doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT....The lean times, the mean times

Tell you what Lowell- Firepower exists for a reason- if you want to "roll over and play dead" for the bad guys, the druggies, the rapper-induced gang bangers- even if you live in a "safe area"- your choice- some of our Field Commanders thought Da Nang was a "safe area" until the Tet surprise party of 1968- ditto the pinheads who said Pearl Harbor was safe from a torpedo attack, because it was a shallow harbor and back then- torpedoes apparently needed greater depth to run effectively-and they ignorned Billy Mitchell back in 1925- damn near court-nartialed him for his predictions- including an air attack on Pearl (he though Chinese would be the aggressors)!! Best reason (besides military familiarity) I prefer a Combat Commander in .45 ACP was said years ago by the late Bob Brister- in his book "Moss, Mallards and Mules"- his black mentor as a lad growing up in Texas tolod him "Man carryin' hisself a big pistol most likely won't have to use it"_ You make your own choice Lowell-and leave me to defend my family and home the way I see fit-fair enuf??RWTF

My .02

1. Get some sort of training in whatever weapon you plan on using for home defense. 99% of the people who own guns have done nothing but read books and listen to gunshop commandos and thats the extent of their training.
2. Use whatever gun you can hit with.
3. NO HANDLOADS. you will get eaten alive in court if you shoot someone with handloads. There have been enough cases where people who have shot intruders with handloads paid the price in civil court because " you it yourself make it a better killing load, more destructive" etc. etc. and the large civil settlements are there.
4. Surefire light and a handgun are a good combo. Long guns are easier to take away and harder to employ in clsoe confines. You can also dial a phone and do other things holding a handgun.
5. Have a plan for you and your family.
6. No warning shots. That telegraphs your position and if you arent in a position to justify deadly force, you shouldnt shoot; one reason is that the round you let off may hit them by mistake and then you are screwed.
7. Buy a good defensive pistol or revolver.
8. Practice, practice, practice.

Certainly the laws vary from state to state. In Texas it is very clear you have no obligation to retreat or worry about the unustified use of deadly force if you are in your home and a home invader or burglar or other person has criminally entered your home. It is nicknamed the "Castle Law."

I am not sure about this but I believe the same thing applies in an attempted car hijacking - again in Texas.

Best,

Mike

There you go Fox, well armed and well informed - you got to have a scorecard to known the players. All the firepower in the world, won't mean a hill of beans if you can't read the tea leaves of the mean streets.
Un-informed and armed, puts you in with the zombies!
...and btw, I wouldn't shoot a squirrel getting an apple from the garden, gotta have a heart - part of the human spirit don't you know!

Excellent post, Brian! I agree, especially with point #5, have a plan. Everyone in the home should be drilled on communication, response, safe room, exits, outside rendezvous points, etc. Please, guys, don't wait until the SHTF to figure out how to respond.

And I agree too- as you said earlier Jack- we don't jump without a reserve 'chute- we also don't tug on the cape and spit into a 40 knot headwind-have a plan, a plan A and a plan B- and if in your own home, let the plan be to have the bad guy(s) come looking for you- as Charlie Cutshaw described the doorway into your "safe room" as the "Tunnel of Death" RWTF- All The Way!!

No Lowell- this is the last of your "pie in da sky" posts I'll respond to- as you live in a "Tinker Bell" world in your Glenthorne Woods sector- I don't. I have the training and the weapons and know how and when to use them- some dude steals my chain saw and is running away from me- only a cop can get away with shooting the SOB in the ass- I can't- even with a CCW, and my Life membership in the NRA wouldn't mean JackShit in court- but you detailed a score card- what the *&^^ is wrong with you amigo- some druggy violently breaks down your locked door in the dead dark of night and you are gonna check him for his membership card in the Elks? Get real- and learn to survice in a hostile world- people are stealing gas at $4.00 a gallon, I live in a rural arg. area- thieves all over boasting copper pipe and romex for the market value- alum irrigation pipe too- real the handwriting on the wall-I went to the other thread and read the long post on survival from the dude in Argentina=- after the economic collapse in 2001 and some of his suggestions are very right- fresh water, gold for barter, ag areas where you can grow your own food- and in weapons- yes- always a CCW carry- a rifle- he likes the K98 Mauser and its clones because it is so durable-ditto the 1911A-1 and a .38 wheelgun (I use a Det. Snubbie" for an ankle carry gun) a generator, flaslights with extra batteries, Coleman lanterns and stoves-and dogs (best burgular alarm goin)- The Herb Clutter tragedy came from a "Loud mouthed" con telling one of the two perps a lie-he said he worked for Herb during the wheat harvest- was paid in cash-as were many farm hands back in the 1950's- and said Herb had $10K in cash in a wall safe in his study- not true-also true about the extreme rural areas and crime- more isolation gives the perps time to do strange and horrific things to their victims-that's why having neighborhood watch and "Burglars Beware" signs in residential areas helps- but it isn't 100%- Good luck- you'll need it RWTF

A home defense plan is important - especially if you have kids. If you have to cut loose with a scattergun into that "tunnel of death", you don't want a curious child coming out his bedroom door behind the perp! Plan, practice, make it a routine drill that everyone in the house knows by heart.

This is no more "paranoid" than planning and practicing a home fire drill or tornado drill. Planning and preparation help you establish order, even in chaos. The unprepared are the ones who "live in fear" - or "live in ignorance."

Remington Model 11 - 12 Guage 18 Inch Barrel, Colt LTW Commader .45 ACP, Polish AK-47 I assembled on a American Made Milled Receiver.

If you really want to play the odds on what is "more likely," you should look at the facts:

U.S. CAR ACCIDENTS: 2.9 million injuries, 42,636 fatalities (2005)

U.S. CRIME VICTIMS: 2.6 million robberies or burglaries, 1,417,745 violent crimes (2006)

U.S. Deaths annually due to Medical Mistakes: Over 300,000 ...so why is the AMA always preaching and lobbying for more gun control? And remember, these are just the mistakes that come to light. How many more are buried... literally?