Best Home Defense Gun [Shotgun vs Pistol vs Rifle]

Sorry…but there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for the best home defense gun.

Throw the notion away that all you need is a shotgun.

Your final decision will come down to a variety of factors such as:

• What you personally shoot best
• Size and location of your home
• Overpenetration risk
• Family members’ location and skills

But don’t worry…we’re going to walk through all the most popular types of guns for home defense: pistol, rifle, and shotgun.

Then go through some other things you might not have considered yet like ammo, flashlights, quick access safes, suppressors, and self-defense insurance.

By the end you’ll have a good idea of what type of gun is best for your situation and what accessories you might need.

Shotguns

Let’s start off with the ole scattergun…

Intro

The most popular sub-type of shotgun is a pump-action shotgun. That means you manually manipulate the feeding mechanism to get the next shot.

They’re affordable and very reliable.

And based on your ammo choice…they send down the most amount of lead downrange.

You Don’t Need to Aim (FALSE)

But before we go on…let’s dispel the myth that you can simply not aim the shotgun and expect to hit your target.

The most common load for home defense is 00 buckshot which is nine .38 caliber balls of lead.

Roughly you’ll get a fist-sized group at 10 yards and a human torso sized group at 20 yards.

You still gotta aim…especially at house hallway distances.

Pros of Shotguns

1. We covered this before…they send a lot of lead downrange (provided you aim).

2. They are affordable (around $300 for a good pump action) and reliable.

3. This is debatable…but the familiar *ka-chunk* sound of racking a pump action shotgun is the universal “get out of my house.”

Cons of Shotguns

1. They are usually heavy and long-ish. The very popular Mossberg 500 in a shorter 18.5″ barrel is overall 40″ long and almost 8 lb loaded.

If your home has lots of tight corners this might be a big negative.

2. Recoil is harsh in 12ga for smaller-framed shooters. Consider this if other family members might need to use the gun.

3. Capacity is limited.

Most stock versions of popular pump-shotguns can hold 5 rounds in the tube and one in the chamber giving you 6 total.

Compare that to an AR-15 which usually gives you 30 and most handguns that will give you 15+.

4. Reloading is more difficult compared to magazine fed guns.

Unless you train a lot.

5. 00 Buck has the tendency to overpenetrate walls.

If you’re in an apartment or condo with thin walls…you want to consider overpenetration since you are responsible for all projectiles leaving your gun.

Even if you’re in a house far from other houses you want to consider where family members are sleeping inside.

We did an Overpenetration Test with a variety of ammo and interior/exterior walls and found that if it’s a big concern…

You can use #4 Buckshot.

More Shotgun Info

Things aren’t looking as rosy for shotguns anymore right? But really there’s just some more things to consider to see if they are the right gun for you.

Here’s some more info because this is an important decision:

• Best Home Defense Tactical Shotguns
• Best Shotgun Ammo
• Remington 870 vs Mossberg 500 (Our Top 2 Choices)

Let’s take a look at pistols.

Pistols

Tiny compared to shotguns…but what are some other pros and cons of handguns?

Semi-Automatic Handguns vs Revolvers

But first let’s get some terminology and sub-types out of the way.

Revolvers are the old-school handgun choice with a revolving cylinder that holds all the ammo.

While semi-automatics are newer and take their ammo in magazines.

We’ll include both kinds of handguns in the pros and cons.

Pros of Handguns

1. They are smaller.

This means you can maneuver around tight corners a lot easier. And conceal them easier…but that’s not the point of this home defense article.

Check out Best Concealed Carry Guns if that’s more your thing.

2. Higher capacity and reload speed.

The most popular handgun is probably the Glock 19 (full review). And its normal magazines are 15 rounds.

Plus reloads are easy.

But revolvers usually only have a capacity of 5-6 rounds…so keep that in mind. And forget about quick reloads!

3. Easy to add lights.

For the most part, most modern handguns have it easy to add lights with their included rails. But you’re going to have a hard time with revolvers.

4. Large choice of ammo.

For home defense you’ll likely go with expanding hollowpoint ammo that’s great for stopping power and also limits overpenetration through walls.

Again check out our overpenetration article if that’s a big consideration.

5. Large number of calibers to choose from based on your shooting preference.

If all you can handle is a .22LR then that’s all good.

And of course there’s always the battle of 9mm vs .45 ACP.

6. Price ranges from $200 to sky is the limit.

Although you probably don’t want to get the cheapest gun for reliability’s sake…there’s some good deals on good guns out there.

7. One hand is free to make an emergency phonecall.

Although not optimal…you can have one hand free to make a quick 911 call on your cellphone.

