Best Weapon for Self-Defense

Best firearms for home defense

You don’t need to conceal a home defense firearm so a long gun is best. They are easy to point and shoot, you don’t need a permit to purchase one, and they are more intimidating.

• 12 Gauge Pump Shotguns. They look and sound intimidating, are familiar to everyone, are easy to purchase and use, are very effective at stopping attackers even with a poorly placed shot, and they have limited penetration of walls.
• .223 / 5.56mm Carbines. These are the often maligned AR-15 “assault” rifles, the civilian (semi-auto) versions of the M16 family of weapons. While they may look intimidating, they are just a semi-auto rifles; one trigger pull, one shot. A major problem with them is over penetration. Since the round is so powerful, you may kill the attacker and everyone behind the attacker. Frangible ammunition, such as the Hornady TAP, helps prevent over penetration. These bullets begin to yaw, turn, and fragment upon impacting any medium other than air, which significantly reduces their penetration.

Must used firearms for home defense

• Handguns. While one of the least overall effective firearms for home protection, their small size and accessibility to the beginner have made them the most popular home defense weapon used today. Handguns are easy to learn, cheap to practice with, and store easily in a nightstand. Since pistol caliber projectiles do not create the type of damage that instantly incapacitates an aggressor, the key is to place as many rounds as you can on the target. Quality ammo and a clean weapon are critical to reliable handgun operation.

This best weapon for self-defense is the one you have available to you when you need it. Therefore, you need to be proficient at using anything around you as a weapon.