Home Defense Firearms: Choosing and Staging Your Protection Plan

A firearm is only one part of a complete home defense strategy. Choosing the right gun, loading the right ammunition, staging it for quick access, and knowing how to use it effectively are all critical.

By Dwight Ringdahl — GunExpos.com

The Big Three: Shotgun vs. Handgun vs. AR-15

Shotgun

Best for: Maximum stopping power at close range, budget-conscious buyers.

Recommended: 12 gauge pump-action (Mossberg 500, Remington 870) with 18.5" barrel.

Pros: Devastating with buckshot, versatile ammo options, affordable ($250–$500). Cons: Heavy recoil, limited capacity (5–8 rounds), unwieldy in tight hallways.

Best load: Federal FliteControl 00 buckshot.

Handgun

Best for: One-handed operation, quick-access safes, smaller shooters.

Recommended: Full-size or compact 9mm (Glock 19, S&W M&P 2.0, Sig P320) with weapon light.

Pros: One-handed use (frees hand for phone or child), higher capacity (15–17 rounds), lighter. Cons: Harder to shoot accurately under stress, lower stopping power per round.

Best load: Federal HST 124gr or 147gr hollow point.

AR-15

Best for: Maximum effectiveness, experienced shooters, homes with longer sight lines.

Recommended: 5.56 NATO, weapon light, red dot sight.

Pros: Most effective terminal performance, 30-round capacity, low recoil, highly accurate. Cons: Loud indoors, long without SBR configuration.

Best load: Hornady TAP 55gr or Federal Fusion 62gr — designed to fragment, reducing over-penetration.

The Over-Penetration Question

Platform Risk Through Interior Walls
Shotgun (00 buck) Moderate — loses energy after 1–2 walls
Handgun (9mm HP) Moderate — expands and slows after 1 wall
AR-15 (5.56 55gr) Lower than expected — tends to fragment and tumble

Key takeaway: 5.56 NATO often penetrates fewer interior walls than 9mm or 00 buckshot, making the AR-15 surprisingly good from an over-penetration standpoint.

Staging Your Home Defense Firearm

Quick-Access Safes

A staged firearm should be:

  • Accessible to you in under 5 seconds in the dark
  • Inaccessible to children and unauthorized users
  • Loaded and ready (or magazine inserted, chamber empty based on training level)

Recommended: Vaultek VT20i (biometric), Fort Knox FTK-PB (Simplex), GunVault SpeedVault.

What Else to Stage

  • Weapon light (mounted or handheld)
  • Phone (to call 911)
  • Ear protection (electronic earmuffs if time allows)

Home Defense Strategy

The Defensive Plan

  1. Call 911 first if you can
  2. Barricade — Go to a defensible room, lock the door, arm yourself, wait
  3. Do not clear your house — Leave that to law enforcement
  4. Gather family to your defensible position
  5. Announce yourself — "I'm armed. I've called 911. Leave now."

What NOT to Do

  • Don't go looking for the intruder — you lose every tactical advantage
  • Don't shoot through doors or walls — you must identify your target
  • Don't leave firearms unsecured even in an emergency

Training

  • Practice accessing your firearm from your staged location in the dark
  • Walk your home and identify safe fields of fire
  • Consider a home defense course from a qualified instructor
  • Practice at the range regularly with your defense firearm and ammo

Legal Considerations

  • Castle Doctrine — Most states presume deadly force is justified against a home intruder
  • Duty to retreat — A few states require retreat even in your home
  • Know your state's laws — Check our state gun law guides
  • Get legal protection — See our CCW insurance comparison

Find home defense firearms and accessories at your next gun show, or locate a dealer in our directory.