, fill a hallway with buckshot and it doesn’t matter how good your aim is! Do you know where every friendly target is in your house though? What happens if a family member or roommate is in a doorway between you and the invader? Sorry doesn’t cut it when you send a shot through their arm or face!

The shotgun is not a precision instrument and while you likely wont be taking high level precision shots the shotgun widens the field of concern considerably. We have to limit our ability to engage until we know our target and backdrop, with a pistol or rifle we have one bullet path to worry about, with a shotgun we have 15 or more paths! Shotguns are meant for breaching doors and clearing nazis out of trenches, not clearing out your house.

Rifle
The AR-15 is a fantastic platform, and it is the rifle I will focus on for this write-up (sorry AK lovers!). It has endless options to fit the gun to your needs. 5.56 and .223 are some of the most available and affordable ammo on the market, and is great for target shooting and general military activities, but not necessarily for home defense.

We start to run into problems when we look at the speed and penetration of the round. It is a round designed to wound, and it moves pretty dang fast! (~3000 fps) Most people buy an AR and a few hundred rounds of the cheapest full metal jacket (FMJ) ammo and think they are set. The problem lies in the ammo as well as the speed, the fmj bullet is designed to stay together and penetrate, and it does its job well. So well, in fact, that it might just hit the baddie…. and the wall…. and the other wall….. and the neighbors dog (or worse). Most of our modern houses are pretty flimsy when it comes to bullets, and sheetrock does very little to stop the travel of a tightly packed little ball of lead and copper.

So now that I’ve trashed all three options you’re probably pretty confused, if only there was a way to take the best aspects of all of the options and create a new platform…..

Enter the PCC
The ultimate home defense setup would run a big bullet, would have enough speed to disable the threat but not to over-penetrate, and would be compact and easy to move through the house with.

Pistol Caliber Carbines (PCC) have risen in popularity in the last few years, and they encompass all of the best aspects of the AR15 while running 9mm or 45 handgun ammo! Current ATF regulations limit you to a 16″ barrel if you want to build a rifle, unless you pay for a tax stamp to build a short barreled rifle (SBR).

Companies like Keltec and Hipoint have come out with pistol caliber carbines of their own. They are compact offerings that run 16″ barrels to stay out of SBR territory, but stay on the cheaper side of the spectrum.

You have another option, you can build a pistol caliber…. pistol! I won’t go into the details on this write-up and offer advice on setting one up because you need to consult your local laws and review the ATF regulations on what separates an AR-15 pistol from an AR-15 rifle.
If you want a short barrel AR platform in a more suitable than a pistol platform just might be for you!

This write-up could go on forever, because specialty rounds like 300 blackout exist there are almost endless possibilities for building the perfect weapon for your needs
(Check out my write-up on my 300 blackout pistol build here. https://hazardhog.com/2020/08/18/ar15-pistol-build-x2/.)

If you are looking to build something a little more specialized you can always reach out to me to consult on your build at jhbhog@gmail.com