What is the Best Home Defense Gun? 8 Tactical Experts Share Their Take

Semi-auto shotgun is my choice.

Bedside HK 45 Tactical, Beretta 1301 12 gauge. TV room, USP Expert 45, Truck HK45 tactical compact. My office,6,357 revolvers, 1 45acp revolver, USP expert 45, HK P30 SK, POF AR15 and a Benelli M4 tactical 12 gauge. Not really expecting trouble out here in the desert, I just like having some of my toys close by. There are no children in the house

I live in oregon… I get a stick

In an emergency situation inside your home, there is a likelihood ear protection will not be in place. Consider something subsonic. If your defense piece is a .357 Magnum, loading it with .38 Special cartridges might be a good option.

It all depends on which room of my house I'm in. There's a gun everywhere, but I am proficient with handguns , shotgun , and rifles. I'd rather have and not need it than need it and not have it.

Get a double barrel shotgun & fire two blasts.
ARs are harder to aim.
Buy a shotgun😉

GLOCK 17 GEN 3💪

The AR platform is one that I respect greatly because it has no weaknesses. It's potent, it's accurate, it's easily accessorized, overpenetration is less likely, recoil is quite controllable, and the ammo is usually easy to find.

Unfortunately, my state just enacted a 10-round magazine limit, and I wasn't wise enough to buy a few 30's in advance. So if I got an AR now, it would be at 1/3 effectiveness. So, kudos to those who got theirs in time.

Still, with several shotguns and 40-caliber pistols in my inventory, I don't feel totally unarmed.

Benelli Supernova in 12g.

Yeah you can hit your target but know it goes through it then what lol

I keep a S&W 6 shot Revolver in my night stand because it is SIMPLE and easy to use just pick it up and point it and pull the trigger !!!!! no trying to pull back the SLIDE or trying to find the SAFETY and my wife or my Daughter can use it without any problem !!!!!

Built a .300blk upper for home defense and ended up liking it so much I bought a dedicated lower for it lol.

Clear as mud. 😂

With a home with kids in every direction … I keep my Mossberg 500 loaded with number 4 buckshot or large birdshot. I’ve trapped tons of hogs and have tested to see if birdshot is lethal. I assure you at indoor ranges birdshot is extremely deadly. I can’t think of something worse than accidentally sending a bullet through a wall into one of the people I love.

The best home defense gun is the one you have in your hand at the time when it's needed the most which is probably during a robbery, jacking or home invasion. But that is rendered moot if you're not trained on using it. Any duty quality pistol and AR will do the trick and I recommend having both. But whatever make/model/caliber you decide on, make sure you're spending quality time in training with it.

Just a regular, everyday dude. Just my wife and I in our home. Neighbors are far enough away that over penetration isn't an issue. Live in a communist state that only allows me 10+1 rounds in rifles or handguns. Although there are other firearms within reach of my wife and I, if I hear someone break into my home, my first reach is for my KSG with 7+1 rounds of 00 Buck in one tube, and 7 slugs in the other.

Just my dumb opinion here. It’s free, so take it for what it’s worth.
I use my second favorite pistol and a handheld flashlight, and use the old police hold to bring my hands together. It’s called “Ayoob” I think, but there a few different ways of holding, and I forget the names. I use a light with the super tactical momentary on switch.

Second favorite pistol, because it will be the one they take for Evidence, if it needs to be used.
Separate flashlight, so the light can be used independently, and not point something loaded unnecessarily.
Both are in easy reach. And you have to train doing it. I’ve been woken up more than once and used this to Investigate.

Putting on Hearing protection, and/or using a rifle, or thinking everyone owns a suppressor. Yeah sure.
A rifle will make you deaf with one shot inside a hallway. Go to an indoor range with a rifle, and don’t use ear pro once, if you need a reminder as to why this is a bad idea. You really think you’re going thru 30 rounds like that?
No one stops to put on ear pro before grabbing their defensive weapon.

How many people’s really own suppressors? NFA and ATF need to be removed BTW.

Sorry, but this expert review is just a little unrealistic.

