This is my favorite....
Model 500 Special Purpose Cruiser
You need not say what you own, but your input regarding self-defense would be appreciated. Thank you.
I would like to sign up for a class to boost my confidence level. I just need to sign up and do it.
The mindset to protect you and yours covers many sins.
/johnny
Good subject. If I may suggest a book for the thread, that would be “On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society” by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, on what its like to kill some one. Its quite sobering for those who carry. (it’s available in many public libraries)
1. What's my budget because that will affect how much that can be spent.
2. What's my skill level: beginner, average, advanced.
3. What kind of action: Pistols — revolver or semi-auto; Shotgun — pump or semi-auto; Rifle — bolt action, lever action, pump action, or semi-auto.
4. Is this a gun I can shoot well and does it fit me? Does it work for my spouse or significant other? If not, what does?
5. Does it take easily found ammunition and not odd or hard to find calibers? [I recommend calibers that are loaded for both the military and civilian markets.]
6. What's the reputation of the firearm as a “go to war” gun? That is, how well has it stood up to abuse and neglect in the field and still kept functioning?
Short list of “go to war” guns:
Pistols: Revolvers — Any S&W or Colt .38 Special or .357 Mag [lots of ex-police guns to choose from]. Semi-autos — M1911-series, Browning P35 High Power, Walther P.1, Sig Sauer, Glock, or Springfield XD-series.
Shotguns: Pumps — Ithaca Model 37, Winchester 1300 Defender, Mossberg 500-series or Maverick 88-series, Remington Model 870. Semiauto — Saiga 12, Benelli M4.
Rifles: Bolt action — WW2 main battle rifle in .30-06, 7.62x54R, or 7.92x57; Savage Model 10 or 110; Remington Model 700. Semiauto: AK-clone; AR-clone; M1A/M14/M1; FN FAL-clone; HK G3/91-clone.
Suggestions requested.... It’s been a long, long time since I did any shooting. Effectively, I’m considering myself as having never shot before.I’m looking for a good place to take a gun safety course and range to practice on. Not sure what I want to purchase yet, probably a pistol for home protection. Maybe later a shotgun.
Any ideas about placed to learn and practice in Orange County California?
Carrying a firearm is a deep commitment. Some people I know got excited about CCW until they experienced carrying daily.
Now they treat it as an impediment, and throw it under the seat or glove box or just stopped carrying daily.
The criminal scum NEVER take a day off. Your self protection shouldn’t either.
Remember, “I was in fear of my life (or anothers) and I need to speak with my lawyer.”
New handgun owner (less than 2 months). SA XDM 3.8 Compact .40. I am looking at getting the Remington 870 also (if I can figure out which version), and probably a Ruger .22LR of some type.
I'll start off:
1. A gun is ALWAYS loaded! No exceptions! If someone hands you a gun, you IMMEDIATELY check to see if loaded. It doesn't matter if he just did same unless a firing range professional. If you don't know how to check for load, do NOT take physical possession;
2. NEVER EVER put your finger on the trigger until you are seconds away from firing;
3. NEVER EVER point a gun at anyone for any reason, even if inadvertently. Always be aware of the direction of the barrel. If learning, point the weapon down if no other safe direction exists.
There are other rules that the National Rifle Association discusses on their website, but they may not apply to home defense, such as keep your gun unloaded. Check their site for other safety and training protocol.
My next post will be about handling a pump shotgun, arguably the most common home defense weapon.
After completing the basic CCW class, then I think the Tactical level training course would really boost & benefit my confidence level.
Does anyone know how to check for left or right eye dominance when you shoot? I heard some guys talking about it at Boy Scout camp this weekend and thought it was an interesting topic since I have never heard of it before.
Dude, are you from Cali? Links for Freepers who reside in Mexifornia would be great who intend to purchase firearms as I have east coast relatives who think we can’t own guns here..
My advice:
-If you are going to concealed carry, carry in a method you can live with.
-Make sure your guns are clean and in working order- I know of at least one man whose gun stopped after the first shot because it was quite literally clogged with pocket lint- fortunately he was shooting at a dog who sneered and ran away.
-When choosing working guns, be sure to select them based on 1. Their intended use; 2. Their reliability; 3. Ammunition availability.
- If a fight comes, be as calm, deliberate, and implacable as possible. Be full of a terrible resolve, engage and kill the enemy. Make your peace with God and the law afterward.
- Don’t go looking for a fight just because you have a gun. It doesn’t make you bulletproof, immune to being killed, or smarter than other people.
- If you have kids, teach them to use the guns you own, the proper context for doing so, and the ethos of gun ownership/use that you adhere to. If they are worthy to bear arms, then they should do so when you deem them ready- I’d say about age 12 or so.
