Home-Defense and Gun Confiscation?

[RonDeer10mm]

I've been thinking about purchasing a gun for range use and HD purposes only. Is it true that a gun used in home defense will be confiscated and never returned(ive never been in a situation where a gun was needed for sd/hd but I sure don't want to get a $1000 gun confiscated. This will ultimately affect what gun I purchase for HD.

 

[RonDeer10mm]

I was thinking of a Glock 17 or Springfield Armory XDm in 9mm.

 

[psyopspec]

Depends largely on the state you live in and the circumstances of the shoot, but it's likely that any weapons involved in an SD or HD shooting will be taken in as evidence and not seen for weeks, or more likely months-years. If you're letting it be a planning factor, plan on losing it after an incident.

Neither of your choices would equate to a 1k purchase, even if you purchased two of them; then you have magazine, holster, and parts compatibility in a back-up.

 

[RonDeer10mm]

with all the accesories i have for it it will Barrel flashlight nightsights magazines little mods like that triggger etc

 

[mljdeckard]

My wife's primary weapon is my grandfather's old M-1 carbine. It is a family heirloom, but I consider it to be ideal for HD, for a variety of reasons.

So, let's imagine for a moment, that I decided I value it too much for my wife to use it. Use the big shotgun. Use the complicated rifles with optics. And then perhaps she misses, chokes, or handles it incorrectly and gets herself or one of the kids killed. When I see my grandfather again, do you think he would appreciate that I made sure I didn't get his beat-up old carbine confiscated?

If it's the best tool, use it. Everything is replaceable. If it gets taken, be glad you are around to gripe about it. Write to the manufacturer, tell them you successfully used THEIR product to save a life, and they might just comp you a new one anyway. You don't cry for your airbags if they save your life, and they cost a lot more than a gun to replace.

 

[Radagast]

If you shoot someone in self defence you _will_ need to to have a lawyer. The cost of the firearm will be minimal compared to legal expenses. Add in the cost of cleaning up after the body is removed, (bloode, urine, feces, brains etc will ruin carpet & paintwork),there may be damage to the property in the course of the shooting, damaged possessions needing replacement, if renting add in the cost of moving if the owners decide they don't want you as a tenant anymore, or if there are threats from the goblin if it survives or its family if it doesn't you may need to move even if you own the place.
Seriously, expect to be out a very large sum of money if you are ever involved in a shooting. Don't expect to ever be in a shooting though, they are actually quite rare.

Glock 17s do not run to over a thousand, at least at the moment. With the ongoing devaluation of the US dollar that may change. The Glock 17 is a fine firearm, with a decent set of sights it's quite capable of doing duty as a competition firearm in games such as USPSA/IPSC & IDPA. It's also quite acceptable as a self defence firearm.

Do try before you buy however, find a range that rents guns and shoot them all so you can work out the one that is most suited to you.

FWIW, I've owned some 14 handguns and shot 76 different models in the last ten years. The Glock 17 was my first and remains my standby gun. There are others that are prettier, more accurate, fit my hand better, the G17 just happens to be a great all round handgun.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

If it's the best tool, use it. Everything is replaceable. If it gets taken, be glad you are around to gripe about it.

I am in this camp.

 

[Ole Coot]

I agree, if you need it use it. Simple or you don't need it anyway.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Any gun used in self defense where another person is shot will be confiscated by the police and upon resolution of the case, it should be returned to you, though you may have to actively request to get it back.

You should have zero concern over losing your gun to the cops if you have to shoot somebody in self defense. Your life is worth more than any gun.

 

[doc2rn]

If you shoot someone in self defence you _will_ need to to have a lawyer. The cost of the firearm will be minimal compared to legal expenses

In most cases of self defense the court and lawyer fees far surpass that of the weapon's cost. You will not get your weapon back until the appeal process has been exhausted as the prosecution uses it for evidence. They mark their evidence by engraving the case number into the frame of your pistol. If all goes well you may see it again in a few years ~3, got that straight from the D.A.
By that time you will have acquired another firearm for protection, hopefully. This is why I buy used. Less cost and you can treat your favorite beater like a real tool. Hopefully you will never have to use it, and I learned my lesson about renting the cheapest house. Location, Location, Location!

 

[Deanimator]

Purely a state and mostly likely, local matter.

Use what you feel comfortable with. If you don't successfully defend yourself and get maimed or killed, it's a moot point.