I'm a pistol + AR9 mixed platform combination kind of guy (Beretta PX4 + 5" CMMG Banshee), and I absolutely keep some form of earpro within reach 24/7. I do typically keep a round in the chamber of whatever gun I'm carrying for the day but not in the staged/stored guns.
Conceal and Carry on!

Can i also use a knife?

So when and if u have to use ur weapon do they have to pull a gun first or can they hit u in the face and maybe knocking u out or breaking a jaw I think this is a very good question thank u

All of these are very informative but I had to skip Tim Kennedy because he doesn’t believe in the 2A

After we adjusted for confounding factors, individuals who were in possession of a gun were 4.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16, 17.04) times more likely to be shot in an assault than those not in possession. Individuals who were in possession of a gun were also 4.23 (95% CI = 1.19, 15.13) times more likely to be fatally shot in an assault. In assaults where the victim had at least some chance to resist, individuals who were in possession of a gun were 5.45 (95% CI = 1.01, 29.92) times more likely to be shot.

When we only considered independent variables that most strongly affected our models, smaller but correspondingly significant adjusted odds ratios were noted. In these reduced models, individuals who were in possession of a gun were 2.55 (95% CI = 1.00, 6.58) times more likely to be shot in an assault than those not in possession. Individuals who were in possession of a gun were also 3.54 (95% CI = 1.18, 10.58) times more likely to be fatally shot in an assault. In assaults where the victim had at least some chance to resist,

For a lot of years my home defense gun was a pistol - either a 1911 in 45acp or a Glock in 9mm - mostly because I had them and shot them and carried them but also because I had kids and long guns are more of a pain to secure everyday all the time - whereas my carry guns I could secure by carrying or with a quick access pistol safe by the bed. However being rural and living alone now with just me and a dog - I switched my home defense firearms somewhat - out and about it is still a pistol with night sites though sometimes it has a red dot too - and all have lights - though I have flashlights too. But primary now is a Beretta 1301semi-auto shotgun with red dot and a light loaded with 8 shells of 00 Buck and some slugs in a side carrier. The dog is a primary part of my home defense as he is the principle alarm system. So all some evil perp would have to do is break in downstairs without alarming the dog then climb the stairs to the second floor which includes a 180 degree blind turn that lines up with the door to my bedroom. And then hope I am not awake pointing a shotgun down the stairway waiting for their head and body to turn the corner.

I have several in biolock safes, 1911,sig macro, sig 226. I am used to these and my edcs are similar platforms,p365 or colt officers model. My wife is not comfortable at all even though I take her to the club for practice. I started her with a 22 and she's still afraid after 20+ years, I'm at my wits end and would appreciate any advice. I have had her fire skeet loads from a 12 GA. also. I don't have any lights on my pistols because I know my house and didn't feel the need, you're making me rethink this. Thanks again for the info.

I have nothing. No experience. Nada. Trying to figure that out.

GLOCK 19 For Me 🤷‍♂️

Great to hear actual opinion!

9mm SBR suppressed with subsonic. Currently running a KP-9/Vityaz next to bed.

My best home defense firearm is what is available to me-the 1911A2 a high-cap Cal.45. next is my 21 inches bolo knife.

I pref a katana with a silver blade.. jus in case werewolves and vampires

MK19 all day

Don't laugh guys but I have a little different spin . First I would always have my G 26 on me but I really like my Taurus Judge . The .410 anmo I use holds four buckshot in each shell = to 20 rounds and they hit like this .... place that on ones chest with firing only one round . I wouldn't try to reach far out targets because the spread is to great but it's killer in one's home .

Asking a military guy will bias in favor of a short-barrel AR-15. I find them really handy, but I was trained and carried the M-16.

I grew up in a house that was basically a huge livable safe. Seriously, I got my first rifle on my 5th birthday. Everywhere you looked you saw a gun. Does it matter what you choose to shoot as much as how well you can shoot.

Gotta say, I agree with the thought that staged guns should be staged on an empty chamber, but my reasoning is a little different. House fires are more likely than a home invasion, and a round that cooks off in the chamber can act exactly like a round struck by the firing pin. Just another thing to consider.

