Maximum caliber for home defense?

[CzGunGuy]

I tend to limit what I use to 105mm and less.

— Michael

Your missing out, 155mm is great for anti Personnel use and demolition.

[200Apples]

The perfect caliber for home defense is some type of self-defense-when-using-a-firearm insurance to cover the cost of your legal defense, like USCCA or CCW Safe. NRA no longer offers Carry Guard.

Because the dead, once-violent felon that broke into our home and threatened us with grave bodily injury or death will be the least of our problems.

[SomeGuy75]

I’ve got an AR-9 with a 50 round drum all ready to go. Along with many other .45 handguns and shotguns.

[elSquid]

Your missing out, 155mm is great for anti Personnel use and demolition.

[choprzrul]

3" slugs or 405gr out of the 45-70. If the attacker(s) are wearing body armor.....they will wish they weren't about 2 seconds after absorbing the first round

[RickD427]

In looking over the previous postings, I'd agree that the .50 BMG and 105mm are definitely too big for effective home defense usage. You'd never get the 105mm on target quickly enough and the rounds gotta be really expensive. Plus I doubt that you could get the required DD permit.

Handguns generally are on the really minimally effective side. They're easy to carry, but when LEO's have enough time to prepare for an engagement, they're gonna go for a shotgun or rifle. There's good reason for that.

The 5.56/.223 is a very effective anti-personnel round at foreseeable home defense ranges. So is the shotgun. But also as previous posters have very correctly pointed out, shot placement beats all.

My preference for close-in distances is the shotgun. When loaded with #4 Buck, you can put 24 holes in your target with a single pull of the trigger and you have relatively little chance of overpenetration and/or of your pellets being dangerous at long distances downrange.

As distances increase, the favor shifts to carbines and rifles. The 5.56/.223 has little risk of overpentration. My agency did a test before authorizing the AR-15 for increased deployment. We found that the .223 round was actually less likely to penetrate a residential wall than was our issued 9mm ammunition. The .223 was substantially faster, but only 1/3 the weight. The drawback is that the round can travel a long distance if nothing interrupts its flight.

There really isn't much need to go to anything larger at home-defense distances. There is good argument to be made for .30 caliber (.308 being the most common, 6.5 Creedmoor gaining popularity) at longer ranges, but then you're getting out of the home defense realm.

[plumbum]

Never use a projectile that is larger in diameter than the offender...

[k1dude]

frangible .223

[ARFAN]

RPG 7..cheap and effect

[RickD427]

RPG 7..cheap and effect

Bad choice, can't get the DD permit. Besides, there would be too much collateral damage and it needs about 15-20 feet to arm. Most defensive shootings are at closer ranges.

Stick with the shotgun.

[Madpyro]

Would my 1lb cannon, or 460 BFR be considered over kill?

[M76]

AR15 in .458 SOCOM



I don't have one, but I know a guy...12 Gauge w/ 00 buck and G30 for me

[homelessdude]

A good quality 9mm with 15-17 in the magazine and a 12 gauge with 00 buck has worked well for many.

[RedFord150]

...Handguns generally are on the really minimally effective side. They're easy to carry, but when LEO's have enough time to prepare for an engagement, they're gonna go for a shotgun or rifle. There's good reason for that.....

I agree with you on this. The only issue I have with a long gun is accessibility. My nightstand safe just wont take anything bigger than an HG with a 4" barrel and my wife hates it when I leave my Mossberg 12 gauge pump laying around.

That said, what HG caliber do you recommend? I own a couple of .357 mag revolvers, but I tend to load them with .38 +P JHP's. I was always worried the .357 mag would be ripping through walls.

I also own .45 ACP and 9mm. I just prefer the revolver for its' simplicity.

I am guessing your Dept. spends a lot of time researching this subject.

Any advice is appreciated.

[ar15barrels]

What would you say is the most powerful caliber round for suburban or semi-rural home defense, without the round being so powerful it puts the entire neighborhood at risk?
What do others think?

I stick with 40mm shells in the house now.
I had an unfortunate incident with an 81mm HE shell causing too much collateral damage and the 155's were causing unwanted visits from USGS.