Owning a Gun

Off Topic
1

So I have never been one to care weather or not I owned a gun. Never felt the need to, But yesterday someone tried to break in to my apt. luckily I was home at the time and scared the guy off. But now I feel like I need to get one, not for me so much as for my girlfriend who lives with me. I’m in the Army so I know how to use a gun and have no problem teaching her how to use one.

But it just pisses me off that now I have to go out and spend my money that I…!!!WORK FOR!!!.. b/c some mother fuck is too lazy to go out and work for his own shit. Unfortunately there is no self-defense law in NC so if you shoot and kill someone it is manslaughter and you go to jail. But I really dont care next…if there is a next time, I will shoot that mother fucker.

2

You dont necessarily have to jump right into getting a gun! although id pretty fuckin pissed off as well in your situation…but what about a dog?? german sheppard?? something along those lines, i mean if your looking at handguns, a really nice one will cost you as much as a dog haha maybe not quite, but than you can get all the great benefits of having a dog!! but thats only an option of both you and your girlfriend have time to care for a dog and all the other responsibilities that come with one…if not…than start looking for a gun! you may not ever need it again but it could give you that feeling of “security” but in my opinion a bad ass dog is better haha nobody fucks with a dog!

3

LoL I hear ya my dad said the same thing and i want to get a dog. I use to have two Rots when I was younger but it is just not possible to get a lage dog b/c my apt is not small but it ant big and its full. But I have been looking at getting a dog…a Bulldog and their not althat vishous

4

What about a baseball bat?

5

Also if not trained with a handgun, you might be better off with a shotgun, the sound of a slide action being snapped kinda sends a fair warning :slight_smile:

Also look very closely at Castle Laws in NC. Even here in the peoples republik of MD there is a castle law, but the intruded has to be presenting a deadly threat to you and/or family. Jusrt breaking in unarmed does not constitute this action tho.

6

congrats, you’re about to utilize one of our greatest rights.

7

If it is a gun that both need to use I suggest a .38cal. revolver. Have your girl take the basic NRA Handgun Class and she will be able to handle the weapon safely.

Read up on the laws concerning deadly force in NC. I believe you have a “duty to retreat” but deadly force is permitted if the attacker is a mortal threat to you and you cannot retreat. In a confined space such as an apartment don’t pursue the attacker if it happens again. Simply defend yourself from a postion of cover and fire only to stop the threat, not kill the attacker.

8

Befoe you buy any gun if you’ve never shot, but a good 22 revolver or semi automatic. If you’ve never shot, you don’t know and will not know how to shoot accurately. A 22 is very light on recoil and you will be able to shoot more accurately off the bat.

It is not a quick stopper, but it will kill.

As for a shotgun, bad idea if you’re a novice. You still need to know the hows and need to learn how to shoot it well. At close distances, the shot acts more like a rifle than what people think a shotgun will do. the shot will be very compact, so aiming is critical.

I could draw a head on the side of the police sillouhette (sp) target and hit the other head at out to 5 yards without hitting the target head. This was with OO buckshot.

You’ll also need to consider how and were you would have to shoot and penetration of walls and such. I would use birdshot if your distances are under 4-5 yards and their our peole in other apartments next door or across the hall.

So, I’d say get that dog and a 22 first. Once you learn to shoot, buy something bigger. another point, 22s cost 1pp 1-3 cents a round. Other pistol ammo is 30 cents to a doallr a round, so practice gets expensive. And you’ll need to burn 100s of rounds until you’re adequate.

9

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
What about a baseball bat?[/quote]

Sensible advice. I’d go for a cricket bat myself.

10

Good advice so far. I had someone break into my apartment once. I was studying and it surprised the shit out of me. Fortunately, I had a set of golf clubs nearby and I was able to convince the intruder to leave. I felt vioalted and it shook me up for a few days.

If you want a dog, get one. However, realize that if you get a “vicious” breed, you run the risk of incurring an unintended liability. Nothing worse than having a dog that you cannot trust around kids or non-intruders.

As far as buying a gun, I would suggest that you take your GF to the range and have her shoot a few different guns. If she is comfortable with shooting one, then have her take the NRA safety course. Then try and get her to practice. If she enjoys it, look for an IPSC club in your area. As you know, simple things like loading a gun can become difficult under pressure and IPSC is a fun way to make these things second nature.

My first choice for home defense would be a 12 gauge pump with the shortest legal barrel, cylinder choke tube and a side saddle shell holder (puts an extra six shells on the side of the receiver) with some number six shot shells. Pretty much anyone will recognize the sound of a shotgun slide and at a reasonable distance, a shotgun is almost unfair. Add to that a loud “turn on the lights” and you will probably never have to fire the gun.

11

[quote]hedo wrote:
If it is a gun that both need to use I suggest a .38cal. revolver. Have your girl take the basic NRA Handgun Class and she will be able to handle the weapon safely.
[/quote]

a .38 revolver for a girl who has never shot a gun before? I would think a .22 semi since it would be lighter on the recoil and less chance she would drop it in a panic situation.

If she’s really scared (the time she would need a gun) I would think the .22 semi would be easier to shoot because chances are she’ll need more than 1 shot.

I dunno just my 2 cents haha either are great options.

My Colt .45 revolver hurts my wrist like hell and that’s my only revolver expierence.

12

Hmmm now I think about it, anyone else worried about stray bullets?

I mean he’s in an apartment complex…someone misses with the shot it could easily nail the person next door.

13

Hence the shotgun with birdshot and shortest available barrel. Pistol shooting is hard as fuck to get good at… racking the slide on a shotgun is 9/10 times adequete… I know I’d shit my pants.

