Safety issues with living in an apartment..

Hello, I live in a apartment building im on the top floor, back left corner, so i have others living to my left and front of my apartment. Its also a brick building so I am not so worried about the outside walls. The neighborhood I live in is pretty bad and there are alot of break ins, and if someone breaks in with a gun I dont think my knives that are randomly around my house and my mma will cut it. I like the masterpiece arms 45 cal carbine rifle with laser sites. My question is, is that a safe round the fire if my place ever was broken into. If not whats is the safest round, has to be for a rifle or handgun thats considered a rifle by the law because I am not 21.

Despite what the hollywood movies show, it is difficult to hit an intruder with a handgun! Unless you have access to a good range, and can practice a couple times a month (ie $ for ammo!), you are much better off with a shotgun. Maybe some turkey shot for cartridges, won't penetrate the walls as much. Just make sure it is a legal shotgun (at least 18" barrel length, and at least 26" overall length). Just get a regular one with a standard stock--avoid the ones that are pistol grip only, as you will not be able to handle the recoil.

The test I've linked shows some testing with a shotgun with different loads. Buckshot and slugs are shown to penetrate walls pretty effectively, lighter weight shot not so well. Problem is, there are reports that birdshot is not that effective in a home defense situation. YMMV.

I agree with Biff, alot of practice is needed to get profecient with a pistol. You're much better of with a shotgun, plus not being 21 you can't buy a pistol or pistol ammo anyway. You can however buy a shotgun and shells for it at 18 or older. I would go with #4 shot or bigger, 4 shot will do a lot of damage at close range but more than likely won't penetrate through multiple walls like a big fat heavy slug will. If you have to use a pistol, I would go with hollow points which open up when they hit a flesh and bone target reducing thier ability to fly right through your target. Also frangible ammunition is used to police officers in certain locations because when they hit something hard like a wall, they turn to dust.

Also if you're only gonna use your shotgun for home defense I would get something with a barrel length of around 18 inches. I have a NEF Pardner Protector in 12 gauge with an 18" barrel and no choke. At about 20 feet with "00" buck the shot pattern is about 16 inches wide. With a pattern like that in an apartment, you can't miss. Your attacker will go down, with very little fight.

Also, this gun is not strictly a home defense gun, I often use it for hunting. I shoot slugs through it all the time and I even use it for rabbit and squirrel hunting.

I watched best defense on vs. channel and they showed 00buck penetrating through 4 walls and keept on going, just like the 9mm and .45. I think turkey or lighter would be best so as not to over penetrate.

Shotgun over pistol all the way, but you can get frangible rounds for your pistol.

i love the shotgun for hd. it has the sound of the racking action that ill have the scare tactic and if that doesnt deter the suspect from advancing than you have the best stopping power. also 12ga bird shot will drop anyone and not over penetrate in your apartment. just my .02

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Even if you don't kill someone with bird shot, it will pretty well take away their want to play. Also they will spend several grueling hours in the hospital having little balls of lead plucked from their body with tweasers. Not to mention the scarring to let anyone know what happened in the future. The other plus side of a shotgun is that the wound generally is next to impossible to sew back up, even more so than a regular single projectile because the wound is often irregular.

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[QUOTE=Gojubrian;75175]I watched best defense on vs. channel and they showed 00buck penetrating through 4 walls and keept on going, just like the 9mm and .45. I think turkey or lighter would be best so as not to over penetrate.QUOTE]

Well, yeah considering "00" buck pellets are about .32 caliber. I use 00 buck in my home defense shotgun but that's because I live in a house in a rural area. I'm sure if you were defending yourself against some punk and blew the guy away with 00 buck and ended up killing the kid with the legos in the next apartment it would only provide ammo for the anti-gun crowd. So please don't.