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I've got a question for everybody here. I was originally going to post this as a main topic, but decided against it so that it wouldn't be labled vanity. Especially since the general basis of this question has been asked many a time in these vast halls of FreePdom.

Now is a time when many people are buying guns for the first time. But what should they buy? I put the question to those reading this thread, what would you want, within reason, for all your home defense needs? Let me clarify what exactly I'm looking for.

First, what would be your concealed carry weapon to take with you wherever and whenever.

Second, what weapons (plural - weaponS) would you want for well rounded home defense? Please define what type of home the weapons you list would be best suited for. (apartment, city home, 5-10 acre country lot, wide open spaces)

For me, my answers would be thus:

For concealed carry, I'm getting a Kimber Compact CDP .45ACP 1911 style pistol. I have one gun right now, but I purchased it a few months back as a compromise between critter protection and home defense. (large frame .357) As such, it doesn't lend itself well to concealed carry, although it can be done.

For home defense, I'm in the 5-10 acre country parcel range. I'd like a handgun for close-up protection. I'd also like an assult rifle such as an AR15 with high capacity clips for outside work. Also for outside work, I'd like to have a high capacity short barrel shotgun for sweeping the driveway if need be, along with a good hunting rifle with a well dialed in scope in case I'd need to snipe someone or something on my property.

Of course, I can't imagine any one situation in which I'd need all of these weapons at my disposal. But I can imagine various situation where one of these weapons would be good to perform it's own specialized task.

I know we all like to post pictures of tanks, AAA batteries, and Australian made guns that can fire one million rounds per second. But let's try to stay within the budget of the average American citizen.

Keep in mind that there are laws about when deadly force can be used. Though there are vast differences between states, generally you must be in direct, immediate, physical danger before the use of a firearm can be justfied. In plain language, an armed attacker is coming at you, or has forced his way into your home. In either case, if the attacker turns his back toward you, you may not fire.

All this implies short ranges. Therefore in terms of protection I would consider a shotgun ( an awsome bit of firepower to face) for the home and your 1911 for your carry weapon (more than enough knock down power). I would not consider a rifle as a good defensive weapon.

Now is a time when many people are buying guns for the first time. But what should they buy?

First, what would be your concealed carry weapon to take with you wherever and whenever.

For a first time gun for concealed carry, I recommend a snubby wheelgun in .357, since it's almost idiot proof, never jams, can shoot the milder .38, and the ammo is available in huge supply.

Second, what weapons (plural - weaponS) would you want for well rounded home defense? Please define what type of home the weapons you list would be best suited for. (apartment, city home, 5-10 acre country lot, wide open spaces)

For the home, a 12 gauge pump. Easy to operate, doesn't overpenetrate walls, instills instant bowel loosening on any burglar upon the mere sound of it's slide being racked. Again, the ammo is in great supply.

For the perimeter (outside lawn/field) any rifle really. A Rugar Mini-14, a Winchester 94 lever action, a nice 30.06 bolt action...unless you live on the prarie, most of your shots from the house to the perimeter will be under 200 yards. The ammo for .223, 30-30 and 30.06 is readily abundant.

In the suburbs we're only talking a matter of only tens of feet, well within shotgun range.

For concealed carry, I suggest a Glock. They won't go off unless you pull the trigger and have very few parts.

For home, a nice Mossberg 500 series. Inexpensive and effective shotgun. I also have an AR-15, but only have 2
acres of land and most of that is wooded so it is unlikely that it would be used for defense.

Great choice on the Kimber VWRC. Those are sweet pistols. I have a compact Uzi Eagle in 40 S&W (these are now sold by Magnum Research as the "Baby Eagle") for carry, and a high cap Glock 19 for in home protection. I also have a Mossberg pump shotgun with a riot setup for close in defense. As far as shotguns go, for home defense I would highly reccomend the Mossberg. They are much cheaper than anything else you will be able to find, and there are scads of accessories on the market available for them. As for long range hunting/sniping a standard bolt action Remington .270 should do the trick nicely. There are several diffrent economical versions of this gun, as well as the Remington auto loaders in .270, 30.06, .243, and 30-30. As far as an assault type weapon, an AR-15 is going to cost big money. $950 for a base model. I would look at the Ruger Mini-14. Every bit the firearm, for less than half the price. Models start around $450. Hope this helps.

I do not usually answer these questions but due to the need for someone to expound on these issues I will try.

First, what would be your concealed carry weapon to take with you wherever and whenever.

It depends on the situation and the clothing worn. On a hot summer day when bathing suit is it, I might carry a compact .380 auto suc as the colt Mustang or slightly larger PPK/S.

At other times it might be a firearm such as a short CZ-75 clone or a S&W 6906 or a .45 ACP model 1911 variant. Certainly the Kimber CDP compact model is an exzellent choice. More important than caliber or model is the ability to hit your target. The .38 cal revolver certainly has much in its favor and one is almost always in the pocket of a winter jacket. Mrs. Harpseal is more comfortable with a revolver and her choice is a 4inch barreled Taurus .357 magnum, and/or a .38cal snub nosed revolver. For concealed carry there are as many choices as there are individuals and personal comfort and competence should be paramount.

Second, what weapons (plural - weaponS) would you want for well rounded home defense? Please define what type of home the weapons you list would be best suited for. (apartment, city home, 5-10 acre country lot, wide open spaces)For a small town on the CT shore I favor a large capacity 5.56X45 mm rifle along with a Mossberg 590 12 gauge shotgun. I also heartily endorse the scout rifle as designed by Jeff Cooper. Away from shore aboard a boat I like the above three combined with a good .50 cal Rifle. My personal favorite is the Barret but there are other exellent rifles out there.

Once more we have the issues of choice and personal fit along with budget. Some people are best served by a .30 cal M1 carbine some are better served by a traditional M1. It is possible to get an M1A1 in a scout configuration.

For me, my answers would be thus: For concealed carry, I'm getting a Kimber Compact CDP .45ACP 1911 style pistol. I have one gun right now, but I purchased it a few months back as a compromise between critter protection and home defense. (large frame .357) As such, it doesn't lend itself well to concealed carry, although it can be done. For home defense, I'm in the 5-10 acre country parcel range. I'd like a handgun for close-up protection. I'd also like an assult rifle such as an AR15 with high capacity clips for outside work. Also for outside work, I'd like to have a high capacity short barrel shotgun for sweeping the driveway if need be, along with a good hunting rifle with a well dialed in scope in case I'd need to snipe someone or something on my property.

Of course, I can't imagine any one situation in which I'd need all of these weapons at my disposal. But I can imagine various situation where one of these weapons would be good to perform it's own specialized task.

I know we all like to post pictures of tanks, AAA batteries, and Australian made guns that can fire one million rounds per second. But let's try to stay within the budget of the average American citizen.

You sound like you have what works best for you.

Stay well - stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

Concerning concealed carry -

An important part of making concealed carry comfortable is having a quality holster. It makes a world of difference.

I carry a Sig Sauer P229 in .357 Sig / .40 cal. It's not a small gun, but it fits comfortably in a Milt Sparks Executive Companion inside-the-pants holster. Many people consider Milt Sparks to be the best in the world; I certainly do.

Check 'em out. There's a 4-6 week wait for your holster, as it's made for YOU. It's worth it, and the prices aren't bad at all.