Why you need a carbine for home defense

[Ronin Truth]

Why you need a carbine for home defense

When it comes to defending your home and the loved-ones within, many of the characteristics that make an ideal brush-gun or hunting rifle are actually detrimental in a home-defense situation. Still, shooters have to take into account over-penetration, training costs, ammo selection and reliability. It’s enough to make the saltiest gun-owner’s head spin and often acts as a tremendous barrier to first-time gun-buyers trying to responsibly research before their purchase.

Rifles are a newer addition to the home-defender’s arsenal. For years most publications wrote and instructors taught that carbines were unsuitable for home defense and that they provided no benefit over shotguns. While this is far from true, it’s likely rooted in the prevalence of full-powered battle rifles in previous decades. Where high-powered, full metal jacket, military ball ammunition would sail through any opponent and every obstacle not made of steel or thick concrete. These rifles often had tremendous recoil and extraneous barrels-lengths, making them ill-suited to indoor fighting. In fact, until the introduction of the M16, most American shooters only knew of one rifle that they could consider a responsible choice for indoor self-defense: the M1 Carbine.

With the proliferation of the M16 in the U.S. armed forces, the benefits of the “assault rifle” concept — or select-fire rifle chambered in an intermediate cartridge feeding from a detachable magazine — grew apparent. As the cartridges used in these weapons shrunk, so too did the weapons themselves. Rifles like the AK-47 and M16 are much handier indoors than the weapons they replaced, like the M14 and the SVT-40. Semi-automatic versions of these new carbines became available to civilians and their merit as a home-defense weapons became obvious, though it took more than three decades for anyone to admit it.

Most modern semi-automatic magazine-fed carbines, chambered in intermediate cartridges, are more accurate, easier to rapid fire, use more powerful rounds and hold more ammunition than shotguns or handguns. There are, of course, exceptions, but for the most part an AR-15 with a Beta drum of 120 rounds or an AKM with a 75-round RPK drum is a better defensive weapon than any handgun.

Nevertheless, there is no perfect universal answer to everyone’s home-defense needs. House layout and location, family-size, user proficiency and user-strength or handicap will greatly affect what weapon a buyer should choose.

The carbine is ideal for shooters without children and who live in the country. Rural homeowners don’t have to worry about over-penetration as much as an urbanite living in an apartment complex. Also, shooters who don’t have children don’t need to venture into other rooms of their home to rescue anyone. They can simply have their spouse take cover behind a dresser to call 911, while they draw a bead on the bedroom door.

I can’t tell you what to do in a home defense situation, but here is a rundown of what I would do. After my spouse took cover, I would turn on a flash-light and aim it at the door. Therefore, if someone opened the door, I could confirm it was not a friend playing a very stupid trick, verbally demand they leave my home immediately and engage if necessary.

You hold every advantage in a defense situation. Assuming you know how to use your weapon and you live in a state that allows you to own full-capacity magazines, five intruders couldn’t blitz their way through your door without receiving two-dozen reminders of their mortality.

Modern carbines and shotguns have one major advantage over the vast majority of handguns: the ability to mount optics. Sure, no one needs a 14x hunting scope on their home defense weapon, but what about a holosight or red dot? In the fast-paced nature of close quarters combat, lining up iron-sights will be all but impossible. Point-shooting is an option, but a holosight cuts the difference between ultra-fast reactive shooting and ultra-precise focused shooting.

Using a carbine for home defense does present some unique challenges, though. Shooters that don’t own a sound suppressor will want to put ear muffs on before shooting indoors. The carbine, like most firearms, will cause permanent hearing damage when used without protection. Keeping an old pair of muffs by the bed isn’t a terrible idea, especially electronic ones, which actually augment a user’s hearing.

If you are worried about multiple assailants, don’t have any children or live in the country, a semi-automatic carbine is probably the best choice for you.

If you hear someone breaking in, guard your bedroom door and call the police. Remember, this is your turf. Don’t give an intruder any advantages over you or your loved ones. Be vigilant, sit tight and protect you and your family. Nothing in your living room is worth dying for, children and pets excluded.

http://www.guns.com/review/2014/06/02/why-you-need-a-carbine-for-home-defense/

 

[VIDEODROME]

I still lean toward Shotgun.

My grandpa ran a tree nursery operation in a rural area and chased off an intruder with a big ass Remington 12 Gauge. He didn't even have to fire a shot. The size of the gun itself scared the shit out of the intruder and he smashed through a window to get away.

Also, there is something about the sound of a pump gun slide. Maybe people have heard it in to many movies, but that sound alone very intimidating. Besides, I see no problem with adding a laser aim assist even to a shotgun. Then in close quarters you can swing that big mofo quickly and as soon as the dot is on them you can fire from the hip if you want to.

