Assault rifles offer a bit too much for home defense

Indy Star ^

[conservativefromGa]

John Strauss

Assault rifles offer a bit too much for home defense

February 14, 2003

As store shelves throughout the city are emptied of duct tape and plastic sheeting by people concerned about terrorist attacks, other folks think the best defense is a good offense.

Don Davis said gun sales at his Westside store have doubled since the latest terrorism alert. He said the $599 AK-47 is a top seller.

Davis became locally famous a few years ago with endlessly repeated TV commercials in which he cocked a finger at the camera and cackled, "Folks, I don't want to make money -- I just love to sell guns."

It turns out that terrorism sells.

"For me, when times are bad, business is good," Davis said Thursday.

He was at a trade show in Florida this week, shopping for gas masks for customers suddenly nervous about chemical or biological attacks.

At his Don's Guns, manager Ben Chance let me test-fire the AK-47 and a $999 Bushmaster, similar to the military M-16, in the store's indoor range.

The Bushmaster delivers a high-velocity round very accurately with little kick. The AK-47 will give you a jolt, but with that kick you get a larger round capable, they say, of going through a car's engine block.

Just what you need to stop terrorists invading your subdivision.

Of course, some people might end up with guns simply for home protection. And if that's the case, Chance says, an old-fashioned shotgun might do the trick.

"A 12-gauge is a nice gun to have in the house. You don't have to aim the gun. You just point it in the general vicinity, and you're actually going to hit what you're pointing toward, because (the shot) scatters."

Business also was up at 500 Guns on the Westside and at Pop Guns Trading Post on the Eastside. But managers at those stores said that had more to do with the arrival of income tax refund checks than Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein.

"There have been a few people come in and express concern," said Mike Hilton, the manager at Pop Guns. "But overall, people tend to be pretty complacent about it, to be honest."

Hilton said he recommends that someone who wants a gun take a training course. Then, once he has an idea of their skill level, he'll suggest a firearm -- often a small revolver.

He's not big on the AK-47 in this case. If used for self-defense, it's likely to "overpenetrate" -- go right through the attacker, through the wall of your home, through the wall of the next house and into somebody there.

Guy Montgomery, manager of 500 Guns, also recommends a revolver -- not a battlefield rifle -- for home defense.

Still, there's a magnetism about the assault weapons. Firing one of these guns is the shooting equivalent of twisting the throttle on a squat Harley -- lots of noise and simple, raw power.

They're fun, but they may not be real practical.

So if you're convinced al-Qaida is down the street and you want to establish a defensive perimeter in the front hallway, do the neighbors a favor.

Just borrow dad's old shotgun.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

They're fun, but they may not be real practical.

It's actually true. For a firefight inside the confines of a house, give me a 12 gauge with slugs every time.

All body armor does when hit with a 12 gauge slug at a distance of ten feet is serve as a container for scrambled intestines/heart/lungs.

[AdamSelene235]

I thought you couldn't buy an AK-47 in America...MAK-90 yes, but AK-47?

Why not? Of course you can buy one in America. Just not in California.

[org.whodat]

Don Davis said gun sales at his Westside store have doubled since the latest terrorism alert. He said the $599 AK-47 is a top seller.

I'm glade that someone finally posted what a rip-off this so called dealer is. Acutally you can buy them in the $250.00 range. And an FAL for about 395.00.

[TXnMA]

Tried a box of those "bird bomb" rounds in the Mossberg 590; they travel about 200 ft and make a most satisfying bang.

Since we live out in the boonies, I plan to keep a few around for "sending messages" to trespassers. (I prefer the ones that do not whistle enroute.) That sudden blast overhead should make an intruder wonder what sort of war zone he'd stumbled into -- and what sort of incoming might be right behind that first round... '-)

[Aric2000]

Thank you for that correction, it's been a while.

[AdamSelene235]

assault rifles are NOT great for home defense, they are large, unwieldy and you have to be a fairly good shot.

Nonsense...My M4 is far more wieldy than my shotgun....

