Guns For The Blind?

[Chad 3]

I just browsed this thread without reading the entire contents, so bear with me if I am being redundent.

 

First off, welcome to the forum, you are absolutely in the right place for help and guidance.

 

For a home protection gun, if you were interested in a long gun, shotgun I assume, I would recomend a 20 gauge pump but I would definitley try to shoot one before you make the purchase to make sure you are comfortable with it. I would also highly recomend you taking a class with one of our sponsors here. There are three to choose from, (high-calibre firearms training, Gun for Hire, and MDTS Training) and from what I hear all three are very good, both with beginner shooters as well as seasoned shooters that have picked up some bad habits. I am more than confident they will be able to help you with the sight problem you are having.

 

I think if you are taught right the first time by people who do this for a living you will not regret it. Brick Armory also has classes I belive.

 

Hope you enjoy it here, and enjoy the sport as well as being able to defend yourself in your home.

 

EDIT: lol...ken beat me to it!!! I guess we were typing at the same time! GMTA

[GunNRose 0]

Is a .22 absolutely no good at all for home defense?

[kenw 293]

Is a .22 absolutely no good at all for home defense?

Better than a frying pan, or if there's nothing else available, but not the best choice.

[Chad 3]

There are many people that do use a .22 for home protection. There are a few different variables in my opinion...

 

Advantages:

1. VERY easy to control.

2. with good shot placement, it will do its job.

3. little recoil = faster follow up shot.

4. little or no over penetration, meaning it is not likely to travel thru walls injuring someone on the other side.

 

Disadvantages:

1. Not much knockdown power (stopping power) BUT, read no. 2 above. If your shot placement is good, you will only need one shot.

2. It has been my experience that .22's jam more often than larger calibers which is the absolute last thing you want in a home protection situation. Reliability is a must.

 

I'm sure there are more....anyone else care to add?

[tinyboy 1]

I think a .22 is great to target and plink shoot with, but I wouldn't want to trust one in a home defense situation .There are plenty of other calibers with very low recoil that would do a MUCH better job than a .22

 

.380, .38 and .9mm come to mind. With the right ammo, you wont need to be "well placed", just "placed".

 

of course after watching that link someone posted a while back, shotgun with target load the best choice for me with very little outer wall penetration issues to worry about

[Maksim 1,504]

If you are reallllly worried about home defense.... terrorists, zombies, bears... then you need this.

 

 

 

 

then again, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

For home defense.. have a firearm you are comfortable with, and able to use when you are half asleep. For me... It would be its an hk p30 with night sights, and a seperate flashlight... for anastasia.. it would be the little 22sw. she is a damn good shot with it.

 

worst case... there is a mosin 91/30 with a bayo on the side....

 

Although... one of my next few purchases will be an urban built ar, or even something like an FN p90.

[ronoverdrive 0]

There are many people that do use a .22 for home protection. There are a few different variables in my opinion...

 

Advantages:

1. VERY easy to control.

2. with good shot placement, it will do its job.

3. little recoil = faster follow up shot.

4. little or no over penetration, meaning it is not likely to travel thru walls injuring someone on the other side.

 

Disadvantages:

1. Not much knockdown power (stopping power) BUT, read no. 2 above. If your shot placement is good, you will only need one shot.

2. It has been my experience that .22's jam more often than larger calibers which is the absolute last thing you want in a home protection situation. Reliability is a must.

 

I'm sure there are more....anyone else care to add?

 

Part of the Disadvantages you listed is quality related. A good CCI Stinger hollow point will cause more damage and is more reliable then cheap Federal bulk packs you use for plinking or range time.

 

But the only big disadvantage I can think of is survivability rate. Someone is more likely to survive a shot from a 22 then from the larger calibers. While some may say that's a good thing, just remember if they survive when the police arrive there's now 2 stories instead of 1 leaving you wide open for law suits and possibly jail time yourself for "using excessive force." Its the risk you take when using a gun in self defense against someone in your home. If you don't want to kill them, have the first round a blank as a warning shot so they take you seriously and give up/run.

 

Personally while it may not be the best choice for home defense, a good pump action shotgun has a good psychological effect against people who break into your home and a good buckshot will make sure it hits your target without worrying too much about your accuracy. Hell if you really want a pistol get yourself a Judge and some .410 buck! :mrgreen:

[GunNRose 0]

If you are reallllly worried about home defense.... terrorists, zombies, bears... then you need this.

 

 

 

 

Maksim, can I get it in 14K gold?

[Malsua 1,422]

It would be its an hk p30 with night sights,

 

Not to hijack the thread...which sights did you get? I'm considering the Trijicons.

[GunNRose 0]

You may hijack, Malsua. I have plenty to ponder on already.

[Chad 3]

Maks....you need a 12 gauge! :twisted:

[kenw 293]

Hey Rose,

 

I just got to thinking (something I try to do at least occasionally)... how is it that you, at your adult age, and with no obvious experience with guns until now, are becoming interested in owning firearms? I'm really curious. Lynn and I became interested just after Nov. 4, when it became obvious that that particular right will be under attack, and with the fear of possible large-scale social unrest in the near future. Others here either hunt, or have many years' experience as gun owners or recreational/competitive shooters.

