Hi everyone, I've never owned a gun before but just purchased a Hi-Point 995TS for home defense purposes. I will practice shooting at a range but aside from that I hope to never have to use the gun for home defense.
Wondering what accessories y'all would recommend to outfit the firearm for optimal home defense? From some quick research I've compiled this list but have no idea which particular brands or specific items are good. Not looking to spend a ton of money but willing to pay more for quality.
So could you recommend what particular items you would add for home defense?
Really gotta work on #s 4 & 5. Bolt on toys aren't going to make you safer. If your power goes out a light could help. But I'm sure you got a flashlight or two lying around and a light on your gun is a giveaway as to where you are. Extra mags are just plain handy to have. They'll aid in you practicing so you don't need optics. Sound Suppressor? It's 9mm. Unless you're in a barrel you won't go deaf. But if you want to pay hundreds for a neat toy, go for it. An angled foregrip is handy if you find it more comfortable. Don't buy that wobbly Hi-Point piece of shit. Skip their shitty bolt on comp too.
The best thing that you can buy is ammunition. And not just to have a stockpile. Practice is the best thing a new shooter can do. Learn how to use what you have before adding more equipment to the equation.
Thanks. Hearing you loud and clear about how simply strapping more doodads onto a weapon doesn't make me safer. But if I do buy accessories how do I find accessories that are compatible with the weapon other than buying directly from Hi-Point?
Take some instruction if you’ve never owned a gun before.
Avoid the common pitfalls of new gun ownership.
Shoot it once and put it away being one of them.
Get comfortable with it.
Start close at 7 yards or so.
Have a look at the sights and bring some tools in case you need to adjust them at the range.
Take some instruction if you've never owned a gun before.
Avoid the common pitfalls of new gun ownership.
Shoot it once and put it away being one of them.
Get comfortable with it.
Start close at 7 yards or so.
Have a look at the sights and bring some tools in case you need to adjust them at the range.
Best advice I've seen anywhere, especially #1. If you're not familiar with it, get a GOOD teacher. Keep your booger hook off the bang switch and don't point it at anything you're not willing to destroy, including your own body parts. Learn muzzle discipline - QUICK!
#1 HP rule don't hand cycle ammo. The firing pin is part of the ejection process and in a worse case go bang out of battery. When ejecting a live round do it over a bed.
I like the HP forward grip. We have a woman member here fix the wobble with a lock washer. I've never tried it.
Elcheapo flashlights from Amazon with rechargeable batteries with a strobe function might be a good idea. Many come with a tape switch. So instant on/instant off. Keep the bad guy trying to focus his eyes. I took a night shooting course for hand guns from a cop. Every corner there may be a threat. There might be some good videos on Youtube that cover techniques.
Red dot. For bedside defense? Holsun, and Sig make some "shake awake" dots. $100-$160. I uderstand the Holsun now can be programmed to go to sleep after 2hrs now. That type of shake awake sight is coming into the cheaper market.
A "sound forwarder" directs the concussion away from the shooter. You might be able to find one from $25-40 if you have a threaded barrel.
HP makes a mag holder for the buttstock VS going to a 20rd mag. I have the 20's and they have been dependable. For the 10rd mags stick with factory mags. ProMags suck.
Even though a gun is nothing but a tool it’s a tool that requires some higher skill level then a hammer does.
A little bit of legal knowledge is required also. What are the gun laws in my state as far as storage? Storage with minors in the residence (usually different)? When is displaying a firearm appropriate? Is a warning shot legal in your state? It wasn’t in FL for instance. When is the use of lethal force aka shooting justified?
What are the castle doctrine laws or stand your ground laws in your state?
If this is for HD then set it up as such.
Practice for the longest distance in your house. If it’s 10 yards then don’t adjust the sights for 100 yards at the range.
Skip all the operator YouTube vids with the fazers/tazers/lasers crowd that insist on $2500 AR pistols in 300 BLK for HD.
Stick with the established crowd like Ayoob who talks more about insight and techniques then just a glorified infomercial about a gun you can’t afford.
Ask questions....here
Even though a gun is nothing but a tool it's a tool that requires some higher skill level then a hammer does.
A little bit of legal knowledge is required also. What are the gun laws in my state as far as storage? Storage with minors in the residence (usually different)? When is displaying a firearm appropriate? Is a warning shot legal in your state? It wasn't in FL for instance. When is the use of lethal force aka shooting justified?
What are the castle doctrine laws or stand your ground laws in your state?
If this is for HD then set it up as such.
Practice for the longest distance in your house. If it's 10 yards then don't adjust the sights for 100 yards at the range.
Skip all the operator YouTube vids with the fazers/tazers/lasers crowd that insist on $2500 AR pistols in 300 BLK for HD.
Stick with the established crowd like Ayoob who talks more about insight and techniques then just a glorified infomercial about a gun you can't afford.
Ask questions....here
Excellent advice in SWAGA's posts.
The 995 needs nothing but ammo and extra mags.
I put the holder for mags on the stock and a flash hider. If the barrel is threaded a flash hider looks good but does nothing for 9mm in performance or noise.
Shot it to make sure it likes the ammo you have. Mine shoots any 115 grain FMJ round nose but it is fussy with JHP and the one it likes best is Remington 115 grain in the green and white box.