[oyez]

illegal for deer in Minnesota because it is UNDERPOWERED

Plenty of power not enough lead. I'd say if the the .223 pushed a 120 grain rather the 55 that would do the trick. The original design of the .223 rifle bullet was to be denser at the rear and the tip would colapse on contact with the target, causing it to spin on it axis, therefore causing great tissue damage.

[jt8d]

My philosophy is summed-up in a Remington 870 Marine Magnum w/7Rd Tube Mag; FILO: Rifled Slug, 000-Buck x2, 00-Buck x2, No.4 Buck x2. The closer they get... the more "hurt" they earn... cachunk, cachunk.

When it really has to be killed at the 200 yard line: MAC90 w/ 100rnd drum, skeletonized Fiberforce stock and fore-grip; FILO: hollow-point, incindiary, armor-piercing... repeat.

Close-up and personal: Auto Ordinance 45-ACP w/ full-length guide rod, heavy-duty return spring, polished and throated feedramp, cut-down and flared-back ejection port... a really nice way to say "goodbye."

[Shooter 2.5]

Unless Teddy Roosevelt was in the habit of calling his rifles "Big Medicine", that honor goes to his 1895 Winchester in .405. His quote was: "The Winchester .405 is, at least to me personally, the medicine gun for lions". There is even a picture of him with a rhino that he shot and killed with it.

[conservativefromGa]

[Riley]

Apparently the slugs went so cleanly through the blocks they hardly moved them at all.

I use something frangible- I have a box of clay pigeons just for the purpose.

Sealed cans of your favorite carbonated beverage are fun, too. :-)

Tethered helium balloons will move with the wind and make a more challenging target. Actually, this might be grist for a good vanity one of these days- what's your favorite improvised plinking target?

[Axenolith]

I DID! And shortly thereafter Geraldo used the term "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey" referring to Chirac saying they weren't that (CESM's).

[Marauder]

quite a strain on a wrist with a pistol grip

That's the first thing I experienced after buying my 870 12-ga (I got it cheap because the barrel was slightly bent at 18-1/2"; naturally I cut it to 18")

I installed the pistol grip so it would fit under the jumpseat in my extd-cab truck. That first shot really stung my palm although I knew it was going to happen.

I think I'll try a folding stock next.

[aruanan]

Assault rifles offer a bit too much for home defense

Tell that to the people who've been killed by corrupt drug warriors bent on acquiring citizens' property.

[jt8d]

DITTO!!!

[fuente]

Gotta Mossburg 500 cheap a few years back. Has a composite pistol grip and a full stock, a couple of barrels. The 18&1/2 has a cool heat guard and no choke. Man first round of 3" 00 in the short barrel/pistol grip configwas quite a surprise. Because of the PG configuration, there's no way for it to roll in your hand like a big iron pistol. Dang that hurt!

[Nucluside]

The best home defense gun is one that you can use fast and very accurately. Some might use a Walther PPK, some can handle a police shotgun, some could use an SKS or AK. The best thing you can say about the SKS and AKs is that they never jam. I had an SKS behind the seat of my truck for 7 years. Never cleaned or oiled it, plinked when I wanted to, let anyone shoot it, mixed up the ammo, etc., and put over 1500 rounds through it. And it ALWAYS fired. I also tried same with an AK with similar results. Be safe at all times, and practice, practice, practice. Ain't no gun good if you ain't. You need to shoot and practice often, because most cops don't. By the way, I'm not a habitual slob with my guns. I was TESTING those rifles, and God, did they pass! The commies knew what they were doing.

[kitchen]

I am guessing I am pretty well off unless a T-Rex comes through the front door.

You don't have a .577 T-Rex?

[Jimmy Valentine]

I respectfully nominate that for quote of the day.

Regards,

[Future Snake Eater]

And once again, a reporter totally destroys his own credibility on a given topic, by being dumber than a bag of scared hammers.

Well, to be totally fair, the gun dealer probably told him that, or something similar, and he just passed it on. He may have screwed up the details, but I highly doubt he'd go out on a limb like that on a topic he knows absolutely nothing about.