 

[Ronin Truth]

There is a home defense theory that you use your hand gun in order to get to your long gun ( shot gun and/or rifle[carbine] ).

 

[pcosmar]

Need one,,?
No..
But there are a few on my wish list.

 

[oyarde]

Yeah , I need the favorite one I have.

 

[Pericles]

I approve of this thread.

 

[jkr]

i want a Tavor & 9mm conversion kit to have for kicks

but what kind of sights???

 

[pmbug]

Modern carbines and shotguns have one major advantage over the vast majority of handguns: the ability to mount optics. Sure, no one needs a 14x hunting scope on their home defense weapon, but what about a holosight or red dot?

You don't need optics on a shotgun. I am quite confident in my ability to hit (a) target(s) with my shotgun at 10-20 feet multiple times very rapidly.

 

[VIDEODROME]

I could still see having a laser on even a shotgun. You can shoot from the hip when the dot is on the intruder if you want to.

 

[jkr]

laser+saiga 12

 

[pmbug]

I could still see having a laser on even a shotgun. You can shoot from the hip when the dot is on the intruder if you want to.

I feel sorry for anyone shooting a 12guage from their hip.

 

[Intoxiklown]

I feel sorry for anyone shooting a 12guage from their hip.

Why, exactly?

Shooting slugs, totally agree you want to shoulder fire at decent range for accuracy. However, inside my house with 00 buck, if you think I won't hit you from the hip, you are in for a bad day. Honestly, within 25 feet, I can damn near put slugs on top of each other center mass. Granted, I've been shooting shotguns my whole life, but it's not some magic skill.

 

[pcosmar]

Why, exactly?

Shooting slugs, totally agree you want to shoulder fire at decent range for accuracy. However, inside my house with 00 buck, if you think I won't hit you from the hip, you are in for a bad day. Honestly, within 25 feet, I can damn near put slugs on top of each other center mass. Granted, I've been shooting shotguns my whole life, but it's not some magic skill.

yup,, 12 ga is not bad recoil.
And I can hit a man sized target (within confrontation range) from the hip with a revolver. in a fraction of a second.
(second shot would be aimed,, if necessary)

A .45 has considerable recoil as well.

 

[Intoxiklown]

yup,, 12 ga is not bad recoil.
And I can hit a man sized target (within confrontation range) from the hip with a revolver. in a fraction of a second.
(second shot would be aimed,, if necessary)

A .45 has considerable recoil as well.

That was the other thing about the original article I was a little confused about. If someone knows how to hold a firearm, you can reduce recoil tremendously. People that complain about pistol (or shotgun) recoil need to learn how to shoot. And that is not an insult to those people, but friendly advice. If someone says they have to much target acquisition time between shots with a heavier caliber, then they have not been properly shown how to handle and grip that weapon.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

Who wrote this.

I don't consider a AR15 a "carbine" unless it's a SBR with a collapsing stock and that takes a tax stamp.

120 round magazines are notorious for jamming... not the best for self defense.

ear muffs - really...

permanent hearing loss - try ringing in your ears for about 5 minutes...



-t

 

[Henry Rogue]

Who wrote this.

I don't consider a AR15 a "carbine" unless it's a SBR with a collapsing stock and that takes a tax stamp.

120 round magazines are notorious for jamming... not the best for self defense.

ear muffs - really...

permanent hearing loss - try ringing in your ears for about 5 minutes...



-t

My ears have been ringing constantly for 25 years, more from using powder actuated drivers than recreational shooting.

 

[Pericles]

There is a 14.7 inch barrel that can have a correct flash suppressor permanently affixed in order to avoid the NFA restrictions and have a barrel only a fraction of an inch longer than the military M4 series.

 

[erowe1]

There is a 14.7 inch barrel that can have a correct flash suppressor permanently affixed in order to avoid the NFA restrictions and have a barrel only a fraction of an inch longer than the military M4 series.

Cool. Got a link?

 

[Ronin Truth]

You don't need optics on a shotgun. I am quite confident in my ability to hit (a) target(s) with my shotgun at 10-20 feet multiple times very rapidly.

In the dark?

 

[mad cow]

This looks like a good home defense option mounted on a 18" barreled shotgun.
Got the shotgun,don't own this...yet.

LaserLyte® re-engineers the best-selling Kryptonyte® Center Mass laser system to give users a choice between two laser patterns; single dot or the popular Center Mass pattern. The Center Mass laser feature projects a ring of eight green laser dots with one green laser dot in the center as the aiming laser. The circle grows at one-inch per yard, approximately the same configuration as a shotgun aimed at a moving target. The green laser, both single and Center Mass pattern, aid the user in daylight visibility, giving the user the advantage of a wide field-of-view while using both eyes for aiming.
http://www.laserlyte.com/products/sight-cm-dual-lens-black