 

But you, as a woman in her 50's, with no previous experience, seem to be an anomaly. Please , if you don't mind, share your thinking on the subject.

 

Of course, if you feel that it's none of our damn business, feel free to say so. I understand that some things are just personal, and I tend to pry.

 

Ken

[Wolfy 51]

Rose...May I call you Rose? BA is the Brick Armory shoot we have every Tue night 8ish. A few or alot of us come down and shoot each others toys. For the new shooter great chance to see what you like before spending alot of money and for the more experienced shooter a chance to see some rarer specimens( 2213 anyone?).

 

If you get a revolver in 357 you can get a second in 22LR (model 617 S&W) which exactly mimics the handling characteristics of the bigger caliber. Now you can practice all you want while developing muscle memory.

 

PS Maks how did you get a picture of my super secret AR??

[GunNRose 0]

Of course you may call me Rose. It's just my board name though, not my real name. I just happen to have a rose kind of motif/decor in my house (motif/decor: girlie words).

[djg0770 481]

Rose,

 

If the Brick Armory group is too far south for you, there is a northern group that gathers at the Cherry Ridge range. http://www.anjrpc.org/cherry_ridge.htm

 

If that's too far north, there's a range in Belleville (north of Newark). There are a few of us that are nearby.

 

Most of the members on here would LOVE the opportunity to encourage another person in using their liberties and exercising their 2nd amendment rights.

 

I suggest that you shoot as many OPG's (other people's guns) as you can to find one you really like. Between the folks on this forum, I think 75% of the most popular guns are represented.

 

A 22 is not a 'superb' home defense weapon, however, any gun is better than no gun. And a gun that you can control and hit your target accurately is much more likely to be kept nearby when needed. A 22 was not my first weapon, however, it was my second and I wouldn't trade the fun with a 22 for anything. Cheap, generally accurate, fun, little to no recoil, etc.

[Caine 147]

A little late to this thread, and it seems to have gone past the original "focus" issue, but thought this might be helpful to illustrate front sight focus:

 

Target Focus (generally not considered the proper way to use sights):

 

Front Sight Focus:

[GunNRose 0]

Beautiful, Caine.

[GunNRose 0]

Hey Rose,

But you, as a woman in her 50's, with no previous experience, seem to be an anomaly. Please , if you don't mind, share your thinking on the subject.

Ken

 

Ken, I have a few different reasons why I want to be armed. First, part of my thinking is the same as yours and your wife's. I live in a country where the founders wanted the citizenry to have access to arms and this is a good time in our history for me to take them up. Some people (not you guys on the board) will quote the Bible to me and say, "But he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword." And I would tell them that he who lives by the sword uses it in offense, not defense. I intend to be about defense, like my alter egos (yes, here's the fun part)--Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley. It's a fallen world, and until the end of it it just makes sense to be prepared (against Terminators and Aliens :twisted: :evil: !!) .

 

Second, being prepared also means practice, practice, practice, so I'm looking forward to target shooting which I think will be a lot of fun, too. And it'll be beneficial exercise for my middle aged brain to learn a new task. I've always admired the skill of the accurate target shooter, and maybe I can be one myself. I guess I could fulfill my desire to hit a target by taking up projectiles that are safer than bullets. I could throw darts, sling stones like Ayla in Clan of the Cave Bear, or shoot rubberbands. But, none of those is the great equalizer. Ever since it was invented, that's the gun.

 

Here's a small part of a quote from G.K. Chesterton, The Apostle of Common Sense. It illustrates that it isn't weapons we should fear but the aggressor who might wield them. He is answering an imaginary letter from a "concerned parent" who worries because her "idiot brother-in-law" is giving her son presents of toy arrows and guns:

 

Chesterton:

"A man could be really killed, like St. Stephen, with the stones in the road. I doubt if he could be really killed with arrows from the toyshop. But anyhow the very plain principle is the same. If you can teach a child not to throw a stone, you can teach him when to shoot an arrow; if you cannot teach him anything, he will always have something to throw."

 

In a fallen world there will always be people who cannot be taught, and those who can must always be armed against them.

 

Here's somebody else who thought so. I was surprised when I found out myself.

 

http://www.njguns.com/gabe.htm

 

And a few more cool quotes from Chesterton:

 

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."

 

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people."

 

"War is not the best way of settling differences; it is the only way of preventing their being settled for you."

[kenw 293]

Rose,

 

You seem a sensible and reasonable person, and I appreciate your response.

 

Another quote that fits your thinking might be this one attributed to Jefferson:

"He who hammers their guns into plowshares will plow for those who don't"

 

K

[GunNRose 0]

Perfecto, Ken!

[GunNRose 0]

Here's another good one:

 

"An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it."

--Jeff Cooper, Marine Lieutenant Colonel

[tbtrout 141]

you've got to love Col Cooper.

[GunNRose 0]

He's my new BFF!