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REMEMBER, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. That's so true I'm just going to repeat that.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away....
Unfortunately we have to be safe for those just in case scenarios. With that you teach your children about guns, and why you do not touch them, just like you don't touch daddy's very dangerous power tools, lawn mower, blow torch, poisonous fertilizers, matches, car keys, gas tanks, etc.
What is the threat analysis? A burglar who might go violent, home invasion crews targeting the area a random smash in rapist terrorizing the community, the total breakdown of civil authority. They call for different weapon loads and storage/carry conditions
I would suggest a semi-auto carried on your body at all times (except sleeping, then - next to your bed), especially if open the door to anyone. Caliber - 9mm or bigger. 45 is about to be ideal. Preferably both you and your wife to have one. A revolver might be a good option too for simplicity of operation, preferably for .357mag (which can shoot also .38 - and that's all you would need).
Hollow point bullets are a must, because they don't over-penetrate walls.
A dog is a great alarm (and he might buy you enough time to get to your gun). And good burglar system is good deterrent too, but be sure it cannot be disconnected by cutting a wire.
Because it would really be strange if you open your door with a shotgun in your hand, and I said it's best to have it on your body when opening your door, I won't recommend a shotgun. A pistol is easy to have concealed (in your pocket, or on your back with a hand being ready to pull it, yet invisible to your neighbor.
I would vote for a shotgun and perhaps a revolver as well; check your State laws for less than lethal rounds, like soft rubber rounds, in some states, it is not illegal to own those rounds only to buy them from the dealer; if they are not illegal to own; if you have a friend that could buy it for you it could be worth your while; it will render an assailant incapacitated but will not kill. The only problem I see with a shotgun is the rounds that will do the most damage like 00 Buckshot; have the potential to go through walls as well; The rounds that most likely will not go through walls like bird shot; may not be enough to stop an
intruder.
Good luck in your search; also as indicated in what ever you get; please practice with it.
"Less than lethal" is not an accurate term for these types of rounds.
"Less lethal" is the proper term. The "than" implies that they are not capable of killing, and this is a mistake.
A bean bag, rubber slug or other combinations of projectiles fired from a shotgun can definitely kill if aimed at the throat or even crush ribs or stop the heart if aimed at the chest.
Also the concept of over penetration is over analyzed by many in these discussions.
Fact: Pretty much any round capable of penetrating a human body sufficiently to stop an asailent is probably going go through drywall like a hot knife through butter.
Hollow point bullets are a must, because they don't over-penetrate walls.
I watch a lot of videos while doing open houses and nearly all of them demonstrate that this is wrong. Obviously, the barrel length, hitting or not hitting a stud, hitting or not hitting the target first, etc. all enter into it but this one clearly shows that you can't rely on this at all.
I would suggest a semi-auto carried on your body at all times (except sleeping, then - next to your bed), especially if open the door to anyone. Caliber - 9mm or bigger. 45 is about to be ideal. Preferably both you and your wife to have one. A revolver might be a good option too for simplicity of operation, preferably for .357mag (which can shoot also .38 - and that's all you would need).
Hollow point bullets are a must, because they don't over-penetrate walls.
A dog is a great alarm (and he might buy you enough time to get to your gun). And good burglar system is good deterrent too, but be sure it cannot be disconnected by cutting a wire.
Because it would really be strange if you open your door with a shotgun in your hand, and I said it's best to have it on your body when opening your door, I won't recommend a shotgun. A pistol is easy to have concealed (in your pocket, or on your back with a hand being ready to pull it, yet invisible to your neighbor.
I keep my Glock 23 and a spare mag on me. If I open the door after dark, it's in my hand. And at night time it's right next to me. It came in handy one night when a couple of thugs were trying to break into my motel room via the balcony slider. I immediately grabbed it and when I pulled the curtain aside and put the barrel up against the glass they bolted so fast it was like watching a movie in fast motion. When seconds count, the police are just minutes away. About five minutes in this case. We were only there three nights and had put the early warning system into a kennel after the first night because we were so busy during the other two days.
Thanks to everyone who has commented. There's lots of good info in this thread. I heartily agree with 'Happy in Wyoming' regarding teaching my kid about firearms. I realize owning a gun may present dangerous opportunities but it's been my experience, through many friends growing up with firearms, that when children are taught young to understand the severity of a weapon and how to use it, they don't mess around. Thanks again for all the responses so far.
remember that home owners already spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on doors and windows in their homes, their is no reason that you cannot spend a little bit more on them and put in security doors and windows, and if you have the money, you can make those windows bullet resistant and the doors so they cannot be opened up without a tank driving through them.
people will say that is unsafe due to fire, but the fire department will have other means to get into the home. also remember that if you have your smoke detectors up and working, then chances are that the front doors will be open for the fire department as you will be outside watching the fire being put out by the fire department.
We're in the midst of having a town home built for our family and my wife and I have been talking about security lately. We'll definitely be investing in a security system but we also feel it is important to have a gun or two in a safe place in case of a break in. Our new townhome will be in a nice development but it's in an up and coming area where crime, in the past, has been somewhat common so we want to be prepared. I've read on other forums that living in a townhome can pose a challange because you don't want the round going through the wall and injuring a neighbor. Any gun advice for this type of situation?
I'm a great believer in having 'layers' of security. Layer 1 is the sign saying I have an alarm system. Layer 2 is the security cameras. Layer 3 is the locks on the doors, windows and sliders. I also have low tech pieces of wood in the slider tracks so that if the lock is forced they still cannot open them. Layer 4 is the alarm itself. And layer 5 is my Glock 17 with critical defense rounds which I hope never to have to use.
Don't buy the gun unless you are trained to use it properly AND you are not afraid to use it. People talk big all the time but just know if you can't or won't pull the trigger, your assailant is going to take the gun and use it on you or your family. And the last thing you want to do is give the perp a lethal weapon.
Spend some time thinking about this and be really honest with yourself. Evaluate your wife and kids too. Can they be trusted absolutely?
Real life is not like TV. Just pointing and brandishing that weapon means exactly nothing. People very seldom fall down dead after being shot. That perp is still coming for you. What will you do next? And can your wife and kids handle this too?
Let's talk about women for a minute. Being able to protect yourself is a big mindset change for most. For me, it required a lot of change in the way I thought and how I see the world. Yeah, I know, stereotypes, but bear with me for a minute. The average man walks down the street and at some level he is planning what he will do if X, Y, or Z happens. The average woman walks down that same street and she doesn't even see the possibility or X, Y, or Z. She is thinking about problems at work, what to fix for dinner, how she is going to get the laundry done, baths, and homework. When should she schedule that parent teacher conference and how to get the kids to the dentist. Women multitask constantly and they tend to miss some important details like the creep waiting on the corner to yank the bag off her arm and run. You answer the door at tactical alert, ready to respond. She answers the door with a phone held to her ear, a baby in her arms, and pushing the vacuum cleaner. She KNOWS it's just the neighbor coming over with mail that's been misdelivered three times this week. Men and women just think differently. You have to be observant and aware of the threat to be able to respond.
I had to learn to observe and be aware of my surroundings before I was ready to even look at a gun. You can't protect yourself from a threat you can't see.
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and nearly all of them demonstrate that this is wrong. Obviously, the barrel length, hitting or not hitting a stud, hitting or not hitting the target first, etc. all enter into it but this one clearly shows that you can't rely on this at all.
