Posted on 05/21/2010 3:39:37 PM PDT by bjorn14
I was having breakfast on the terrace with my wife the other day and out of the blue she says to me "I think I want a handgun but I don't want it to be able to kill someone"
My first thought was "What's the point?"
Well alot of back and forth discussion, so any suggestions/comments/advice?
1. Would she kill someone who was trying to kill her?
2. Would she kill someone who was trying to kill you?
3. Would she kill someone who was trying to kill her children?
If she answers no to either question, move your entire family to a deserted island surrounded by Great White Sharks.
This sentence of mine was wrong: “And they are taught to shoot to kill, not disable”
PapaBear3625 said it properly: “Police are trained to shoot at center-mass (chest), and keep shooting until the perp is no longer a threat. In a practical sense, if the perp drops his weapon, then no shot need be fired. If the perp does not, then they will empty the magazine into him, reload, and re-assess.”
They are NOT taught to “wing” or “disable,” but to stop the threat. By shooting at the center of mass, they are taking a shot that is at least potentially lethal.
Uh, no. She said, "I don't want it to be able to kill someone." (Emphasis mine). BIG difference.
That would be a dangerous goal.
If she is not ready to kill, then she is not ready for the responsibility that comes with owning a self-defense firearm.
Perhaps pepper spray or a taser?
Great minds ...
"Now, the problem with shooting not to kill is that the “victim” will sue you. But if he's dead, he won't."
Exactly what was instructed by a lawyer who taught a concealed-carry class....summed up as DEAD MEN DON'T SUE.
If they mean you bodily harm, shoot to kill or invest in some really good track shoes instead.
Agreed. I have teenagers, and I keep all my guns locked. Of course, it’s the law, and I am a lawyer so it would not be good to violate the law.
I can say this, since I am a woman....based on the quote you used, she is one of those people who probably should not have a firearm.
Now again, because I am a woman, I cannot shut up after such a short statement as the above comment. So I must go on long enough for every man reading this to do “the eye roll and deep sigh.”
The only reason for a woman to get a firearm (or a nice even dozen or so) is to have the capability to fully defend yourself as a woman against possible attack by what is likely to be a man who is a lot stronger than you are.
If a woman doesn’t have the survival instinct that makes her kill instead of being killed, then she’s not likely to even use the weapon if TSHTF.
She will probably be afraid of the weapon, and could put herself in danger by unsafe handling due to being nervous about the weapon.
I find great comfort in grabbing my weapon of choice when something seems suspicious out here in the sticks at night. It takes the sheriff 45 minutes to get here, therefore I am my own sheriff. 911? Yeah right. I’ll be assuming room temperature before they ever get here. A phone never saved anyone with a bad guy coming through the front door.
In summary,(hee hee)if she’s really that uncomfortable with the intended use for a firearm, she shouldn’t have one.
Get her a pair of dobermans. They make a swell alarm system.
Any eye rollers out there yet? Deep sighs? Good, then I’ve said too much as usual.
: )
“plink away at her assailant’s ankles”!
LOL
Good one Viking!!!
; )
That would be JUDGE, JURY and EXECUTIONER.....
LOE’s are trained to stop the threat. They are also trained to shoot center mass, generally causing death. Clear as mud, huh. ;>)
PING
My husband gave me a heart attack this past week. I knew that he was going someplace that he couldn't take his carry weapon (elementary school) but it wasn't in it's "spot." (He always keeps it in one particular spot.) We've got our kids and all the little neighborhood kids coming over to play and I like to know where it is when it's not on him. I was like, "Where is it???" He had put it in a different spot and I had to remind me that I couldn't keep it safe if I didn't know where it was and if I needed to use it against an intruder at home, it won't do me any good if I couldn't find it. lol
I never thought of it that way. Thank you for stating it so well -- it helps clear away dangerous doubts.
She want’s a pistol, but it must be nonlethal?
Just two words. Air Soft.
Looks perfectly real, but unless you aim for an eye, almost totally harmless. And if you DO aim for the eye, it’s going to sting something fierce and an attacker might just be distracted by his watering eyes.
But seriously, if she wants a “toy” to shoot, anything chambered in .22 long rifle. Cheap to shoot and there are hundreds of firearm options that will fire it.
Real life doesn't much resemble TV and movies. There are no replays and nothing happens in slow motion. I think that too many are unaware of how quickly a situation can develop, and how fast and violently an assault can happen. In seconds a person can be dead or dying, and the wrong decision can be fatal.
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