Top 10 Firearms for Home Defense

Which Home Defense Platform(s) Will You Choose?

Defending one's life and home is one of mankind's oldest instincts. Individuals should be allowed to protect their property from crime. It's time to choose freedom over victimhood.

Your home is your castle. Your children are your royal princes and princesses. If someone decides to steal from your castle or harm any of your family, you'll have to stop them.

The best solution? You must ensure that you have such a superior capability of fending off any number of aggressors so that they never try to invade your castle again. You must also operate under the assumption that their intent is to take your life and the lives of your family members. Even if that wasn't their original intent, they may decide to do so out of desperation. You cannot afford to be caught off guard. It's time to arm yourself.

Are You Ready, or Confused?

Well, if you're confused, don't worry. You will start off in the arena of defending your home with a pistol. They are easy to buy, easy to shoot, highly maneuverable, and easy to conceal around the home. Once you train and are proficient with the pistol, then you can take on learning to defend your home with one of the larger platforms. You will need to train with them as well, ensuring that you can move quickly, quietly, and effectively through your home without suffering any hindrance to your ability to move your weapon and aim it rapidly towards your intended target(s).

Every shooter started off as a novice. So, don't be deterred by advanced shooters' capabilities or knowledge being better than yours. Simply spend the time and effort to learn how to use your tools, and how to do so safely. It's important that you can rapidly deploy your weapon(s) when needed, but that your family is also safe from accidental shootings or poorly placed rounds due to a lack of muzzle awareness. Bullets do travel through walls and you want to be cognizant of where your family members are before you shoot at an invader.

Top 10 Home Defense Firearms

1. Mossberg 590 Tactical or M (Magazine Fed)

With either the Mossberg 590 Tactical or their 590 M (magazine-fed shotgun), you can't go wrong with this platform. It's an easy-to-use weapon, is heavy enough for it to not kick as much when a smaller person fires it and is accurate as hell. Not to mention that the sound that this platform makes when you actuate the pump action to load a shell into the chamber is a universal sound that everyone (regardless of what language they speak) can understand.

This platform ranks extremely high, as it has a psychological advantage over intruders. It literally enhances your ability to get an advantage over any intruders in your home. Essentially, the Mossberg 590 immediately puts fear in the heart of any intruder and motivates them to leave your home as quickly as possible. Even if you're an average shooter, the spread of the buckshot will ensure that you will hit them with something should they continue to place you and your family in any danger.

Plus, buckshot is a preferred home defense round, as it is less likely to penetrate walls or do extensive damage to your home if you should miss your intended target. It also provides novice shooters a greater chance of hitting a home intruder. The spread pattern increases the area of damage, helping shooters to minimize the chance of missing their targets. The tactical rails also allow you the versatility to customize the gun to your needs. The price is reasonable, giving homeowners easy access to the weapon. It is a longer weapon platform, and is heavier, so practice moving through your home and clearing rooms is recommended. You need to ensure that you don't give any home intruders the opportunity of disarming you and using this weapon against you!

2. Taurus Judge

The Taurus Judge may not be known to most homeowners looking for a home defense weapon, but it should be. Yes, it's a revolver. Yes, it only holds 5 rounds. However, with it firing BOTH .45 Colt rounds AND 410 Shot Shell, it will scare intruders and effectively allow a homeowner to defend themselves from armed intruders. The 410 Shot Shell, which is basically buckshot placed into a large caliber pistol round, is an effective means of stopping intruders without drastically damaging your home. However, keeping one 45 colt chambered to ensure stopping power for larger or chemically enhanced intruders gives you a more versatile home defense weapon.

Again, this is not a super expensive home defense firearm, it offers versatility in different ammunition types for different objectives, and will do minimal damage to your home should you miss an assailant. It also ensures the safety of other family members in the home you should hit a wall with them on the other side. However, with it only having five rounds, I definitely recommend carrying a small backup weapon in case you should encounter three or more intruders. However, after that first 410 Shot Shell goes off, anyone with two brain cells and a spark between them will run as fast as their legs can carry them.

3. Glock G21 Gen4

The Glock G21 .45 ACP semi-auto handgun is probably one of the most reliable handguns I've ever shot. The Gen4 has the legendary stopping power of the .45, very little kick for a .45 caliber pistol, and has a decent magazine capacity to allow you to protect yourself more effectively. The .45 caliber hollow point rounds will minimize penetration of rounds through walls, as well as offer increased stopping power against large intruders. It's a highly reliable pistol and is used all around the world by police and security forces.

