34 Best Rifles for Home Defense

Long guns are arguably superior to pistols for home defense purposes. The added control that you get with three points of contact on a weapon provide a more stable, accurate, intuitive and familiar operation which can lead to more effective use. While shotguns provide incredible energy on target, the recoil and the low capacity might not be the best choice for less-experienced gun owners.
If you're considering a rifle for home defense, there are some things you need to consider. Houses have lots of corners and doors, and navigating through them is difficult with long firearms. Most instructors will tell you that anything over 36" long is too long to be effective. The shorter, the better. You also need to consider collateral damage. Bullets can easily go through the drywall and lumber that make up the walls of your house. If you live in an apartment, using a rifle can cause plenty of safety issues for your neighbors. Make sure you train.
We gathered a list of rifles chambered in calibers from 9mm and .45ACP up to 5.56 and 7.62x39. All of these rifles take detachable magazines and most can accept 20+ round capacities. Some of them are Short Barreled Rifles (SBR) which are federally-regulated NFA items.
Using the arrows, vote guns up or down to let us know which guns you would consider for home defense!

From $749.00

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Beretta CX4 Storm

The Beretta Cx4 Storm is a semi-automatic blowback-operated pistol caliber carbine chambered in 9mm, .40S&W or .45ACP and is fed from Beretta 92FS and PX4 magazines. This futuristic looking carbine o... read more

GunCritic Score

97%

User Rating

99%

#19

Best Pistol Caliber Carbine

#33

Best 9mm Rifles

#44

Best Pistol Caliber Carbines

From $993.88

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Ruger Mini-14

Factory New Ruger Mini-14 GB Police Specifications .223 Collapsable stock Adjustable ghost ring sight Blade front sight with side guards 16" Barrel Garand Type Safety read more

GunCritic Score

95%

User Rating

99%

#35

Best AR15 Alternatives

#34

Best AR15 Alternatives for Competition

#24

Best Rifles For Home Protection

From $477.49

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Kel-Tec Sub-2000

Pistol caliber carbines have been the rage for more than a few years now. If you didn't already know, there are many good reasons as to why the demand for these guns continue to grow every year, some... read more

GunCritic Score

92%

User Rating

99%

#24

Best Takedown Rifles

#47

Best Pistol Caliber Carbines

Best Pistol Caliber Carbine

From $1270.75

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Troy M7A1

FINISH: TAN read more

GunCritic Score

100%

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99%

From $627.03

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TNW Aero Survival

The TNW Aero Survival Rifle is a semi automatic pistol caliber carbine. It is a great choice if you want to only stockpile a single caliber, and is very effective at longer ranges than your sidearm. M... read more

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100%

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99%

From $1701.02

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Steyr Arms AUG A3 M1

Steyr AUGM1BLKH AUG A3 M1 Semi-Automatic 223 Remington/5.56 NATO 16\" 30+1 High Rail Synthetic Black Stk Black The iconic bullpup-style Steyr AUG has been one of the most recognizable rifles in the wo... read more

GunCritic Score

93%

User Rating

99%

#25

Best AR15 Alternatives

#23

Best AR15 Alternatives for Competition

#42

Best Modern Sporting Rifles

From $1614.99

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SIG Sauer MPX SBR

CLASS 3 ITEM NFA RULES APPLY Product Description Sig Sauer, MPX, Semi-automatic Rifle, 9MM, 8" Barrel, Black Finish, 30Rd, Telescoping Stock, Key Mod Handguard Product Specifications UPC Code: 7986815... read more

GunCritic Score

100%

User Rating

99%

#27

Best 9mm Rifles

From $2204.80

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SIG Sauer MPX PCC

The MPX line from Sig Sauer is versatile enough to adapt to any environment you may find yourself in. It features an unconventional design to match its unrivaled performance. Rigorously developed and... read more

GunCritic Score

100%

User Rating

99%

#10

Best Sig Rifles

#15

Best Pistol Caliber Carbine

#30

Best 9mm Rifles

From $2661.11

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SIG Sauer MCX Virtus

Conceived for the demands of the Special Operations community, the MCX VIRTUS from SIG SAUER is engineered for adaptability, accuracy and longevity. Cold hammer-forged 16” barrels are user-changeable... read more

GunCritic Score

100%

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99%

Best 300 Blackout Rifles

Best Sig Sauer

Best Sig Rifles

#28

Best Assault Pistols

From $1933.75

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Zenith Z-5

Product Description Zenith Firearms, Z-5 Rifle, Semi-automatic, 9MM, 16.1" Barrel, Black Finish, Fixed A2 Stock, 30Rd, Includes 3-Lug-Mounted Flash Hider, Plano All Weather Rifle Case, 2 Extra Take-Do... read more

GunCritic Score

100%

User Rating

99%

#27

Best Pistol Caliber Carbines

#32

Best Women's Rifles

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