Should I get a firearm for my new townhouse?

[Vic]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
The difference is that here the majority of firearms are locked up inside a gun cabinet and used for hunting or sport, not proudly displayed in the back of Jim-Bob's truck cab or in D-Bo's glove box awaiting a drive-by.

Ooohh... way to argue like a moron. :roll:

A gun kept in the house for self-defense != Jim-Bob's gun rack.

Originally posted by: brigden
You're talking out of your ass. There are 2.3 million registered firearm owners in Canada. On a per capita basis, there is a 40% ownership in America, versus 20% in Canada. That's half, in case you were trying to do the math.

Sorry, my source was Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine".

 

[Amplifier]

Yes.

 

[Cawchy87]

Why anyone conisiders a gun protection is beyond me.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Why anyone conisiders a gun protection is beyond me.

Have you ever thought about being able to shoot an intruder?

 

[Grunt03]

I am thinking about a short-barreled shotgun for home protection. Good idea?

good to go until you have to use it and once you pull the trigger it will put the bad guy all over your walls, carpet etc.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Why anyone conisiders a gun protection is beyond me.

Why do the police carry guns? Is that also beyond you?

 

[MidasKnight]

Shotgun for home defense is what I prefer. Bullets from handguns can go through walls etc... and can endanger surrounding neighbors.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: Grunt03

I am thinking about a short-barreled shotgun for home protection. Good idea?

good to go until you have to use it and once you pull the trigger it will put the bad guy all over your walls, carpet etc.

Fine with me.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Why anyone conisiders a gun protection is beyond me.

Why do the police carry guns? Is that also beyond you?

HA! Funny.
Its true folks. Cops arent always around when you need them. And even if they are coming, they might not arrive fast enough.
Yes, I would much rather live in a world where we dont need guns. I think ALL of us really want that. But its not going to happen. At least not in my generation.
And just like any other emergency item (condom, first-aid kit, airbags) I would much rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

As for home defence, anything is fine so long as the bullets dont go through the walls and kill innocents. I recommend bird-shot for the shotgun and some sort of flechette or other man-stopper for a pistol. (Yes I know flechette is illegal in many places, but something similar that wont penetrate walls, just flesh.) Also, for the shotgun, police and military like 12 gauge for the killing power, but for home use a 20 is better.

And BTW, does anyone know the reason Hitler never laid a hand on Sweden? I do.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: shortylickens

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Why anyone conisiders a gun protection is beyond me.

Why do the police carry guns? Is that also beyond you?

HA! Funny.
Its true folks. Cops arent always around when you need them. And even if they are coming, they might not arrive fast enough.
Yes, I would much rather live in a world where we dont need guns. I think ALL of us really want that. But its not going to happen. At least not in my generation.
And just like any other emergency item (condom, first-aid kit, airbags) I would much rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

As for home defence, anything is fine so long as the bullets dont go through the walls and kill innocents. I recommend bird-shot for the shotgun and some sort of flechette or other man-stopper for a pistol. (Yes I know flechette is illegal in many places, but something similar that wont penetrate walls, just flesh.) Also, for the shotgun, police and military like 12 gauge for the killing power, but for home use a 20 is better.

And BTW, does anyone know the reason Hitler never laid a hand on Sweden? I do.

It was already full of Aryans?

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
It was already full of Aryans?

Every citizen is issued a rifle.

 

[dderidex]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: Cawchy87
Why anyone conisiders a gun protection is beyond me.

Have you ever thought about being able to shoot an intruder?

Well, there is always Kellermann's numbers from a study of three US cities over a number of years (in which it was shown the presence of a gun in a home was 43 times more likely to result in the homeowner being killed than any intruder). Although, of course, the sample data was not filtered to include only home break-in situations.