I'll second that Ayoob is one of the best in the field of self defense and firearms advice.
I bought 2 boxes of the Remington 115 JHPs right when the Corona panic started at Dunhams.
I like the 75 packs of the American Gunner 90 grain XTPs for my .380's but they are not to be found these days.
How about you don't have to take a human life as you end up with a hole in your mattress.
Scenario:
Guy breaks into your house, wakes you up in the process, you fumble a shot and guy runs for the hills.
You call the cops, guy gets caught and sentenced and goes to jail.
How is that not a satisfactory ending?
What is it with all this talk of wanting to kill people.
That's just as bad as these murder-cops.
You are not immune from prosecution in a self proclaimed self defense shooting. You will likely get arrested if they don't find a weapon on the deceased.
There are plenty of examples of legit shootings
Gun jams, for the second round, or you don't have time to point in his direction before he pounds the shit out of you. Or you gave away your position and he shoots you. How many invaders do you have in the house? You only have a 10rd mag and there is 3 of them. How many shots are you going to land on target? Not like they are going to drop like a sack of potatoes unless you hit them in the spine. How many impacts will be instantly disabling? Zero? In your state, and mine they are in your house. No need to worry about them possibly getting arrested in the future. A pill or 2 might "detain" them until the cops get there. In recent Florida history 3 bad guys, and all 3 get shot buy the homeowner.
There you go again.
What if it’s 6? What if it’s 10?
What if you don’t have a belt fed?
Again, a gun is not a solution in every possible scenario you can dream up.
Not unlike a seatbelt or an airbag....works in some scenarios and in others it’s basically to hold your remains in place till the cops get there.
You shoot bad guy. If he is in your home he has made his intent known.
There are no guarantees in life!
There are no guarantees in life!
So important it was worth repeating, I'll take my chances with the jury as becoming worm dirt isn't going to help my family if the bad guy gets me!
Back in the day in Florida the cops told me, "how many rounds are in your mag?" "10." "Empty it into them and say I don't know why I shot so many times, I blacked out!" Back before they got the castle doctrine. My first pistol was a 622S&W .22. "Guy at the store asked, what are you buying it for?" "Plinking, and kill someone." "I wouldn't try it with a .22" "How many rounds? 10? If that don't work I don't know what will." He said get these CCI stingers. They ought to do the job.
To think I used to use those to plink with!
I was clearing the crews on this one particular midrise building. Running off the crack head carpenters. I had several toothless Godzilla looking dudes wanting to kill me.
Think hi speed...low drag. You'll be using it in a cqb environment. The less doo-dads you hang on it the better. Really the only thing you need is a good weapon light to tell the bad guys from the good. Mine wears an olight laser light combo, and nothing else is needed.
Most of the folks responding here have their heads screwed on right. Or at least seem to.
Recommendations for your 995ts, based on my own practice and priorities:
Firearms safety training. Do NOTHING ELSE until that happens.
Learn to tear down and clean the gun.
Weapon light - Mine is a light/laser combo (Truglo Tru*Point SKU: TG7650R) mounted under the barrel with the remote touch pad mounted on top of the handguard. It works well and costs way less. Shooting into the darkness is a not a good plan.
It's a rifle. It takes up space and physical activity. Learn to move through your home with the weapon. Where you should and shouldn't point it (does that wall/door go to an occupied area?). Where you might get caught out, or seen when you don't want to be seen. Can someone grab the barrel when you're moving around a corner or through a doorway?
Get 2-3 mags worth of decent self defense ammo. Maybe Hornady Critical Defense? I know it runs good in mine. Buy a new box every month thereafter and use the older stuff you replaced for practice. It isn't cheap, so it's not recommended for plinking.
Go to the range periodically (at least once per month, if you can afford it and find one). Practice mag swaps: 2rds in in the first mag and one in the second. Fire the first mag off and as quickly and safely as possible switch mags and fire the last round. Shoot at a close-range target. Tool familiarity and muscle memory. Don't just blast away all your cash, learn and practice something useful.
Hopefully all of this has no value to your future experiences.
Honest to GOD training with your specific weapon system and theater of operations (your house) so, you can see the problems and fix them before you have to do it live, at 0400....for the first time.
Try a "glass house" (put tape down on the ground in the shape of the things and walls in your house) and see where you might have problems, blind areas, etc. It allows you to train without breaking your Old Ladies china cabinet and see if your kids room is by the front door...where you may or may not be shooting towards. Have someone watch you or video record yourself and watch the videos and look for improvements.
Then turn out all of the lights and try your flashlight out, is it TOO bright? Does it wash out your vision when you hit your eggshell white, gloss paint? Do you light yourself up, when everyone/thing else is in the dark? Can you move around in the house with the lights out? Do you know where the end table is...you know the one that you smack your knee into during the day...that you will PLOW into at 0400?
OR
Is it better to lie on the ground, in the door way of your bedroom, scream down the hallway: "I am armed, Police are on their way. If you come down this hall, I will consider that an attack and you WILL be fired on!" While you/your significant other has the 911 Operator on the line. You ARE going to want that recorded by the 911 Service.
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