[Rob B]

Anybody see Manswers on Spike last night? First Time I ever watched the stupid show and they showcased 3 of the biggest handguns you can buy. The .357, .45 magnum, and then the S&W 500 with an 18" barrel! The thing weighs 5lbs and what a great recoil by a women with Double DD's firing it.

[uforacing]

Originally Posted by pontiacpetey

I need a shotgun as well, I just don't think I have enough firepower.

You need more. While I like both the AK and the AR I think one of the toys I shoot the most is an SAR 3. (AK in .223) Just the rifles and this is a few years old. There have been additions since then.

[MescaBug]

Get a good old trusty 12 gauge. Franchi SPAS-12 with 3" shells. If you want short range knocking power, you can't go wrong with that.

A rifle shot can be very devastating, but a 12 gauge is a bull. I just came back from deer hunthing with my dad. A use a 30-06 rifle, and my dad uses a 12 gauge with slugs. At 15 yards, the poor deer didn't even noticed when the rifle bullet enters. It went throught it like butter and it felt down after a short run. The shotgun blast knocked it down 2-3 feet backward. The wound wasn't that bad, the deer wasn't dead on the spot, but the concussion was so intense, it was totally unable to react or even think about getting away.

If you shoot somebody with a high-velocity round, he/she might still be able to counter-attack, depending on where you shot. With a shotgun, the kinetic energy is enough to knock anyone out of its shoes.

Keep in mind that I am not referring to automatic rifles, which I think, is over-the-top for home security purposes. I've never seen a burglar carrying an assault rifle to rob a house... Another good choice would be a .50 Desert Eagle. It's kinda heavy, lots of recoil and needs a bit of training to be accurate, but when you master that weapon, you can knock down anything, or anyone in that case.

[Tanksta]

Get an AK-47 variant....more reliability than the AR-15. Try to find a Chinese rifle.

[keith h]

This would be my choice.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/armory.php?model=15

Too bad I live in the Peoples "Republik" of New Jersey

[GT182]

For home defense my coice would be Claymores. Plant em and ferget em, only handing out directions to the mailman, close friends and liked relatives.

[Zombi]

I've owned a Bushmaster AR-15, an AK-47 (SLR-95), and a FAL (DSA STG-58A). I think the FAL looks the coolest, but the AK is the one I trust the most.

I traded the Bushmaster for a pool table, if that tells you anything about my opinion of the rifle.

I keep the AK within a few feet of my bed, but not as close as my Mossberg 590.

[Overkillphil]

Same here, the Mossberg pistol grip 12 gauge shortbarrel is my first choice for "close encounters", but my SKS's (7.62x39) aren't much further from my reach in case some Turbin headed bombers show up in my neighborhood.

[dancolkate]

Originally Posted by Zombi

I keep the AK within a few feet of my bed, but not as close as my Mossberg 590.

Remington 1100 for me. 28" barrel with a skeet choke.

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Originally Posted by MescaBug

Get a good old trusty 12 gauge. Franchi SPAS-12 with 3" shells. If you want short range knocking power, you can't go wrong with that.

Unless you have your SPAS12 modified with a new barrel and receiver 3" shells are not a good idea. It isnt chambered for them and a couple have exploded from them. Also the shells wont eject easily, they almost always get stuck. Franchi specifically states NOT to use 3" shells in any SPAS12 for these reasons. Besides, 2 3/4 00 Buck or Sabot slugs is more than enough when you have 9 rounds and can unload it in less than 3 seconds with extreme accuracy. I like to push cans around the yard with mine.

7 shot is fun with paper targets at 10 yards.


The rest of mine are an AR15 with BSA red dot, got 5 clips for it, could use more. A non Norinco SKS that was a non issued Chinese police rifle, it has a barrel that is threaded or grooved on the exterior, most accurate SKS my friends and I have ever seen. The SPAS12 pictured above, for close encounters. A Beretta Mod.90 in 7.65mm for the woman, its a James Bond looking thing, and a Llama .45 ACP MiniMax that is surprisingly good for a small frame 1911.

The rifles are for reach out and touch someone, SPAS12 is for CQB, pistols are last resort. I really want to pick up an Browning A-bolt or Remington 700 with around a 12x scope, not sure what caliber yet, but it needs a flat trajectory, plenty of hitting power at long ranges, and to be somewhat inexpensive.

I dont think there will be any civil unrest, I think most people will just stay home and watch TV and let everything be slowly taken from them. Sure some may riot, but for the most part, nobody believes anything is wrong and they wont listen to the people who tell them what is really happening. They have been conditioned to believe that the government should take care of them, and provide them with everything, so they will let the government do whatever it wants. This has already been proven.

Oh well, it was a fun and exciting run for 137 years. The last 95 are where the problem lies.

