Yesterday, I didn't have one. I didn't want one. But when my girlfriend calls me, hysterical, after someone attempted to break into our apartment with the presumed intent of assaulting her (all clues point to this), I'm getting a fucking gun. A loaded 9mm will be in my hands by sunset.
#Texas resident.
Don't fuck with my loved ones.
Edit: obligatory "hurrdurr relevant username"
Edit2, 1 year later: I never did get a gun. Instead, I relocated to a better neighborhood, and things have been swell ever since. Dear gunluverz - sorry for not following through on my plan of action.
Disconnected Connected Thoughts I got a hysterical call from my girlfriend in '99. I was mixing at the club and she was getting ready to go out with a girlfriend when someone tried to break into the house. They yelled and screamed and he went to the house next door where he pulled a knife off the kitchen counter and held a little Vietnamese woman hostage by holding it across her throat while SWAT tried to talk him out for five hours. No guns involved, nobody died. Did she want a gun? Yes. Was she the exact wrong person to own one? Yes. Did I own one at the time? Yes. Did I tell her? No. I bought a Chinese SKS at 18 out of the Little Nickel. The dealer lived in a trailer in the desert and had Rottweilers named after Hitler's inner circle. Back then $79 would buy you an SKS, $59 would buy you 1440 rounds of Chinese steel-core and $9 would buy you a 30-round banana clip. It was a shitty gun and shitty ammo and I mostly used it for plinking (stealing shit from Ed Grothus and annihilating it at the pumice mines). My dad knew about it, my mom didn't. I bought it because I was depressed, angry and powerless. Owning a Chinese assault rifle made me depressed, angry and powerful. I took it to college. No assault rifles in the dorms; I had to keep it at the campus police. Which was inconvenient most of the time because chinese steelcore is corrosive and if you don't clean the gun within several hours of shooting, it'll pit the barrel and your pattern ends up worse than a Mossberg 12ga, rather than on par with. Meant that there were times I was literally cleaning an assault rifle in my dorm room. My roommate's best friend was an RA; he came by one time looking for my roommate while I was cleaning. I couldn't hide it. He said "you know what would happen if I reported that, right? Since I'm not, can I hold it?" So you get sloppy and you end up with an assault rifle under your bed. Which isn't really a problem until the rival dorm sets a time bomb under your dorm such that at 2am during Finals Week you end up with about a hundred dollars worth of firecrackers and whistles going off and a bunch of chuckleheads across the canyon laughing at you. And your first instinct is to grab the assault rifle. Why? Because you're angry and powerless and a gun makes you powerful. I didn't. I had the forethought to go "these are fireworks, this is stupid" but not the forethought to go "these are fireworks, you've been punk'd" so I ran out with a claw hammer. Apparently I'm pretty scary at 2am with a claw hammer. Thank god I had the presence of mind to leave the SKS under the bed. It broke something. I realized that I was allowing my emotions to be controlled by a cheap-ass $80 piece of Chinese junk - and that the only thing that piece of junk would ever get me was prison. So the last time I went plinking I left the gun with my cousin. he may still have it; he may not. He's got an FN-FAL and a couple AR-15s and a Barrett light 50 and a Desert Eagle and god knows what else. And you know what? He's a lot angrier and a lot more powerless than I am. I was out with some buddies night before last. Friend's wife is on crutches; she's got a torn ACL. And it was 11:30 and Ventura was empty and they were hobbling across the street and some doofus in a Datsun 1600 comes screaming up, drunk, and he didn't see them so of course he leans on his horn because he's scared and pissed off and nearly killed somebody. My friend's wife is also scared and also pissed off so she started beating on the dude's hood with her crutch. So he gunned the engine and scooped 'em both up onto the hood, drove 'em about 20 feet, then slammed on the brakes. Then he drove off. Whole thing took maybe 7 seconds. I was 50 feet away for the whole thing. HERE'S THE THING There are legitimate reasons to buy a gun. "Because I'm scared" isn't one. A gun is a terrible responsibility - it wants to be used. The Sikhs have a rule - you can't resheath the kirpan until you've drawn blood. This generally keeps the sikhs from carving the shit out of people who piss them off. Not always, but mostly in the US. But they also practice like 3 hours of martial arts per day. They've got discipline. A gun will not teach you discipline. It will not make you hesitant to use deadly force. It will not de-escalate your problems, it will not simplify your life. A gun is a rhetorical nuclear option - "Yeah you maybe didn't really mean to do much but steal my liquor and credit cards but now you're dead." Yesterday, you didn't have a gun. If you had, you'd still be talking to the police. You'd be looking down the barrel of a months-long investigation at best and somebody, who has a mother and probably brothers and sisters and people who love them, would be forever dead. OR your girlfriend would have scared off the intruder. Which - let's be real - is exactly what she did without the gun. The difference between yesterday and today is today you're scared and flirting with destiny. Used to go plinkin' with a buddy. He probably had two dozen guns. I looked at them admiringly once and he said "yeah, I prolly coulda won Waco." Somebody pissed off one of his friends once. Everyone got upset. So they emptied out the rec room and went out to straight shit out. Armed standoff - 6 people on one side, 4 on the other, probably 12 weapons in the field. It's a miracle nobody died. Three of them have since, two by gun violence. My buddy? His family stopped collecting assault weapons and started collecting livestock. And the world is a better place.