Basically, the presence of the gun in the house drastically increased the odds of the homeowner dying by it at ALL times - via accident, domestic violence, or an actual intruder attack - vs the ridiculously minor number of times it actually ended up being USEFUL, that the numbers went all out of whack. (IE., the study doesn't actually show what specifically happened - the presence of a gun may well have made the homeowner 5 times safer from intruders, but 215 times more like to die by it accidently/domestic violence/etc....the net result is unarguable, though, having a gun in the house is more likely to result in your death SOMEHOW than not having one)

 

[AntiEverything]

Bull f'ing sht. Kellerman has been debunked. That statistic is nonsense.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: dderidex
Well, there is always Kellermann's numbers from a study of three US cities over a number of years (in which it was shown the presence of a gun in a home was 43 times more likely to result in the homeowner being killed than any intruder). Although, of course, the sample data was not filtered to include only home break-in situations.

Basically, the presence of the gun in the house drastically increased the odds of the homeowner dying by it at ALL times - via accident, domestic violence, or an actual intruder attack - vs the ridiculously minor number of times it actually ended up being USEFUL, that the numbers went all out of whack. (IE., the study doesn't actually show what specifically happened - the presence of a gun may well have made the homeowner 5 times safer from intruders, but 215 times more like to die by it accidently/domestic violence/etc....the net result is unarguable, though, having a gun in the house is more likely to result in your death SOMEHOW than not having one)

That's BS! I know at least ten households in my area that keep loaded goans out in the open. No accidents ever. If you learn to properly shoot and maintain a gun, and teach your kids how to shoot it and not touch when you aren't there, there aren't any problems.

 

[huesmann]

Go ahead and buy a firearm. Just make sure you set aside a few million dollars. You'll need it when you get burgled and shoot the intruder, and the shots you miss go through the walls and hit your neighbors and they sue your ass for being trigger-happy.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: huesmann
Go ahead and buy a firearm. Just make sure you set aside a few million dollars. You'll need it when you get burgled and shoot the intruder, and the shots you miss go through the walls and hit your neighbors and they sue your ass for being trigger-happy.

It is called practice and few experienced firearms owners are going to empty the mag at an assailant. Ideally, any rounds fired rounds will be in them.

 

[DorkBoy]

Originally posted by: PELarson

Originally posted by: Jumpem
It'd be nice to have some protection in an unfamiliar city.

I'm not a complete gun noob. I have fired several pistols and rifles, but don't own any. I am thinking about a short-barreled shotgun for home protection. Good idea?

I'd like a handgun eventually, but they can be a pain to get sometimes in NY. It seems some people get them easily, and some don't.

Do you have the time to keep yourself familiar with handling/firing a shotgun? If you don't don't get one.

You need to stay proficient with shooting a shotgun? What the hell are you thinking?

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: DorkBoy

Originally posted by: PELarson

Originally posted by: Jumpem
It'd be nice to have some protection in an unfamiliar city.

I'm not a complete gun noob. I have fired several pistols and rifles, but don't own any. I am thinking about a short-barreled shotgun for home protection. Good idea?

I'd like a handgun eventually, but they can be a pain to get sometimes in NY. It seems some people get them easily, and some don't.

Do you have the time to keep yourself familiar with handling/firing a shotgun? If you don't don't get one.

You need to stay proficient with shooting a shotgun? What the hell are you thinking?

Practice is always a good idea. Getting very comfortable with a particular firearm is also a good idea.

 

[ahurtt]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: huesmann
Go ahead and buy a firearm. Just make sure you set aside a few million dollars. You'll need it when you get burgled and shoot the intruder, and the shots you miss go through the walls and hit your neighbors and they sue your ass for being trigger-happy.

It is called practice and few experienced firearms owners are going to empty the mag at an assailant. Ideally, any rounds fired rounds will be in them.

Practice usually involves standing stationary in a little vestibule shooting at a stationary target. Not likely what will be going on when you need to use your gun because an intruder has entered your home and chaos is taking place in one form or another. You hear somebody in your house in the middle of the night, it's dark. . .ok do you know where all your family members are? How do you know its not one of them? Now how many intruders are there in your house? One? Two? More? Where are they? Are they armed? All these things are unknowns in the event of a break-in and really need to be answered before you go all trigger happy. Note how military soldiers go through extensive combat training exercises in addition to the time they spend on the firing range just plinking at targets. Many people fail to take things like this into account when they buy a firearm for their home. They just think it will help secure their home but they don't realize all the potential other variables introduced by bringing a gun into the home. This is usually because they fail to realize that situations can be beyond their control and also that they can make mistakes. Owning a gun is a tremendous responsibility. . .probably right up there on par with having a kid. It's not as simple as "see bad guy, pull trigger, situation defused" like a lot of people think it will be. If you ever need to use that gun it will require level-headedness, clear thinking, and snap decision making during a period of extreme stress and uncertainty. You don't learn that by shooting in a firing range. And that is my argument against the general populace being armed without sufficient training.

