Advice for a coworker on home defense carbine

Would really like your feed back on what broke and what happened Axesarebetter. I have just used a couple for a few hundred rounds plinking and that really isn't testing in a survival situation test. Not my favorite self defense weapon, but it seems to be the one I use most often when someone wants to try out shooting and go beyond the .22 stage.

 

I ain't a gunsmith, and I sure wasn't anything resembling one then, but I'll do what I can to tell you.

Full size: not sure what caliber, but I have seen one of these fired, and at some point in the mechanical process just sorta...go to pieces. Dude ended up with a pile of pieces where the frame separated, some in his hand, some on the ground. Thinking back on it, I have ZERO clue how somebody didn't get injured from it. Been a long time, and the details are fuzzy. Gun was only a few months old, mid to late 2000's production. I took away "never again a Hipoint", and steer clear of them since.

Compact 9mm pistol: had to be held at a roughly 45 degree angle to fire. The magazine also had to be held in by hand, otherwise it fell out, and the gun otherwise failed to operate due to the lack of bullets. I quit going out to shoot with these guys after they refused to get that thing looked at.

Last one I spent any time around was the Carbine: it was better than the pistols, granted, but I remember there being issues. I know that the charging handle ended up looking like they jimmy rigged a bolt gun handle to it. There ended up being some kind of mechanical failure with it, too, but I too far away from that "pipe bomb" as I could, and mostly just heard about it before it (and I think literally) got tossed in the garbage. I know that within a few weeks prior to that, I saw some failures of some type. Not sure if failure to feed, or failure to fire, or a mix. I shot Colt SAA clones back then, and semiauto malfunctions were almost an alien concept.


Talking on firearm choices in general, for what it is worth, in my neck of the woods, if you can't put 500 to 2000 rounds through a gun, go out in the rain, give it a cursory wiping with a dry sleeve, and then forget the gun in the back seat of the truck for 3 months, they generally get sold. That might help shed some light on why I come down so hard on a lot of these models. It's a pretty hard standard to live up to. Haha.

 

What I meant by my statement is dont use a gun to try and scare a perp. That will get you killed. But yes was pointed out dont shoot your son

 

I appreciate the input. The arguments have merit (except trying to scare the perp with a shotgun... poor choice). I don't feel a shotgun is mild enough for her. I don't give her credit for having the motivation that I FEEL a person needs to be GOOD with a pistol. For example I would not expect my wife to be successful using a pistol with a safety. If it's not just as simple as a revolver, she'll get it wrong at the worst time. So she has a Glock.
The coworker is no more motivated, but in addition, doesn't desire to carry. I feel she will be best served in the current need by a carbine, I just don't see very much choice. I have several Kel-Tec products including a Sub-2000 and would not choose this for her. I'm hoping the Hi-Point will be appropriate, because I don't see any other choices that fit all criteria and are also readily available.

 

You can always get a 410 of some type. They have some nice loads for them these days, and a two triggered double or even a lever gun won't run that much. Or even a .22 LR if she is interested. a Model 60 or 10/22 will do the job as well as anything else on the list if she does her part. COMFORT has to be the prime directive, followed by training. Find her what she is comfortable to do those things with, and the rest will fall in line as time goes on.

 

If you go to a 10-22 only use CCI VELOCITORS any other round is not going be enough. Even with Velocitors not a good choice. Stay with a 9mm carbine or 45 acp carbine.

 

Y'all know they make 5 pellet 000 for 410 now?

 

If she doesn't have the motivation to be good with a pistol, i don't think a carbine will be much useful either. Shotgun is the way to go. Not only is it much safer in regards to not shooting through walls and accidentally killing your neighbor, but also you don't really have to aim like with a pistol/carbine. You just shoot and can be sure to hit your target, whereas under stress, an intruder in your home, with only a pistol or carbine armed, you really have to concentrate and aim to hit him and not miss.

 

.410 pump youth model. It is simple, small, accurate enough for close quarters ,and just about foolproof. she can handle it with ease. They even make 410 aerial flares for signaling.

 

Shotgun with a good recoil reducing stock will make it mild enough. I have a stock on my Mossberg 500A1 that is spring loaded and makes it very easy to shoot, so much that my wife would rather shoot the shotgun over the AR (besides she likes the cha-chink the shotty makes). I also notice a difference between my Mossy and my other 12 gauges.

Put a good stock on a 20 ga and it should recoil the same or less than a carbine. Also pump vs semi will probably make a difference in the recoil though I've never fired a semi-auto shotty.

 

I would agree a shotgun would be the best. If she was just wanting a carbine there are alot out there in pistol calibers that would work for home defense purpose, but I still think a 20 gauge shotgun would be the best.

 

For the uninitiated user I am not for any carbine or rifle length weapon for home defense inside the home.

The reason is the leverage an opponent can exert on the home owner, by grabbing the barrel, far exceeds the ability of all but the strongest and most experienced homeowner.

Figure we have a person who will not practice and has no combat experience and yet we expect them to be aware of corners, furniture and curtains that might hide an intruder.

My suggestion is a 4 3/4 inch revolver, double action in .45, loaded with 45 LC or 45acp shot rounds, with a laser and an attached flashlight.

She should be instructed to retreat to a safe room and call the cops.
At least that was what I did but instead the home owner purchased a 38 special and hand held flashlight, that was what she could afford and was willing to practice with.

She never needed to use it but it let her sleep better at night, along with the.38 she had installed a solid core bedroom door and a solid core front door secured at lock set studs and hinge points.

 

I agree 100%. If she's not going to take the time to be proficient with a revolver, she's not going to take the time to be proficient with a long gun. The revolver will be a bit more forgiving of that irresponsibility than a long gun will.