[MoJo]

For urban combat my cheap Yugo SKS (screw in barrel) is pretty damn accurate open sight (even at pie pans at 200 yards.) 7.62 ammo has sky rocketed in the last 2 years so buy a case now.(223 is up also) I gave $125.00 for Yugo complete with grenade launcher still in cosmoline 2 years ago. I see plenty of them *today in the $175.00 range. Chinese are a bit higher and many are pinned type barrels that float abit. *Better hurry. Guess I'll have to wait a little longer for walmart to start selling grenades.
My fav weapon is my savage 22 mag breakdown bolt action with a 6x weaver , then my Ruger 10-22, then my Argentine Mauser 30-06, then for the long ranged turban'd varmints my .204 Ruger single shot with Bull Barrel and Tasco World Class Plus 10x40x50.

[Cliff R]

7.62 X 39 for home defense? Your more likely going to kill one of your kids in another part of the house! Same problem with slugs and buckshot. Load your shotgun with #6 low brass, DEVASTATING to 25' or so, and it woln't kill the neighbor kid playing in the back yard when you ruin an intruders day with it!......Cliff

[Thumpin455_GTO]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

7.62 X 39 for home defense? Your more likely going to kill one of your kids in another part of the house! Same problem with slugs and buckshot. Load your shotgun with #6 low brass, DEVASTATING to 25' or so, and it woln't kill the neighbor kid playing in the back yard when you ruin an intruders day with it!......Cliff

I agree Cliff, what is behind the target is just as important. When I lived in cities while in the AF, I always had the SPAS12 loaded with 2 shot.

I found out a week after buying the SKS that 7.62x39 goes right through trees that are 2' in diameter. Apartment buildings, cars, kids down the block, and anything within about 600 yards could get a hole in it. While shooting a junk car I found that FMJ steel core 7.62x39 goes through the front bumper, the radiator support, the firewall, the dash, the seat, the rear seat, the bracing behind the rear seat, the trunk, and the rear bumper of some Ford products.

You cant just ventilate the guy coming in your front door when you live in a populated area, that round is like the energizer bunny, its still going. My closest neighbor is 3/4 mile away and there is a forest between us, but I still dont want to punch a hole through my 70 GTO, the 79 Formula, the 72 HO Formula and the 65 GTO since they are all parked beside each other just outside the front door.

It is nice being able to practice in the back yard without bothering anyone with the noise, or putting anyone or anything in danger. There is 2.5 miles of forest behind the house until a road cuts through it. Even if you have to kill something, you still need to think about safety.

[Region Warrior]

Originally Posted by matrix

I would like to purchase a rifle before they are most likely banned. It will be primarily to defend my family in the event of extreme civil unrest. I am considering an M1A1, AR15, and AK47. I personally like the M1A1 for its reliability and "knock down power". I like the AK for its price and extreme reliability. I like the AR for its low recoil and ease of handling in the event that my wife may have to fire it.

I already have several handguns and a 12 gauge shotgun.

Re-read his post.

"IN THE EVENT OF EXTREME CIVIL UNREST"

In this case you would need not only knock down power, but lots of it.
Like 30-mag capacity.

[Region Warrior]

BTY, just learned theres a gun show here in town tomarrow

[David Holmberg]

The best pistol/rifle to have is the one that's comfortable for you to hold and shoot.

The best rifle in the world in the wrong hands is worthless.

Find one that fits, and shoot it, a lot.

I've got AK's, SKS's and AR-15's. Personally my AR's shoot much more accurately between 100 and 300 yds than my AK's do. My SKS actually shoots very well at 200 yds. if the threat was 100 yds away at the end of my driveway I'd pull the AR. Any closer than that I'll use my Glock 21 and give the wife the 12ga with the kids in the back corner of the bedroom.

They wouldn't get very close without notice, I have a very good watchdog.

Back to the original question...

I'd pick up an AK, they're much cheaper than an AR, and easier to find. I'd also suggest picking up as many hi-cap mags for your favorite pistol while you can. Ammo is another thing to stock up on. I have 600 rounds of .223, 200 rounds of 7.62, 300 rounds or .45 acp and a couple hundred of 22's for plinking and some asst .38's and 9mm.

[Region Warrior]

FWIW, if you use a shotgun for home defense, i wouldnt use anything bigger then a 3" shell with #4 shot.
Has more pellets, and not as likely to go thru walls like 00 with less pellets and more powder.
Still has plenty of knock down power.

[Skip Fix]

I kind of like my old M1 carbine over my ARs. Lighter even less recoil , just not a long distance round. For the close stuff the M11 9mm or M12 .380s with a 30 round clip are pretty good

[69*Goat]

I have the shotgun aspect of my home protection covered. I am actually looking at adding a Springfield XD 40. Have any of you guys had any experience with one of these?

[David Jones]

Vote McCain...........