 

[meltdown75]

I "argue" like a moron.

:laugh:

Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers with my moronic blanket statement! If it soothes you, you can print out my little tree avatar and use it as the bullseye on your shooting range.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: ahurtt

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: huesmann
Go ahead and buy a firearm. Just make sure you set aside a few million dollars. You'll need it when you get burgled and shoot the intruder, and the shots you miss go through the walls and hit your neighbors and they sue your ass for being trigger-happy.

It is called practice and few experienced firearms owners are going to empty the mag at an assailant. Ideally, any rounds fired rounds will be in them.

Practice usually involves standing stationary in a little vestibule shooting at a stationary target. Not likely what will be going on when you need to use your gun because an intruder has entered your home and chaos is taking place in one form or another. You hear somebody in your house in the middle of the night, it's dark. . .ok do you know where all your family members are? How do you know its not one of them? Now how many intruders are there in your house? One? Two? More? Where are they? Are they armed? All these things are unknowns in the event of a break-in and really need to be answered before you go all trigger happy. Note how military soldiers go through extensive combat training exercises in addition to the time they spend on the firing range just plinking at targets. Many people fail to take things like this into account when they buy a firearm for their home. They just think it will help secure their home but they don't realize all the potential other variables introduced by bringing a gun into the home. This is usually because they fail to realize that situations can be beyond their control and also that they can make mistakes. Owning a gun is a tremendous responsibility. . .probably right up there on par with having a kid. It's not as simple as "see bad guy, pull trigger, situation defused" like a lot of people think it will be. If you ever need to use that gun it will require level-headedness, clear thinking, and snap decision making during a period of extreme stress and uncertainty. You don't learn that by shooting in a firing range. And that is my argument against the general populace being armed without sufficient training.

That is why I have a flashlight handy to identify whoever/whatever may be causing me concern. I would not just pop off a couple rounds at any dark shape that appears. The gun provides an alternative method of handling a situation that is inherently valuable when the only other option would be to submit to the situation you happen to be involved in, especially if the consequences of submission could involve bodily harm yourself or family. I never said it was as simple as bam, bad guy dead. Of course you need to use your head, that goes without saying.

If combat style shooting is available in a person's area, I highly recommend them taking advantage of it. That said, standard lane style practice is valuable in its own right as you improve your feel for your weapon and sights.

Id say owning a gun is more akin to owning a car except for the fact that it is granted as a right not a privilege. Having a kid entails far more responsibility, IMO.

Guns are relatively straightforward:

1. It is never unloaded, treat it as such.
2. No finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
3. Never point it at anything you wouldnt want to have an extra hole in.
4. Lock it up if strangers or kids are near it.

 

[Vic]

Guns got nothing on cars. According to the CDC, more than 4 times as many people in the US die each year from vehicle-related incidents than from all gun-related incidents.

edit: but I'm sure that owning a gun will increase my chances of dying in a car accident. :roll:

 

[Grunt03]

i wold have checked the local crime rate before i ought the place. are you sure you just have to have a gun? why not a good house alarm system?

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: Grunt03
i wold have checked the local crime rate before i ought the place. are you sure you just have to have a gun? why not a good house alarm system?

An alarm won't disable or kill an intruder.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: Grunt03
i wold have checked the local crime rate before i ought the place. are you sure you just have to have a gun? why not a good house alarm system?

An alarm won't disable or kill an intruder.

This is the standard response by most of the anit-gun lobby.
Lets be real. If cops really could prevent crime we would have lost our guns long ago.
Cops can only nab the bad guy after he does his evil deeds. And I dont want my life to be the price that puts the guy in jail. I want to live. Even if that means taking the life of someone else. A house alarm is nice because it gives me time to get ready.