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Looking into getting a gun...

DirtMcGirk

<b>WAY</b> Dumber than N8 (to the power of ten alm
Feb 21, 2008
6,379
1
Oz
I keep mine loaded and near by.
But, I have a lot of time around guns and people who wish to introduce lead into my blood.

Fire it a lot.
Find out if you can really kill a man. Look deep, like Quatto would say.
 

worship_mud

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2006
1,464
2
the idea of buying a gun, because your a house-owner seems absurd and disturbing to me.

i know that americans have a rather relaxed attitude towards guns, but nevertheless....
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
(Ref: I am a security professional. I carry a gun on a daily basis and have one or more in my home at all times. I have a locker full at work. I protect and manage security for facilities and residences in a foreign country where home invasions happen every evening, initiated by grenades. I train other security professionals in the employment of firearms.)

It is a good thing that you're thinking about protecting yourself and those you love.

Buying a gun isn't absurd. It is, however, overall the least significant and most desperate of security measures.

There are MANY other things to do before getting a gun if you want to make your home safer, starting with making it a hard and unappealing target. This is an infrastructure thing--lights/locks/alarms/etc.

A dog is a much better deterrent and personal defense tool than a gun in many cases. Edit: Plus it's more fun more of the time.

And if you need to ask what kind of gun you need, perhaps you're not ready for one. (Edit: Not meant as an insult, just saying that broad familiarity and expertise with firearms will let you make your own decision on the matter.)

That said, buying TRAINING is the precedent for buying a gun. Good, realistic training that covers stress/combat shooting and legal scenarios. Overall, however, I believe an inexpensive pump shotgun, a mounted gun light, a ton of ammo (for practice), and professional training will best defend your life and home if the rest of your security fails or is overcome. A handgun isn't the best tool for the job.

Again, however, I stress that a gun is NOT the primary tool in your home defense bag. It could one day become the most important, but it's highly unlikely, especially if the first lines of deterrence/defense are effective.

Don't listen to the hoplophobes, but don't think a gun itself makes you safe. And, depending on the situation, it can be a huge liability as much or more than it can be the tool which saves your life.

MD

PS already a bunch of threads in the gun forum on this one
 
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MMike

A fowl peckerwood.
Sep 5, 2001
18,207
105
just sittin' here drinkin' scotch
Just shine the "nutjob" signal up on the moon and that will signal Knuckleslammer to come to your house to save you.

Similarly if you shine the "dumbass" signal up on the moon, PSP will come and crash his car through your front window.
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
Just shine the "nutjob" signal up on the moon and that will signal Knuckleslammer to come to your house to save you.

Similarly if you shine the "dumbass" signal up on the moon, PSP will come and crash his car through your front window.
*wheezy laugh, cough cough*
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
I read the first post, thats enough for me to make a response.


From what you posted, I can say...Dont get a gun.

If your looking for home defense and your toying with a 357, then you need some experience before getting a gun in the first place.

If you are insistant on getting a gun, step away from the .357 for a home defense gun. Unless that is of coarse, you want to shoot someone in your home, along with six of your neighbors.

Ok, first thing you want to do......Get your ass to a gun safety coarse, not that little test you take when purchasing a firearm, but a real glass, where they teah you how to use, how to make safe, how to clean, how to care, how to shoot, how to load, how not to blow your own foot off, and then some.

Second, if your really doing this just for home defense, PA SHOTGUN.

Think about it from the theif's PoV. You break into someones house, they wake up, they say...."I have a gun" How does that make you feel

You break into a house, you here" Hey asshole, I have a shotgun<Thats when you hear the homeowner rack a round into it, which is very disctinctive>"

The second one is Much higher likly hood of never having to use the weapon in the first place, the sound of a Shotgun racking a round is just scary as hell. Another great reason for a shotgun, you dont have to be good at it to hit your target. Best reason for using a shotgun for home defense........Your not going to acidently kill your neighbors should you need to use the weapon









If this was already discussed, great, others know this info too. I didnt read any other posts
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
Finally this thread is getting somewhere--alas, must spread rep to several people.

