I'm looking for suggestions for firearms for home protection. I will be moving out of town onto a couple of acres. I am looking to purchase one or two firearms. Thinking about a Ruger .357 revolver and a 12ga shotgun. Any suggestions for something reliable and not too expensive?

 

The Ruger 357 100,101, gp. series is a great gun. The shotgun is however a superior home defence weapon. The 357 whlie good,is the king of over penetration. IE becareful whats behind the target. A good pump or short barrelled side by side would be good choices for not much money.

 

get a cheap 20 gauge, cut it down to 18" and use a bird shot. Will work wonderful for home protection, wont penetrate a wall but will make the wish you would have killed him. As for out on the property a mini 14 by ruger can't be beat. Will reach out and touch someone or something anywhere you are on 2 acres.

I would not use a 357 in the house unless you know for a fact where everone is. It can and will pass through brick walls. But for a 357 a Ruger Super Black Hawk or Smith and Wesson would be an excellent choice.

 

A couple of questions first...

Are you going to be the only one using this firearm?

If not, who else will be using it? Wife/G/F/Significant other?

Why a .357?

If the wife/g/f/significant other will also be using this, I recommend a .38 special revolver. This is in keeping with the KISS factor. You don't have to blow the wall down, just scare off the intruder.

With the 12 gage or the .357, can she handle the recoil? Will she be scared to use it? Another thing to keep in mind is that Mr. Murphy can and will stick his head in at the most inopportune time. You couls have 3000 rounds through that semi-auto and never have had a malfunction, until you really need it....

If it is just you using the firearm, then get what you are most comfortable with again keeping Mr. Murphy in mind.

 

Occupants of the home will be myself and my wife (to be). I was thinking .357 because of the option of using .38 cal ammo also. I think she could handle the .38. The shotgun is for me...

 

Mossberg 500 Cruiser 12 ga. 8 shot model. Primary Home Defense Weapon! Only way to go. My wife is small in stature (5'7" and 130 lbs) and handles it very well. Her carry weapon, Taurus Titanium Ultra-Lite .38 is also always beside her (in her purse). Back up, my carry weapon, Sig 229 .40 w/Mepro tritium sights and enough magazines for a thrid world invasion!

 

Let her handle the shotgun too! MUCH safer! You don't want her running around the house with a loaded 357 while she's in a panic! It'll be nothing but a real loud noisemaker unless she's extremely lucky enough to hit what she's shootin at! Just my opinion..

 

Remington 870 18" Synthetic...the ultimate home defense gun. Available for $269 at the local gun show, but I saw one for $169 at Academy a couple of weeks ago.

I have a Remington 870 at home with a 26" or 28" barrel that I use for trap and skeet. That long barrel makes it a bad home defense gun though. If I had to defend my home right now I'd reach for my Glock first.

 

I like the shotgun suggestions - will check 'em out. What about this ROSSI revolver? Any good?

 

I think that you were on the right track when you were talking Ruger , rossi - your talking about selfdefence , your betting your like on cheap equiptment , the caliber choise is ok but you should try and find Magsafe amo , simalar to glasers much much better quality and power , fragmenting bullets , hit sheatrock and it will not go through the nest layer / other side of wall .

 

Yeah, the original plan was fine. Ruger makes a real strong gun at a very good price. You can't go wrong with either the Remington 870 or the Mossberg 500/590 shotguns. Both very reliable and strong. Handle both before you decide, I like the Mossberg safety better.

BTW, any full power 12 ga. load regardless of shot size will blast through drywall at short range. Get the shells sold as "tactical" loads.

 

Shotgun is a no brainer. There is aplethera of affordable pumps out there. Though a pistol or revolver never hurts to have tucked in your pants for if you run out of scatter shells. I do not agree that rossi makes cheap equipment though I will say, if you are refering to the new line of rossi revolver they are geared more towards the period (ie. cowboy action) crowd and typically will be found chamberd for .45LC. There is no reason in the world that .357 mag would not make a good home weapon when coupled with the appropriate ammo. "Safe-T" slugs or bird shot will not over penetrate and then you can use it for target practice or a carry as well. If cost is a concern try finding a Ruger Security 6. These are realatively cost effective, (as they were a police issue weapon for many years) and come in a variety of barrel lenghts and finishes.

 

Use this for your primary http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodin...d=104&cat=012C can't go wrong with the Winchester Defender. Next would be the dog that warns you someone is there before you know it.

 

Heh heh... As soon as we get out to the country I am planning on getting a Bull Mastiff. Not too many people will argue with 185lbs of dog-muscle

 

I would go with the pump shot gun. not only do you have decent close range, knock down, but you also have a psychological effect of racking a round into the chamber in the dark...

My home defense is my 9mm pistol that is also my CCW, but my Mossberg is loaded with #7 1/2 high brass.