Simple a suppressed ar In 300 black out If not I’ll take an ak or ar or shotgun

I own a variety of guns, but my duty weapon for 20 years was a Glock 22 with night sights. So, that's my "go to" gun if I'm awakened in the night. If I'm wide awake, the Glock in on my hip and a Remington 870 with a light is my choice, but then I'm on 12 acres in a rural area so over penetration is not really a big concern and I like my odds of a "one shot stop" and SC is a "stand your ground state" so no stupid questions from local law enforcement like "Why'd you use a 12 gauge?" My wife is most comfortable with her S&W Model 66, .357 (loaded down with .38 Special +p due to reduced flash, sound and recoil). There are a few guns staged around the house as well. Our sons are about to graduate college and know how to shoot all of my guns, but If they wete home I suspect they would grab their Ruger 10/22s from their childhoods with their 25 or 50 round mags due to familiarity over their Glocks. This may seem odd but I would'nt want to be shot 10 to 20 times in rapid succession by a .22lr.

I think anyone with a beard, a grunt style shirt, tactical pants and a lifted truck is the best expert to listen to. Anyone with a beard also means they've served in the military so if you're clean shaven and have a DD214 it doesn't matter the beard wins every single time!

Great vid! I love how you gave opinions and essential justifications from 10 great expert sources in short order, without a bunch of fluff. For fun, my one-size-fits-the-most answer would be a handgun without a manual safety (either a revolver or Glock-type), cocked and loaded, in a holster, either on your person (by day) or in a thumbprint safe (by night) -- or on the nightstand at night if you have no little kids and the house is securely locked. The house rule is that the gun is always in one of three conditions: (1) unloaded with the slide back, (2) cocked and loaded in a holster, or (3) cocked and loaded, in use with the intent of engaging a target (practice or enemy) in the immediate future. Justification: safe from children and unauthorized users; low risk of a less trained family member mistakenly thinking the gun is hot (since it is always hot when the slide is forward); low risk of mistakenly thinking the gun is in a safe condition (same reason).

I opt for an AR-15 loaded with .223 hollow and/or soft points. I don't bother staging firearms in my home. Instead, I carry a G19 inside, and pull the AR out of the safe when going to bed. I don't like the idea of arming burglars.

It doesn't really matter. The important thing is that you're able to quickly get to it, and that it won't be cumbersome if you plan on leaving your room to clear the home. For some people, due to small apartments, their go to is a pistol and that's not a bad choice provided they're good shooters with it. For others it's an AR15.

K9 for starters, then G17👍

Supressor on a 5.56 makes total sense, AR's indoors are LOUD.

I was hospitalized with COvid. I lost a lot of strength in my hands so I had trouble racking my g26. I bought a simple Taurus Revolver chambered in 357, but carried 38 special+p as my EDC. Carried 2 extra hks speedloaders. I Also got a Taurus Tracker 692 in 357mag as my Home defense weapon. Same thing got 3 7 round hks speedloaders!!

The weapon of choice " for in home defence " could be a highpoint 995 ts, Ruger 10 22, or for me, not interested in killing, but stopping an attack, it's the 12ga with 18" bbl with rock salt loads, ( ea hole this makes has a chunk of salt deep inside) , think this out and then reply

At the 1st in this presentation they mentioned "target recognition", this is top advise, look at the mistakes law enforcement makes on a regular basis

Navy veteran I currently run a Glock 30 s an a mossberg shockwave 12g

Just curious for the people saying AR-15 (or shotgun or any longer gun): my biggest question is where do you keep it safely? I understand the advantages of an AR-15, but my 9mm APX-A1 is in a small combination lockbox on the side of my bed. So if you’re a parent, where do you store it and have both easy/quick access but also have it secure from kids?

You are a dum dum if you use an assault rifle for home defense and you have family members that live with you that could be struck by gunfire. 556 will definitely go through drywall and kill people. 9mmm hollow-point will go through maybe one if any it's all about the ammunition you use. But 556 is going 3000 feet per second it is definitely going to go through all of your interior walls where 9 mm hollow-point will not. The best option is a PCC. It's easier to use than a handgun and eating the woman Canaan and put a Red Dot on a Target