Badged for all the young gun 'bl00 stories. I will consider downgrading to a bat. A nice, dense, maple wood bat.
I gotta get something tonight, which isn't easy when you've been sitting in Atlanta International for 9 hours. Update: one of the 8 infants within nose-shot has pooped their diaper. There's a rather nice tire iron in my trunk, but the geometry just isn't ideal. Anyway, thanks. For like, the 3rd time this week, on 3 different subjects.
Statistically speaking, the odds of you needing something tonight are the same as you needing something last night are the same as you needing something on any day since you moved in. The brave move is to not live reactionarily. Don't pick up the claw hammer.
I used to want a gun for self defense. Then I took a martial arts class in college. The teacher was also a police consultant. He told us: "People with guns kill people with guns. People with guns don't kill people without guns." That is, if someone breaks into your house with a gun, and you pull a gun on them, they're going to shoot you if you don't shoot them first. Fifty-fifty you're dead. They have a gun and you don't, they don't shoot you. They take your stuff. Maybe they beat you up. Maybe they even rape you. But they don't kill you. I've never worked with the police. But I'm inclined to believe him. My 2¢.
I'm in pretty good shape. My suit jacket fit is "athletic". But I'm not a big enough guy to bank on physical dominance in hand-to-hand combat, and I'm untrained in martial arts, other than watching The Karate Kid at least 20 times. I do feel like my odds are better than fifty-fifty, at least confined to a one-on-one confrontation. I've gone through all the scenarios in my head, and there seems to be a net advantage of owning a firearm. If it's just my stuff they're after, I don't really care. It's the idea of them harming the love of my life that's going to get them in some pretty deep shit.
Not talking about you here, but with many people, the simple fact of owning a gun seems to mess with their judgement. Back on reddit, there was this "AskReddit" thread about who had killed someone and how they felt about it. Two stories stuck with me. The first guy woke up and heard two men in his living room. He grabbed his gun and went to investigate. The guys who were in the process of taking some of his stuff heard the noise and one of them told the other: "Shit, someone's here. Let's get the fuck out!". At this point, one of them was shot and killed by the homeowner. The other managed to get out. Had there been no gun involved, nobody would have been hurt. Second guy also wakes up one night and there is someone messing around in his family's house. Family's on vacation. He thinks it might be his uncle, so he calls out: "Hello?". The intruder, definitely not his uncle, responds by rushing at him with a knife. Second guy turns around, runs for his bedroom, grabs his gun and manages to shoot the madman, who dies before emergency services arrive. Had no gun been involved, a perfectly normal guy would've been stabbed by an insane burglar. Moral of those stories? No idea.
Hoo boy. Where to start? I've had this talk so many times over the years I'll just go with the foot notes. Shotguns > Handguns for home defense. Know the laws. Practice shooting it, cleaning it, knowing the gun inside and out. Know gun safety like the back of your hand. Buying a gun as a reactionary measure to a traumatic event isn't exercising the best sound judgement. If you're going to have a gun for the purpose of self defense, you better be damn good and ready to actually kill and deal with all the consequences thereafter. Otherwise it's a liability and could cause more harm than good. Seriously, know the laws. Crazy as it sounds, warning shots can land you in just as much if not more trouble than straight up maiming and even killing a man. Be smart. Be safe. Have fun. Keep an eye on the lady.