 

[Gouranga]

Ditto to these guys. Confiscation will be your least concern. I would rather have an expensive, accurate, firearm save my life and get confiscated than a cheap one jam up or misfire or miss the target and hit my neighbors house.

 

[pikid89]

im not sure why people are so concerned with losing their gun post SD situation...
use whatever gun you have 100% confidence in to defend your and yours
if it gets taken after you successfully defend yourself, then so be it...using a quality firearm to successfully defend my family will have been worth whatever cost

 

[llanite]

Rather than one $1000 gun, two $500 guns should be the way to go if you're worried about confiscation - that way you've got your back-up when homies' friends come looking for you after the police leave.

 

[rscalzo]

Is it true that a gun used in home defense will be confiscated and never returned

No. The firearm will be retained pending the usual investigation. If there are no complications, it is returned when the case is closed.

 

[zxcvbob]

Rather than one $1000 gun, two $500 guns should be the way to go if you're worried about confiscation - that way you've got your back-up when homies' friends come looking for you after the police leave.

Just make sure you don't tell the cops about that other gun -- they might take it too (as a professional courtesy to Homey's buddies? or maybe just because they can)

I agree with the folks that said the cost of the gun is the least of your worries; you use the tool that is handy and is capable to get the job done. But if you have *two* guns equally capable and one is valuable and the other isn't, it makes sense to me to keep the old reliable POS gun (maybe a Hi Point?) at the ready rather than your grandpa's S&W Registered Magnum with the box and all the paperwork and barely looks fired...

 

[ForumSurfer]

Yes, you may lose it for an indefinite time period so have a back-up. Don't let it deter you from a purchase. If it saves your life one day, it will be worth it even if you never see it again.

I was thinking of a Glock 17 or Springfield Armory XDm in 9mm.

Please take this advice. I was in the same boat and I bought a glock. You really can't go wrong with either choice as both guns will likely outlast you and be good for 1000's of rounds. But rent each and run about 100-200 rounds through each consecutively, and a minimum of 100 rounds (edit:: per gun). After 1000 rounds, I admit that part of me wishes I had bought the XDm since I love the trigger(edit:: and I knew that after 200 rounds). I had shot each model previously, but never more than 20-50 rounds and never back to back for a proper comparison. I'm a 1911 guy, so the backstrap safety doesn't bother me on the XD, but the XD (not even the m for that matter) has a trigger feel that is light years ahead of the glock to me. Yes you can modify the glock trigger easily...but you can also modify the xd trigger easily and make it even better.

 

[RonDeer10mm]

I was thinking loaded with glasers pow'rball or MagSafe pre fragmented ammunition it would make a sufficient HD gun.

 

[russ69]

Rather than one $1000 gun, two $500 guns should be the way to go if you're worried about confiscation - that way you've got your back-up when homies' friends come looking for you after the police leave.

This is pretty close but two 1000 buck guns is the way to go...........

 

[hardworker]

The whole argument of "you can't put a price on life so don't worry about price" assumes that price and quality are directly related. There's plenty of cheap guns that will get the job done just as well as a $1000 gun.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Only one guy I can think of had a problem with the cops confiscating his gun after a self defense shooting...because after the second one in two weeks (less than a month anyway), she ran out of shotguns and had to go to Academy to buy a new one where he was bushwhacked by a DFW reporter in such a poor manner that she was fired.

Nobody wants to run out of guns.

 

[donny640]

Hopefully you will never have to use your gun for home defense. I would not worry about my gun being confiscated just be glad my family is safe

 

[Sheepdog1968]

My working assumption would be that it will be confiscated, I will never see it again, I will need to hire an attorney sort out the aftermath, the DA will look carefully into it, and I will loose sleep and nightmares over the whole thing. I'd rather expect the worse than the other way around.

 

[Patriotme]

I took an NRA Instructor class many years ago. One thing that I still remember was a statement that our instructor had for self defense shootings. He said that even a justified self defense shooting will end up costing you about $20,000 or more in lawyer fees. You could end up with a local prosecutor that is against self defense or be sued by the criminal's family members.
As others have said in early posts.....the loss of a $1000 handgun is going to the least of your worries.
By a good handgun that you can enjoy for years and trust for self defense. The odds are greatly in your favor that you will never need to shoot someone and I would not pass up buying a good gun because it might be confiscated after being used for self defense. Do you really want to skimp on quality and trust your life to inferior equipment?

 

[RonDeer10mm]

Wow 20,000 in attorney fees I'll be homeless