| I have been called, e-mailed and stopped on the | | | | 12 gauge and 20 gauge, there are many other sizes |
| street, questioned in my office, at a couple of places | | | | but for home defense we'll stick to the more |
| where I shop, and at the post office. I do radio ads | | | | common 12 or 20. Ordinarily the shotgun is less |
| for Steele's Gun Shop and I'm known to be familiar | | | | expensive, easier to use, and better for defense |
| with firearms to some degree. I have been asked | | | | than a pistol by far.Many people think that shotguns |
| about what kind of gun or ammo to purchase for | | | | have shot that spreads, to send out a wall of lead, |
| home defense and about concealed carry of guns | | | | and that you can't miss with a shotgun. That is BULL.. |
| and knives. Some of these questions were from | | | | The longest distance most of us will be able to shoot |
| people who have never owned guns before and | | | | in defense, inside our homes, is about 20 feet. At |
| some from those who "hate" guns and even hate | | | | that distance the size of the circle of shot from a |
| gun owners as well to some degree.One of my | | | | shotgun is about two and a half inches in diameter or |
| friends has interest in a business near the World | | | | less. It's easy to miss with a shotgun, but not as |
| Trade Center site. One close friend was the one who | | | | easy as it is to miss with a pistol. Some people want |
| first reported the plane that hit the Pentagon, about | | | | to get all sorts of specialty ammo for a shotgun to |
| three windows from his office window. Another | | | | use in home defense. That is not needed. The |
| friend of mine lives on Long Island and works in the | | | | cheapest "bird shot" is the best for home defense |
| building industry and at a huge lumber store there; so | | | | and the least likely to go through wall after wall after |
| she is in constant contact with workers and | | | | wall through your house and into the sleeping rooms |
| contractors connected to the New York City area. | | | | of the rest of your family and the neighbors up and |
| Several of my friends are military, National Guard, and | | | | down the street.By the way, most pistol ammo will |
| police. I am no authority, in my mind, nor compared | | | | go through three or four walls, perhaps more, before |
| to some that I know, but I am very open in my | | | | it stops if you miss the person you are shooting at in |
| communications on anything. So, I am asked about a | | | | self defense. Where are the kids? Think about it |
| lot of things. I have been around guns, gun shops, | | | | before you get a gun. In fact thinking is far superior |
| police, military, and worked as a Federal Law | | | | to shooting, regarding self defense. In modern |
| Enforcement Officer, as a Security Policeman in the | | | | homes, made of foam insulation, wall board and vinyl |
| U. S. Coast Guard, and as a Security and Public | | | | siding; a pistol bullet can easily penetrate both sides |
| Relations person at FEMA for a while in disaster | | | | of five or six homes before stopping.Guns are |
| preparedness and as an on-site disaster center | | | | expensive and good guns are very expensive. There |
| worker.I do have some opinions and some are quite | | | | are some ways to beat the system however. There |
| strong. They are based on knowledge and | | | | are lots of used guns on the market, especially police |
| experience and information from those who know | | | | guns, because everyone, especially the police, want |
| better than I. So here is some data in the form | | | | to have the coolest and most awesome and most |
| of;Frequently Asked Questions and My Answers.Q: | | | | new gun that is being advertised. So they trade in |
| WHY HAVE A GUN IN THE FIRST PLACE?For the | | | | the old guns and often the older guns are the better |
| same reasons we have smoke detectors, first aid | | | | guns although less cool. Silly aren't they? There are |
| kits, fire extinguishers; life, health, dental and home | | | | lots of good used pistols, revolvers and shotguns in |
| insurance. Because planning, preparation and | | | | the gun shops of America and many of them are |
| investment in proper tools and devices -- give us | | | | superior to the new stuff in reliability and accuracy. |
| more control over ourselves and our destiny and well | | | | Go figure! J Or you can purchase a new gun.No |
| being in any arena. And, having better control of our | | | | matter what you get, make certain that you learn |
| lives and future is a native concern and need for | | | | how to use the gun correctly and get some training |
| most of us.I think, and most of us think, that any life | | | | from someone who really knows guns and safe |
| worth living is worth defending. We have dedicated | | | | handling. Most men think they are genetically |
| 40, 50, 60, or 100 hours a week to providing for our | | | | endowed with gun smarts and they are not. In fact |
| families so that they may live life without major | | | | most men who are first time or infrequent users of |
| interruptions or inconveniences and death or injury at | | | | guns are far more stupid and far more dangerous |
| the hand of a "Bad Person". Disaster is certainly not | | | | than women and no more likely to hit what they aim |
| part of our plan for optimum survival for us and our | | | | for either. As a matter of fact, women are usually |
