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Purchasing a Gun
Kraetus
Registered User new member
Registered User new member
Hello,
I figure it's time to flex my Second Amendment rights, so I am considering buying a gun.
This would be solely for the protection of my home and those in it. Some background information:
I'm betting there are some knowledgeable gun aficionados on this forum, so I'm wondering if I could get some suggestions based on the aforementioned criteria.
I dislike the idea of trying to fiddle around with a gun locker in a critical situation, so I imagine a gun lock is probably what I need. This is obviously a serious topic, but neither I nor any of my friends have much knowledge here, so any help is appreciated. Thanks!
I figure it's time to flex my Second Amendment rights, so I am considering buying a gun.
This would be solely for the protection of my home and those in it. Some background information:
- I'm 25 and have never owned anything bigger than a pellet gun that I had as a child.
- I know next to nothing about real guns, except what I've "learned" in Counter-Strike (heh).
- I don't need a hand cannon or anything elaborate either--what I'm looking for above all is a solid gun that is easy to use, easy to load, and easy to hit something with (in order that my girlfriend could also use it effectively in a dangerous situation)
- She and I plan on taking a safety course as well as firing range training or whatever.
I'm betting there are some knowledgeable gun aficionados on this forum, so I'm wondering if I could get some suggestions based on the aforementioned criteria.
I dislike the idea of trying to fiddle around with a gun locker in a critical situation, so I imagine a gun lock is probably what I need. This is obviously a serious topic, but neither I nor any of my friends have much knowledge here, so any help is appreciated. Thanks!
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I don't want to turn this into a debate, but wtf?
I'm British though, so this stuff is alien to me.
I have carried a gun since I was 21.
Whats the confusion about. I even carry my gun into banks
Honestly TheBana, this is the kind of discussion that we Europeans should stay out of as there are radically different cultures about guns.
After you've done all that, get a shotgun for home "defense". You might want to get a cheap 22 rifle to learn to shoot though.
Anyways, I'd second the suggestion of a glock, also one of my girlfriends recently bought a .22 pistol, not sure the make/model but she seems to love it. Definitely take safety classes and definitely spend more than 1 day at the range with it.
*sigh*
You can carry a gun at all times, either concealed or visible, with the right permits, but not in certain places like hospitals and schools.
Since you don't have any firearms training (pellet guns don't count, but they're fun) I would suggest a smaller caliber. 9mm is the lowest I'd go for home defense, and the recoil will be more manageable than say .45. There are plenty of 9mm semi-autos out there that will fulfill your needs. Keep in mind you also need magazines and ammunition. There are really two different types of ammunition: Self defense, and training. Ball ammo is typically cheap and useful for target practice. Hollow points are more expensive, but have better expansion when hitting something (making bigger holes, causing more damage).
I recommend you try out some different 9mms before you make your final choice. I can't recommend the Glock 19 enough. It's mid sized, holds 15 rounds, is easy to operate, and is pretty much the best all around pistol I can think of. Other good manufacturers are Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson M&P, Springfield XD, Beretta, and CZ.
Concealed or visible depends on the state. You don't need a license in 2 states I think? Alaska is one and I don't know the other.
You don't want something in the way when you have to shoot someone. Cops guns don't have them such as the glock.
The safety is in the fact that it takes 10 pounds to pull the trigger with a bullet in the chamber.
You mean something like this..
Pretty easy though from my understanding. But yeah just get a regular shotty.
Fair enough, if the law permits.
Sounds ridiculous to me, but hey. We just sip tea all day and watch the Queen give speeches. Pip Pip.
I'll leave this thread be now.
It's very possible to miss your first shot in a home defense situation. It will be much harder to quickly fire an accurate second or third shot if your shotgun does not have a stock.
Also, shotguns are great for taking down zombies.
Always remember, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.
But if you are shooting in very close quarters, the stock just gets in the way of what would otherwise be an easy kill.
I keep a combination trigger lock on mine. I can get it ready for use within 5 seconds and that way I don't have to worry too much about having a loaded gun in my house.
Kids?
For home defense you should know the territory well enough to not need a lamp to walk through your house, shotgun in hands. Having a bright light just makes you a more visible target.
Shotguns are not like in the movies, where you just point in the general area and fire, in a tactical home engagement there is not going to be much spread so you will have to learn to aim with it even with buckshot.
I would personally favor a shotgun over a pistol for home defense.
Ideally for a home defense situation, you would want it to end without you actually firing a shot, and here is where having a shotgun comes in handy...(specifically a pump-action)...any shmuck who's been around for a while knows the sound a pump-action shotgun makes. The KA-CHAK sound the action makes when it's ratcheting a round into the chamber is enough to soil anyone's pants, and you've got the actual shotgun to back you up should that sound not actually scare them off.
