Which caliber is best for stopping a crook? Pistol, rifle or shotgun?

[TeeDub]

The phrase "stopping a crook" has several meanings and several venues. Most firearm related incidents that "stop a crook" involve the mere brandishing of a weapon. As far as a homeowner confronting a potential burglar in the middle of the night nothing does it better than the big muzzle of a shotgun. You can get a single barrel shotgun for a reasonable price and cut the barrel down to a legal federal limit and load that bad boy up with #4 duck loads and you have a kickass weapon.

Duck loads...go with deer slugs.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Watching this, you'd think the .380 ACP is best, or at least as good as the rest of the pistols. This would mean that you could get a smaller, lighter pistol with the .380 without losing any effectiveness.

The 2nd amendment allows us guns. Which gun do you think has the most stopping power? Which is the easiest to carry? Do you believe the study is accurate?

Just about any firearm will work for self-defense. If you are concerned about "knock down" or "stopping" power, .380 ACP is pretty weak, but I don't think an assailant will keep attacking if he/she/it gets shot by a .380. It will be good enough. Hell 22LR would be good enough, most likely.

I keep my 9mm loaded with range rounds because they are cheap and reliable. I know they are not as good as defense rounds, but again, I doubt an attacker will keep attacking after I plunk his/her/its ***** ass, so it's good enough for me.

 

[Otis Mayfield]

Just about any firearm will work for self-defense. If you are concerned about "knock down" or "stopping" power, .380 ACP is pretty weak, but I don't think an assailant will keep attacking if he/she/it gets shot by a .380. It will be good enough. Hell 22LR would be good enough, most likely.

I keep my 9mm loaded with range rounds because they are cheap and reliable. I know they are not as good as defense rounds, but again, I doubt an attacker will keep attacking after I plunk his/her/its ***** ass, so it's good enough for me.

The study into the video says the .380 acp is good as the 9mm far as stopping power goes.

 

[marvin martian]

Just about any firearm will work for self-defense. If you are concerned about "knock down" or "stopping" power, .380 ACP is pretty weak, but I don't think an assailant will keep attacking if he/she/it gets shot by a .380. It will be good enough. Hell 22LR would be good enough, most likely.

I keep my 9mm loaded with range rounds because they are cheap and reliable. I know they are not as good as defense rounds, but again, I doubt an attacker will keep attacking after I plunk his/her/its ***** ass, so it's good enough for me.

I never got into the whole defensive ammo argument. I keep a 12 gauge loaded with 00 buckshot as my home defense weapon. I have confidence it will be plenty to stop any attack.

 

[Tax Man]

Watching this, you'd think the .380 ACP is best, or at least as good as the rest of the pistols. This would mean that you could get a smaller, lighter pistol with the .380 without losing any effectiveness.

The 2nd amendment allows us guns. Which gun do you think has the most stopping power? Which is the easiest to carry? Do you believe the study is accurate?

Try your fist as it is attached and needs not ammo. It works for me.

 

[WinterBorn]

Try your fist as it is attached and needs not ammo. It works for me.

When two or three healthy young men, possibly armed, invade your house in the middle of the night, let me know how your fists work out for you.

 

[M14 Shooter]

Try your fist as it is attached and needs not ammo. It works for me.

Oh look. An internet tough guy.

 

[Otis Mayfield]

Now I'm hearing that the smaller handguns aren't as reliable as the full sized handguns.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Now I'm hearing that the smaller handguns aren't as reliable as the full sized handguns.

That’s nonsense.

My Beretta Cheetah 85 BB has been 100 percent reliable.

 

[whitehall]

Thats my wife's gun but she has it in an 870 Wingmaster.
Her dad cut it to 18 and 1/8 and put the bead back on and gave it to her when she moved to Houston from the major metropolis of Bedias Texas with an astounding population of 443 people.

You don't need a bead on a 19 inch barrel but it shows how much the guy cared about his daughter's welfare.

 

[whitehall]

Duck loads...go with deer slugs.

A deer slug is about 3/4 of an inch out of the muzzle and that's as big as it will ever be. #4 will expand out of an 18 inch barrel to about a 2 ft radius and every BB sized pellet will pack a punch.

 

[FRIKSHUN]

Watching this, you'd think the .380 ACP is best, or at least as good as the rest of the pistols. This would mean that you could get a smaller, lighter pistol with the .380 without losing any effectiveness.

The 2nd amendment allows us guns. Which gun do you think has the most stopping power? Which is the easiest to carry? Do you believe the study is accurate?

45 Mag Remington, that'll do the job! Seriously

 

[WinterBorn]

I love the chat about calibers, stopping power, acurracy ect ect.

But the gun you are most familiar with is the one you will likely shoot best under pressure. That is the gun you grab when you hear something go bump in the night.

The perfect caliber is great (if it exists). But be sure you hit what you aim at is the key.

 

[FRIKSHUN]

Duck loads...go with deer slugs.

AK 47 Haaaa

 

[whitehall]

An encounter with a potential car jacker should be dealt with as quickly as possible and almost any caliber handgun would do the job. You can quibble about the difference between 380 and .38 and .357 but a shot in the head or center mass with any one of these weapons should stop the attack. The key is carrying a weapon that is comfortable and you are familiar with. If you are forced to engage a home invader or a burglar it's a different story. It's best best to do it with shock and awe and a shotgun does it best. A single barrel shotgun is cheap and most people aren't aware that you can cut the barrel with a hacksaw and it will still shoot. It will be relatively worthless as a collector's piece or a hunting weapon but it will be priceless when things go bump in the night. Just make sure you check the federal guidelines concerning the barrel length and the overall length of the firearm.

 

[eagle1462010]

The best gun is the one you feel comfortable with and can hit what you are aiming at.

You can go to gun ranges and pay to try many versions and find the one that is best for you.

Now at close range and you can't shoot for shit. SHOTGUN 00 buckshot. Hard to miss.

 

[Dagosa]

Best thing I know for home defense is a 12 gauge with a light so you just point and shoot. Put the light where you want it to go. I'd use birdshot....#4 or #7. The main thing is stopping power without too much penetration.

Sure, and wearing hearing aids the rest of your life.

 

[mudwhistle]

Sure, and wearing hearing aids the rest of your life.

Yeah....I should use something quieter....by the way....have you ever fired a gun indoors?
I have on numerous occasions.
Any gun is going to be loud unless you have a silencer.

 

[eagle1462010]

Sure, and wearing hearing aids the rest of your life.

The guy just shot breaking into my house can't hear anymore. That's a shame. OH SHIT .............drywall repair........Dry wall sucks.

 

[mudwhistle]

Now I'm hearing that the smaller handguns aren't as reliable as the full sized handguns.

They are in close quarters.
Just aim for the head.