Great day for gun rights!

[Coon]

Originally Posted by gh

Coon, to be honest your odds go up of being killed with a handgun if you own one. I think buying a weapon is something not to be taken lightly and you should think it through. You honestly have to know that given the right (bad) cirumstances that you would have to use one to defend yourself that you would actually feel that you could kill someone. If you do this and dont feel like you could then dont buy a gun. Dont ever buy one to scare people, it just doesnt work out. Tasers dont have the same success ratio as guns(yes I know that doesnt sound good) but they have definitely improved. I highly suggest that you go to a good school to learn to use whatever weapon you decide to buy or use if you go that way. Also some type of safe or locking system is a great idea and depending on your home environment is downright necessary.

GH::::

I appreciate the advice. I realize this is a complex subject and I certainly wouldn't take it lightly. Hence, the reason I still don't have a weapon.

When I lived in Montana I resided in a cabin in the wilderness and I use to shoot guns quite a bit.
I shot my first buck with an open sights Winchester 30 * 30. Old school style, nothing like the new fancy hunting guns.

Of course I would NEVER want to cause harm to anyone for no reason.
But if someone breaks into my house with the intention to hurt me or my loved ones....
I would do whatever necessary to protect myself and if that involves killing them, then it is what it is.

I've done some research on Tasers and I'm just not that convinced. I have a few concerns about them:

1. 30 seconds is not a lot of time to get to safety.
2. It seems even with an accurate shot, big guys can still move around and possibly continue to attack.
3. Only one shot or I'm in deep do-do if I miss.

I still don't know what direction I'll go in.
I like to pretend my dog would protect me but honestly he'd probably wag his tail @ the perp.

Anymore suggestions? Alternatives to tasers or Guns?

~julie

[Snowhere]

A spent a few years in Alaska and in the bush we would carry the 12 gauge Mossberg, pump action, six shooter. We would have the first cartridge 00buck, followed up with 650gram, 3" magnum slugs. The idea being you could use the 00buck as a warning shot, more to make noise then anything. Then you had the slugs after that. We only expected to have one shot if the shit hit the fan. Truth is, if you are smart about yourself in bear country, you should not have a problem.

How this applies to home protection is you can only expect to get one shot off in a high adrenalin situation anyway. Assuming your dog is not a punt dog, he/she will do more to keep you safe at home anyway. Someone trying to break in will retreat and go elsewhere if they here a decent size dog barking and growling. They will have no idea the size of the dog, with the exception of foo-foo size dogs, and just will not want to mess with you. At that point, you will have time to use a gun as back up.

In bear country, way up north, my Aussy would always position himself in-between the bear and me. He would never engage the bear, just be there letting the bear know we were there. The bears would then detour around our camps and we never once needed to resort to violence. Just the same I will still take the 12 gauge with me on my next Alaska adventure. Better safe then sorry.

[Theophilus]

Originally Posted by Snowhere

For a progressive, closet hippie (cut my long hair when I took the Professional type job), I own too many guns.

Impossible.

[gh]

Actually I would have no problem and have thought about the idea many times to sell the handguns and buy a pump shotgun. For what I want a gun for there is probably not a better weapon in the world.

Yep, the taser just isnt effective enough to put my life on the line for it. I have seen guys on youtube shooting each other for fun.

[dgosn]

A pump shotgun has an unmistakable sound. IF someone doesn't stand down after hearing a shell being chambered then they are stupid or high as a kite and need taken out. A shot gun is also accurate as hell at short range. Unfortunately should you have to shoot an intruder inside the house you might as well call a dry waller after the police. As young dumb kid I ruined a garage door from about 60 feet, left about an 6 foot pattern.........

Getting a gun for self defence is a pretty dangerous endeavor unless you are comfortable operating a gun, and feel that you will accurately use it. I feel that of you pull a gun on someone you had damn sure be ready to shoot them, pointing a gun you dont intend shooting is more dangerous than surrendering in my opinion

scott

[RDNEK]

I only own a few guns... A custom shop smith .45 auto that I carry when I am on extened bowhuniting trips.. A .308 remmington custom LTR with 4-14 leupold optics for deer and speed goats.. Deadly to 750 yds.. A 12 ga under and over shotgun for what ever... And a AK 47 just for kicks..

My next gun will be a DPMS .308 w/26" barrel, all tricked out and topped off with a nightforce 5.5 X 22 by 50 mil glass... Or a custom shop .338 lupa w/26" barrel and the same glass.. Hard kicks and 1200+yds or easy shootin out to 750 I cant decide...

I bowhunt for elk with a long bow so that is kinda a gun..

For house saftey I have a 12 ga benelli autoloader it holds 8 or 9 shells and it is loaded with 00 buck... I will never need it and like others have said for that given situation there is no better wepon...

[gh]

Damn, thats a nice shotgun

[Jay H]

Originally Posted by Coon

You know, I've debated purchasing some sort of weapon for several years, and I always come back to worrying that someone could use it against me.

But I think I've watched too many scary movies, because sometimes I do feel unsafe and wish that feeling would go away.

Maybe I need to be hypnotized..?

What do you guys think about owning a Taser?
Why are their so many crazys out there?

~julie

I went thu some similar deliberation a few years ago after having 2 bikes and several tools stolen from my garage, but the final straw was when my neighbor's house was broken into thru the basement window and they cleaned him out--and this is in a nice littleton neighborhood...

so I went to gun shops, looked at lots of guns, asked questions, read a zillion internet forums and websites--I finally settled on a remington 870 defense shot gun, and i also load 00buck, then slugs--no question, I want all the stopping power i can get.

then for a handgun i also bought a springfield, mil-spec .45--mainly for price, but i'm not super-happy with it because it jams w/ hollow points--not what u want in the middle of the night--

--and after that usgs worker was murdered in fairplay a year or 2 ago, i take the .45 camping with me, and i carry unconcealed in the nf--not certain on the legality, but--not concealed, not np, so i think i'm ok--i still need to confirm, and i do intend to get a concealed carry permit.

the main thing i would advocate is to practice a lot, and to get absolutely familier with your firearm--I can break down and reassemble my 870 and my .45 practically blindfolded, and i practice shooting at the range as much as i can...this is essential though--to be completely familiar and knowledgable with your firearm's operation so there is no fumbling when you really need it

I also flew with my .45 to AK --i agree that was quite an experience in the post 9-11 world! what was really amazing tho was my gun was in a locked case, and security was still able to open the case--they left a little inspection card inside--kind of unnerving...

My next gun will be a .357 magnum-- the .45 wouldn't have been much use against a 800 lb bear! --but that was all i had...then a remington 700, then a mossberg 500, than a...

[Theophilus]

Originally Posted by Jay H

My next gun will be a .357 magnum-- the .45 wouldn't have been much use against a 800 lb bear! --but that was all i had...then a remington 700, then a mossberg 500, than a...

Actually the .45 is better. I lived in Alaska for 12 years and the first thing guys do when they arrive is sell their .357 and there's just no market for them there. Lot's of .45 long colt revolvers, 45/70 Carbines, or shotguns like the Mossberg 500 and the 870 outfitted a pistol grip and slugs. In 12 years though I never had an issue with a bear. Plenty of encounters where I left them alone and they left me alone. We've salmon fished were they were on both sides of the river.

[caspermike]

what trade the .45 for a .357? please expain why the .357 is better?