Best Firearm for self defense?

The most ideal for me would be.. a revolver, large frame, 4" or less, chambered in .45 ACP.

A bazooka

A compact shotgun or mid-caliber revolver are both good choices....oh I see, not for the average person.

I'd take an 18 inch Mossberg 500 (12 Gauge Pump Shotgun) with a modified choke and buckshot load and customize it to my personal preference.

Concealed Carry? Kimber Super Carry Ultra .45 ACP

Grenade Launcher

A nuke

If it's just to defend your house or whatever a Ruger will do.

AK-47.

A Glock. Something simple to use but powerful enough to get the job done.

Nevermind, I read that as home defense...my previous answer is invalid.

In this case I choose a .357 Magnum Ruger LCR with jacketed hollow points.

A glock.

I'd rather not have a gun

A fortified position with a minigun :)

You Americans and your guns.

My brain.

Serious answer, probably a glock series. Easy to use, High capacity, fires a round which is readily available and has good ergonomics.

The Taurus Judge

for non lethal defense 12 gauge shotgun with explosive ammo

martial arts gg

I can not shoot the broad side of a barn, but I have a knife collection that costs more than my first vehicle, that I train with extensively, until life got too busy.

You know I agree with everything until good ergonomics. I don't like the feel of a Glock in my hand. That's why I went with a Sig Sauer when buying my 9mm. Still, Glock is a helluva gun if you're comfortable with it. Accurate, dependable, and simple.

Just a question, what makes you prefer a 9mm over a .45 ACP?

I agree with not liking Glocks though. I can't get used to firing them.

@decaf_wizard: I don't think I ever actually said that, I like shooting both. As someone who has a limited budget a 9mm is far more economical in terms of training with your gun, target practice, etc. To me recoil isn't really an issue, but it can be for some people. There are benefits to both, it just depends on your preference. The reason I bought a 9mm was I already had a Colt 1911 .45 ACP passed down from my grandfather.

A .45 ACP is going to have more stopping power, so shot for shot it is going to be more effective in taking down a threat. However, in most situations a 9mm is going to do just fine in stopping an aggressor, and it has the bonus of less recoil, making it easier to place your shots (especially if you aren't well-trained with a .45 caliber weapon). 9mm also has the capability for higher ammo capacity, but in general you aren't likely to need that many shots in self-defense so that isn't a major deciding factor.

For self-defense I do prefer revolvers though because even the most reliable semi-auto will jam more often than a revolver.

Portal Gun.....

Sig conceal .380. My friends give me crap for carrying a smaller caliber, but I'd rather hit the target with every shot if my life is on the line.

@benjamin_poindexter: Nice Choice.

Gonna try to make this as short as possible.

For all types of emergencies, people should have a PLAN. Having a firearm to defend your home, property, and family should be part of an overall home defense PLAN.

I will also point out, that of the different types of home defense plans needed, though it is something that should be prepared for, home invasion/burglary/attacker is one of the least likely threats that is likely to have to be dealt with. A home fire, home accident, or medical emergency is far more likely to occur and there should be a PLAN in place foe these occurrences first (in my opinion).

For example, look where "murder" is in relation to "non-transport accidents" (fire and home accidents) is on this graph.

The best answer I've seen above is

#4 Edited by Lunacyde (24803 posts) - 1 day, 9 hours ago - Show Bio

A compact shotgun or mid-caliber revolver are both good choices....oh I see, not for the average person.

I'd take an 18 inch Mossberg 500 (12 Gauge Pump Shotgun) with a modified choke and buckshot load and customize it to my personal preference.

The notable difference is I would exchange the buckshot load with BIRDSHOT, as is much less likely to penetrate through walls and harm anyone else in the house, neighboring apartments, streets, or houses. Some might question if this would be a bad idea in hostage situations where a friend or family member is being held at gunpoint. My answer to this would be to question how good a shot one really believes they are. Even with their favorite weapon they practice with, under extreme emotional stress, with major adrenaline surging, with a loved one's life in jeopardy. How confident would 99 out of 100 people feel about taking that kind of shot, or even be confident that they could read the situation well enough to determine that taking such a shot would be the best course of action?

This, or course, is just my opinion but it's what the OP asked for.

My entire opinion is to get a Home Defense PLAN together and rehearse it about once a month, or more often preferably. This PLAN should include (HOPEFULLY) an alarm system, code words, emergency exit routes, and PLANNED FIELDS OF FIRE that people in the house should avoid at all costs, in case of a break in.

Last thing. If people can afford expensive, customized fire arms (in my opinion) I would hope they could afford defensive shooting classes as well. Such classes could save lives...especially the gun owners;.

@decaf_wizard most threats you are facing are not going to have body armor so the decreased armor penetration of a 9mm round isnt that detrimental. Also easier to get ammo and a bit less recoil.

Lets be serious for a minute. We're all experts here. We've all received special forces training. The gun you're looking for is called a Tankhunter. Its a real life weapon on Battlefield 1. Look it up.

Nah I'm right.

Nunchucks

Hmm.. I was staying within legal terms with my first choice, but if I could carry something larger, though I still prefer compact, I'd go with a good lever action carbine at .44 or a good ol' side-by-side coach gun at 12 gauge with buckshot.

Reliability is king for me, followed by maneuverability. Most personal defense situations that necessitate firearms are ended within 2-3 shots, so I don't put much premium on capacity.

lol Or this.

Rocket launcher

The ZF-1

@heroup2112: Indeed, preparation, training, and the human mind are the greatest weapons.

@lunacyde:

I can only agree.

@heroup2112: My family always had plans for fires, tornadoes, everyday accidents and intruders. My Dad also built our house much stronger than most houses. He was kind of paranoid.

@lunacyde:

Well, a LITTLE paranoid isn't necessarily a bad thing. Letting it take over your life isn't healthy.

Plus, being paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. ;)

any pistol

Get real all of you. What you want is a low caliber handgun like a .22 easy groupings, next to no recoil quite deadly enough.