So true. It's been the most intense emotional override of my brain's logical systems that I've experienced in about a decade. I grew up shooting guns, but mostly rifles and shotguns. Got my shotgun merit badge as a boy scout. My girlfriend will be trained in gun safety, use, and legislation by myself, curricula, and an instructor(s) over the course of the next few weeks. I'm not giving her a choice. Not sure if I'll go for a concealed carry permit, but probably not. In the heat of a moment, I can't tell you what I'd do. I'd hopefully assess the situation correctly and quickly, and then determine whether to shoot to wound or shoot to kill. I'm quoting this to re-emphasize for the third time, because I approve wholeheartedly. Thanks for the advice, it's a great summary. Incidentally, I just saw someone almost die in a major automobile accident on my way to the airport. Made the 911 call immediately while my uncle ran to prevent a man with a head injury from stumbling into oncoming traffic. Adrenaline reserves are running low at the moment.Buying a gun as a reactionary measure to a traumatic event isn't exercising the best sound judgement.
If you're going to have a gun for the purpose of self defense, you better be damn good and ready to actually kill and deal with all the consequences thereafter. Otherwise it's a liability and could cause more harm than good.
Seriously, know the laws.
NEVER shoot to wound. Your aim isn't that good, and your reflexes aren't that fast. This isn't Hollywood. When you take classes, you'll be taught to aim for the centre of mass, or, less likely, the heart. Shoot where you've practiced, and shoot as soon as you're aimed. If they're in your home and you live in a state with Castle Doctrine, don't even hesitate to see if they're armed. You don't have that kind of time. A human can close 20 feet in 1.5 seconds. If you can't do that, don't get a gun. Hesitating, thinking, or trying to aim fancy WILL get you killed. 20 feet. Don't take my word for it. Find an instructor you trust, and a police officer, and talk to them. In a completely different vein, you might consider looking at crime maps, in choosing an apartment. A lot of people think low income equals high crime, but it doesn't. Most cities have neighbourhoods which are inexpensive and also low crime. That's what I did when I bought a house. Worth considering, anyway. I have no idea what your income or neighbourhood crime rate is. And to echo steve, that's rough. I hope your day gets better. Have a unicode snowman → ☃determine whether to shoot to wound or shoot to kill.
'eyyyy, that's not even abominable! Thank you, for both the well wishes and the advice. I agree with everything you've said. There will be some days spent at a shooting range with my new firearm in the near future. Most of my high school friends are redneck enough to serve as introductory handgun instructors, but I'll be looking for classes to enroll both myself and my girl. I'm not worried about my reflexes, morseo hers (if you're reading this, sorry babe). Checkin' out that crime map. That's a great resource. Again, many thanks!☃
That's almost exactly why I'm here. I came knowing it would be damn near impossible to change my mind, but thought it'd make a decent community discussion anyway.
Thanks. :) It's all good. Helluva way to end a vacation.
Dan Carlin discussed gun laws in relation to the Charlie Hebdo / antisemitic attacks in France recently. He made some well thought out arguments for and against gun laws (this episode). One of the for arguments he talked about was that gun ownership can be a human rights issue, a gun acting as a device that equalizes you with all others. He used an example not unlike yours. You have the right to defend yourself with the best equipment, which is a gun in your case. While the idea itself wasn't new to me, I hadn't fully grasped that it is such a fundamental argument for proponents of gun ownership. I can understand why you'd buy one. Personally, I don't trust myself with a lethal weapon, and I do think a society without ubiquitous gun ownership is less violent and better to live in. But if I were in your situation I'd probably do the same as you.
Exactly, and this is Texas, where everyone is packin'....a gun acting as a device that equalizes you with all others.