Cons of Handguns

1. They are smaller.

This is back to haunt you sometimes!

Since they are smaller you have less of a sight radius (distance from the rear sight to the front sight) so it’s a little harder to aim and be accurate.

Also since they are smaller you might have increased recoil based on your caliber.

That CAN be overcome with proper grip and training though (for all family members that might need to use it)

2. Reliability and Failures

It depends on the gun…but I’ve definitely had more failures overall on handguns compared to pump shotguns.

And with a semi-auto you’ll have to practice failure drills to get the next shot.

Revolvers get a little boost here since if one shot fails to fire…all you have to do is pull the trigger again for the cylinder to rotate to the next round.

However…revolvers are not some mythical reliability machine. They can still fail.

More Pistol Info

• Best Beginner Handguns for Home Defense
• Handgun Caliber Guide
• Best 9mm Ammo
• Best Handgun Flashlights
• How to Shoot Handguns More Accurately

Rifles

We’re a little partial to AR-15s since they are America’s rifle and with plenty of other perks.

We’re focusing on them but most of these pros/cons can mostly hold for other semi-auto rifles.

Pros of Rifles

1. Higher magazine capacity.

The standard AR-15 magazine capacity is 30 rounds.

There’s higher capacity ones but mostly you trade off a little reliability. I’d stick with 30-rounders for home defense purposes.

2. Easier to shoot well.

It’s a combination of the AR-15 ergonomics, caliber, and a rifle in general.

With a rifle you get a lot more contact points to your body which makes it easier to control.

The .223 or 5.56 caliber of the standard AR-15 is also very soft shooting.

Long sight radius and ease of adding a red dot sight make it even easier for most to get shots on target.

3. Upgradeability

AR-15s are adult Legos.

And the rail systems make it super easy to add on lights and lasers to help in home defense.

4. Lots of ammunition loads.

Got overpenetration concerns…there’s ammo for that.

Want cheap rounds for training/plinking/long-range? There’s tons of that too.

And now all the rage…you have Pistol Caliber Carbines.

AR-15 and other rifles that take pistol magazines and rounds. If you already have a pistol you can now share everything.

Cons of Rifles

1. Price

A lot less of a concern now because of affordable but still reliable manufacturers like Palmetto State Armory (3-rifle full review) can get you a rifle for around $400.

2. Longer length.

It’s a rifle…so there’s some laws regarding its length. If you have very tight corners keep this in mind.

BUT…there’s now such things as AR-15 pistols that don’t have a traditional buttstock…but instead a brace.

It’s going to be stupid loud but you get AR-15 power in a much shorter package.

More Rifle Info

We couldn’t come up with more negatives to AR-15 rifles so if any of the myriad of options fit your specific end use…go for it!

Here’s a bunch more info for you to read over:

• Best AR-15s [Complete Buyer’s Guide]
• Best AR-15 Ammo
• Best AR-15 Magazines
• Best Rifle Flashlights
• Best Pistol Caliber Carbines
• Best AR-15 Pistols

Other Considerations

Gun Safes

You probably want to secure your gun a little…even if you’re living alone.

We’ve tested a bunch of safes from quick-access pistol safes to larger long-gun safes.

And even hidden and biometric ones.

Suppressors

Guns are loud…so if you’re at the range make sure you have one of our Best Hearing Protection on.

Chances are you won’t have time to put on something in a home defense situation.

In that case you’ll likely wish you had a suppressor.

However, they are expensive, annoying to get, and take some time.

But if you have the means and patience…check out our Best 9mm Suppressors and Best AR-15 Suppressors.

Insurance

Fingers crossed that you never have to actually use a firearm in a home defense situation…but it can still happen.

That’s why you’re preparing by reading this article.

And sometimes the aftermath of the police and court system can be even worse.

That’s why there’s things like the USCCA which covers your butt for things like bail, attorney costs, lost wages, and more.

I’ve been a paid member since 2017 and here’s my full review of everything they offer.

Conclusion

There’s a lot of stuff to digest…and a lot of questions to ask yourself about your particular home defense situation.

• Best Home Defense Tactical Shotguns

You found that shotguns are not the be all end all of home defense…they have some cons such as length, recoil, and capacity. Plus you’ve actually got to aim!

• Best Beginner Home Defense Pistol

If you and your family members have the training and can benefit from a smaller firearm…pistols might be the way to go.

• Best AR-15s

AR-15s and other rifles are starting to have a big advantage with the advent of pistol caliber carbines and AR-15 pistols. These lower the cons of length and ammo considerations. Plus now there’s a lot of affordable yet reliable manufacturers.

What’s your particular situation and which type of firearm did you go with? Any pros/cons that we missed?