self defense

I now live alone after six years of marriage, and I'm thinking seriously about getting a shotgun. Of course I haven't fired a shotgun since I was like fourteen and it nearly knocked me to the ground.

Any opinions?

 

depends on where you are living alone.... in NYC I don't think you would have much need for a shotgun.

 

your far better off taking self deffence classes
havin a gun in the house will make it just more likely you'll be shot

if you do feel u need a weapon, your probly better off with a tazer or pepperspray

i preffer the opposite approach myself, i live on the edge of a pretty bad hood..and hadnt locked my door in 10+ years, and always feel safe


shotguns are big &? heavy and take time to swing around and aim
someone entering your house would have enough time to cross the room and wrestle it away from ya before u could grab it and aim it
plus like u said they got quite a kick

 

a handgun is more appropriat for home ....357 rachet in the bedroom drawer and a mini 9 or small 32 auto for purse .....alertness awareness and such are the real defence

 

I live in the suburbs. It's not really a bad neighborhood, I just get creeped out by myself sometimes. Especially after watching CourtTV.

 

I might get a revolver. My father always said that semi-automatic pistols tend to jam up.

 

well, then my advice is to quit watching Court TV. I know when I lived in Ohio I had to stop watching the local news because it was all "man found murdered in his garage" and "3 bodies pulled from the river". Now I've moved home where the new is all grain prices and hog futures... its much less frightening!

So... quit watching Court TV and take a self defence class. Maybe get some mace.. not A mace, because that would be even harder to operate than that shotgun.

 

then dont watch court tv..lol

really your safest deffence... 1 guaranteed wont be used against ya..is a cell phone and a good place to hide till help arrives

ya keep a gun, any gun..and theres the chance an intruder gets to it before you..or overpowers u and uses it against you..or..has theyre own gun, which they didnt intend to use, only scare ya with..but u pulling a gun will force em to fire...

avoiding the danger is your best bet
having self deffence knowledge and the confidence to use it if u gotta comes secondary to removing yourself from the danger

 

theres some realy good autos some with hammers and some dao s ....but you could get a lady smith n wesson 38 special for purse ...and a full size 357 with a 4 or 6 inch barrel for the bedroom ...they are both revolvers and ratchets are easier to understand ....and use ...

 

i dont have any weapons ....but if i was to be way out there...in rural areas house invasions are your prob , because nobody is around to see whats happenin ...id want a pair of para ordinance 16-40s and a holster to put both in the small of my back .[thats 34 , 40 cal rounds at your disposal ].....id like a big 454 causwell in a belly holster ...and an airweight 357 snubby in an ankle rig .

 

Well...Perhaps it's not hippy of me, but I like guns. I grew up around lots of them....NEVER EVER pull a gun unless you absolutely intend to use it...The only exception I can think of is at home when you want someone to hear that click of a pump action shotgun.
Make sure you can see the person that broke in, so you don't shoot somebody you know/love ect...
a basic guide- http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp
Stuff to remember.
The gun is always loaded.
Never point the muzzle at anything you do not intend to destroy.
Never put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
Always be sure of your target and of what lies beyond it.

Yes..If you have a good head on your shoulders, it's a good thing to have around. It's intelligent to know your laws on B&E's (breaking and entering) and when it's legal to shoot. Cooler heads prevail.

On the other hand..Some people just shouldn't own guns. I go cold and calculated with adrenaline in a crises..For me the surge of endorphins mixed with adrenaline seems to turn everything slow motion. I trust myself.
Only you can look inside and answer yourself about how you'd handle a given situation.
Some folks panic. If you are the panicky type I wouldn't recommend it.

If you are in a decent neighborhood with a good police response time then soaringeagle's advice is pretty solid. You can consider a taser, door club or something if you just want to feel better prepared.
If you opt for mace/pepper spray, follow directions, & remember to replace it before it expires.

Although, I don't see how they are getting to the gun before me if it isn't on display, & they have no idea where it's stashed?

Could you actually shoot someone if it was necessary? It's good to ask yourself that question before getting a gun.

Best wishes.

 

I agree with soaringeagle...take a self defense class. or any martial art for that matter. You wouldn't believe how MUCH that can protect you...far more than a weapon, sometimes.

 

I have a telescopic night stick, it's about 8 inchs long when it's colapsed, then when I shake it out it'd about 2 feet long, maybe longer, and steel, if I hit ya over the head with that you'd know! You can always check out ebay, they sell keychain pepperspray for about $6, easy to use, and knocks people down pretty damn fast.

