Drive Time Rant: The HDC (Home Defense Carbine)? No Shotgun? Really?
I read an article about how the newest fad is to have a HDC... Home Defense Carbine http://www.personaldefensenetw....ork.com/articles/tac with followup comments here... http://www.personaldefensenetw....ork.com/forum/topic/
The problem is that dog just dont hunt IMO based on the purpose of the carbine itself... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbine
I left a rather detailed comment about why I didnt think a HDC should be a first choice but the comment was deleted. I guess when you disagree ppl get made (especially when you base your opinion with FBI & police stats). Oh well here is my reply which I submitted again...
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Hmmm... why was my comment deleted on the main article page? Just because my opinion differs from the author? Here is a reprint on why I dont think the HDC is a good idea....
The thing that bothers me by prompting ppl to get a HDC, is that it must answer the question or supposed failure points of [u]the[/u] home defense firearm, the shotgun. You say there is increased lethality a HDC which implies a shotgun is lacking in that department & I just dont see that. The problem with a HDC [b]IS[/b][u] over penetration. Of course the same can be said for pistols too & thats why I dont recommend them for home defense but only personal defense.
As for the HDC there is too much increased risk in my opinion with both a pistol & the proposed HDC or any rifle for that matter. Knowing your target & the backstop is very important. Remember the shooter is responsible for every single bullet that leaves the muzzle. Stats also show when innocents are injured or killed by a rifle that involves over penetration vs the shotgun (when it uses reduced/low recoil OO buck shells) we do not see the same.
Then comes the FBI/police stats showing that most armed self defense situations there are an average of 2.6 rounds fired. So a shotgun has more than enough ammo to do the job which brings up another question... why do you need 30 rounds with a carbine that is was made to shoot threats that are long distance? The M4 can be used for 500m point to 600m area targets & even greater distances. Heck in the military we qualified with the M4 with 25m to 300m targets. So why would you use a carbine in your home that at best is going to be shot down a short hallway or an even smaller room? To me it doesn't make sense but that is just me.
You mention lethality but you need to consider one cartridge of .223 vs the 7-9 pellets in a 00 buck shotgun shell. A standard 00 buck holds 7-9 pellets. There are regular 00 buckshot shells, and reduced-recoil shells favored in law enforcement &/or home defense use. Low-recoil 00 buckshot allows the shooter to make faster follow-up shots, which may be needed in a defense situation with the added bonus of decreased risk when it comes to over penetration. So in the end you have a shotgun with 7-9 pellets going toward your threat vs the one bullet with the 5.56/.223. I think the shotgun wins over the carbine when it comes to lethality via multiple projectiles.
The other consideration is price - the average John & Jane Q. Public can purchase an inexpensive 20 or 12 home defense shotgun & its usually less expensive than a carbine in .223 or .308. There is also a smaller learning curve with a shotgun vs a carbine (zeroing, remedial actions, cleaning, etc). Of course you can make anything complicated by adding lights, lasers, etc which are good AFTER you learn how to effectively use the firearm on its own with just iron sights.
Another great thing about a shotgun is its versatility - you can shoot many different types of shells for home defense, use it for bird, small game, etc & you can use it for big game too. IOW you can do a whole lot with a shotgun vs a carbine. Personally I like the versatility of the shotgun (but I also love my M4 but it was made for answering a different problem).
Now this is just my opinion & if you want a HDC then do what your rank can handle but for me there is jus too much risk for injuring &/or killing innocents with over penetration. Other than that it was a good article. In closing I think ppl need to look at all the information, variables, etc and make an informed decision on what they think will best defend them & their loved ones while at the same time reducing the risk of injuring or killing innocents. IMO (& everybody has their own so no offense to the author or anyone else) I recommend a shotgun for home defense, a pistol for personal protection (CCW or open carry) and a carbine for the SHTF/Mad Max/Zombie Apocalypse.
IOW just food for thought.
Steve
P.S. One last thought --- when a bad guy comes into your home which is a more terrifying sound?
The bolt sliding forward on a carbine
or...
the racking of a shotgun?
Nuff said
;)
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home/self defense from wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_defense