Trying to figure out what's the best firearm/caliber for my home defense situation

[sgb]

Any ammunition that provides adequate terminal ballistics for self defense use is going to penetrate drywall.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Phillep Harding]

Excellent point. My building is relatively new (<10yrs). I'll ask if it was designed with firewalls.

Did some reading on frangible rounds - what I came away with is that these are inferior to JHP for defensive use .

How well can you hear what's going on in the next apartment? (You might take the plate off the power outlet and see if you can peek past it.)

"Inferior to JHP" is a darn sight more effective than moral outrage, and likely it'll only matter if the recipient of your hospitality is drugged up on something nasty.

[Chris08]

Ive had this discussion with myself on several occasions and I always come back to an AR for hd. Any firearm is going to have pros and cons in the context of being fired in an enclosed space with less than ideal backstops. We can sit here all day and argue over what rounds penetrate more or less, but the reality is that they all are capable of penetrating more than we would really like. Putting rounds on target and remembering the 5th safety rule is your best bet to try and limit over penetration. Next, you must be comfortable operating the weapon, regardles if its a rifle, shotgun, or pistol. The best hd gun in the world is usless if you are unable to operate it under stress. This includes reloading, clearing malfunctions, manipulating safeties, all in the dark at 0200 in the morning in your underwear and scared shitless. In my opinion, its your choice and its your life when it comes to what weapon you choose to defend your castle with. I own all three platforms; rifle, shotgun, and pistol and feel confident with all three. My reasoning for having my ar as my go-to is this; 1- Im more familiar with the ar platform than anything else and have been in those situations under stress that required reloading / clearing malfuntions and I trust my life and the life of my family with my ability to operate it. 2- Accuracy and volume of fire. 3- weight and ergonomics. Everyone has their own opinion and rightfully so. This is my justification for my choice. Whats yours?

[Smitty901]

AR or any rifle round in a home is going though the wall. Modern homes and apartments have thin walls and that is all there is to it. You can out your fist though most of them.
Shot Gun is a better option

[Chris08]

AR or any rifle round in a home is going though the wall. Modern homes and apartments have thin walls and that is all there is to it. You can out your fist though most of them.
Shot Gun is a better option

A slug or pellet from a buckshot round will easily do the same. Are we talking about interior or exterior walls?

[10thmtn]

For moving inside, I like a handgun, since it leaves a hand free for other tasks.

Once inside the safe room, I like a shotgun - loaded with #1 buckshot (16 pellets per shell).

IMHO, rifles are for outside, where accuracy at range is needed.

As far as overpenetration is concerned - use effective defensive loads, and don't miss. All our handguns wear CT lasers.

You can put bookcases up as a backstop along your likely shot lines - books do a pretty good job at stopping bullets.

[pgrass101]

If you are going to go with a shotgun I perfer #4 buckshot for HD

[zacii]

Right off the bat, you live alone so that gives you an advantage because you can hunker down.

Which of the listed weapons do you own?

The AR has a lot going for it. There are many different bullet types to choose from. Being that you don't need to go house clearing, an AR with a few mags is going to be tough to beat.

The pistol and shotguns will do the job, too.

Personally, I kinda lean away from the shotgun because of the lack of capacity. YMMV

My preference is a pistol, for this reason alone: it's what I've trained with.

My suggestion is to use whatever you have and take a class to learn how to run it well.

If you have one of each of the listed weapons, then take multiple classes, and that will shape your decision on which would be best for your situation.

Overpenetration is going to be a concern no matter what you shoot. Even BB guns can go through sheetrock.

Sent from my Galaxy S2

[thedogfather]

I do not see a revolver in your home defense situation. I think a 'wheel gun' would compliment your outline. Finding a .38 special or .357 mag revolver should not be too difficult. Find a 6" or 4"barrel S&W, Ruger, Colt, heck even Tarus, and you are in business. Find one that shoots +P ammo. The revolver is not picky about ammo, ammo is readily available, especially in 38 special, and the revolver is relatively problem free. The .38 special will have plenty of 'whomp', certainly in +P ammo. Especially out of a 6"barrel. I've never felt 'undergunned' carrying the .38 special +P.

[sniper58]

As others have stated, use what you've trained with, are most comfortable handling and what you shoot the most accurately. I'm trained in all three, but my pistol is closest and it's what I shoot the best.