Maks for home protection

arbud · May 20, 2017

Have a couple of Maks and a shotgun for home defense.
I know all about the 9x18 good and not so good. I also no there are better calibers for the job. I am very efficient with these pistols (without a stressful situation). With shot placement being key, would you all think that 5 or 6 torso shots would end an unfortunate situation.

EODJoe · May 20, 2017

I think one round of well placed buckshot will do more to end that type situation. But that being said, the greatest gun in the world is the one you have in your hand when you need it the most. If 9x18 is what you have and you practice with it then it is better than harsh language and wishful thinking. Adrenalin dump and fear will also make any well placed shot way more difficult than when you are at the range punching holes in paper. Nobody can predict how they are going to react in life or death situation. Practice as much as you with what you have.

Fox123 · May 20, 2017

Wasn't there a thread here about 3 months or more ago that the synopsis was it's a pistol cartridge and they all (relatively speaking) do the same thing/not much difference as far as trauma to the target?

mopar92 · May 20, 2017

My preference for HD is a Glock 9mm with a 33 round mag. (I was raised with good manners and don't want to run out of party favors for unexpected guests) or an AR with a 30 round mag. Personally, my belief is shot placement is the only thing that matters. As far as caliber, I think a more important difference is what socks will you be wearing?

cantstop · May 20, 2017

Hornady XTP is what you want
http://palmettostatearmory.com/horn...xtp-custom-pistol-ammunition-25rds-91002.html

ohen cepel · May 20, 2017

I prefer the CZ82 in such a situation given the extra rounds and better trigger. That said, a LARGE % of the world did just fine with the MAK round for many years and I'm sure it ended many issues.

Loaded with good ammo and with reasonable shot placement it will do fine.

BigDaddy · May 20, 2017

arbud said:
With shot placement being key, would you all think that 5 or 6 torso shots would end an unfortunate situation.

You would think but if you look around the Internet, you will find some cop shot 33 times at the bad guy, hitting him 14 with a 45 ACP. Only the 14th shot was a head shot that finally stopped the guy. The cop now carries 140 rounds of ammo.

Didn't Carlos Hathcock shoot a VC with a 300 Win mag and the guy kept coming? I'm pretty sure I remember that from his book.

In a home situation, the distances will be close. While a shotgun sounds like the better choice, if you really think you need to protect your home from a home invasion, then you need the gun close to where you are. Are you going to carry the shotgun up and down the stairs? Probably not.

I think you are fine with the Mak and hollowpoints. Do remember to keep the guns out of the reach of children, yours or family/visitors.

knastera · May 20, 2017

EODJoe said:
I think one round of well placed buckshot will do more to end that type situation. But that being said, the greatest gun in the world is the one you have in your hand when you need it the most. If 9x18 is what you have and you practice with it then it is better than harsh language and wishful thinking. Adrenalin dump and fear will also make any well placed shot way more difficult than when you are at the range punching holes in paper. Nobody can predict how they are going to react in life or death situation. Practice as much as you with what you have.

+1

Recently, I've been shooting a lot of 380 from my Bersa Thunder 380. It is similar to the Mak. I was shooting half scale target headshots at 15 yards. With the right ammo, I wouldn't have a problem using it for HD.

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arbud · May 20, 2017

I use Hornady FTX 9x18. Feed perfectly

BeoBill · May 20, 2017

cantstop said:
Hornady XTP is what you want
http://palmettostatearmory.com/horn...xtp-custom-pistol-ammunition-25rds-91002.html

That's what I have loaded in my P64. Even two hits with those will spoil someone's whole day. :innocent0

rseymorejr · May 20, 2017

BeoBill said:
That's what I have loaded in my P64. Even two hits with those will spoil someone's whole day.

No kidding. I think just being shot AT would put a damper on my entire week!

Biggfoot44 · May 20, 2017

It's equiv to .380acp, or at most optimistic 5% better .

While I'm notoriously not one of them, large numbers of people feel confident with .380 for defense.

So if you are justifiably confident with your Mak, it's close to reasonably adaquate, and far better than stern looks and harsh words .

Meanwhile, Hathcock used .30-06 . But yes, there horror stories of people soaking up large quanties of major rounds with little imeadate effect . Thankfully not very often, but that's why defensive rounds are discussed in terms of reasonable adequacy and probabilities, and not absolutes.

John from MD · May 20, 2017

While my CZ82 is a backup defensive gun, I keep it loaded with Buffalo Bore 100gn tempered lead rounds. You want the most penetration you can get with a small blowback caliber. I have tested these with water and denim and they penetrated to the forth jug at 7 yards. I would not feel undergunned with a couple of 12 round mags full of these.

I have also shot them at 20 yards and they gave me a nice 1 inch group slowfire offhand.

BeoBill · May 20, 2017

My backup gun is a Winchester Model 1200 loaded with slug. Just in case I need to send a strong message.

knastera · May 20, 2017

The biggest downside to the Mak for defense is the ridiculously heavy double action pull weight. I had a Mak and the first pull had to be 20#. I'd recommend training yourself to cock the hammer on the first shot if you keep one in the chamber.

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HordesOfKailas · May 20, 2017

I don't trust blowback for a SD pistol. The potential for awkward shots could case a FTE and end the confrontation right there on the other guy's terms.

I don't know about the pull, but if it's heavy like others are saying, that's another negative in my book.

For reference, my HD guns are a 300BLK AR pistol for me, a 5.56 AR for my brother, and a 9mm Hi Point carbine for my dad.

fred333 · May 20, 2017

cantstop said:
Hornady XTP is what you want

Ditto.

Still, when it comes to sidearms, while a Mak might be a reasonable CCW option when size/cost is salient, I don't think it's the best tool for home defense. If you find yourself woken up at 3.27am on a cold winter morning with two or three drug-adled hood rats forcing their way in through your front door, each wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing, I'm not sure I'd wanna rely on a handful of 9x18 rounds to redirect their attentions away from my house. I think a more modern 9mm sidearm kitted-out with a ~30 round magazine full of 147gr XTP and a silencer would more likely allow the nights' festivities to end in your favour.

Biggfoot44 · May 20, 2017

The OP didn't ask about "ideal" home defense handguns. He already has a Mak, that he reports he can shoot competently.

His question was, could his Mak also serve as HD handgun ? Or should be leave it locked up, and rely on stern gaze and harsh words for (less bulky than shotgun) home defense .

kenpo333 · May 20, 2017

My current set up is an AR 5.7 pistol with 50 round mag and can. Wife has the fnh 5.7 pistol with 30 round extended mag. Both filled with red box leo. The fall back is if we run out of party treats is a Beneli m1 with 10 rounds of double XX. Best to have more that necessary in my opinion.

knastera · May 20, 2017

HordesOfKailas said:
I don't trust blowback for a SD pistol. The potential for awkward shots could case a FTE and end the confrontation right there on the other guy's terms.

I don't know about the pull, but if it's heavy like others are saying, that's another negative in my book.

For reference, my HD guns are a 300BLK AR pistol for me, a 5.56 AR for my brother, and a 9mm Hi Point carbine for my dad.

You won't go wrong with a Hi-Point carbine. Eats everything, except a lot of budget money.

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