Which is a better house gun?

MaxStravinsky

MaxStravinsky

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I'm trying to decide which is a better house gun, a 9mm with a 15rd mag, or a .45 with an 8 rd mag? (Beretta vs Sig)

Anyone have an opinion? Thanks.


I'm pretty accurate with both of them, the house is old and has lots of small rooms.
 
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I made this call recently. I went for an M&P 45 over my old Beretta. Aside from the fact that I wanted a 45 in my arsenal, i couldn't argue with the fact that a 45 has more stopping power than a 9mm (all things being equal). Also, i shoot better with this particular 45 than I did with my Beretta.

As others have mentioned, what you shoot better with is of more importance when considering these two calmness IMO. Assuming you're fine with both, I'd take bigger holes and a couple less shots.
 
With a pooch like that, who needs a gun? Seriously, take a look at how quickly you can put the second and subsequent rounds on target under stress. All being equal, my vote goes to the .45. You're not planning to clear all those small rooms, are you?
 
45 with a spare mag in the bedside safe. If the guy comes in with that German Shepard in the house he is either armed or crazy. Either way, I want the stopping power of the 45. Your dog is going to deter all but the most serious threats. Nice looking Shepard.
 
fencer said:
45 with a spare mag in the bedside safe. If the guy comes in with that German Shepard in the house he is either armed or crazy. Either way, I want the stopping power of the 45. Your dog is going to deter all but the most serious threats. Nice looking Shepard.
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the "stopping" power gap between .45, .40, .357sig and 9mm is minimal... as is the effectiveness of quality JHPs. [pot]

i do own 45 auto's.... but i stick with the nina and 5.56 for "most" applications. [smile]
 
wolf223 said:
the "stopping" power gap between .45, .40, .357sig and 9mm is minimal... as is the effectiveness of quality JHPs. [pot]

i do own 45 auto's.... but i stick with the nina and 5.56 for "most" applications. [smile]
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Not me. Inside the house, I am going .45 or 12 ga.

Old house, small rooms, they will be digging 5.56 slugs out of your neighbors sugar jar.
 
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Max,
Best of your choices is the .45. Better would be a 20g. pump shotgun (for a person your size) loaded with O buck or OO buckshot. Ask yourself if you can focus well enough at 3am to aim, fire and hit your target with the pistol. The shotgun will give you a much bigger pattern & impact than a bullet .
 
Acme.Armament said:
Max,
Best of your choices is the .45. Better would be a 20g. pump shotgun (for a person your size) loaded with O buck or OO buckshot. Ask yourself if you can focus well enough at 3am to aim, fire and hit your target with the pistol. The shotgun will give you a much bigger pattern & impact than a bullet .
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Hi Adam!
I had a 20 ga for a while, but I've downsized and now by biggest caliber is the .45. It sounds like the consensus is for it, with maybe a spare mag nearby.

I just took the 'Point vs Precision' class at Sig yesterday. They've got a nice range setup. It was fun - if you and Nicole ever consider it, I'd definitely recommend it.
 
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fbirdquik6 said:
No weapon will ever match a shotgun for close quarters effectiveness.
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The wife & daughters have Mossberg 500 tactical shotguns and I have my carry Glock 21 with a Glock 30 and another Glock 21 in the gun vault for quick access.
 

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unless you live alone, I am not a fan of handguns for close quarters defense in the home.

Handgun rounds penetrate walls and hit innocents on the other side

Personally I have a Remington 870 12 gauge with a pistol grip ( I know not a great idea) a 18.5 inch barrel, and a tube extension that I am going to use before I use the Glock 22 with a Crimson Trace Laser and a M3X light mounted to it with 17 round magazines, or the G17 with the 33 round mag. I am going to take the handgun with me when I grab the 870, but I am going to use the 870 before anything else.
 
Glockaholic said:
unless you live alone, I am not a fan of handguns for close quarters defense in the home.

