Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

I have all sorts of guns, but prefer a handgun for personal defense, I just find it more convinient. If you're worried about penetration you can get Glasers or other frangible rounds. I also have a very large and solid safe for when I'm not home. Any determined thief could probably break into it with a plasma torch, but it would take awhile and create a racket. I also have an alarm system, but the main reason I went for that was the attached fire alarm.

One other thing is to know your neighbors. Have an agreement to keep an eye on each other's houses for odd things. I will check on the neighbors if I see anything unusual and they'll do the same for me. They always know if I'm out of town and at least one has a key to the house. Of course this only works if you have trustworthy neighbors. ;)

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

Agreed !!!

Not I gotta get more cigars :noon

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL856.../400128092.jpg

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

i think you should send one of those Thompsons on to me. :D

This is on it's way to me now:
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/images/ATI%20II.jpg

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

Get an ED209.

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

Get a Mini Gun, that'll keep the rif-raf away :)

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

Shotguns are great all around guns. Great for defense too. But try to keep on mind what you are going to do or might have to do with it. What I mean is are you going to stay holed up in a safe room or house clearing? If you're planning on clearing the home, I suggest that you try doing so with a same length stick or broom just to see what it's like. Slicing the pie, not exposing your barrel to takeaways, heck even just walking around the house with the stick already shouldered. It can be a real pain in the ass compared to a plane ol hand gun.

Just my $0.02 and another opinion.

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

Dang nice set up you have there Brad! Looks like you have some mini gun barrels laying against the wall. :tu

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

I do not agree that the sound of racking a shot gun is a defense plan. If you plan on using a gun then a round should be chambered and the one and only thing that is heard is BANG. I personally think of shotguns as an offensive weapon for clearing rooms and handguns to be more stealth, easier to gain access to if an intruder is in your bedroom while you are sleeping, quicker to wield, and a shot can still be taken if a loved one is in the proximity of the assailant.

If a person comes to take my stuff then they can have it, that is why I have insurance. If they came to do harm then it will be the last thing they do. I know it is not good for your ears but to fire your weapon with out ear protection in an indoor range a few times will get you prepared for how loud it will be, it can make the difference for being able to get a second shot off if needed.

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

Agreed, TV nonsense. Nothing more.

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

I agree with Rob that if you get out your gun, you should be prepared to use it.

That being said, before my department entered the 21st century and began carrying AR15s, we had Mossberg 12 gauge shotguns. Department policy prohibited us from carring a round in the chamber until we deployed the weapon.

Over the years, more than one suspect who wasn't taking commands to hit the ground seriously, got serious when they heard that racking noise. ;)

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

First I want to say, I'm really sorry to hear about this. YSR brings up a good point though. You weren't home when this happened. How would a gun have helped you in this situation? It sounds like you need an alarm system not a gun.

Re: House broken into yesterday.. home defense help needed
 

I don't write for a gun magazine, but ditto on the rest. When I was a kid, all we had to do is ask Dad if we could take the .22 pistol down to the gas well to shoot bottles and we were on our way. That was at maybe 9 and 10 years old and we'd go by ourselves. We were taught to shoot and respect guns as soon as we could hold one, and I taught my daughters the same. At ten years old my daughter could put a whole clip in a six inch group at 30 feet, barking them off in under 3 seconds. At 12 years old she put all the old boys at the shooting range to shame. She's a natural and she has her own handgun.

I've had my house robbed twice, I wasn't home either time. My guns weren't bothered, they were put up.

Take a class and take another class is good advice. Get out to shoot often. Go hunting, if only to spend time with your buds and your gun. They'll teach you how to handle, respect, and fear your weapon.
You really have to spend time with a gun to become confident with it so it's an extension of you. If you jump up in the middle of the night because of a noise and you're a nervous wreck carrying a gun, there's a good chance you'll shoot the cat or the refrigerator or the furnace. You have to develop a confidence and innate relationship with a gun. Period.

I keep a 9mm and a .22 with a pair of clips for each in the safe near our bed. I used to shoot regularly, but in the last year since I've moved I have yet to find a shooting range. I'll find one soon, I have two new kids and a wife to teach.
I'm not a fan of the scatter-gun angle. I feel it's not tactically sound in close quarters and I'd lose advantage in a situation where someone is closing fast. I'd far rather have a handgun.

Lastly, keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot, and keep the gun pointed at the ground. :tu