(On a more topical and less interesting note, the idea that racking a shotgun will scare people ****less and running from your house is specious at best, although it gets around almost as much as the myth of a .45's "stopping power...". I keep my shotgun without a round in the chamber for several reasons, unlike my semi-autos, but if I rack it it's as I'm bringing it on target, not as I suspect someone's trying to enter my house. And don't get a shotgun if you don't feel you should be as trained with it as you should be with any other weapon, patterning of shot aside.)
 
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Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
Just shine the "nutjob" signal up on the moon and that will signal Knuckleslammer to come to your house to save you.

Similarly if you shine the "dumbass" signal up on the moon, PSP will come and crash his car through your front window.
A crop dusting of mockery.

Just picture each of them looking up and noticing their respective signals...cracks me up. Even a half hour later!
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
Just shine the "nutjob" signal up on the moon and that will signal Knuckleslammer to come to your house to save you.

Similarly if you shine the "dumbass" signal up on the moon, PSP will come and crash his car through your front window.
Who will show up if you shine the "bacon" symbol?
 

scottishmark

Turbo Monkey
May 20, 2002
2,121
22
Somewhere dark, cold & wet....
If you ever decide to man-up and get a real gun, I could probably get you a good deal on one of these:



i'd guess it could work for home defense............?


EDIT: sorry how silly of me, you'll want the land based one instead:

 
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loosecannon

Monkey
Feb 29, 2008
182
0
San Diego
I read the first post, thats enough for me to make a response.


From what you posted, I can say...Dont get a gun.

If your looking for home defense and your toying with a 357, then you need some experience before getting a gun in the first place.

If you are insistant on getting a gun, step away from the .357 for a home defense gun. Unless that is of coarse, you want to shoot someone in your home, along with six of your neighbors.

Ok, first thing you want to do......Get your ass to a gun safety coarse, not that little test you take when purchasing a firearm, but a real glass, where they teah you how to use, how to make safe, how to clean, how to care, how to shoot, how to load, how not to blow your own foot off, and then some.

Second, if your really doing this just for home defense, PA SHOTGUN.

Think about it from the theif's PoV. You break into someones house, they wake up, they say...."I have a gun" How does that make you feel

You break into a house, you here" Hey asshole, I have a shotgun<Thats when you hear the homeowner rack a round into it, which is very disctinctive>"

The second one is Much higher likly hood of never having to use the weapon in the first place, the sound of a Shotgun racking a round is just scary as hell. Another great reason for a shotgun, you dont have to be good at it to hit your target. Best reason for using a shotgun for home defense........Your not going to acidently kill your neighbors should you need to use the weapon









If this was already discussed, great, others know this info too. I didnt read any other posts
Good point, I heard a story about this same situation from a buddy in AZ. someone broke into his house and before he exited his room he shouted that he had a gun and racked a round in his shotgun. He said he could hear how fast the guys feet were moving as he bailed. I appreciate the help I'm getting from this post, I'll prob take a course at the range near my house.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Get this book first, and you will know what it will take to become a responsible gun owner:

 

Riding

Monkey
Dec 19, 2006
545
0
Millis, MA
Personally with the Posting Date and the .357 for home protection comment, I thought this was an April Fools Joke. So I think you should ignore everything everyone else has said and just get a Metal Storm Handgun:
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
There's nothing wrong with a .357 that's not wrong with any other handgun for home defense (and the fact that revolvers are, overall, inferior weapons, assuming you're talking .357 mag and not .357 SIG...but I digress...). Overpenetration? Any round that'll effectively penetrate a bad guy will penetrate your drywall. The key is knowing your target and what's beyond--and not missing. Tall order under stress? Absolutely, which is why gunfights in your home are best avoided.
 

