When to use a gun?

[SanSoo Student]

Recently I've been doing alot of thinking about purchasing a handgun. If I do decide to purchase a handgun, would it be better to just keep it in the house, or carry it with me as a form of add self-defense?

[Azrael]

I've been reading some of Michael Moore's books of late, and I can't remember which book and the exact statistics (they were scary though), but based on research he conducted across America, he wrote that not only are you more likely to be shot if you own a gun (compared to if you did not), but the chances of it being your own gun (used against you) are highly likely. And if that was not enough, chances are, it will be someone you know.

It all depends on what your reasons for considering the purchase of a gun are? If your reason is justified, you hagve to consider if it will be realistic to actually use a gun in that situation? Having it locked in a safe hidden in yourt waredrobe is one thing, but concealed on your persons is another thing all together. Personally, I would never even consider obtaining a gun, but where I live here in Sydney is pretty safe.

[Black Jack]

Micheal Moore is the biggest liberal lying piece of dog vomit. Anything that comes out of that jackarse's mouth should be considered very circumspect.


SanSoo- The decision is a personal one and if the state you live in allows CCW's then I the choice of concealed carry is a viable option for you.

[Meat Shake]

I dont carry a gun, but I keep Black Jack in my pocket all the time, and he always has a gun so Im ok.

[Ren Blade]

A gun is a killing tool. If you take it out, just be ready to kill. Don't flash it or wave it to your enemy. Don't ever let your enemy know what you have or that you can even fight. Otherwise, if you're not ready to kill, don't carry it around with you. Fighting is not pretty. You will carry memories and possibly legal baggage with you after.

[Tak]

Good advice from JGF.

Whether you want to keep it in your home or carry it with you really depends on whether you think you need it for personal defense or home defense. Are you buying it because you're anticipating being attacked on the subway, or because you're anticipating someone breaking into your house in the middle of the night?

[SanSoo Student]

Thanks for the advice, I am planning to sign up for a gun safety class at my local shooting range. The reason I want the gun is to protect myself and family in case of a burglary in the middle of the night.

[Ren Blade]

Study knife and sword combat. It would compliment your gun training. Keep a knife, sword and gun close by at home. Make sure your blades are very sharp.

[iblis73]

I have had a few guns over the years. One of the most important things you can do with your gun is to TRAIN with it-get as much time in shooting it, breaking it down/putting it back together, get very familiar with it.

As stated before a gun is a killing tool. Know your local laws pertaining to carrying, conceal, etc.

Also try to integrate your empty hand skills with your gun-very important if you run into a bad guy at short range (such as running into a burglar in your house.)

Please note, that when doing non-shooting training for firearms (retention, disarms, et al) NEVER and I mean NEVER use a real gun! I dont care if its unloaded, use a rubber gun or ASP red gun instead.

[JOHNNY]

I would never personally carry a weapon on me unless I knew I was possibly going to have a confrontation with someone who is armed. I would carry it in my car or at my house just in case. Definately get plenty of training. Weapons are no joke. I seen too many accidental discharges by careless people. I am also looking at purchasing a weapon. I do have a quite a bit of training with weapons so I feel comfortable with them. You might want to practice before you purchase one. Be careful and safe and never pull it out just to be tough.
Johnny

[jjj]

Good advice all around! But be forewarned, buying one usually leads to two then three, and it is an expensive hobby! I bought a Springfield 1911, then a CZ 75, now I want a P99 QA!

Training with a handgun is a martial art all to itself. There is so much more to it than I realised when I bought mine.

One idea is to get an airsoft for training, they are modeled dimensionally the same as many popular handguns. They shoot plastic bbs plus they are fun to shoot. Its a good way to practice when you can't make it to the range, plus you save $$$ on ammo.

BTW if we were all rich like Rosie O and Michael Moron we could hire armed bodyguards and wouldtn need to worry about how to defend ourselves!

Ted Kennedys car has killed more people than my gun.

[Radhnoti]

A good site to check into, in my opinion, is:
www.guncite.com

From the site:
"In studies involving interviews of felons, one of the reasons the majority of burglars try to avoid occupied homes is the chance of getting shot. (Increasing the odds of arrest is another.) A study of Pennsylvania burglary inmates reported that many burglars refrain from late-night burglaries because it's hard to tell if anyone is home, several explaining "That's the way to get shot." (Rengert G. and Wasilchick J., Suburban Burglary: A Time and a Place for Everything, 1985, Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas.)"

Also from the site:

"Fatal gun accidents declined by almost sixty percent from 1975 to 1995, even though the number of guns per capita increased by almost forty percent.

Gun control groups and pro-control medical researchers often include "children" up to the age of nineteen and in some cases twenty-four, to inflate the number of "child" gun accidents.

The risk of being a victim of a fatal gun accident can be better appreciated if it is compared to a more familiar risk...Each year about five hundred children under the age of five accidentally drown in residential swimming pools, compared to about forty killed in gun accidents, despite the fact that there are only about five million households with swimming pools, compared to at least 43 million with guns. Thus, based on owning households, the risk of a fatal accident among small children is over one hundred times higher for swimming pools than for guns."

If you're just wanting a firearm for home protection, I would suggest a shotgun. Loaded properly you don't have to worry as much about the bullet "overpenetrating" and going through walls...perhaps hitting a loved one in another room. Also, I feel shotguns are more intuitive to use for someone new to firearms.

Best of luck to you.

*edited to correct link

[Dim Wit Mak]

My philosophy is the same as Ren Blade. I practice a layer system of defense. When I take walks, I have my head, martial arts training, a walking stick, pepper spray, and a knife. I've never had to go past my martial arts training in any situation.

If I'm roaming the boonies (which I like to do for some reason), I add my .45 to the layer.

If I hear a noise that I want to investigate, I strap on my .45 and grab my sabre or Bowie knife. The .45 is not my first line of defense, but it is there in case I have to deal with .44 magnum kung fu.

I would recommend adding a 1911A1 pistol along the lines of a .45 Springfield Army, Smith and Wesson, or Kimber to your self defense weapons. Take a class and check out the CCW law (concealed carry) laws for your state and area.

Never let the power of a firearm get in the way of common sense. If you have to go to court, you are going to have to justify any actions taken. Anyone investigating an incident is going to see what common sense was used in the situation. Make sure it is a last resort. I read about some idiot who shot at some guys dog when it came at him. Stupid first layer of defense.

[Meat Shake]

Mossberg with buckshot = too much for home protection?

[fa_jing]

Interesting post by Radhnoti. Also consider that if you own a gun, it may be because your life is already in more danger than average, so Moore's stat is misleading.

Do keep your firearms and other weapons away from children, PLEASE. That's why I don't currently own a gun - live in an apartment and there's no place that I can guarantee the kiddies won't get to. That will change once we move into a house.