Hello folks. I recently posted my first thread on THR in the Shotgun section asking, "How to choose a shotgun." I'm starting to think however, that for my first gun purchase, that placing personal and home protection ahead of recreation is the more responsible thing to do. And while the answers in the shotgun thread were helpful, creating an emergency defense plan with a shotgun, for now at least, is full of gaps. I am now leaning towards a pistol for a couple reasons, but I ask for your feedback about my reasoning and creating an emergency defense plan. This will be my first gun purchase, and unfortunately I cannot spring for both right now.
And before going any further, I want to make clear, that I realize that the use of potentially deadly force is only acceptable as an absolute last resort to protect one's life and family, and that leading up to that event, every possibly opportunity to diffuse and resolve the situation must first be made. I have been doing a lot of reading on the matter, learning and considering many aspects and burdens of responsible gun ownership, and the possible repercussions in the event of defending myself and family through the use of deadly force. This is not something that I'm comfortable taking casually, and I realize that making the decision to purchase a firearm to protect self and family, comes at great cost and responsibility. I understand that I will need to have some serious discussion with my wife on the subject, and I accept that I will need to invest a great deal of time, practice, and training/education into the matter.
Now on to the situation at hand...
For starters, I am interested in purchasing a shotgun mainly for the recreational reasons, not as dedicated self defense weapon. The first problem is that said shotgun would not be a fit for both myself and my wife (who has little interest in her own gun, for now at least.) I see this as a huge disadvantage, as she would be highly unlikely to practice, and/or effectively (therefore safely) use the weapon should her (our) life(s) depend on it. From my P.O.V at least, a pistol would allow both of us to comfortably use the same gun with little compromise in fit.
Second, she has more general interest in shooting a pistol, so that leads me to believe that she's more likely to practice, and hopefully at some point want her own gun. If she's not comfortable with her own, that's okay, as I don't want to force any of this on her. (I am of the mindset that unless one is fully aware of and comfortable with the responsibilities of gun ownership and use, that they have every right not to do so.)
The third reason, lies within our four walls. As I described a little bit in the shotgun thread, our home's floor-plan is rather open. We have one large living kitchen/dining/living space, joined to three bedrooms by a single 22' long hallway. Point being, it would be possible that once the intruder entered the house, it would take only a matter of seconds before making it to the bedroom(s) where the good stuff resides. The quickest accessible way to a gun would be a pistol in the night stand. We don't have any children in the house, so I'm not worried about keeping a pistol in a night stand, but in the case of a shotgun - I take issue with it sitting in a visible corner. Leaving it in a closet, in my house at least, may not afford enough time to gain access before the intruder makes his way in. The thought of a pistol being at arms reach seems comforting, at least for now.
The Fourth reason for siding with a pistol first, is that it can be carried at all times if need be, or taken along in a vehicle - impractical with a shotgun. And if in the slimmest possible case that we came home to an intruder already inside the home, it would sure be to my advantage to have a pistol in the car, or on my person, as opposed to the intruder having MY loaded shotgun now pointed at ME. (I also fully realize, that the wisest thing to do in this situation, given sufficient warning, would be to stay in the car, in front of the house, and call 911...)
If this indeed is the route to go, we'll probably head to the range and try some rentals to narrow down a purchase. I have already spoken to a concealed carry instructor, who would most likely be available for private lessons for the both of us. We also would have as a resource, both current and former law enforcement officers within our families, so that's a huge plus too. And to boot, we have a local gun club just a few miles from our house, so hopefully practice would be just around the corner...
So I need your help in examining my logic folks. I am trying to come at this with as clear and thought-out of a perspective that I can conceive for now, but obviously I lack the insight found only in experience that so many of you here have gathered. So I am completely open to suggestions, criticism, or scrutiny. If I am missing something, please feel free to point it out! Thank you THR!
And before going any further, I want to make clear, that I realize that the use of potentially deadly force is only acceptable as an absolute last resort to protect one's life and family, and that leading up to that event, every possibly opportunity to diffuse and resolve the situation must first be made. I have been doing a lot of reading on the matter, learning and considering many aspects and burdens of responsible gun ownership, and the possible repercussions in the event of defending myself and family through the use of deadly force. This is not something that I'm comfortable taking casually, and I realize that making the decision to purchase a firearm to protect self and family, comes at great cost and responsibility. I understand that I will need to have some serious discussion with my wife on the subject, and I accept that I will need to invest a great deal of time, practice, and training/education into the matter.
Now on to the situation at hand...
For starters, I am interested in purchasing a shotgun mainly for the recreational reasons, not as dedicated self defense weapon. The first problem is that said shotgun would not be a fit for both myself and my wife (who has little interest in her own gun, for now at least.) I see this as a huge disadvantage, as she would be highly unlikely to practice, and/or effectively (therefore safely) use the weapon should her (our) life(s) depend on it. From my P.O.V at least, a pistol would allow both of us to comfortably use the same gun with little compromise in fit.
Second, she has more general interest in shooting a pistol, so that leads me to believe that she's more likely to practice, and hopefully at some point want her own gun. If she's not comfortable with her own, that's okay, as I don't want to force any of this on her. (I am of the mindset that unless one is fully aware of and comfortable with the responsibilities of gun ownership and use, that they have every right not to do so.)
The third reason, lies within our four walls. As I described a little bit in the shotgun thread, our home's floor-plan is rather open. We have one large living kitchen/dining/living space, joined to three bedrooms by a single 22' long hallway. Point being, it would be possible that once the intruder entered the house, it would take only a matter of seconds before making it to the bedroom(s) where the good stuff resides. The quickest accessible way to a gun would be a pistol in the night stand. We don't have any children in the house, so I'm not worried about keeping a pistol in a night stand, but in the case of a shotgun - I take issue with it sitting in a visible corner. Leaving it in a closet, in my house at least, may not afford enough time to gain access before the intruder makes his way in. The thought of a pistol being at arms reach seems comforting, at least for now.
The Fourth reason for siding with a pistol first, is that it can be carried at all times if need be, or taken along in a vehicle - impractical with a shotgun. And if in the slimmest possible case that we came home to an intruder already inside the home, it would sure be to my advantage to have a pistol in the car, or on my person, as opposed to the intruder having MY loaded shotgun now pointed at ME. (I also fully realize, that the wisest thing to do in this situation, given sufficient warning, would be to stay in the car, in front of the house, and call 911...)
If this indeed is the route to go, we'll probably head to the range and try some rentals to narrow down a purchase. I have already spoken to a concealed carry instructor, who would most likely be available for private lessons for the both of us. We also would have as a resource, both current and former law enforcement officers within our families, so that's a huge plus too. And to boot, we have a local gun club just a few miles from our house, so hopefully practice would be just around the corner...
So I need your help in examining my logic folks. I am trying to come at this with as clear and thought-out of a perspective that I can conceive for now, but obviously I lack the insight found only in experience that so many of you here have gathered. So I am completely open to suggestions, criticism, or scrutiny. If I am missing something, please feel free to point it out! Thank you THR!
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As I make my way back toward the driveway, my wife yells out from the carport, pretty pissed about the shooting. OK, so it’s 3:30am, all she knows is she’s been wakened by gunfire in the backyard and her reaction was to walk outside. After that, I started thinking of how we should react to different things and what each member of my family should do. We talked about it and continue to talk about it. I have made several changes since finding this site and reading here. There’s some really good threads here that could help you tidy up some of the other loose ends in your home defense. I wish you luck in getting you wife interested. Mine has figured out that if she wants to spend a little extra quality time with me, it will probably involve yard work or shooting. 