Quote:
Originally Posted by wjmeyer
I'm new to guns and would like to get a small pistol, probably a 22, just for self defense if someone broke into my house (I now have an alarm system and would know if a window or door was breached). I don't want to blow an intruder to kingdom-come, just get his attention so he would change his mind and leave.... limping, perhaps.
What inexpensive pistol would you recommend? Thanks.
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Personally, I would not get a .22. The ammunition is not reliable, and they tend to jam a lot. Additionally, it is a very fast bullet and will easily penetrate up to two walls in your home. You do not want to miss the intruder and hit someone in the next room or a neighbor.
If you strictly want a home defense weapon, I would suggest a shot gun. The click click sound of a shell being chambered is VERY distinctive and VERY loud. It will scare anyone away that is in your house. With the .22 you would have to travel into the room where the intruder is to fire at them. This puts you within feet of the intruder. The shot gun sound will echo and they will hear it rooms away.
Look at the Maverick 88 by Mosberg. You can get it new for about $180.
Load it with 5 shells. The first 2 should be no. 7 buckshot ( lots of small bb's) followed by 3 slugs ( one large piece of lead that will nock anybody down).
I know you said you did not want to blow them to kingdom come, but most home intruders are people that are addicts or desperate. Career thieves strike when you are gone. These intruders will most likely be high or drunk. A .22 will probably not register with this person as a threat. There have been cases when police have shot a amp'd up suspect 31 times with .45 ACP and they did not stop coming at them. The most effective way to stop someone is the shotgun.