By R.K. Campbell | Contributing editor
I have been very lucky in that despite troubling statistics I have not been the victim of a home invasion.
I survived two attempts, one in a rural area and one in an urban area, but none that gained entry. I suffered one break in when I was not at home. That seems about average. I have had a number of animals on the property that had to be dispatched. Some were rodents, others reptiles, and an invasive opossum. Many reasons exist for keeping a firearm handy!
Home defense is serious business. There are a lot of wrong ideas concerning personal defense and what works and what doesn’t. On the one hand there is the knowledgeable authority to help you with your decision and on the other hand it is your choice, definitely your home and your person that is being defended by your own force of will. And force of will is the primary requirement for home defense.
Age and other problems
When I began teaching training classes I began to understand that there are many people with physical limitations. A solider with a tremor due to an in service injury graduated at the top of the class with his 9mm pistol. Don’t ask me how, he didn’t really even need my instruction, he came, listened, and aced the test. Others have had ailments, injury, and simply the ravages of age.
I myself have a bit of arthritis in the shoulder that is an irritation. It is not a constant , however, and never bothers me save when I fire a shotgun or a rifle beginning with the .30-30. I am not one of those old fudds that doesn’t listen to the doctor. I was once determined not to die young and armed myself as well as possible. Today I make compromises. So do many of the readers young and old.
The occasional shooter is best served with a firearm that generates less recoil. It requires dedication to master a firearm and the degree of mastery involved is in direct relation to the effort put forth. For many of us the time put into the firearm pays off more quickly if the firearm has less recoil. A component of this equation is that the more we enjoy firing the piece the more we will practice. I have experimented quite a bit the past few months with what I call low recoil firearms.
There are different levels of recoil tolerance of course. As an example I no longer fire 12 gauge full power buckshot. The 20 gauge is a reasonable choice with modest recoil- about ¾ that of the 12. The .410 bore shotgun is effortless. Let’s examine some of my choices in low recoil home defenders. Some of these firearms have traveled in the truck or jeep on trips in choice country and given the author and his family peace of mind on dark nights.
Shotguns
Depending on how much recoil tolerance you have you may deploy a 12 gauge shotgun with proper modifications. Choosing a low recoil buckshot load helps a lot. This is all the power needed for short range defense.
One of my Mossberg 500 shotguns wears a Woox stock. This stock is gorgeous but also serves to re-direct recoil in a way that aids in controlling recoil. A gel filled recoil pad is another advantage. A device that I have tested and found to be effective in limiting recoil is the FalconStrike hydraulic recoil reducing. Ingeniously designed this device reduces felt recoil energy up to fifty per cent- it must be used to be believed!
Another solution is my old reliable Remington 11 48 20 gauge shotgun. This is a superbly fast handling piece with every advantage.
But then there is the new plus ultra of defense shotguns for those who cannot fire a heavier shotgun. The Kel Tec KSG has been around long enough to earn a good reputation for handling and reliability. The .410 version is a lightweight fast handling shotgun.
The KSG features two magazines, each holding five 3 inch shells. A lever controls which magazine is feeding the chamber. You have ten shells on tap. I have tested these small bore defense loads extensively and in short while the payload is light penetration is good. (Please never consider birdshot for defense! Birdshot is intended for use against an animal small enough to fit into your hand.) I have fired this shogun extensively. Recoil is light and the piece is reliable, just remember to fully rack the slide with each shot. It is light enough to pack anywhere and doesn’t frighten the recoil shy.
Rifles
The AR 15 .223 rifle is the king of home defense rifles as recoil isn’t a problem. However- some folks deploy the AR without enough training. Get training and the piece is the gold standard. A friend who is ex-military and owns quite a few capable firearms has made an unusual choice. He is enamored of the Ruger Charger .22, a pistol version of the 10/22, which is a reliable little gun with some merit. I have experimented with one and fitted a Riton red dot sight. The piece is fast very fast on target and is a great aid to those who have difficulty with a centerfire pistol. With the red dot and a casual semi braced firing position it is easy enough to put five shots into an inch at 25 yards. An interesting firearm in every way.
A Ruger 10/22 set up for home defense use as an experiment wears an Adaptive Tactical TacHammer stock. The pistol grip stock features an adjustable buttstock and combat light mount. This rifle wears a Vortex ST Defender red dot. Fast handling and reliable it is easy to eat the X ring out of a target well past 25 yards. With the Ruger X mag and 25 rounds of Mini Mag on hand it is a formidable choice.
A credible choice with much merit is the 9mm carbine. A reliable example such as the Ruger carbine or Smith & Wesson’s FPC or Response makes a fine home defense gun. Recoil is modest and the carbines are lighter than the AR 15, easily stored, and controllable. Ammunition is inexpensive for a centerfire and the piece invites practice.
Handguns
In handguns we are seeing a large number of new introductions from Springfield, SIG, and Smith & Wesson in 9mm with a compensator factory installed. These 9mm handguns in service size are controllable by those who practice and offer real protection.
The S&W Carry Comp is a compact 9mm well suited to personal defense. These handguns should be loaded with a standard pressure 9mm loading for best control. In the home defense role where weight isn’t consideration we have even better choices.
I have been firing the new Smith & Wesson M&P Spec V for some weeks. This is a 9mm full size pistol similar to the previous Spec series. Smith & Wesson’s introduction of a metal frame 9mm gave us a modern striker fired handgun with lessened recoil and good handling. The Spec series added a compensator.
The new Spec V is even more advanced. This pistol features a stainless steel frame. A 40-ounce 9mm may not be something you wish to carry around but the piece is ideal for home defense and even area defense. The pistol is delivered with three 23 round magazines, the same supplied with the S&W FPC carbine. That is a lot of ammunition reserve if you are awaken to danger in the night. This handgun is more than docile the combination of a steel frame and compensator result in a pistol that simply hangs on the target in long firing strings.
I still carry and fire the .45 ACP and at present it isn’t a difficulty. The shoulder fired guns are another matter. It isn’t difficult to adapt to a lighter recoiling handgun or rifle. The best argument I can give is that accuracy may make up for power. The reverse is seldom true.