The Glock G21 Gen4 is a larger model handgun but fits extremely well into the hands. The adjustable backstrap allows you to custom fit it to your hand size as well. It has a tactical rail on the front, allowing for laser/light add-ons, and has a higher ammo capacity than traditional model .45 caliber pistols. However, with the resurgence of people shopping for .45 caliber handguns, the G21 is definitely a preferred model of choice for a lot of former police, military, and security forces. They know it, it shoots well, and it doesn't give up!

4. Beretta CX4 Storm

Ok, if you haven't shot the CX4 Storm from Beretta, you're definitely in for a treat. This small framed semiautomatic pistol caliber carbine is perfect for use in small spaces. It shoots 9mm, hold 15 rounds standard, and will allow you to take corners in your house like a pro. There are a lot of gun owners who choose larger model platforms for home defense, and something like this is definitely easier for highly recommended for anywhere from experienced to advanced shooters for home defense.

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The CX4 Storm takes the same magazine as the PX4 Storm, 8000 series, or 90-series pistols. This potentially saves an owner money on magazines if they own one of these Beretta models. It has a full-length aluminum top rail, a Picatinny rail that extends from the fore-end, which allows users to mount tactical lighting devices and other accessories. Additional rails can be mounted on the left, right, and bottom, providing plenty of room for customization. You literally can ensure that you have an accessory for every occasion. If this doesn't make you fall in love with it, then shooting it will. It is so easy to fire and handle, that you'll feel that it's a micro-extension of yourself that sends 9mm rounds rapidly downrange.

5. KEL-TEC KSG

The next weapons platform on our list is our 2nd and final shotgun, the KEL-TEC KSG. You've probably seen it in a few movies or two, but the experience of shooting is WAY better than seeing someone else doing so. The KEL-TEC KSG shotgun has a higher price point, but offers extremely high capacity for a shotgun, and offers the most capability in regards to weapons attachments. It is a highly versatile gun, is extremely maneuverable in tight quarters, and will surprise the heck out of any intruder who expects your shotgun to run out after 6 shots.

With the KEL-TEC being a shorter and lighter platform, it has a bit more of a kick to it. However, once you start loading it up with accessories, such as a forward vertical grip on the pump, a laser/light assembly on the side, a shell saddle on the top rail, along with a red-dot or reflex sight, you will add on some extra weight, as well as give yourself more control of the weapon when it's fired. Truthfully, there's so much room on the KEL-TEC KSG for accessories, that you can truly go crazy and make your configuration both perfect for home defense - as well as unique.

6. Kriss Vector CRB

The Kriss Vector definitely had to make our list. We have a couple of more expensive home-defense firearms listed, and this is the priciest platform that we'll list. However, it is listed because it has the highest ammo capacity for a .45 caliber firearm AND is the most accurate .45 firearm ever seen. Its patented Super-V System, which is a nonlinear, multilink, blowback system - designed to redirect recoil energy down (instead of back towards your body) greatly minimized muzzle raise when firing. This weapons system has been fired on full auto, with some of the tightest groupings I've ever seen for an automatic weapon. The CRB is their semi-automatic model, but will offer even tighter shot grouping than its fully automatic cousin.

The Vector CRB is extremely well balanced, has good weight, and is easy to maneuver within tight quarters. It's perfect for clearing a home, and guaranteed to ensure that you have a distinct firepower advantage over your intruders. Using .45 ACP hollow-point rounds will ensure that you minimize risk to your home and your family, as well as maximizing your ability to stop assailants. It has plenty of room for accessories - front grip, optic, and laser/light assembly above the barrel. They even make extended magazines for it, guaranteeing that you can defend your castle against multiple armed intruders. If you are placed into a home-defense scenario, the Kriss Vector will NOT disappoint.

7. Glock G17 Gen4

This is the 2nd Glock in our list, we know. However, the listed guns are also (statistically) the most reliable guns in their class. There ARE PLENTY of great 9mm pistols out there. In fact, the next one on our list is the 2nd runner-up in reliability. However, the Glock G17 9mm is the most reliable 9mm semi-auto pistol with the greatest ammo capacity in its class, sporting a 17-round magazine capacity. The G17 is EXTREMELY easy to shoot and care for, has a high-quality trigger safety, and a front rail to mount a laser/light assembly.

The G17 has even greater shot control than the G21, has greater ammo capacity, and uses the 9mm round, which is one of the safest for you to fire at an intruder inside of your home, for any missed shots. It is a great pistol for new or introductory shooters because of this fact and is available at a reasonable price. If you're just starting your venture down the road of home defense, then I definitely recommend starting here. Spend time at the range, do drills where you retrieve your weapon after waking up from hearing an intruder, or even carry it when in the home (or outside if you're legally permitted). It's affordable, light, easy to use, and has the highest marks on reliability!

