The second amendment gives every American the right to bear arms and protect their homes and family against intruders and criminals. Though there are many ways to secure your home, like implementing security cameras or alarm systems, by the peace of mind that you get from owning a home defense weapon, is incomparable.

Now, there are many types of guns, and all of them have their pros and cons; however, I am going to tell you what features you should look for in a home self-defense gun, and the four significant kinds of home defense guns. So, keep reading to learn more.

What to look for in a home defense firearm:

Maneuverability:

A home defense weapon has to be maneuverable when you are moving through the rooms of your home to clear it, having a gun with a long barrel, can be difficult. It will be challenging to move around quickly, and the gun will also be more substantial. Therefore, when you are going for a home defense weapon, look for something small and easy to handle, like a pistol, or a short-barreled shotgun.

Caliber:

Not every caliber is suitable for home defense. Of course, you don’t want to use large rifle rounds or large caliber pistols, because they increase the risk of collateral damage. Large rounds clear the intruder and can go through multiple walls, putting your family members and property at risk. Therefore, choose smaller rounds that will damage the intruder, without the risk of any collateral damage.

Noise level:

In a self-defense situation, you will not have enough time to find ear protection, and even if you do, you need to use your sense of hearing to track the intruder. Therefore, you need a gun that won’t damage your ears and mare your head ring.

You could consider using suppressors, but you will have to do some paperwork to get one.

Hit probability:

In a home defense situation, you will probably be under stress, and aiming accurately in such a citation can be a little difficult; therefore, you need to have the firearm with a high hit probability, like a pallet shotgun.

You can also mount an optic like a close-range red dot scope to increase your accuracy. However, it is essential to maintain your gun and keep the scope clean. Check out some quick ways to fix a blurry scope.

The four types of home defense firearms:

Pistols:

When talking about self-defense guns, most people claim that pistols are the best idea and have many advantages. They are small, lightweight, and maneuverable; furthermore, they usually have lower calibers.

There is a wide variety of options available in the market if you want to use pistols for self-defense. Some people believe that 22 LR, pistols are the best option because they have low recoil, low noise, and high magazine capacity. However, owning a home defense weapon is a lot about having peace of mind, a tiny caliber like 22 LR, doesn’t make you feel safe.

Therefore, 9mm pistols are the best option; they are still on the smaller side of rounds but have enough lethal power to disable a heavy intruder at a long-range. The ammunition is cheap, and collateral damage is very low, mainly if you use hollow points.

Then there is also an option for using between rounds like the five-seven, which are tiny bullets, with a lot of penetrating power. However, reloading a five-seven pistol can be expensive.

Shotguns:

Though pistols may seem like the ultimate home defense weapon, one factor that they don’t take into account is the inaccuracy of the shooter. In a home defense situation, you may only have one shot, and missing it could put you and your loved ones at risk.

However, if you use a shotgun, that won’t be a concern. Shotguns have a lot of spread, and even if you aren’t a skilled shooter, you will get enough pallets on the target to incapacitate them.

Shotguns also give you the option of using non-lethal ammunition like birdshot, or rubber slugs, that are great for damaging any intruder.

Rifles:

Where shotguns and pistols are most commonly used for home self-defense, rifles are also an option. They are a necessity for some people, especially those who have large properties and grounds. Pistols and shotguns are short-range weapons, and when you need to take a shot longer than a hundred yards, they are not that effective.

Therefore, if you have a large property like a farm or a lake house, you should opt for a rifle. An AR-15 is a popular choice, which has a large magazine capacity and range, but the caliber of the bullet is small, which limits the collateral damage.

Non-lethal home defense firearms:

Even if a person is intruding in your home, with bad intentions, it can be hard to pull the trigger when you know that you may end up killing them. This is why many people opt for non-lethal home defense firearms. They can quickly incapacitate any intruder, and keep your conscience clear as well.

You can use a taser gun, pepper spray, or a shotgun with rock salt rounds to protect your home effectively, without actually killing the intruder.

Non-lethal home defense firearms are an effective home defense solution that you need to know about.

Final thoughts:

Fortunately, the gun laws in the USA allow people to own firearms to defend their homes. Some people are against American gun laws, which is understandable because literally, anyone can buy as many guns as they want. Though there should be a more rigorous process for acquiring a gun license, and the background checks should be more detailed. Giving up guns is not the solution.

Therefore, if you are looking to get a gun for home defense, this post will hopefully be helpful. Though all four types of firearms mentioned in this post will get the job done, you can now get the kind that suits your specific requirements.

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Author Bio:
Mark Taylor is a law graduate working in his uncle’s firm. His hobbies include collecting guns, hunting and he loves to take part in shooting competitions. Recently, he has started saving money to open his own shooting club, to know more about him head onto https://opticsvilla.com/.