You awake with a sudden jerk. Did you hear something? Was it glass breaking or were you dreaming? Silence. Maybe your mind was playing tricks on you. No! There it was again! You did hear something! Someone is trying to get into your house! What to do?
You quickly but quietly leap from the bed. Your heart is racing.You try to gather your thoughts, to calmly assess the situation.
You reach for something to protect yourself, to defend your home and family. It feels good in your hands, comfortable, familiar. It would deter anyone in their right mind. In their right mind? “Please, oh please, let it deter whoever is at the other end of this house.”
Personal Defense or Home Defense?
A middle of the night home invasion. It’s a scenario that no one looks forward to, yet we would be remiss if we did not prepare for it.
Many people consider personal defense and home defense the same. And I suppose at times they can be. But I like to draw a distinction between the two. Personal defense involves protecting yourself regardless of where you are. It may be while walking to your car in a parking lot, while on a short jog for exercise, or while stopped at red light. Protecting yourself no matter your location requires that your defense be portable and easily concealed.
On the other hand, a good home defense doesn’t need to be nearly as portable or as stealthy. In fact, an intruder may be more easily dissuaded by a larger and more obvious weapon.
What’s A Good Home Defense Weapon?
As you read through the scenario and pictured yourself living it, what did you reach for? A 9-iron? A baseball bat? Your pocket knife?
None of those impromptu security devices are what I want in my hands. When my life is on the line, when the lives of the ones I love and who depend on me are on the line, I want something more. I want something I can count on.
If were to have only one weapon with with to defend my home, what would it be? Some would choose a .44 Magnum, ”the most powerful handgun in the world” according to Dirty Harry. Others may choose a 9mm for its high capacity magazine. Still others may opt for the easily hidden .380.
Not me.
If I were to have to choose one weapon with which to defend my home from a home invasion, it’d be a 12-gauge pump such as the Remington 870. Why?
Chi-chink!
There’s one unmistakeable sound that will drive fear into the very heart of anyone who hears it from an adversary. A pump shotgun has a sound like no other. It’s very distinctive and frightening to someone facing it.
Chambering a shell with the chi-chink sends a message to the intruder. It lets him know that you are there, that you are armed, and that he now has skin in the game. He may have thought that he was breaking into an easy home to pilfer, but know he realizes that it’s defended. That may be all that’s needed to convince him to turn away and find less suspecting and easier prey.
A load for every occasion
Shotguns shells come in a wide variety of loads, ranging from a number 9 shot that’s commonly used for skeet shooting to buckshot and slugs that can take down a large deer. You can mix and match loads in any order.
The first shell chambered can be one that will scatter,such as number 6 shot. It will still get the point across while decreasing the need for accuracy. If your first attempt doesn’t turn the intruder away, the second round can be something much more substantial such as buckshot or a slug. Either of those will have enough stopping power to do the job.
A multi-purpose weapon
Unlike some of the other options mentioned, shotguns are not limited to self or home defense. They are very flexible and, with the right load, can be used to hunt birds, squirrels, rabbits, and deer.
If money is a significant constraint and you don’t have the finances to purchase more than one weapon in the foreseeable future, a 12-gauge shotgun is an inexpensive entrance into arms that will serve more than one purpose.
It’s Up to You
Choosing a weapon is a personal decision; as personal and unique as the one making it. What’s right for me may not be right for you
If you could choose but one weapon for home defense, what would it be?
SOURCE : preppingtosurvive.com