Sig Sauer on Why Handguns Beat Shotguns for Home Defense

I came across a nice video done by Sig Sauer the other day and thought it might be helpful for those deciding on a home defense weapon. In short, the Sig rep makes a compelling case for why a handgun is the best for home defense purposes.

You might even recognize some of the arguments from earlier work here.

I’ll give you a quick rundown in case you’re like me and like reading over video for its speed.

Here’s the link otherwise.

At this point, it’s a pretty obvious win, but a pistol has no comparison for one-handed operation. That’s true no matter which rifle or shotgun you pick up.

That leaves you one hand free to:

1. Talk to the 911 operator with your phone
2. Open doors to move around your house to protect your family and seek cover
3. Usher kids and other family members into a safe room or area where you intend to stand your ground

Now granted, a pistol with arms extended for firing isn’t much shorter than a home defense shotgun or a short-barrelled rifle.  But, it can be brought in to the chest when rounding corners and to pass obstacles while still keeping the muzzle ready to engage immediately.

A pistol is clearly superior when getting around the house, especially when you consider the opportunity to use a free hand on door knobs when needed without losing significant engagement capability.

Ever shop for secure, quick-access safes for a home defense shotgun?

Let’s face it, trigger locks are a disaster waiting to happen when somebody kicks in your door at night and the adrenaline is pumping. You need a safe that keeps your gun away from kids and untrained adults, yet is quick to access when you need it.

Although you can find a quick access safe for a shotgun or rifle, the shear size of those platforms make finding a good place for them challenging.

First of all, think twice about getting a handgun for concealment and also using it for home defense. I completely understand if that’s all you can afford for now, but understand that there’s no point in a subcompact frame for home defense.

It will be dark, your adrenaline will be  jacked, and your hands will appreciate the larger features of a full-sized gun.

And, you have a full capacity magazine right there in the gun ready to go.

Forget trying to toss an extra mag in your BVDs!

There’s nothing like a good light for target recognition. And, there’s no reason to tie up a hand full time with a flashlight when you could mount one on your gun.

Hopefully, you’re thinking about a piece with a rail, right?

Would you stop advancing when someone lit up your chest with a laser?

There’s nothing like lasing your target to let them know that incoming rounds are imminent and will be well-placed. Anybody in their right mind should back down in the face of that threat.

On the other hand, if you didn’t have a laser, the thug might just assume that you were bluffing about having a gun.

I hope I got you thinking about making your home safer. Be sure to check out our other stuff on pistols and handgun safes.  And, be sure you know your local and state laws for home defense to stay out of jail!