Appreciate the sentiment of wanting to protect yourself and your loved ones, but if you do go down this route, make sure you do it right. Know the laws, take a class on how to use your weapon, know when to draw one and when not to. A friend of mine likes Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, which regularly shares interviews with lawyers and police. There's a lot of discussion about local laws, how different situations tend to look when played back to a jury, etc. (i.e. knives tend to take a surprising number of stabs to take down an assailant, most untrained individuals see 15 punctures and instantly jump to excessive use of force) If you do decide on a gun, think about if you want a concealed carry license. Others here have talked about shotguns and rifles too. In your situation, you might want something your girlfriend can grab if you decide to leave it at home. (Or both carry) Separate from a weapon, also see if you can do anything about your home security. If you can, also try talking to your landlord and seeing about installing a better lock / guards on your doors / windows so any punk can't kick your door down. Advice out. Godspeed.
Advice appreciated. I'm actually set to move out of my apartment to another city in about five weeks, so I'll be looking into portable security systems, and you can be sure that I'll have webcams on a home LAN with a loud-ass siren. But I'm still getting a gun. Most of my friends have some good weaponry, so it'll be nice to go shooting with them, as I spent a lot of my childhood hunting, shooting skeet, and around a lot of guns in general.
I'm not really sold on webcams or CCTV for security. They can help legally, post-break-in, but less so in the immediate moment of a threat. If it's a choice, I'd personally put my money on stronger entries and decent lighting... Talking to your neighbors can help too if you know the person's appearance.
I'm stuck renting places for another 4+ years, but when I'm done, I'll build a house.
I bought one back when Clinton was talking about gun reform. I had always wanted one, for end-of-the-world scenarios. Bought a .22 pistol. Don't laugh. I figured the ammo would be easiest to come by post-apocolypse, and that I could be a good enough shot to make a .22 deadly. Furthermore it wasn't deadly enough that if someone got it from me and shot me I would be ok. Double-sided logic? Maybe. I was in Florida at the time. I had to sign papers and wait three days. A few weeks later it got stolen from my house by some painters. Reported it to the police. I was so fucking ashamed that I had bought a handgun and didn't secure it enough that it got stolen, and could end up being used in a crime. The police came to my house and I told them the story. I was absolutely shocked how sympathetic they were. One of them shook his head and said in a calm sympathetic voice, "you buy a gun to protect your home and someone takes that, that's terrible." He was telling me I was a homeowner and a gunowner and that I was the same as him. I found it somewhat disturbing. Even so, I bought another gun, the same kind. I still thought it was the right gun. I used to practice rolling out of bed, taking the gun from its case, loading the clip, and shooting imaginary bad guys. I got pretty smooth at it. My first time at the range was with a Florida wildlife officer. I hit a very high hit percentage. I has a high agility score at the time as a juggler and video game player. He told me I was a natural. I shot several guns and fell in love with the 9mm. It was the perfect amount of kick, serious and enough to sting a little bit, like you gotta shoot it like you mean it. I never liked the .22 again. I sold it a few years later when I had my first child. Didn't want a gun in the house. Now that my kids are grown, I'd like a 9mm. I'd keep it in a safe. Well stocked with ammo, for the zombie invasion. Interesting Norway fact:
I live in Norway, so if I want one I need to join a gun club, take a safety course, be known by the group for at least 3 months, and have the president sign that I can buy a gun. How do you like for psychological screening? I think it's brilliant.
As a minor, I don't own one yet, but at some point in the future, I almost definitely will. They're part of the family, and I've been told that an old breach loader dating back to the Revolution will likely end up being mine. I don't really plan on firing it ever, but depending on how my life goes, I figure I may buy one myself just to use at the range, or maybe for hunting. I wouldn't want self-defense to be my main motivation, but at the same time, I don't think I'd be opposed to using it for that.
Really sorry to hear that happened, ammo. Never brushed up against any experience so violating as that, but had experiences similar enough to understand some of the sense of non-security/general offense. Would echo what rd95 said re. buying a gun as a reactionary measure. Do you expect it to happen again? And if so, do you expect enough of a grace period to learn how to safely handle and own a firearm, if there is any such thing? Have you exhausted all other precautionary options? Security system, stronger locks, automatic lights? My objection to guns is largely philosophical, so it seems wanky to expound here in light of your significant other's and your trauma. I will say that with three kids, I'm fairly certain that the risk of accidental death would outweigh the chances of 1) a home intrusion and 2) a successful fending off of the same. Besides that, can only add that I hope it doesn't happen again, and I hope never to experience anything like it either. I'd like to think that if it did, it wouldn't shake my value system, but who knows. Sorry again.