 

those are a very good weapon and light enoufg to swing fast as hell
i always wanted 1 of the spring deploy 1's
i think it comes out with enough force to put someones breastbone 6 inches behind theyre backbone..at least thats what i heard..

i live in a bad crack hood, or on the edge..never feel like i even gotta lock my door ever..not in 10 years..
in all this time, id be hangin on the worse corners at 4 am, and always feel safe...except from acidental crossfire

around here, 10 year olds carry guns...
ya think another gun would make me any safer?

i'm safe only cause i know noone would shoot me
and cause i know i can talk away or take away a gun,
in robery situations, havin a gun increases the chances of gunfire..by how much? i'd guess 80% increase in the chances of bullets flyin
they dont always go where ya intend
i hear about ppl getting shot with theyre own guns all the time
and i gotta tell ya also, if u know how to take away someones gun, or use theyre own gun against them, its not that hard

 

The best way to protect yourself in your home is to make your home less of a target. Somebody looking to rob a house is going to pick the easiest house to rob.

Along those lines, prickly bushes under all your ground floor windows, a sign for an alarm company out front (regardless of whether or not you have service), and a decent sized dog are three of the best things you can do to keep your house safe.

A gun is really only practical if you need protection outside of your home, or if you are anticipating an attack from a non-random person.

 

I agree you should take some self denfense classes, these would increase your ability to stay safe even if you can't get to a gun(like if you are attacked while sleeping). However, a gun is by far your best personal protection. Just take classes and know what you are doing. Don't ever pull a gun until the moment you are ready to fire it(it is worse if it is taken away or viewed as an escalated threat), Not only do you need to visually verify your target but also the path the bullet will travel(especially in tight packed apartment type environments. Also a cell phone is a must. Truely, if you hear something in your house then the best bet is to go to a bathroom or bedroom with your gun and cell. Call the cops but don't let anyone through the door(remember visual sight first). As for the weapon of choice a quality semi will not jam on you but you must be comfortable with the additional safeties etc. Personally, I think the Contender style pistols are perfect for home protection. They are a longer pistol and don't kick much. They fire a 410 shotgun shell(so it has a spread but not so wide as to put others in danger). You can buy home protection rounds designed to stop when they hit walls or resistence. Go for the multiple pronged approach, in the end you are the only one you can count on for your safety, cops rarely show up in time even when called. Oh and dogs are another big preventer of crime, they make your house a harder target as well as make great early warning systems.

 

instead of risking your life and other innocent peoples lives around you i would suggest that you take some akito classes or go to a womens self defense class. you learn alot of very good information like : your opponents weak spots, how to take some one down in just a couple moves move, pressure points, how to best defend yourself in different situations, also i think they show you how to disarm the person and use the weapon against them. the reason i say risking your life and other's around you is that there are so many things that could happen if you shot a gun and missed, the bullet could ricochet and hit someone a couple hundred feet away, you could get disarmed and be looking down the barrel of you own gun, so many things could happen if you pull the gun out. please consider taking some sort of self defense course before you resort to a gun.

FF

 

What I have heard about guns for home defense is that pump action shotguns are best.

1)You don't have to aim much for it to be an effective defensive weapon. This is useful when you are sleepy, panic-ed, and in the dark.

2)Keeping it loaded with bird shot reduces the risk to the family dog and your kids in case of mistaking them for an intruder.

3)An intruder, hearing the destinctive sound of the pump, will be sure that your gun is bigger than theirs, encouraging them to leave without a direct confontation.

If you are going to arm yourself with deadly force, you should consult a professional IN YOUR AREA about choice of firearm, the training appropriate for you and whether another home protection option would be better.

 

Well if you do decide to get any kind of gun make sure to take all and any safety classes available and routinely go to the gun range and shoot it so you are comfortable and familiar with the weapon. Also don't forget routine care like cleaning of the gun. Just never, NEVER brandish the weapon unless you are completely prepared to shoot it. Otherwise you are in more danger having it in your home. A bold intruder will take advantage of hesitation. Are you confident you can handle a weapon like a gun without accident? I grew up around guns (my father used to be a police officer and a gun collector), but that paticular issue keeps me from having one in my home. I don't want to hurt anyone innocent.

Ever consider getting a dog? An intruder is very unlikely to break into a random home with a dog inside. They are a very good alarm system and a good friend also. It also helps you to feel more secure and less lonely with the extra body in the home, even if the body is canine.

 

Two words: Big Dog.

There are only two reasons I can see to get a gun -- 1. you seriously expect someone to get into your house, or 2. you live out in the boonies where you might have to shoot some dangerous wild animal.

Get a big dog. Train it to be a guard dog. Obviously for this you want a smart dog -- not an overly aggressive breed, but also not a dumb breed (golden retrievers are gorgeous, but most are not so bright).

My dog is only about 60 lbs., not a large dog by any means. But she barks like a fucking crackhead if someone gets anywhere near my home. There is no way that anyone would get into my house without her waking me up with more than enough time to be on the phone with 911. And, that is a huge deterrent, so even if someone is snooping around outside they are likely to pick an easier target.

I can't see ever needing a gun in the suburbs. I think that is fucking stupid. My dog is more protection than any shotgun could ever be.

An ounce of prevention (loud dog) is better than a pound of cure (as in, therapy after having blown someone's head off).