aebayrunner  |
I would like to round out my home defense with a rifle. Something small and easy to maneuver inside a home. I already have a Springfield XD .40 (bedside)& Remmington 1100 12ga. (closet). Not being cheap but I would like to have something affordable (not break the bank since our government is already doing that for us). I have looked at the Ruger Mini-14 .223 which I am considering and wondering what other rifle/caliber combinations anyone would suggest. |
charley9toe
You might think about a Marlin 1894 lever rifle in .357mag or .44mag. .38special&.357mag are pretty hot once you get them in an 16 to 20" barrel. I have the .44special&.44mag which I really like. I use the .44mag to hunt Deer out to 125yards. Other manufacturer options are Puma and Henry. Some of the guys may also have pump action rifles. These are basically inexpensive, but certainly have the oomph to take care of business. hope that helps.
baurthur
ebayrunner is right a 223 will go through way to many walls for a self defense weapon. Not that they have alot of power but the bullet design and you really dont want that much penatration.
Load your 1100 with first 1&2nd round bird shot and then 00 buckshot in case you need to shoot distance.
charley9toe
If you settle on a .223 type rifle, stuff some varmint rounds in it. They are
fast opening/extremely frangible and probably don't penetrate as much as your pistol ammo. They do however have the velocity and energy to get the job done. At least it will look impressive.
Reaper308
if you're looking at a 5.56/.223 I would suggest an AR type (M4 for close quarters). I'm not a fan of the mini 14. I know the AR's are more expensive but are lighter and more versitile. Just be aware of over penetration with that projectile, especially if you have kids and others living in your home. If you do decide on a .223 definately look into frangible ammo which is less likely to over penetrate (but still will). You may also want to look into a 9mm or .40S&W carbine, which would make more sense for home defense. 5.7x28 carbines would work as well, but they will over penetrate as well. I usually leave a couple loaded mags with my M4 for the zombies, but for most home defense situations I would reach for a handgun or shotgun.
Snake
I would go for the mini 14 myself. .223 is an excellent choice im my veiw. I shot the minis at the local range and i think there accurate. Also im glad to hear your nephew is gonna try out for sniper traning. maybe i will see him when i join in february of next year.Your nephew has my support.
charley9toe
Just one other thing with a rifle, shotgun for "Home Defense". You need to be as familiar with them as you do your handgun. The ranges you can practice defensive shotgun shooting are few. You may have to become familiar with it at the skeet range. It is a challenge and a lot of fun. You can generally find a rifle range (at least one of 100yards) you can bang some rounds out. You really have to think about the application of a long gun in a residential space. Its use will probably be fairly limited. I depend upon my sidearm and a sack of hammers (the availability of good flashlight/cellphone and a knife is also advised). That is enough stuff to worry about.
themojaverattler
You really cant beat a shotgun for home defense. I also second the idea with the lever actions. I have a winchester 94 trapper with the 16 inch barrel in 44 mag. If you want to go with the 223 I know most people will tell you to buy an AR. In my opinion the Mini-14 is a good rifle. They are known for there reliability, but there accuracy is ok. They not are not as accurate as the AR, but they are good enough to do the job. The only bad thing I have found about the mini-14 is the mags are a little harder to find and they are more expensive.
runawaygun762
I've had two Mini-14 ranch rifles and they were both terrible. Many failures to feed. Now they were most likely caused by aftermarket magazines, as the Mini-14 is very picky of its mags. I say pay a bit more and have a reliable rifle that accepts any number of magazines. Not to mention, you put a rail on the M4 and you can mount 700 pounds of optics, lights, bipods, tripods, washing machines, and prostitutes to it.
CoalTrain8321
I got a sig sauer 556 and I love it.