Air rifles these days can take down a deer so why not consider them for self-defense? Are they effective or reliable enough to trust with my families lives?
Airguns can be lethal and may look threatening, but I wouldn’t trust an airgun for self-defense to keep my family safe. Not every situation is equal though. Are there times an airgun might be effective for self-defense? Let’s dive into some of the situations causing you to consider choosing an airgun for self-defense and analyze how that airgun might perform.
Let’s set the stage for this discussion appropriately
You wake suddenly from a sound sleep. What woke you up? You start to focus on listening for anything while you try and figure out why you are waking up. A floorboard creeks and you’re instantly alert. You reach near your nightstand and grab your air pistol. Slowly, you creep to the door and open it. It’s dark, but you see a menacing silhouette at the end of the hallway. Are they near your kid’s bedroom door? The intruder turns around when he hears the door open and sees you.
You yell, “I’m armed, get the %#@$ out.”What happens next will be fast. Your brain might slow things down, but what do you do?
You grab your airgun. It’s dark, and you don’t have much time. Your blood is pumping and you’re flooded with adrenaline. You fire, you hit him, but it’s not a fatal wound. He charges…
Is this a likely scenario? Is it more likely you’ll miss altogether?
Something to consider
An intruder in your house is already amped up. They are past the logic phase. They already considered the risks and decided it was worth it to go into your house at night for whatever reason. When they see you they will likely get a spike of adrenaline and their fight or flight will kick in. Some police officers suggest invaders want to get out of your house when discovered. If that’s the case, make sure you aren’t between them, and the way out. There are those that will go beyond thinking, and they will fight.
That’s the situation we find ourselves in for this discussion.
What does it take to stop an intruder
Let’s talk some logic and science quickly before we go too much further. Surely, with modern advances airguns have developed to the point they can put an intruder down right? Well, let’s see.
It’s time to talk about stopping power. Most people will throw around a lot of lingo here and discuss FPS, and the grain of the bullet or pellet to determine the level of stopping power. Despite the weight of science, these numbers imply it isn’t enough. Defining stopping power is still widely debated. It has to do with the characteristics of the ammunition, entry, exit, etc. There is a lot that goes into the calculation.
Simply using FPS and bullet grain in a calculation will give a number that makes you feel comfortable, but is actually misleading. Still, numbers are valid, and I won’t take away from that. Other people that have a better handle on math have done that. For this article let’s focus on common sense first. Most people understand a .22 firearm lacks the stopping power for most self-defense situations.
Now let’s think about a couple of options and how they might compare:
Pistol Style Airguns
First off it is safe to say a pistol style airgun will not have enough stopping power if you fire it at an intruders torso. BBs traveling around 500-600 fps will hurt but remember our earlier discussion. If an intruder is charging you he is probably pumped full of adrenaline. For the pain you inflict to turn the intruder away it has to override their drive to charge. It has to stop them in their tracks and cause them to turn away.
In my young and dumb days, my friends and I would literally shoot each other under somewhat controlled situations. I know, I know. It was dumb and dangerous… Yet we did it. Airguns today are often more powerful but I can’t imagine using something like that to stop an intruder.
So, if you want to have any effect with a pistol airgun you need to aim at the face and eyes. While researching other opinions I came across some people talking about penetrating the eyes. Seriously? Do not count on that. It is possible you could land enough shots on someone’s face to get them to turn. Eye injuries are the reason my friends and I were careful. Careful-ish. It’s not a good strategy for survival.
Every time I think about it though I just don’t feel like it’s a reliable option. It’s too easy to miss with your blood pumping and your families lives on the line. I cannot take that kind of risk.
Rilfe Style Airguns
OK, so what about a rifle style like the superb Benjamin BPBD3S Bulldog .357 PCP Hunting Rifle. Well, now we’re talking. If I’m going to throw some of those numbers we discussed earlier at you this can fire a 145-grain pellet at about 850 fps. That’s much better than it’s pistol counterparts, but that doesn’t make this an ideal choice for you either. Remember you are in your home. While the rifle does offer more stopping power, it’s more unwieldy. If you have the gun up and trained on the intruder you should get the shots off though, but will they be enough to stop the intruder?
I fall squarely on maybe. Yeah, that’s exactly how confident I am in this. If all goes according to plan, yeah this will work, but is it reliable and effective enough? No, not for me.