8. Sig Sauer P226 Legion RX

The Sig Sauer P226 Legion RX is the 2nd 9mm handgun on our home-defense list. It has reliability scores that rival almost all others, almost the same capacity as the G17, is a bit more expensive, but is just as easy (if not easier) to shoot. The Legion is an amazing handgun, as Sig Sauer has been known to deliver, and is truthfully a gun for all occasions. It's great for home defense, self-defense outside the home, sports shooting, and more! It's a gun that you literally look for time to take to the range, simply because it shoots amazingly well, and fits into your hand so well.

Most shooters, especially those who like the 1911 pistol frame, are going to tell you to buy this pistol over the G17. 1911 gun owners are purists, and love the dovetail grip and how much control it gives you during firing. It's also available in a single-action & double-action model, which a lot of shooters prefer. It comes with a side-mounted reflex sight, with motion sensor activation. Essentially, when the weapon sits still for long periods of time, it shuts down the sight. As soon as there is movement, the reflex sight powers onto the same brightness setting you had it set to previously. This weapon comes ready to defend your castle and, as always, comes with the same expectations of quality and performance we've come to know from Sig Sauer.

9. FN Five-seveN

The Fabrique Nationale (FN) Five-seveN is relatively unknown amongst most Americans (and even gun owners for that matter). It shoots an extremely uncommon 5.7 mm round, which is the same caliber used in the P-90. This is is an extremely small caliber, allowing for significantly higher ammunition capacity within the gun - up to 20 rounds in a magazine! The rounds are available in hollow point defense rounds, which help to minimize wall penetration and maximize your ability to stop a home invader who is attacking you.

The FN 5.7 is extremely uncommon but is also versatile. It can be used as a carry pistol and all but guarantees that the bad guys will run out of ammunition before you do. The ammunition is slightly more expensive, simply because it is an uncommon round. However, imagine the bad guy's surprise when you fire 20 rounds at him and he's expecting between 7 and 13 rounds from a pistol. It fires extremely smooth and has almost no recoil in comparison to other calibers. However, don't let its light temperament fool you. I guarantee that anyone caught in front of the Five-seveN who is intending to do you harm will have an extremely bad day.

10. AR-15 Rock River Delta CAR

Ok, so most of you are like, "Wait a minute, did they list an AR-15?" My answer is "Yes, yes I did." The truth is that if you have trained in the military with clearing a building, or in urban warfare, you know that an AR-15 is an effective platform in respect for clearing a home. It has plenty of rail space for accessories to ensure that you're prepared for any scenario and can be used as a weapon itself. and can send 30 rounds down range at multiple bad guys as fast as your finger can send them. It is last on the list because not everyone is trained on the M-4 or M-16 platforms, and therefore some may find it difficult to use to defend their home.

Rock River produces amazing ARs, and has numerous calibers and configurations available for you to choose from. Point of fact, you need to train with the weapon. This means shooting, this means drills, and this means taking an advanced course on how to clear a building and clear a room. You want to maximize your ability to overcome your invaders and assailants, as well as ensure that you're the one still alive the next day. It's an extremely accurate rifle, has extremely good ammunition capacity, and it's highly recognizable when seen. Trust me, it's not something that a sane person runs towards; they run away from it!

Safety Must Always Come First

If you do not have any firearm training or firearm safety training, then I highly recommend that you sign up and take a course at your local gun range. Somewhere near you, you will find someone who offers classes for gun safety, conceal carry, and even advanced classes such as urban combat/defense, or security forces training. Knowing how to maintain and use a firearm is paramount for you to properly and safely defend your home and family with that firearm. Nothing is more dangerous than a person who is ignorant of firearm safety in possession of a firearm.

Be sure to properly store your weapons. This is not just to protect children in the home! This is also to ensure that firearms aren't easily stolen from you when you're not home. By using well-placed safes, and keeping doors and windows locked at all times, you can ensure rapid access to your firearms before a home invader can close in on your position. I highly recommend a biometric gun safe, and that you change its batteries each year.

Buy and use firearms lawfully. Be sure to educate yourself on the gun laws in your state. The last thing you want to do is become a part of the problem for your local or state police forces. Follow the law, help them to maintain public safety, and always come to the aid of an officer under duress. Together, and lawfully, we can ensure that our communities are safer for everyone.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2020 PrometheusIV