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Posted: 8/9/2026 10:37:56 AM EDT
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I live in a nice part of a ghetto city. Now that public transportation is free, the trash has made its way to my doorstep. I spend a lot of time in my garage and have had more and more encounters with the methed out, schizophrenic human detritus at my driveway. I’m looking to buy a gun for my garage that is cheap, goes bang every time, and won’t hurt my feelings if it gets damaged. Not looking for anything tacticool with a zillion lights or lasers but something simple and reliable that can work out to 50-100 feet. I’m not set on any type of weapon. What should I buy? |
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The one that's in the holster you are carrying? Now if you want a shotgun, a maverick 88 is cheap, reliable and plentiful. Picked up a well loved field model for $100 some years back. Chopped it to 18" and duracoated all the metal, it worked out great as a beater shotgun. Otherwise, a PD turn in Glock/M&P of some flavor maybe or a cheap Glock knockoff like a Dagger or similar? I pieced together knockoff G19 really cheap using an SCT frame and blem parts from AIM's deals table. Might be into it for $250 and it functions just fine. It's my "toolbox" gun because I don't care if anything happens to it and sometimes if I'm down rolling around on the floor working on something I don't want a holstered handgun. |
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Do you not carry concealed at home? That’s the easy answer. Can you implement some additional security measures at home like a full fenced in yard with gate on the driveway? Can you pay off duty police officers to patrol your neighborhood and remove the riffraff? This is a common option in metro areas and if everyone in the neighborhood pays for it, the cost to each home is not bad at all. Finally, you make it a major hassle for the miscreants who show up in your neighborhood, so that they realize it’s not a place they want to be. |
| I'd have a pistol on me and a shotgun in the garage. Any possibility of fencing this driveway area or putting up some kind of barrier? |
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never underestimate the stupidity of other people
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Originally Posted By JoshNC: Do you not carry concealed at home? That’s the easy answer. Can you implement some additional security measures at home like a full fenced in yard with gate on the driveway? Can you pay off duty police officers to patrol your neighborhood and remove the riffraff? This is a common option in metro areas and if everyone in the neighborhood pays for it, the cost to each home is not bad at all. Finally, you make it a major hassle for the miscreants who show up in your neighborhood, so that they realize it’s not a place they want to be. I have a 34pd in my pajamas right now. that's the easy (though not inexpensive) options. Also if you're in GA I'll make you a deal on a maverick |
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| 870 all day long. |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
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Originally Posted By douglasmorris99: USED MOSSBERG SHOTGUN USED REMINGTION 870 CHEAP CHICOM KNOCK OFF OF THE ABOVE? My first thoughts exactly! A $250 12 gauge will repel plenty of ill intended meth heads... |
If a 147 grn 9mm at 1000 FPS is the hammer of Thor then a 165 grn. 40 at 1200 fps must a lightening bolt from Zeus!
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If you're going to carry a long gun, it's hard to beat 00 buck from a 12 gauge out to 40-50 yards. Police surplus, whatever. Just train with it, running a shotgun is a more perishable skill than a lot of other gun stuff in my experience. If you need to be more discrete, a reliable 9mm pistol of choice with training is the cheapest realistic option. Much of this planet chooses the Glock 19 or its clones and derivatives (heck, PSA Dagger) if you need something that will work, not be comically large, or unneccesarily ugly. |
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Originally Posted By BULLDAWG_556: 100% of home invasions occur in the home. Find (if you don’t already have one) a small handgun that you can carry around all day, then grab a used 500 to secure in the garage. Make sure it’s secured so you don’t get robbed with your own gear. Not the sexy answer, but I’m guessing you already have at least a gun. If you have already assessed an elevated risk in your environment maybe invest in fence/gate/camera/dog upgrades. |
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First keep the garage door closed and the man doors locked. Open garage doors are a lowlife’s invitation. I had a shitty neighbor where I used to live. If I had the garage door open like mowing the lawn or something he had a tendency to visit (unwanted) and it was obvious his roaming eyes were taking inventory. Fortunately I also had an old lady neighbor in my duplex that was as good or better than an electronic security alarm. She was a classic Gladys Kravitz. I grew up on the edge of a city so I was already trained to lock doors and close blinds. |
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Originally Posted By douglasmorris99: USED MOSSBERG SHOTGUN USED REMINGTION 870 CHEAP CHICOM KNOCK OFF OF THE ABOVE? This. I have one in the garage propped up next to an insulated HVAC pipe. Looks like it's part of the HVAC system. |
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Any opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect upon any agency or organization with which I may be employed or affiliated.
Any opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect upon any agency or organization with which I may be employed or affiliated.
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Originally Posted By xXNuggettXx: I’m looking to buy a gun for my garage that is cheap, goes bang every time, and won’t hurt my feelings if it gets damaged . . Will your feelings be hurt if it gets stolen? Because if you leave a gun in your garage unattended, that's what's going to happen. A burglary is a FAR MORE likely scenario than an armed confrontation. |
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| get a police trade in glock and wear it on your hip. odds are, even if your in your garage when you need a gun, it will be too far away or take too long to access. |
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Originally Posted By NvrBrdWes: get a police trade in glock and wear it on your hip. odds are, even if your in your garage when you need a gun, it will be too far away or take too long to access. Sound advice. What happens to a gun that's easily accessible when a person walks away or goes to the bathroom? |
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Originally Posted By thebert: I bough a few police trade S&W M&P 1.0's a few years back. Got them for like $225 apiece. Have them stashed all around the place indoors and out. I have bought half a dozen LEO trade-in S&W M&P (a mix of .40 and 9). In every single case the trigger blade safety had no spring tension and failed to function!! I had to replace all of the triggers! Add the price of a new trigger to the paid price for the pistol and not the bargain I expected! |
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Another vote for your EDC because you aren’t able to choreograph how your own emergency goes down. Otherwise, you better hope you can make it to the stashed gun. |
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There is a time when your neighborhood swings over to the hood side of things . Fences and barricades are good along with firearms and dogs but at some point the situation will turn to "getting out of dodge" In this thing I would feel better with both shotgun and pistol so I could pick and choose as the situation develops. The shotgun has overwhelming power but the rate of fire can be somewhat slow and reloading can be somewhat slow. A AR has a much better rate of fire and reloads slicker than shit |
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Get a cheap gun locker style safe for whatever you decide. I would either go with a basic M4 clone assembled from PSA parts when on sale, or either a leo surplus shotgun, or the Maverick 88, H&R Pardner thats a chicom 870 clone, etc. I would prefer an AR personally. |
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Go to pawnshops and look for a really old Remington 870 from the 60s-'80s. Work the action. The old ones are smooth. Look for an Improved cylinder barrel, if possible. Pay no attention to the stock as long as it is not cracked. You want a rust free action and barrel, shiny bore. A ratty forestock and butt stock will drive price down. For your purpose that doesn't matter. You can always strip and refinish. Get and install a magazine extension. Load it with full power 2-3/4" Federal Flight Control 00B. (you could go down as low as #1 Flight Control, if you can find it). Find a place to hide it in the garage, preferably on a high shelf that children cannot reach. Keep your garage door down and locked, but know how to get to it quickly when you have the door open. |
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The crappiest nastiest looking fully functional shotgun you can find. This may be an old single shot or double. You can paint something to look like a complete piece of shit as well. Fully functional is the key. An old single shouldn't be overlooked. A cheap imported double. Friction tape the stock or forend or both. Paint it rusty sprinkle dirt on it. I also like the idea of a broken decoy in that one post. |
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