Is it for you though? If you’re thinking about using an airgun for self-defense I assume you have your reasons, and chances are it’s one we’ll discuss below.
Don’t want to use lethal force
It’s OK to not want to take someone’s life. I’m not here to judge you morally or ethically. Your choices are your own. If this is you then you 100% should not use an airgun for self-defense. There have been psychological studies, and you are far too likely to miss those critical shots and once missed you are more likely to get your family killed.
In self-defense classes, people are taught to only point their gun where it is intended to be fired. If you draw with lethal intent your movements will key off in the back of the intruders mind. If you are timid your body language will give you away. That leads to very bad things.
If your life and your families lives are on the line, but you aren’t prepared to use lethal force your options are limited. Remember most intruders are in your house for your money and valuables. You will need to do what you can to let the intruder know you are home, make lots of noise, flash your house lights, etc. and hope they leave. If they do not and you are not prepared to engage in a fight for your life police officers recommend you do not engage.
The last thing you want to do is hope the appearance of an airgun will scare the intruder away. Once you’ve gone down that road you have escalated the situation and it is far more likely to end up in a worst-case scenario.
Don’t want to keep a “real” gun in the house
If the reason you want to use an airgun for self-defense is that you don’t want to keep a real gun in the house you need to examine the reason why. Airguns may not be firearms, but they are real guns and can cause real harm. They are not the bb guns you used to shoot while riding around in your red wagon. Particularly if you were to try and buy one powerful enough to employ in a self-defense situation.
If you are morally or ethically opposed to gun ownership refer back to the previous section on reasons you should not use an air-gun for self-defense.
Most people who don’t want a gun in the household are concerned about safety. I am a parent, and I am about to hop on a soapbox. I’m sorry in advance, but child safety is of utmost importance to me, and I will always… always take a moment to step aside to discuss child safety.
I firmly believe that the best safety for a family in regards to any weapon is proper training rather than complete avoidance. If you are afraid of the dangers of a firearm you definitely should not own a powerful airgun. That fear is likely to lead to mishandling, and if you are afraid to show your kids proper usage they are in more danger. Kids are naturally curious and if you have an airgun in the house and don’t train them in safe handling you are creating a potentially volatile situation.
I don’t want to be on a soapbox here, the point is there are options that will fit your lifestyle, but an airgun is not it. To each their own. Let’s keep our children safe.
Can’t own a firearm
Quite frequently questions regarding airguns and self-defense come from people who cannot, for whatever reason, own a firearm.
Obviously, a firearm is the most effective choice, so if you’re considering an airgun, maybe you can’t own one. The reason you can’t own a firearm is beside the point. The facts remain the same. So, what do you do in this situation?
If you can’t have a gun I stand by some hand to hand training and a Louisville slugger. You may think an airgun can look threatening, and you may be right, but an angry homeowner protecting their loved ones while brandishing a bat can be a terrifying sight.
It might sound odd, but a charging intruder might take the chance you are a bad shot, particularly if you tremble at all, but you aren’t likely to miss with your bat.
I’m a small man, but I learned long ago the best defense is to appear confident. Stand tall, speak calmly as though you are not afraid, as though you know the outcome. While they may see through this, it may make them pause, and if you get someone to pause you increase the chances they’ll choose to leave. They want to take your things and make some money, not end up paying a hospital bill.
Are you a felon that can’t own a firearm, or are you someone planning on some backyard shooting and hoping your air rifle will work for self-defense too?
If you are a backyard shooter there could be other considerations. Check out this article about whether you need a license to shoot in your backyard.
If you’re determined to use an airgun, what should you do?
I’ve done my best to deter you from using an airgun for self-defense. I am convinced you are more likely to end up in a dangerously escalated situation than you are to end one. That being said, I understand you might choose to try it out anyway. In that case, I recommend a PCP air rifle you store charged. Have the largest grain ammo you have available ready. Practice with that gun on a regular basis so you are confident in your ability to use it instinctually in a stressful situation.
Discuss your plan with your family, and walk your house with your gun. Understand how you would use it in a variety of situations. No intruder situation will match any one plan. Plan as much as you can ahead of time. Once you feel fully prepared set up an annual training program for yourself to stay refreshed.
Remember the best thing you can do is have a family plan in case the worst happens. The next best thing you can do is take steps to deter invaders from choosing your house in the first place. The last step is your self-defense weapon choice.
Good luck and stay safe out there.