As far as “Martial Arts” is concerned. Kelly McCann has a unique take on it. A martial art is something you do with someone, self defense or self offense as he calls it (combatives) is something you do to someone. Mindset is everything. Situational awareness and pre-emption will take you a long way
http://www.team-crucible.com/
Rule #1 - gun beats no gun
If you left it at home, it is no use to you. Carry means you need to actually carry. A .50 hand cannon might be fun to shoot but it sucks as a carry gun.
Rule #2 - bullet that hits, beats bullet that misses
Only carry the gun you can shoot accurately. A .22 that hits beats a .44 magnum that misses.
Rule #3 - He who shoots first usually shoots last.
Carry only in an accessible manner. If you cant get it out and aim accurately and fire in less than 2 seconds you will likely loose in a gun battle.
Rule #4 - A stationary target is easy to hit. Learn to shoot and move, shoot and move
Rule #5 - The best guns and ammunition will eventually fail. Learn to clear stoppages rapidly.
Rule #6 - Even the best gun fights go bad for someone. Learn how to respond to gun shot wounds
Bookmark.
I am entering this thread as a ‘60-ish’ military veteran, with medical caveats, that I will insert as I go.
Home defense: Check your state laws, to see if they reflect the current trend of “Castle laws”, or that require you to ‘retreat to the last defenseable position’, before using a firearm, inside your home, BEFORE, you purchase a firearm.
For this purpose, some say a shotgun. It has been proven at home defense operating distances, a 20 gauge shotgun can do as well as a 12 gauge shotgun, preferably a pump design ... most reliable, and good for both left or right handed folks. Mas Ayoob has a video demonstrating this on YouTube.
For the rest of the folks, they, and I, would choose a handgun. Now, herein lies the quicksand! I accept that there are all sorts of calibers, in either revolvers or semi-automatics, (almost as many as a full deck of cards), and it is a matter of personal choice. I have both semi-automatics, and revolvers. Some new, and some I happened upon at a very good price, for me. I have both 9mm Luger (there are other 9mm’s in existence), and .38 Special chambered firearms. As they are designed, both calibers perform ‘as advertised’.
Now, semi-automatics have a few more ‘bells-and-whistles’, compared to revolvers. The ‘manual of arms’ is a little more intricate, and ‘oopsy’, for new shooters, than for revolvers. (BTDT!) They are wonderful pieces of machinery, and some have an intrinsic beauty to them. The newer generations of blocky black plastic, er, polymer framed semi-automatics, do not have the appeal of a nice looking Colt 1911A1, or it’s brother, the Browning Hi Power, to me. Different guns designed in a different age and time.
Revolvers ... you shoot one, you can any other manufacturer’s revolver, unlike a semi-automatic. Sleepy head GI’s have grabbed their issued Smith and Wesson or Colt revolver, while on perimeter, in years past, and were at the ready, as would anyone in a house that was just broken into, from a sound sleep would be. There is a saying that a revolver was an original point-and-click device. I was one of those GI’s long on sleep walking the base perimeter with a Smith and Wesson issued to me. Revolvers can hold 5, 6, or 8 rounds in the cylinder, depending on the design and caliber. Those chambered for .38 Special are either 5 or 6 round design. Revolvers come in a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 inch barrel length. The Colt Python (not a ‘budget gun’) can be found with an 8 inch barrel. Snub nose revolvers can be found from quite a few gun makers. They are handy, kick real good in some calibers or gun weights, and are employed as house guns across the nation. If you choose a snub nose revolver, spend a little more time at the range since they take a little more than a ‘standard length barreled’ revolver.
Why a 9mm, Terry? Why a .38 special, Terry? Why not a magnum caliber, or a ‘simple .22 caliber’, Terry?
I started with 9mm, because I bought a snub nose revolver chambered for 9mm Luger, that was manufactured in 1993. I qualified with that revolver for my CHL, too. I, then, found a few semi-automatics, some brand names I knew, also in 9mm Luger. They shoot well, and work flawlessly, when the ammunition of choice is correct. That is something you will have to figure out. Each firearm reacts differently to all the choices of loadings within caliber! That can be a Murphy Moment when you need it least!
For .38 Special, i was in my local armorer’s shop, and saw this Smith and Wesson revolver. I found out it was the same kind that I had carried on perimeter duty. I bought it, and like all things of kind, somehow ‘another one or two followed me home’.
As to .22 caliber handguns, they have their place, other than when I read in The New York Post of the Gambino Wars. Maybe that’s why they are low on my list?
Take any NRA-sanctioned class that a local gun range is offering, or what the Sheriff’s Office advertises. Knowledge is life, in these regards.
For any books, I would recommend reading anything that can be found by the late Col.’s Applegate, Cooper or Fairbairn, or Bill Jordan.
For videos, look up ‘Clint Smith’, or ‘Hickok45’ on YouTube.
I would suggest that you also read these gunboards - The Firing Line and The High Road. A lot of knowledge to pick through in their archives.
