I believe this is the proper subforum - I wanted to share a friend's recent experience. It could have been handled better or worse - I'm just glad he's safe. I'm always interested in these real-life encounters because they tend to remind me that defensive situations never turn out the way you plan (that's a lesson I've had to relearn too many times).
He lives in a sketchy neighborhood in a mid-sized western city. While home with his baby one night recently, this friend (call him "B") heard a knock at the front door, went to check and no one was there. Pretty soon there was commotion out back, and the back door began to rattle. He approached the back door and saw two rough-looking young men through the window, trying to get in; they didn't see him.
B is a gentle soul, generally trusting, and doesn't take a whole lot of home-defense precautions. I'm not sure if he had ever handled a firearm outside of scout camp.
Frightened, B ran to his bedroom, where the .22 Rifle he had just inherited from his grandpa was stowed safely in the closet. He shoved a handful of rounds into the tube, and started creeping back toward the kitchen (where the back door is). Mind you, all of the lights were on in the house, and from the outside it definitely looked as though there was someone home.
Just as he peered into the kitchen, holding his rifle at his hip, the back door was kicked in and the glass panes shattered all over the floor. The two guys (who B says looked incredibly strung out) rushed into the kitchen about 10 feet from where he was standing. Without thinking, B halfway raised the little rifle and started pulling the trigger. Two rounds were fired before the old gun jammed - one round hit the top of the door jamb, the other hit the ceiling.
The bad guys apparently weren't expecting such a show of force - their eyes went wide and the one closest to the door bolted. Unfortunately for the other, he tried to leave too quickly and fell hands-first into the broken glass from the door/window. B (a larger fellow) started to run at him, but the scared burglar made it out the door and into the night about the same time B cut his bare feet on the same glass.
B told me that he then called the cops, and while waiting for them realized that his feet were bleeding quite a bit. The cops didn't seem to care much about the shooting. They told him he did the right thing, although it "would have been a lot more paperwork if [he] had hit one of them." They left quickly after taking his statement so he could get to the ER to stitch his soles.
Like I said, I'm just glad he and his boy are safe. Although this story has inspired me to be more disciplined about keeping my slippers handy.
He lives in a sketchy neighborhood in a mid-sized western city. While home with his baby one night recently, this friend (call him "B") heard a knock at the front door, went to check and no one was there. Pretty soon there was commotion out back, and the back door began to rattle. He approached the back door and saw two rough-looking young men through the window, trying to get in; they didn't see him.
B is a gentle soul, generally trusting, and doesn't take a whole lot of home-defense precautions. I'm not sure if he had ever handled a firearm outside of scout camp.
Frightened, B ran to his bedroom, where the .22 Rifle he had just inherited from his grandpa was stowed safely in the closet. He shoved a handful of rounds into the tube, and started creeping back toward the kitchen (where the back door is). Mind you, all of the lights were on in the house, and from the outside it definitely looked as though there was someone home.
Just as he peered into the kitchen, holding his rifle at his hip, the back door was kicked in and the glass panes shattered all over the floor. The two guys (who B says looked incredibly strung out) rushed into the kitchen about 10 feet from where he was standing. Without thinking, B halfway raised the little rifle and started pulling the trigger. Two rounds were fired before the old gun jammed - one round hit the top of the door jamb, the other hit the ceiling.
The bad guys apparently weren't expecting such a show of force - their eyes went wide and the one closest to the door bolted. Unfortunately for the other, he tried to leave too quickly and fell hands-first into the broken glass from the door/window. B (a larger fellow) started to run at him, but the scared burglar made it out the door and into the night about the same time B cut his bare feet on the same glass.
B told me that he then called the cops, and while waiting for them realized that his feet were bleeding quite a bit. The cops didn't seem to care much about the shooting. They told him he did the right thing, although it "would have been a lot more paperwork if [he] had hit one of them." They left quickly after taking his statement so he could get to the ER to stitch his soles.
Like I said, I'm just glad he and his boy are safe. Although this story has inspired me to be more disciplined about keeping my slippers handy.
