There are so many choices to navigate when you’re thinking about a firearm for home defense or personal defense.  Quite frankly, it can be overwhelming.  Handgun or long gun? Pistol or revolver? Shotgun or rifle? What about caliber and ammunition type? Finally, how can the gun be stored so it is both ready for home defense, and inaccessible to curious children and criminals?

Of course, these are tough questions to answer because the firearm that is right for me may not be ideal for you.  Everyone’s circumstances are different and then number one rule is that you need to get something that’s a good fit for you.

We’ll cover a few of these questions in this blog series but we’ll start with the big question, handgun or long gun?  And remember, you’re always welcome to stop out and check out a few different options for yourself.

Handgun or Long Gun?

As with everything, there are two sides to each coin here.  

Handguns

Handguns are a great choice because they are smaller (even if you have a full-sized handgun), which means they’re more concealable.  They’re easier to store out of the reach of unauthorized people.  And, you can effectively stop a threat with one hand leaving your other to navigate doors, lights, and other things. 

A handgun fits nicely in a secured bedside table for easy access.  To ensure that unauthorized people do not have access to your firearm, you can purchase a bed side, spring loaded safe.  These allow for quick access to your firearm while still keeping them out of reach for those that shouldn’t have access.

With a handgun, you can also attach a number of accessories to certain semi-automatics with ease.  For example, you can easily add a flashlight to help in identifying the threat or you can add a laser to assist with shot place.  

Long Guns

On the other hand, long guns are also a great choice because they offer more stability and control.  If you choose to use ammunition with shot in them, you can effectively stop a threat quickly because of the multiple impact points however you do have to be concerned with over penetration.

There are few things more intimidating than the sound of a home owner inserting a cartridge into the chamber of a pump action shotgun.  Now don’t run off to buy a shotgun just because it will intimidate an intruder.  If your goal is to scare someone, you should’ve never picked your firearm up in the first place.  Using your firearm is a last resort when you (or someone else) feel in fear of great bodily harm or death.

Since over penetration is a concern, a rifle is probably not the best choice for a personal defense firearm.  It’s always important to use the correct ammunition to help compensate for over penetration with any type of firearm.