EDIT Also, and I guess this should've come earlier- what does your girlfriend think? It happened to her, after all- shouldn't she ultimately have agency over how she controls her sense of security in the future?
Thanks, fuffle. I don't know if it will happen again. My door could have been kicked in overnight, I don't know yet. I'm already very well versed in gun handling and pretty knowledgeable about the legislation. We don't own the place we're renting right now, so investing in a traditional security system is foolish and probably not an option regardless. There are other methods of security, which will be researched in full. The gun is primarily for the next week or two while I get everything sorted, and also for the unforeseeable future. I don't live in a nice neighborhood. I let my girlfriend choose the apartment, because I picked last time. It was a great deal for the facilities and square footage, but the location drove the price of rent down. She said she wouldn't mind "living in the ghetto", we joked (it's not quite that bad). Now, I doubt she'll ever say that again. Her mother, who beat the police to the scene and lives a ways across town, embraced the idea of acquiring a gun. She values her mother's and my opinion on matters above all others, and hasn't objected to my proposal, but isn't exactly excited about it. She's very soft-spoken and hates loud noises. And violence. Like I've said elsewhere, she will be properly educated.
I'm from Germany. Guns are frowned upon, so what i did is frown. How could one so lightheartedly decide to purchase a weapon for self-/homedefense? You sir just made me question my view. In my country you wouldn't need a gun, because you are not to kill someone. And that's exactly what possession of a gun for said reasons mean: I am ok with killing a human. The moment where it's allowed to use one, the opinion hardens, resulting in a higher propensity to violence. Now murder is an option for both parties. So either you decide to play along, for the sake of I-shoot-you-first or you try to limit the spread of said thoughtprocess. And btw. If your SO doesn't like the thought of a weapon it might leave her more afraid then before, I know you'r already looking into advanced home security but also consider selfdefence classes because a weapon is not the way you should feel empowerment from a poor situation. And of course I'm sorry you had to experience threat to a loved one. hope you too won't find yourself haunted by this incident
"Opposing party" was just me trying to be fancy. "The other guy" would have done just fine ;) What I was trying to say is: Not having and not wanting a gun is just fine, until someone who does have a gun wants to hurt you. I've known crazy people with guns - yes, in Germany.
I might own a gun if I had the time and money to go to get training and go to the range once a month. If you aren't going to do these two things than don't bother. There have been 3 shootings within 4 blocks of my house in the past month. One of the things that all the shootings have in common is that no one died. The minimum number of shoots fired was five. When your blood is pumping, your hands are shaking, it's dark or someone is pounding in the door can be hard to shoot straight. The only cure is to drill and train. Why do you want a gun? If the answer is "to protect my family" you have the wrong reason. The only answer, if you want to be sure that a gun will be worth your time, is "to shoot someone to death if I am threatened." Otherwise you just have a piece of metal that gives you piece of mind but which without training and deadly resolve won't be worth much if the time comes to use it. If you really want to scare off a home intruder setting off a car alarm with a FOB is your best bet. Unless you have some crazy enemies a car alarm is better than a gun, you don't have to kill anyone, you won't need a lawyer
I don't have one and if I did I'd be dead. The only time I wanted one was when maybe having enough money to get one coincided with wanting to shoot myself in the head. I don't understand wanting one for protection. Just the logistics of having a powerful weapon when you need it or easy access to it seem wildly impractical. Maybe retractable adamantium claws are practical in theory but where do you put a gun where you can easily get it in the unlikely event you need it while keeping it safe
I don't own a gun. I don't want one. I have depression, and the less ways I have to do something stupid, the better. But I do have a hunting bow, a compound one. I can't fire it into myself, but I can go hunting. I don't want to kill anybody, not even a home intruder.
I've used guns all my life. I'm a pretty good shot with anything from a .22 to an M2. I was an expert with a SAW, and used it in combat. I currently own a .357 revolver and it's a beautiful weapon. I love it. But if someone broke into my home with violence in mind, I'd probably beat the crap out of them with a rolling pin before I went for my pistol. Not because I have any compassion or mercy for home invaders, but because there is a much wider spectrum of damage that can be caused with a rolling pin. With a rolling pin (or really anything I get my hands on) I can break bones, bruise organs and crack ribs. I can decide, on the fly, whether to disable, hospitalize or kill. With a .357, they're getting shot. I can shoot for the legs, or the arm, but at the end of the day, a piece of lead just tunneled through a part of their body, and that is always very, very dangerous. You can't pull bullets like you can pull punches. You either shot them, or you didn't.
