Firearms for at home/self defense

[Raiders789]

Hey guys,

I'm a young dude and in a few weeks am going to be moving out and living by myself for the first time. I'm moving to a safe-ish area in New Orleans and wanna buy a firearm just to have, just in case anything bad happens. If i had to guess I'd be willing to bet a lot of y'all are pretty experienced with guns, so i was hoping to get some advice on maybe what to buy and other things that would be good to know/have. I have absolutely no experience with firearms (besides thousands of hours on call of duty/R6), and am just thinking of getting something small like a handgun to lock up and have for a worst-case scenario/just in case moments.

Appreciate all of y'alls help!

 

[bob357sig]

I tell people who are not experienced with firearms, especially handguns, to look into a short barrel pump shotgun. They are easy to learn to operate, reliable, and will destroy multiple individuals if needed. I believe 18 inch barrels are as short as you are allowed. Check into them, I believe they are a better option for home defense then a handgun.

 

[RockyP]

Hey guys,

I'm a young dude and in a few weeks am going to be moving out and living by myself for the first time. I'm moving to a safe-ish area in New Orleans and wanna buy a firearm just to have, just in case anything bad happens. If i had to guess I'd be willing to bet a lot of y'all are pretty experienced with guns, so i was hoping to get some advice on maybe what to buy and other things that would be good to know/have. I have absolutely no experience with firearms (besides thousands of hours on call of duty/R6), and am just thinking of getting something small like a handgun to lock up and have for a worst-case scenario/just in case moments.

Appreciate all of y'alls help!

1. I would not classify any area of New Orleans as safe - it's one of the most dangerous cities in the US.
2. Shotguns (buck) are ideal for home defense for several reasons - stopping power, ease of use, lack of over-penetrance, etc. (if you use an AR and you miss you might hit your neighbor shaving his balls down the street) - this is searchable online - I recommend joining a firearm enthusiast board similar to this one where you can learn.
3. If you are to purchase a pistol, I suggest in the strongest possible terms that you join a club / range and get proper training (would do this anyway, but especially for pistols and especially if you plan to conceal carry). Some places will offer actual courses such as "armed defense in the home." These are critical. For example. If you hear a bump in the night you don't throw on your night vision goggles and go looking for the perp. You secure your family with your weapon and call 911, wait for the cavalry. You do not discharge that weapon unless threatened.
4. Familiarize yourself with the local and state laws regarding home defense / self-defense. There's a huge difference in your rights in a place like Texas or Florida versus some deep blue liberal shithole. My sense is LA leans more towards a castle clause but you need to be certain.

 

[Jeffholio5]

I tell people who are not experienced with firearms, especially handguns, to look into a short barrel pump shotgun. They are easy to learn to operate, reliable, and will destroy multiple individuals if needed. I believe 18 inch barrels are as short as you are allowed. Check into them, I believe they are a better option for home defense then a handgun.

This is the only answer for someone not thoroughly trained on using firearms under stressful situations

 

[Jeffholio5]

This is the only answer for someone not thoroughly trained on using firearms under stressful situations

Also if you double tap more plausible deniability with birdshot that you got them while they were still standing

 

[AllbrandNew]

This is the only answer for someone not thoroughly trained on using firearms under stressful situations

The better answer is get training ASAP, and practice, practice, practice!
(Personally, I'd never use a shotgun for HD over pretty much anything else, but for many folks, it's a very reasonable answer.) 3 points of contact is virtually always better than 2.

Unless you're loaded up with bird shot or literally a .22, expect that everything leaving the muzzle is going through whatever is behind it and then some. Regardless of locale you are always responsible for where every round goes, so map that out in your head.

 

[AIRBORNE DADDY]

Great reccomendation with a shotgun, I'd go with buckshot but you gotta be careful ur dog or cat isn't 3 or 4 feet away from the intruder. When ur married and have a kid you don't have to worry about penetrating through into the next room. Or get a Glock 40 cal. There's no safety to fuck ur head up on which way to flip it so you won't get shot while you fumble with the safety. You can always not keep a round chambered, some folks do that but when I'm in a sideroom waiting for someone to approach the staircase I won't give my location away by racking the slide. I don't believe in a lock box you won't have time. When you do have kids you can get a good police holster where it won't come out unless you rock it forward and pull it out at the right angle.. that should keep a 9 year old at bay, at that age you can say if I ever see you in my dresser drawers I'll beat your ass. Lastly don't buy a gun and never fire it. Make it a point to practice once a month.

 

[Raiders789]

I really appreciate all the help guys! Especially with all the recs - gonna look into getting a shotgun. Also already planning to go to the range with my brothers for our first time soon which im pretty excited about.

