Another thought on 'home defense'

[OurSafeHome.net]

Since it is beyond belief that the Savior of the World would be spending the last 20 centuries kneeling in the heavenly prayer room. Rather, He is living and active.

Impossible, guns are illegal in Chicago.

 

[DHJenkins]

If you live in an apartment, duplex or joined townhouse all of this is just rhetoric.

I'd say your correct, but only in the sense that given the size of most of those types of dwellings, the odds of missing your target should be greatly diminished.

 

[mcdonl]

It all boils down to the same conclusion everytime....

Use the weapon you are most comfortable with for HD/SD and train with that weapon so that you are proficient with it. Train so that you can shoot both handed, in every position from laying on your back, to standing and everything in between. Do it with a flashlite in one hand, and if possible at night.

Know that someone people have been killed with punch-guns (Ok.... we will start with the .22 short....) and some people survive multiple 12g and .45 ACP rounds so dont let that bother you... shoot the largest gun you are COMFORTABLE AND ACCURATE with....

Know that you could have over penetration or a miss and do your best to not shoot when you think there is someone you do not want to shoot behind the badguy, but also know that if you choose to shoot in SD/HD you run the risk of shooting an innocent by-stander.

What I have learned from THR on self defense and over penetration.

 

[Mightee1]

I do live in an apartment with neighbors on both sides where overpenetration is a big concern. I would hope that the 5 rounds of birdshot in my 870 would do the trick in a SHTF situation and still still stay within the walls of the place. Using anything bigger (Buckshot or slugs) would cause that extra little bit of concern for my neighbor's safety... time that I might need to neutralize any threat before the bad guy gets to me. I know the birdshot is a little on the light side, but I know I wouldnt want to take hit from it COM.

 

[glummer]

Just to expand a couple of points:

At maximum range the danger area excludes everything except a ring a foot or two wide out at the edge, where the projectile is coming down at a very steep angle. Inside that radius, the bullet is too high in the air to worry about.

And the danger area with slugs may be longer than generally thought. The PA game people had a study done, which concluded that slugs are almost as dangerous as bullets, when fired level, or close to it. Seems that slugs are much more likely to ricochet for long distances.