You know, I hate violence. Weapons are strangely fascinating, shooting is fun and I certainly can appreciate a well made knife. But still, I don't like violence. Unless I'm mistaken, all statistics say that in a society where guns are legal, you're far more likely to be killed by an accident (or kill someone else because of a misunderstanding or an accident) than in societies where they're strictly regulated. But, you see, I have this very vivid imagination. I can imagine a situation like the one you just lived through happening to me and my family. Which reminds me that, at the end of the day, only the criminals being armed is not exactly an ideal situation, either. I don't see the cops showing up in time in a critical situation, provided calling for help is even an option. So, yeah, I would like to have a gun. But since having one would pretty much mean getting it illegally, it doesn't seem like much of an option. I believe that if you have a gun, you should practice how to use it, how to take care of it and most importantly, how to handle it safely. It certainly would help to have the kind of infrastructure where you could teach the kids how not to kill themselves in case they find it without risking legal consequences, should they ever tell anyone about it. If I was in your shoes, though? After that situation? Gun in my hand by sunset sounds about right.
I own 3 automatics, and they're both a responsibility and a comfort. In order to be a responsible pistol owner, you must practice occasionally at the range and secure them from any possible irresponsible user when you are not around them (kids, burglars). In the event that you use one for home protection, remember that you are responsible for every bullet discharged: if you miss, or if the bullet whizzes through an assailant and keeps going, it can go through a wall or window and hit someone next door, or outside, or across the street. Hollow points will cut down the likelihood of stray shots continuing through assailants or drywall, but a stray hollowpoint will do more damage to an innocent bystander. The decision to escalate to shooting can be difficult. Even if someone has broken into your home, you are on firmer legal ground if they are exhibiting capacity or intent to harm, which can be hard to pin down in the dark and under the influence of adrenalin. Even if you are certain to be acquitted or not charged, the ordeal of an investigation is pretty draining. Outside your home with a CCW permit, the responsibility is greater, and the number of potential innocent victims higher. Brandishing your weapon to stop an assailant is possibly a terrible idea, because you have raised the stakes to gunfire without shooting, and a crazy assailant may take that as a cue to draw a weapon you didn't previously see. You are often better off only drawing the weapon if you intend to shoot immediately. And, once you start shooting, you should keep doing so. A gun, contrary to 60 years of television and 100 years of movies, is not a death ray. An adult male can take several rounds and keep going for seconds to minutes. Once the cops arrive, you will need to make sure you are not holding the gun unless absolutely necessary, and know how to deal with their questions. All of this beats being killed, or seeing an innocent person being killed, but a pistol is a responsibility. I am getting a CCW permit next month, mostly for the course; I think it's a questionable decision to carry in places where something bad might happen - better to avoid such places. I also plan to take an additional course on top of that. I have read a book on handling situations where a gunfight could arise (Ayoub, I think, but I can't remember), and it convinced me that carrying is not a simple choice.
I don't. My father in law has several and a concealed carry license. I don't really want one but my wife does. She's got a bad case of anxiety and is constantly worried about something terrible happening. Terrorist attacks, home invaders, public shooters, ragnarok, whatever. I usually carry a knife but that's about as far as I'm willing to go. Although I do think revolvers and bolt action rifles are good looking objects, speaking only aesthetically. I wouldn't mind owning a revolver, even if it's more impractical than other firearms just because I like how they look m
I don't have a gun (and as a resident of a large city in Canada, I'm pretty sure it would be pretty expensive and hard and long to get one). But I most definitely want one, maybe some day, for several reasons: It sounds like it's fun to shoot. In a last resort, it's a powerful weapon as far as civilians are concerned. And finally, guns are bloody engineering marvels. I'd get my kicks out of maintaining one.
