Posted on 01/05/2010 4:28:05 AM PST by marktwain
A Houston, TX homeowner reportedly used his shotgun to save himself and his wife from a violent burglar.
Police say that the husband and wife, who own a home on Cloverleaf Street in Houston, were awakened by the sound of breaking glass and their home security system siren. The wife reportedly noticed an intruder, and yelled for her husband to grab his shotgun. Shotgun in hand, the husband is said to have seen a burglar dressed in black, who was brandishing a fire extinguisher. The husband reportedly fired one shot in self defense, hitting the burglar in the hip and causing him to scream then flee. Police are said to have found a suspect, who was reportedly identified as 17 year old Mark Galvan, laying in a neighbor's yard and suffering from a gunshot wound. Galvan was reportedly taken in to custody, treated for his wounds, and then charged with burglary.
As this case shows, it is not wise to trust one's life to the hope that a violent burglar will flee upon hearing an alarm. A burglar may decide that although the alarm is sounding, they can complete their crime in the (at least) several minutes that it will take for the police to arrive. Or, the criminal could be a drug user or mentally disturbed person who is simply not amenable to reason. Regardless of the criminal's underlying motive, the net result can be unarmed citizens harmed in their own home by a violent burglar.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
Those alarms are good for alerting you to a break-in so you can go shoot the guy.
Shotgun..... burglar stopper
The target customers are spinsters, divorced or widowed women.
spinster = 30+ yo unmarried female
I too am a believer in 00 buckshot, but in fact #4 shot (and larger) works extremely well as well. I’ve got a couple hundred rounds of 12 GA Winchester, Hi Velocity #2 steel shot turkey rounds that would be every bit as effective for home defense as the buckshot, if not more so because there are more pellets.
Birdshot and other game loads are for plinking and shooting clay pigeons...
My alarm system has a 1 minute delay that allows you to disarm it.
Some systems allow you to enter a code that shuts off the alarm but still alarms the alarm company to send police.
“Violent home invader “
“brandishing a fire extinguisher”
hmmm.....
Good shooting. Excellent shot. Civilization thanks you, Citizen.
Perp may not have been the best example, though. Sounds seriously dim. They say that the sound of a shotgun chambering a shell is the best burglar-repellent there is, but Einstein here seems not to have gotten the message.
Shoot to hit CM, shoot until he stops.
Hitting the perp, and hitting him in a stopping location is the key with any arm.
They are working on it...one perp at a time!
Enough 00 and there will be peace.
I’m sure that 17 year old Mark Galvan is a ‘good boy’, loves any siblings he may have, and is active in his church.
You are correct about he bird shot. Not enough penetration and what you need is a disconnect in the CNS, not a nasty surface wound.
On the other hand, rifled slugs in a home may not be such a good idea either, might as well use a 45 or 40 cal hand gun as they are easier to point aim in a home.
Always abide by the notion that any round that misses and goes down range has a lawyer attached to it!
I keep a 20 gauge double with 3 buck handy as my wife may have to use it. Inside 20 feet, it is as effective as a 12 gauge without the recoil.
Vince
Sounds more like the homeowner is aware of what exists outside the walls of his home. Your theory is more for the criminal, not someone in a self-defense role. And birdshot can be quite messy inside 15-20 feet.
Ones choice of ammunition should be determined by the type of construction, proximity to neighbors, etc.
I keep my shotgun loaded with #6 shot. At indoor ranges it's devastating and has a much lower chance of passing through sheetrock and killing my child or my neighbor.
Doncha just love a happy ending?
I bought some tactical loads. Its 00 but with a lighter powder charge. Less likely to go through sheet rock but will drop an intruder.
Or my .45 whichever is closer
Mine has two settings, one for instant on, and one for a 45 second delay. The delay is used when we leave the house.
Two fine choices IMO.
My thoughts exactly. I keep my shotgun loaded with steel turkey shot. Within the hallways and short distances in my house, turkey shot will still do a lot of damage. 00 and slug, based on the construction of my home, runs too much risk of over penetration.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7201121
The homeowner is a retired cop and carries a Glock for self defense. Both he and his wife have taught firearms training. There are some very good quotes in both the video and the article, but the wife sums it up best when she says, "Don't mess with us."
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