Riding

Monkey
Dec 19, 2006
545
0
Millis, MA
MikeD, Whenever I see .357 I assume .357 Mag Dirty Harry Style due to my knowledge yet lack of expertise on projectile weaponry. I always thought handguns were better for the closed quarters of houses due to their compact nature and low powder charge and that shotguns were not so big because of the long barrel. I can understand the penetration idea though with recent advances and larger bore/powder charges especially if you miss or fire a warning shot(bad idea).

I guess I'll stick to Gunfights in the street from now on.

All kidding aside, I actually have a bad feeling about the state of the US these days and hope that the recent tragedies are just a media blip instead of a sign of things to come.
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
Harry Callahan carried a .44 mag.

Handguns are weapons of necessity/portability. Always use a long gun (even a pistol caliber carbine) if available; within one's home, this is likely the case. It's more accurate and more effective.

A short-barreled long gun is best in tight confines, true. Our shotguns have 14" barrels and our 9mm submachineguns have 12" barrels; even our rifles have 14.5" carbine barrels.
 
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sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
All kidding aside, I actually have a bad feeling about the state of the US these days and hope that the recent tragedies are just a media blip instead of a sign of things to come.
As opposed to Virgina Tech? Columbine? The crack epidemic? San Ysidro McDonald's?
 

MikeD

Leader and Demogogue of the Ridemonkey Satinists
Oct 26, 2001
11,669
1,713
chez moi
minimum length in the US is 18" barrel and 26" overall.
Not quite. That's for a standard shotgun without a tax stamp. Rifles may have 16" barrels.

If you pay an additional fee, you can have shorter on either one.

Edit: Frankly unsure of the legalities with the 9mm submachinegun--in a pistol caliber I don't know if you have the same barrel length restrictions, even in a long gun. You might, however.
 
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DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Something I want to add to this thread for anyone who might be thinking about getting a gun or a knife for defensive purposes.

How do you feel about watching someone die painfully, and most likely slowly.

Shooting someone is not like it is in the movies where you shoot them, and there dead. Chances are, yo fire off ten rounds<assuming your using a Semi Auto and you live in California> because part of the panic is to fire till it stops going bang, you hit him/her once in teh leg, once in the abdomen. The leg is a non fatal wound, while the abdomen perforats the liver. They dont just fall voer dead. You get to sit there watching them die slowly and painfully.

Its not really asking your self if you can take a life, but its asking yourself if you can take it in this mannor,a nd still live with the memories coming back at random times.
 

MMike

A fowl peckerwood.
Sep 5, 2001
18,207
105
just sittin' here drinkin' scotch
Something I want to add to this thread for anyone who might be thinking about getting a gun or a knife for defensive purposes.

How do you feel about watching someone die painfully, and most likely slowly.

Shooting someone is not like it is in the movies where you shoot them, and there dead. Chances are, yo fire off ten rounds<assuming your using a Semi Auto and you live in California> because part of the panic is to fire till it stops going bang, you hit him/her once in teh leg, once in the abdomen. The leg is a non fatal wound, while the abdomen perforats the liver. They dont just fall voer dead. You get to sit there watching them die slowly and painfully.

Its not really asking your self if you can take a life, but its asking yourself if you can take it in this mannor,a nd still live with the memories coming back at random times.

And think about what it does to the carpet!!
 

macko

Turbo Monkey
Jul 12, 2002
1,191
0
THE Palouse
I just woke up at 3am to automatic gunfire in the neighborhood. Fantastic. Thought about going to armory, breaking out a selection of weapons, and protecting the household. Instead I just let the dogs out to pee and am back in bed waiting for my alarm clock to go off.

By the way I wanted to recap a little story. Phx has been hit hard by in terms of realestate and a lot of homeowners who rent their properties are foreclosing on them and meanwhile, not telling their renters. About a month ago a locksmith was commissioned to change the locks on a home that was foreclosed upon. As he began changing the locks out on the front door, the renters who were unaware got their gun and fired a shot through the front door.

Luckily the locksmith was only hit in the hand. But could you imagine how that guy would feel if he had killed some dude just doing his job?