My own views about the utility of a gun in a home defense situation were changed when I was in martial arts for a while. Sifu and I went back and forth on who wins - martial artist, vs guy with gun. Thing to remember here is the 20' rule. A human being can close 20' in the time it takes you to draw and aim your weapon. A trained human being ? 25', perhaps? Is there anyplace in your home where you HAVE 25'? But this did not seem true to me, and I didn't see myself just standing there. I figured that a trained unarmed combatant WITH a gun will beat an unarmed martial artist every time - and I'd have a better than even chance against someone who had a gun and wasn't trained in unarmed combat. So we made some training guns out of hockey tape and cardboard. And it went just like it did on Mythbusters when they tested the myth, except even more decisively. We tried it both ways, to the extent possible with non-firing weapons. He was much better than I, and even so I was able to close with him and strike decisively more often than I should have been able to. That's not something I could have done if he had not been focusing on the gun. I found that attempting to use a gun while in combat was a huge distraction. I could see training around it - but that would take a lot of training. Frankly, I'd rather have a nice bit of hickory. So, my suggestion would be to invest in a steel door and frame and polycarbonate window glass. Now people can't just causally break in and you gain the luxury of time. Now that you have that luxury, you can think about what weapons make sense to you.
My SO has a gun. I lived in Detroit for two years. If that's the future, I want someone to protect me. He has a concealed carry liscence, and carried one everyday in the army for 8 years. He wears it to his IT job. He also wouldn't hurt a fly, leads his son's bear pack, and is a kinder person than I am.
Once again, I'm thankful I live in the UK, where the criminals don't use guns so we don't need them to protect us. Of course there's no chance of that happening in the US, given how many guns are already around.
I don't think I'd own a gun, but I really want to be somewhat proficient with them. It feels wrong for me to not know more about guns. They are a politicized issue now, but they are still very real things and I'd like to at least satisfy that curiosity and just learn more about their basics.
I don't have a gun and I have no desire to own one. A gun has just never been attractive to me. Even when I see people being cool with guns on TV or on the Internet never has there been a moment when I just want to be like them and get a gun.
Sorry to hear you're having this experience. I grew up with guns of all sorts and still keep a few. We tend to live out in the boondocks where police response times are measured in hours. We also keep big dogs. We love GSD's and currently live with 2. I feel they have been a far greater deterrent than any gun. But failing that, both my wife and I are very familiar with our firearms. We understand them for the very dangerous tools they are and give them the respect they are due. We have no children (other than the GSD's) so we don't have that concern. I'd echo the other excellent recommendations in this thread for safety training. I hope this is just an isolated incident and that you will never have to use your firearm outside of target practice.
A blanket ban on guns would result in an overall reduction in ownership, of course, but the black market is always going to be there. So then, the worst type of people are the ones with gun access. It's a pickle.
I own a pretty long list both through inheritance and buying some. Going to the range used to be something I'd do on the weekends for fun but since the price of ammo has skyrocketed I've ceased that. I could do my own reloading but I've never liked the idea of black powder sitting loose. Since then I haven't taken my guns out for years minus cleaning them here and there. Contrary to what almost everyone has been saying here my family finally brought guns into our house after a man broke in while I was home alone in sixth grade. At this point I had been hunting and going to the range for about a year so my parents trusted(?) me at this point. Just my two cents. I'm really sorry to hear that happened to your girlfriend, I know what its like.
It really does change things. I'm still opposed to guns on a philosophical level, but my instincts tell me that having a gun isn't a bad idea, especially in Texas.I'm really sorry to hear that happened to your girlfriend, I know what its like.
If it's for home defense, a wooden bat is more practical than a sword. They're easier to use, can do just as much harm, and there is pretty much zero maintenance involved. Edit: Also, a good, real, sword costs anywhere from $500 to a couple grand. A bat is much, much cheaper.
I have a bat under my bed, on my side. No gun. I think I should get some pepper spray or something like that. With two small kids in the house, a gun is statistically a bad idea.
When there are more children in my life, whether my own or others', I will be looking for a means of securing the guns safely that doesn't prevent quick access. In the last three years, there has been one elementary school child that has spent perhaps 5 hours total in my living space, and never unsupervised. If anyone has input into a method of safe storage with quick access, that would be welcome.
Metal bats dent. One good hard hit and it's almost useless. A good quality wooden bat can withstand more punishment, which means it can deal out more as well. Just like guns though, if you use a bat for self defense, there are legal repercussions. So once again, know the laws.