Anyhow so yeah, that's my .02, shotguns definitely, and a Mossberg 500 is a fantastic starter shotgun that can be had for about 200-300$ and can be upgraded to however you like.
Wud yoo laek to lern aboot meatz? Look here!
Saiga 12 w/ folding stock?
Kidding. Just get a Glock.
For less than Four Hundred Dollars you can get a Mossberg with an 18 1/2 inch barrel and a pistol grip. It's perfect for home security if you aren't sure you could hit someone with a pistol.
A decent basic pistol course will allow you to ask a lot of questions as well as cover things like your state's particular laws as well as briefly handle a variety of things. Anything that is going to be in your hands when used is going to be a very subjective thing.
There are shooting positions/grips that get around this, sometimes by firing from a position where the stock isn't shouldered.
On another forum, I read a story of a guy who was given a 1911 magazine that an elderly woman's husband had used in WWI. It had sat loaded since the early 1900s and worked fine when the new owner tested it. I'm guessing it's probably not a problem as a result outside of a few specific cases (ie. Saiga shotguns where the top shell can get squished.
Birdshot is basically inconsistent. Sometimes it stops an aggressor but not always. When it does, it appears to normally be from not liking the idea of getting shot with anything. Inconsistency is not something you want in a defensive situation.
At defensive ranges, the spread of buckshot is about the size of a child's fist IIRC. It is definitely not the cone of death in movies or video games. I read an account of an officer who had to use one on an attacking dog not too long ago where it didn't stop the dog despite solid hits.
There are advantages to either depending on the situation. Best bet for the OP is to handle different things and see what feels right.
As long as you stick with a reputable company, it's hard to buy something that won't perform well.
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Definitely not a cone of death. At 5-10' its about 3", but at the 10-15' range you're looking at an impact area of 5-9" across. Thinking of taking a shot across a room or down a hall and I consider that getting into that 10-15' range.
Regardless of the home defense weapon chosen, it needs to be handled and practiced with if you're going to bother having it.
That's terrible advice. You need to have a light for threat identification. A lot of states have the Castle Doctrine, but even so, many require the threat of death to justify a shooting. You need to see if that person is an intruder and not your brother who has a habit of letting himself in, or if that's a gun/knife in their hands or a cell phone.
The list of pros for having a light far outweighs the reasons for not having them.
if your house is dark enough at night that you need a light on your weapon, You are probably looking at the reason why someone chose your house to break into
I have freakish night vision and live right next to a bright ass street light and could probably navigate my house blindfolded. I still have lights on my home defense weapons. I know we're all ninjas when we get woken up at 2 in the morning, but I guarantee you putting a light on your weapon or in your hand will not take inches off your dick. If you ever have to go in front of a jury, and the prosecutor reams you for not having a $90 light on your $600 gun you'll wish you had one.
Has nothing to do with being a ninja dumbass, it has everything to do with putting a huge fucking target on your chest. Gee, I am breaking into this dude's house and I see a bright light coming down the hall, I wonder if I am alone?! Gee, I wonder which direction I am gonna shoot, gosh, this dude made it easy for me to shoot at him without even needing to see him clearly! Awesome! Well lit dead home owner sitting in a pool of his blood, guess I should bail now.
You aren't the freakin SWAT group going through a house, you are one person and no one has your back. You really want to make yourself a target, be my guest, I would prefer to live another day.
lol, and sitting in front of a jury? The perp will be dead and I will be saying that I thought I saw a gun in his hand. You think any jury is gonna convict? Dead people don't testify.
Agree with Rocket on this one. Not only are you going to be able to tell whom is actually in your house but its one less thing for a jury to draw into question when you're up on the stand. You're still charged initially in a self defense situation even if you are completely in the "right"
Another benefit to having a light is the lack of sight the other person has with a light in their eyes. They will know where the light/gun is but unless you're standing square to them (which you shouldn't do) they won't know exactly where.
You're imagining someone running down their hallway with the light on. It would be a better use of tactics to wait until you see the intruder with the naked eye before you illuminate them. Being partially blinded and the ratcheting sound of a shotgun will deter most ppl.
Unlike the movies people are far less likely to open fire when a gun is already pointed at them.
*Edit*
To answer the initial post. If you plan on carrying concealed, stop at a local gun shop and handle some that fit your price range.
.22 = great for practice shooting, no recoil and ammo is very inexpensive.
9mm = Good middle road, some recoil, usually a large magazine capacity, and ammo is readily available
.40 = Step up from 9 but smaller than .45
.45 = More recoil, smaller magazine capacity, but more stopping power
If you just plan on getting something for home defense, a shotgun might be a better option. For novices the spread will help w/ accuracy and as stated before, the persona and sound of a shotgun aids to the deterrence. You may not even have to fire a round.