Handgun rounds penetrate walls and hit innocents on the other side

Personally I have a Remington 870 12 gauge with a pistol grip ( I know not a great idea) a 18.5 inch barrel, and a tube extension that I am going to use before I use the Glock 22 with a Crimson Trace Laser and a M3X light mounted to it with 17 round magazines, or the G17 with the 33 round mag. I am going to take the handgun with me when I grab the 870, but I am going to use the 870 before anything else.
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I hear this a lot. I'm honestly curious about it rather than trying be an Internet d-bag [smile]. Do you know of any real world data that backs this up? I'm speaking of JHP handgun rounds compared to a 12 gauge inside a small room with normal drywall and wood stud walls. In a total missed shot I'm thinking you're screwed either way. With a through hit I would think that you'd remove enough energy from the shot to dramatically reduce any wall penetration.
I shy away from shotguns only from a lack of familiarity and the added challenge of maneuvering a long barrel into and through doorways. Not saying it isn't a solid choice, just not for me right now.
 
Buckshot is going to go straight through drywall just as easily as a bullet.

That said, don't bring a pistol to a long arm fight. If you're going to use it solely for home defense, get an 870, 590, or a Nova Tactical.
 
I use a glock 23, I grab it, pull the pin and lob it the general direction of the noise. This allows me enough time to get to my real guns. That's when I come out blazing with a Saiga 12 under each arm with 20 round drums. If you can get through a wall of 180 lead projectiles, then by all means I will listen to your speech to why I should accept God as my savior
 
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TWtommers said:
I hear this a lot. I'm honestly curious about it rather than trying be an Internet d-bag [smile]. Do you know of any real world data that backs this up? I'm speaking of JHP handgun rounds compared to a 12 gauge inside a small room with normal drywall and wood stud walls. In a total missed shot I'm thinking you're screwed either way. With a through hit I would think that you'd remove enough energy from the shot to dramatically reduce any wall penetration.
I shy away from shotguns only from a lack of familiarity and the added challenge of maneuvering a long barrel into and through doorways. Not saying it isn't a solid choice, just not for me right now.
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an 18.5 inch barrel with a pistol grip (collapsible is better but you are in MA sorry ) gets through doorways just fine. I have never measured mine but I assume it is at least the legal minimum of 26 inches and that is narrower that any door I know. I'm not a fan of racking a shotgun to chamber a shell, I want the shell in there when I pick up the gun and the tube loaded to the max. In other words I don't believe in racking a shotgun for the sound effect giving away my position and upper hand, but there is a school of thought that says there are only a few universally known sounds and a racking pump shotgun is one of them.

If you want knock down stopping power, some people will load a deer slug as the 3rd and 4th round to be fired.

The case that sticks out in my mind for 9mm rounds killing an innocent was a long time ago, I'd have to search out the details, but it involved 2 BPD officers off duty IIRC in Norwood, there was some domestic argument between them, the female officers child was in an adjoining room, a round was discharged, and it went through a wall killing the child.

June 1990:
NORWOOD - A lover's quarrel between two Boston police officers ended violently Sunday night when a bullet fired from a service revolver pierced a bedroom wall and fatally wounded the 15-year-old son of the woman officer, authorities said yesterday.

Dwayne Harris, a freshman at Norwood High School, was struck in the head around 9:30 p.m. and taken to Norwood Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:45 p.m, officials said.

Authorities said his mother, Sandra, and her friend, Detective Keith Turner, were quarreling in the master bedroom of the two-story apartment at 306 Normandy Drive when the shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.


A 15-year-old Norwood High School student fatally wounded Sunday night during an altercation between his mother and a fellow Boston police officer was killed by a bullet fired from his mother's gun, the attorney for the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association said yesterday.

"No question, she had the firearm and it was accidentially discharged," said Frank J. McGee Jr., who met yesterday with Sandra Harris, 32, a Boston police officer for three years.
 
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