Defensive handgun courses

0330 – Selecting the Best Home Defense Handgun

In episode 0329 we discussed why it is that we may want to choose a handgun for defense. A handgun has many positive attributes including:

  • portability
  • easy to secure
  • common availability
  • recoil management

In today’s podcast going to take some time to discuss the specific attributes of handguns and why some are better for home defense than others.

 

If we choose a handgun for home defense it is important that we choose the best home defense handgun so we have the tools necessary to defend ourselves or others should we need to In a home defense scenario.

Home_Defense

A home defense scenario is a high stakes situation

  • we’re talking about a situation with the potential threat
  • the lives of our loved ones and our own lives may depend on the tools we select

As a result we can make no compromises in our selection

  • it’s not okay to use a gun that was selected for its prowess at hunting or target shooting for home defense
  • defensive firearms have specific properties that are unique to them
  • any compromise we make in our defensive firearm is a compromise in our personal safety

We are looking to select the best home-defense handgun and for that reason you shouldn’t be making compromises when it comes to our selection.

When selecting the best home defense handgun, we really need to consider balancing two main factors.

1. The first factor is power.

2. The second factor is recoil management.

When we look at power of the handgun and recoil management we can see that there is an inverse relationship between the two.

In general we can expect that when we need to use our home defense handgun we will need to fire more than once. So here is how I suggest you balance out power and recoil management:

For the best home defense handgun choose a full size 9mm handgun. 9mm when paired with a 147grain modern bonded hollow point has terminal performance in our threat that is comparable to other reasonable handgun cartridges and when we place the 9mm into a full size handgun, the recoil is relatively easy to control. This recoil management allows for quick follow-up shots should we need them.

Full size 9mm automatics provide an outstanding wounding capacity when compared to other handguns. Wounding capacity is a topic for another podcast so stay tuned for that.

The attributes of the best home defense handguns are unique to its purpose. In episode 331 we will take a look at the attributes of the best concealed carry handgun. Make sure you stay tuned to learn more about the best defensive handguns along with some more in depth information about why I prefer the 9 mm cartridge over other defensive ammunition selections.

2 replies
  1. BoBo
    BoBo says:

    There is one thing I will specifically state about 9mm, even in 147 hollow point: Know your backstop. If you miss the intended target, it will most certainly exit an exterior wall and can cause unintended casualties. Not only is choosing your home defense handgun important, but maybe even more important is choosing your defense plan in your home if the need arises while you are asleep in your bed. Firing from above, defending angles with solid backstops, and allowing the least possible splay (or creating a chokepoint based on design of the home) is the best way to limit where a bullet will go if fired in a home defense situation from the area of your safe room or immediate surrounding position.

    Reply

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