Handgun, Shotgun or Rifle for Home Defense? How to Choose

There's no single best home defense gun. The right choice depends on who in your home will use it, how your home is laid out, who lives on the other side of your walls, and how much you'll practice. Here's an honest look at the three main options.

Handgun

Best for: people who want one gun for home and carry, and homes where quick, secure storage matters.

• Easy to store and reach. A handgun fits in a small quick-access safe by the bed.
• One hand free. You can hold a phone, open a door or hold a flashlight.
• Easy to move with in hallways and around corners.
• The catch: it's the hardest of the three to shoot well, especially under stress. Plan on real training and regular practice.

Shotgun

Best for: people who already shoot shotguns and are comfortable with recoil.

• Very effective at the short distances inside a home.
• Simple and reliable, especially a pump-action.
• The catch: heavy recoil (a 20 gauge is easier to handle than a 12), limited capacity, and a long gun is harder to move with indoors. And it still needs aiming: at room distances, the shot spreads only a few inches.

Rifle (AR-15 style carbine)

Best for: people who want the easiest gun to shoot accurately.

• Light recoil and easy to hit with. Three points of contact (both hands and your shoulder) make it the easiest of the three to shoot accurately.
• High capacity and easy to mount a light on.
• The catch: it's loud indoors, and like a shotgun it's harder to store securely and keep close at hand than a handgun.

What's behind your target

Every common defensive round, from a handgun, shotgun or rifle, can pass through interior drywall. Know your home's layout: where family members sleep, which walls face neighbors, and which directions are safe to shoot. That planning matters more than which gun you choose.

What matters more than the gun

• Secure, quick-access storage. The gun has to be locked away from kids and visitors but reachable by you in seconds. A quick-access safe with a keypad or biometric lock handles both. See Safe Gun Storage at Home.
• A light. You need to identify what you're aiming at in the dark. A weapon-mounted light or a handheld flashlight is essential.
• A plan. Decide in advance where your family gathers, who calls 911, and where you'll wait. Most experts recommend holding a safe position rather than searching the house.
• Know the law. Understand when Arizona law allows you to use force. Our Arizona CCW class covers use of force in detail, and it's worth taking even if you never plan to carry.
• Practice. Whatever you choose, practice until loading, firing and clearing malfunctions are automatic.

Our take

If you're starting from scratch and want one gun, a quality 9mm handgun with a light, a quick-access safe and real training is the most flexible choice. If you're willing to keep a long gun ready and secured, a carbine is the easiest to shoot well. The best home defense gun is the one you've trained with.

General information current as of November 2026, not legal advice. Use-of-force law is complex; learn Arizona's rules from a qualified instructor or attorney.