I grew up/currently live in the chicago suburbs in a very safe town but with super liberal laws(as you'd expect), like technically its illegal to shoot paintball guns anywhere in the village. My dad is prob one of the most conservative guys you'd meet but even he doesn't consider the risk of having a firearm worth it in this woke shithole of a state lmao.

From what I've read Lousiana laws are a lot more lenient and favor defendants much more which I like, and I mean realistically there's like a 99.9% chance I'll never have to use the gun but I'd much rather air on the side of caution and have it as a deterrent, and would obviously never shoot anyone unless they are immediately threatening my life in my home. I really like the idea of a short barrel shotgun but am gonna try shooting both shotguns and handguns at the range to see what I feel more comfortable with and practice more over the next couple months.

Appreicate all of the advice!

 

[nobu156]

I actually don’t think the pump shotgun is the best choice given that it has a complex manual of arms relative to a pistol. I say this assuming you aren’t planning on running that gun a lot. It’s big, makes a bigger bang, not the easiest to maneuver. But there are good arguments pointing to it being a great choice.

Ideally, you don’t own a gun before you have been to the range and taken some classes using whatever type you are planning on owning.

Id go with a glock 19 or 19x (x if you have bigger hands) with a weapon light and buy a lock box that has easy access next to where you sleep.

Then once you have fully become obsessed and ready for bankruptcy you can move on to something more elegant and civilized like a suppressed sbr.

 

[sliderke]

When you do have kids you can get a good police holster where it won't come out unless you rock it forward and pull it out at the right angle.. that should keep a 9 year old at bay, at that age you can say if I ever see you in my dresser drawers I'll beat your ass.

Bad advice.
Don’t underestimated the intelligence of children. They will get it out.
Its very simple. If you have kids your weapons should be locked up in a safe. You can always keep your bump in the night gun next to your bed in small locked case that opens with a fingerprint or code. That way’s only you can have acces.

For the topic starter. Train with that gun as much as possible. Using it in low light conditions under pressure is something than milking point on a piece of paper.

 

[AIRBORNE DADDY]

The better answer is get training ASAP, and practice, practice, practice!
(Personally, I'd never use a shotgun for HD over pretty much anything else, but for many folks, it's a very reasonable answer.) 3 points of contact is virtually always better than 2.

Unless you're loaded up with bird shot or literally a .22, expect that everything leaving the muzzle is going through whatever is behind it and then some. Regardless of locale you are always responsible for where every round goes, so map that out in your

Bad advice.
Don’t underestimated the intelligence of children. They will get it out.
Its very simple. If you have kids your weapons should be locked up in a safe. You can always keep your bump in the night gun next to your bed in small locked case that opens with a fingerprint or code. That way’s only you can have acces.

For the topic starter. Train with that gun as much as possible. Using it in low light conditions under pressure is something than milking point on a piece of paper.

It took me weeks as a cop to get it down to where I could consistently draw successfully with a level 3 security holster. U ever use one?

 

[AllbrandNew]

It took me weeks as a cop to get it down to where I could consistently draw successfully with a level 3 security holster. U ever use one?

I'd always suggest at least a trigger guard lock as a minimum if a firearm is going to be accessible to anyone other than the owner/primary user.

Level 1, 2, and 3 retention is not at all hard to use, but I could see level 3 taking a minute to get used to. It's designed to keep someone who doesn't know any better from taking a pistol out of a holster in the moment, but give anyone more that a split second and they will get it out.

I've run too many Safariland variations over the years (almost exclusively lvl 1 and 3), and since I don't have to meet any specific standards, the lvl 1 ALS style is what I prefer overall. Would not leave it out for a kid ot play with, however.

 

[masternak]

For real though, New Orleans is sketch, so good call on getting something. I'm with the shotgun crew – simple, effective, and sends a clear message. Plus, blasting some buckshot is way easier than trying to be John Wick with a pistol when you're half asleep. Just don't go full Rambo unless you wanna end up on the news. Training is a must, though – wouldn't want you accidentally ventilating your TV.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Regardless of what path you go on the actual firearm AMMO and TRAINING should be your #1 expenditure and time investment. Tools can make you more efficient. Skills are infinitely transferable.

For at home defense, buy a gun you’re comfortable shooting, go to the range and ask to hold them. Rent a couple that feel good in the hand, run a box thru them.

while tools don’t make the shooter, consider slotting some $ for a weapon mounted light and practice using it.

Now I know you said “gun” and not “guns” but in an ideal world a pistol is just to get you to something better: a rifle or shotgun. Shotguns definitely a viable option but I will always prefer my suppressed .300blk SBR shooting heavy subsonic rounds.

Gun ownership and training is a deep hole, goodluck falling in.