14

Go out get yourself a 12 gauge pump, buy some ROCK SALT loads or even some extremely light target loads, I dunno how high they go, do 9’s exist? I use 6-7’s for hunting squirrel. I’ll tell you, Rock Salt will seriously fuck him up, won’t go stray into someone elses apartment, and will probably knock him out but won’t kill him. If a 12 gauge is too much for your girl to handle just get a 20 gauge, very light, gets the job done, and virtually no kick.

I got my 12 gauge mossberg pump with an exchangeable Slug barrel and scope for 300$ at Dick’s Sporting goods. I’m sure you can find one cheaper than that.

15

The Supreme Court is hearing a very key case right now about our American rights to bear arms. I have lived abroad for several years and can tell you that most of the rest of the civilized world finds it rather appalling that we can easily purchase guns in the US. I have to say in most cases I agree.

Come on, man, how often do you think someone breaks into another person’s house and the owner has the time or know-how to get his gun and shoot the intruder? You would have to keep a loaded gun located close at hand. All it takes is one child (or adult, for that matter) having an accident with a gun like this to make it not worthwhile to have this “right.”

I agree with Zap. Go buy a baseball bat.

16

[quote]koots wrote:
Come on, man, how often do you think someone breaks into another person’s house and the owner has the time or know-how to get his gun and shoot the intruder? You would have to keep a loaded gun located close at hand.[/quote]

The NRA publishes a magazine called First Freedom, devoted specifically to 2nd Amendment Rights. They have a column in the mag which reports recent home invasions or muggings/kidnappings which were foiled by gun possession. It actually happens more than you might think. Also, just because you don’t agree with it, when the majority of the nation does, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a right.

As far as the original question, find a range which allows you to rent handguns, and have the GF try several different models and calibers of handgun. Once you find one she is comfortable with, then get it and start her practicing.

Don’t know where in NC you live, but Blackwater runs a 3-day pistol course, which I put my wife through before I deployed for the first time. Three days, 1500+ rounds fired. Can’t get better instruction/experience than that.

If you are concerned with possible wall penetration, look for Glaser Safety rounds for whatever gun you buy. They make them in most popular calibers(I got them in .45 for the house). The Glaser has a copper jacket, wrapped around a polymer slug containing shot. When it hits something solid, the jacket ruptures, sending the shot out. If you miss your intended target and hit a wall, the first layer of drywall will open it, the second layer will absorb the shot. If you hit your target, it will still put him down, since a sphere dissipates energy faster than a cylindrical bullet(better impact energy transfer).

I loaded the first 6 rounds in my home mag with Glaser, then followed it up with CorBon 200gr JHP, just in case(14 round magazine - Springfield 1911 double stack).

Also agree with the shotty. Everyone knows what a pump sounds like, so that will usually cause immediate evacuation(both of his bowels and the house). In my ‘dream’ 12ga, I would add a short barrel(16.5" to stay legal), gost ring sights, and a pressure-switch flashlight in the forearm, in addition to the side saddle. And don’t worry about tactics, work out a plan with the GF as to roles and responsibilities. ‘I grab the shotgun, you grab the phone, we stay behind the bed covering the door until police arrive.’ Or whatever works. Definitely don’t want to go clearing the house solo.

17

My recommendation is get that gun Jessie the body Ventura had in the Predator movie. The Gatlin style baby. Make sure to get the infrared night vision detachment. If you hear so much as a pin drop in the depth of the night commence to spraying in a full 180 degree angle until all ammo is expended. You may take a few neighbors out, but the perp will surely be dead as well.

I kid, I kid, whenever someone starts one of these threads all the Stallone types start recommending the latest and most high tech firearm and how to use it. Just kind of cracks me up.

On a serious note, you are military trained so you know what you are doing with a gun. If you need to get one to feel safer I am sure you would know how to handle it. Hopefully it will never come to you having to use it.

Take care,

D

18

agree with the rock salt shells. Also the .22 pistol is the murder weapon of choice, tap to the back of the head and the bullet will enter the skull but it will lose too much force to exit so it will bounce around in the brain ripping shit up. sounds like a good deal to me?

19

[quote]koots wrote:
The Supreme Court is hearing a very key case right now about our American rights to bear arms. I have lived abroad for several years and can tell you that most of the rest of the civilized world finds it rather appalling that we can easily purchase guns in the US. I have to say in most cases I agree.[/quote]

Would you please explain why my ability to purchase a firearm that I use for recreational/defensive purposes is appalling? Please tell me that it is not because “guns cause crime”. If they do, mine are defective.

20

[quote]CrewPierce wrote:
hedo wrote:
If it is a gun that both need to use I suggest a .38cal. revolver. Have your girl take the basic NRA Handgun Class and she will be able to handle the weapon safely.

a .38 revolver for a girl who has never shot a gun before? I would think a .22 semi since it would be lighter on the recoil and less chance she would drop it in a panic situation.

If she’s really scared (the time she would need a gun) I would think the .22 semi would be easier to shoot because chances are she’ll need more than 1 shot.

I dunno just my 2 cents haha either are great options.

My Colt .45 revolver hurts my wrist like hell and that’s my only revolver expierence.[/quote]

Crew

I use an older SW Model 10 with a 4" bull barrel to train women to shoot a handgun. Mild recoil with target wadcutters. Taught a lot of them to shoot with that handgun. They are apt students, particularly after a violent incident or break-in.

I just don’t like semi’s for folks who don’t know guns. After a bit of training maybe but the revolver is easier to learn with.

I agree everyone has a different opinion on it but all have merit.