Different Guns for Different Roles?  Home Defense and Everyday Carry

Joel T. Nadler 

All things being equal, I suggest that most people choose the single firearm that best meets their needs, then focus on learning and mastering it. This may not be the optimal solution for every situation, but it recognizes that most people who choose a firearm for self-defense will not spend much time training and practicing with one weapon, let alone different firearms for different scenarios. This advice balances tactical versatility with the realities of training.

The Soft Skills of Training

Data on civilian uses of force in the United States (U.S.) suggest that, in most cases, the type of firearm—its size, capacity, ease of use, and/or ballistics—does not matter. What matters is the person’s resolve to use the firearm if needed and the ability to communicate that resolve to a potential attacker. Depending on the source, estimates of civilians using the threat of force without ever firing their weapons range from 80% to more than 95%. Most uses of force in the U.S. are resolved without a shot being fired. Given this information, the type of firearm is relevant in, at most, 20% of self-defense cases. Add to this the data suggesting that, when a firearm is discharged, it is often at close range, against one target, with two or three shots fired in total¹. Based on these averages, almost any firearm is likely to be equally effective in most situations.

Playing the averages, it again appears that a “better” weapon is not needed. What is needed is the ability to communicate a willingness to act and, if action is required, to use your chosen weapon quickly and successfully. Training—through classes, reading, or online sources—helps develop these skills as does an understanding of the legal requirements of self-defense.

In a defensive encounter, the goal of training and practice is to make as many firearm functions as possible automatic. Actions that become second nature are more likely to hold up under extreme stress. The more you can do automatically, the more cognitive resources you can devote to making sound decisions. These skills include fundamentals (stance, grip, trigger press, sight alignment, and breathing), mechanics (accessing and presenting a firearm, clearing malfunctions, and reloading), and tactics (simple movement, using cover, using a flashlight if needed, and scanning after the event).

Obviously, automating each of these actions takes time and practice. I often tell students that the goal is to make them as automatic as hitting the brakes while driving. When something unexpected happens, such as an object suddenly appearing in front of the car, we hit the brakes to limit the impact without having to think it through. Automating some skills may transfer to other weapons, but many are unique to each firearm type; for example, a striker-fired semiautomatic pistol versus an AR-style semiautomatic rifle. Thus, given what is most likely to occur in a defensive encounter and the time required to automate fundamentals, mechanics, and tactics, my advice stands: for most people, the carry gun and home-defense gun should be one and the same.

Exceptions to this Advice

When considering different firearms for different scenarios, first ask yourself: Are you willing to learn each system well enough to automate its fundamentals, mechanics, and tactics? Second, have you trained enough to respond automatically to situational cues, including the weapon in your hands? I know people who have trained with multiple weapon systems yet, during training, have tried to perform a pistol reload on a long gun. They quickly change techniques, but only after recognizing the problem and switching to a different set of automated behaviors. That takes time and turns an automatic action into one requiring purposeful, deliberate thought. Before committing to multiple weapons, make sure you understand the practice each system requires and can distinguish between them under stress.

Why have Separate Carry and Home-Defense Weapons?

I have spent the first part of this article arguing that, in most situations, it makes more sense to devote limited time and resources to becoming highly proficient with one firearm. Although this is sound advice for most scenarios, it can limit your options in more extreme situations. The average encounter involves two or three rounds fired at a single target. But what about situations involving multiple threats, longer distances, or enough rounds to require a reload? Those situations do occur. Self-defense exists on a spectrum, and averages do not represent every scenario. For most people, however, using those averages as a guide sensibly balances preparation with the time and effort they can realistically devote to it.

I once heard an instructor say that all gunfights are “unlimited.” Borrowing a term from competition, he meant that the firearm you are carrying or have at hand is the one you will have to fight with. From that perspective, why would you not want the biggest, best, highest-capacity firearm you could reasonably have if you might need it to fight for your life? There is little question that learning more systems and owning more capable weapons—provided you can use them competently—prepares you for a wider range of scenarios. Another instructor once told me that a handgun was simply there to let you fight your way to a bigger and better weapon, whether a rifle in your vehicle or a shotgun at home. This logic—assuming you have time to train with each system—often leads people to choose different weapons for different situations.

Balancing the Roles of Carry and Home Defense Guns

The qualities that make a good carry gun—smaller size, easy concealment, and a minimal outline under clothing—often conflict with those of a good home-defense gun. Carry guns are generally ballistically inferior to long guns, less useful at longer distances, and harder to shoot accurately even at moderate ranges of 15 yards or more. By comparison, rifles and shotguns are rarely concealable in any meaningful way, but they generally offer greater capacity, are more likely than common handgun calibers to produce a physiological stop, are easier to aim, and remain accurate at most ranges likely to arise in any defensive situation.

If your carry gun and home-defense gun are the same, you may carry a slightly larger firearm than you would if you used multiple systems, because you are balancing the needs of both roles. Ideally, you will choose a handgun that performs adequately across situations, then devote your time and resources to mastering it. Alternatively, if you choose different systems for different uses, make sure you become competent with the skills each requires.

Your Own Situation

The final factor to consider is your own situation and tolerance for risk. A good carry option for someone who is rarely, if ever, likely to confront violence may differ from the best choice for someone more likely to need defensive force. Your work, travel, and home circumstances are unique, and only you can decide which risks you are willing to accept.

I have a close friend who competes actively with firearms but does not carry one. When I asked him why, he said that when he was younger, he had more to lose and lived in a more questionable part of town, so he always carried. Now he lives in a very low-crime area, has lived a long life, and, frankly, is at peace with the possibility of encountering violence. I do not agree with him, but he has examined the risks and made his own choice.

I have spent considerable time practicing with various weapons and, under simulated stress including force-on-force training have tested how well I have automated their basic functions. My carry handguns are all very similar: Glocks that differ in size depending on the situation. These are the handguns I carry every day and my primary defensive firearms. My home-defense plans center on a shotgun, and all my home-defense shotguns use the same system: Remington 870 pump-action 12 gauge shotguns. Finally, my ranch and truck guns are all AR-15s. I have trained extensively with all three platforms, adjusted my self-defense plans to reflect perceived risks, and adopted systems that I have invested the time and resources to master.

The goal for each of us is to do the same. First, assess your personal risks and your comfort with them. Second, realistically evaluate how much time you can devote to training and practice. Based on those assessments, decide whether a single firearm that adequately meets your general needs makes more sense, or whether you are willing to invest the time required to master multiple weapons and respond to a wider range of threats.

1 https://ammo.com/research/defensive-gun-use-statistics