About a month ago someone tried to break into my place while I was here–luckily they ran away when they realized I was home. I know there are some gun owners on here–what is involved in training to effectively defend yourself with a handgun? I’m not sure yet whether I’ll get one but I wanted to start finding out about it. Thanks.
In the meantime, put an ADT security system in… and a sign in the front yard… stops them before they try to enter, wheter you are home or not… They also monitor smoke detectors, and I got a discount on my home owners insurance for having it… Don’t know if they’ll give you one if you have a gun though…
BTW, I reference ADT specifically because they have the most advanced monitoring system (they all use alot of the same components), just look at their client list, and that says it all…
Depends on the state. In my state you start the process of getting a permit through the local police dept. Check there first, they would have the information.
In in Indiana, and although I still live with my parents, I own my own gun. I do not have it registered because the Constitution says my right to own a gun shall not be infringed. The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the land, so I could care less what my state laws say.
Get a gun, the government doesnt need to know about it, its not their business.
Put a sign(like I do) in front of your house that says “Proud Christian Gun Owner, Nothing in my House is worth losing your life over”
Thanks for all the advice. If I decide to buy it, it should be smooth sailing where I live, if I decide to do it.
Transferring ownership without the proper paperwork is ILLEGAL. Please do not tell members that they should break the law. Everyone has the right to bear arms*. The asterisk is that you need to follow the laws that regulate ownership. You CAN have a gun, just play by the rules.
HoldandBuy,
As the others said, you first need to learn your state laws. You can get a good start by looking on the NRA website at NRA.org. Under the Politics and Legislation tab, select Gun Laws and then the state in which you reside.
If you aren’t comfortable with guns, then I would recommend a gun safety course, or a concealed carry course if you want to get a concealed carry license. The quality of these courses varies greatly and I would do a little research before enrolling in one. Ideally, getting a personal recommendation from a friend would be ideal, but you can also do some research on the internet. I would suggest calling the instructor and discussing your needs and desires with him to ensure that the course will fit your needs.
YOU are the ONLY one that can protect you. Police investigate crimes after they occur and arrest the criminals - they don’t prevent crimes!
Transferring ownership without the proper paperwork is ILLEGAL.
Rich, paperwork may be needed to transfer ownership between individuals in the socialist northeast, but not here in flyover country.
Good Luck,
Mike
Hmmmmm, thought that was federal law. I haven’t a gun in a long time and at the time I bought the ones I had I was a minor and my father did all of the purchasing.
Thanks Mike, this is kind of what I was getting at. There is no point of having the gun if the criminal can get it away from me in close quarters or I’m not familiar with them.
Me personally, I got two of these baby’s, with 40 round mags always full (but not in chamber). I actually feel very sorry for the guy that breaks in my place.
Imagine, you are a criminal, and break in. You hear the SHICK SHICK sound of a round cycled in. What are you goin to do? Doubt I’ll get the chance to mow them over with my AKs.
Now John - the Chosen One isn’t going to like you if you’re going to own “assault rifles”. LOL!
Mike
Check out my wife, shooting one of them. I still feel sorry for the fool who breaks in my house while i’m gone.
CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS…
Then FOLLOW them!!!
IF you live in a State that REQUIRES you to register a weapon. You sure as hell better do it. If you DON’T …an you wound an intruder. You could lose not only your FREEDOM but everything you own.
The military teaches soldiers to field strip their weapons BLIND FOLDED. There’s a very good reason for this…By the time you can field strip an M-16 without looking…You’ve become INTIMATELY familiar with that weapon. You can tear it down in your sleep. That builds very high levels of CONFIDENCE. A privately owned gun is no different. The amount of TIME you spend shooting it, and working with it ,
the harded it’s going to be for some junkie to get the upper hand on you.
Last piece of advice…
ALWAYS SHOOT TO KILL.
HoldAndBuy,
Stop by a local gun shop. They’ll be more than happy to educate you on what you need to do to obey state firearm laws and be proficient in the safe operation of your firearm. I recommend an NRA membership as well. They are a great resource.
JP
Word of caution here. THINK real hard before you pick up that thing to shoot at someone. As my younger self, if I had a gun half my close friends would be DEAD the way we played pranks on each other. I’m talking pranks like hanging out by the windows looking like a crook or banging on the door making a ton of noise. All that stuff was good for a laugh, but if I was freaked out, had a gun, and didn’t realize what was going on…
Just be careful, you don’t want to become a murderer just because you overreacted.
Never figured you for a “Shoot to kill” type Pete
Vader,
Your advice is spot on.
You NEVER want to shoot anyone unless YOUR life is in imminent danger. It should be a kill or BE KILLED situation.
I did know a girl in High school who lived in a very upscale neighborhood. She came home from school one day and went upstairs to her bedroom,she was alone at the time. She heard what sounded like glass breaking at the back door. She looked out her window to see a man breaking into her home. She grabbed he fathers loaded 357, opened the window and fired a shot into the grass about 25 feet from the back door. The gun she fired was a snub nose 357 revolver. Anyone who has ever fired this type of gun knows that the short barrel makes it sound like a CANNON.
The would be intruder took off like a shot and probably left 10 years of his life at that door step. Sometimes just KNOWING that theres someone IN THAT HOUSE SHOOTING at you is enough for most IDIOTS to pick an easier target.
Interesting thread; did anyone hear whats going on in Wisconsin (my home state)? The state’s Attorney General announced this week that legally carrying a gun in plain sight should NOT be considered disordery conduct, in and of itself.
There’s been several incidents in Milwaukee recently about people legally having their firearms on their person while working in their yard, and the neighbors calling the cops on them, and they get a citation for disorderly conduct for having the weapon in plain sight.
Today, the chief of police in Milwaukee announced that he has ordered local police to continue to apprehend people with guns in plain sight, and sort out the details later- somewhat contradicting what the Attorney General announced. It’s created a lot of local debate regarding firearms in general. granted, theres a lot of politics involved in all these decisions, but very interesting nonetheless…
Jake,
That is an issue with concealed carry in the real world. It is difficult to keep the gun concealed at all times, especially if you’re actually working. I do my best to keep mine concealed, but my shirt or coat often rides up over the top of it when I reach for things or carry large items. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve discovered it uncovered at Lowes or while working on a rental. I’ve even had other shoppers tell me that “your gun is uncovered.” Fortunately, here in Ohio, open carry is legal and the police won’t arrest you unless you’re acting erratically. Here in my area, they typically arrest people with guns for “creating a panic”, but they usually deserve to be arrested for it. For example, I was driving in town one day and saw a teenager standing in the middle of the streeting twirling a .45! Needless to say, I called the police. Thankfully, he didn’t point that gun at me.
It sounds to me like the Milwaukee police chief is an anti-gun IDIOT! There is certainly NO REASON to arrest someone for having a gun in plain sight and ‘sort it out later.’ They could just as easily detain them for a moment and check their background. In only a minute or two, they could determine who is a criminal and who is a law-abiding citizen!
Mike
Mike
I agree, the idea seems to scare someone off, not actually shoot, only as a last resort. I was listening to Neil Boortz’s radio show recently. He was at his vacation home and thought there was an intruder hiding in his shower, and almost shot at that “person”. As it turns out it was just his wetsuit that he’d hung in there to dry earlier that day & forgotten about. If he had actually fired he said the bullet might have gone through the shower wall into the neighboring condo. Who knows what could have happened.