| family.Because people are neither natively brave nor | | | | better shots than men atfirst, according to my |
| courageous and because people are natively more | | | | experience. I have taught several hundred people |
| comfortable, less fearful, having something to hand | | | | how to shoot for the first time and have helped a |
| for self and family defense; having a weapon to hand | | | | few dozen others shoot better. By the way I'm not |
| or a method of defense and protection is an internal | | | | a professional firearms instructor, just a willing friend |
| instinct that is intrinsic and native. That can include | | | | and neighbor who has shot a lot and owned a lot of |
| decisions to lock the doors, live in safer areas and | | | | guns over a lot of years.IF you do get a gun, and I'm |
| staying alert to news and current events. Even those | | | | not at all certain that you should; keep your |
| who hate guns and want all of them gone, always | | | | defensive firearm handy but secure and practice, |
| seem to have a kitchen knife, a baseball bat or a | | | | practice, practice. Practice often enough to be |
| sword (Ha) to defend themselves with. The Bad | | | | dangerous to the Bad Persons and often enough to |
| Person, BP laughs as such implements in the hands of | | | | NOT be dangerous to yourself and your family. At a |
| someone not used to fighting for their lives and it is | | | | minimum that will be weekly for a few months and |
| in fact laughable if you've ever seen a street thug | | | | then monthly for several months and then at least |
| fight or attack someone.Those who decry guns are | | | | every two or three months thereafter. Even those |
| the first to call 911 and beg someone, a policeman, | | | | who hunted all the time 30 or 40 years ago but not |
| with a gun to come and defend them - the police | | | | much in the last 10 years, are not to be trusted to |
| can not and WILL NOT ARRIVE IN TIME. In fact the | | | | be safe and accurate with a firearm now.Q: WHAT |
| police are not even expected to arrive to defend | | | | IS THE BEST KIND OF AMMO FOR MY GUN AND |
| you. They are expected only, by law, to come and | | | | FOR SELF DEFENSE? IS IT BEST TO USE THE |
| mark chalk lines around your dead body and that of | | | | BULLETS THAT COST 2 OR 3 OR 4 OR EVEN UP |
| your family - and to write up the reports, take | | | | TO 12 DOLLARS PER SHOT?The silly news shows, |
| pictures of the blood splattered walls and floor, and | | | | the major media evening news is fond of showing |
| file them away along with a report on what they find | | | | off all sorts of buzz saw bullets and bullets that will |
| at the scene of your murder. Check it out; even the | | | | penetrate bullet proof vests and all manner of other |
| Supreme Court of the United States had made a | | | | nonsense. Almost anything on the evening news |
| written decision to that extent.Q: FOR A NON | | | | about guns, ammo, self defense, etc. is a lie or at |
| SHOOTER, WHAT GUNS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR | | | | best BULL. Now, regarding ammunition; you don't |
| DEFENSE?None. A non shooter should not have any | | | | need a lot of ammo for self defense. In a defensive |
| gun. Having a gun without taking the time and effort | | | | situation if you need more than ten or twenty shots, |
| to learn how to USE it correctly and safely hit what | | | | you are likely going to die anyway as there are either |
| is aimed at is not only silly but it's dangerous. Here, I | | | | too many people for you to defend against or you |
| agree with the anti-gun people. THEY shouldn't have | | | | are too bad a shot to defend yourself. However, |
| a gun because they wouldn't use the gun and would | | | | under the stress of self defense, it is not unusual for |
| likely shoot someone for nothing, or miss and hit | | | | police to miss every single shot from a 15 shotpistol |
| someone else. Non-Shooters should not own guns, | | | | when shooting at a Bad Person that is only 15 or 20 |
| period. Anti-gunners are more likely to become | | | | feet away. In shoot outs where trained police are |
| murderers or accidental killers with a gun than | | | | shooting at BPs who also have guns, it is not unusual |
| without. It is a cinch that if they don't trust others | | | | for several hundred shots to be fired for each |
| with a gun, they certainly are not worthy of trust | | | | person that is killed. Think about it. They need to |
| with one themselves, and that's certain.Q: FOR AN | | | | practice a LOT more don't they. Luckily BPs don't |
| INEXPERIENCED, NEW SHOOTER, WHAT DO I | | | | practice much, if any, either. What you need lots of |
| RECOMMEND?First of all, don't buy a gun if you are | | | | ammo for is practice.How about all these wonderful |
| not going to become proficient with it and that takes | | | | and special self defense bullets? There are bullets |
| some time, repetition and training. My first suggestion | | | | that cost $6 each or more that are supposed to |
| is the .38 caliber/.357 caliber revolvers. These are | | | | work better and faster for self defense. The real |
| inexpensive and easy to find new or used. The .357 | | | | truth is that it doesn't matter a HOOT how |
| revolver and can be used with low power .38 caliber | | | | expensive the bullet is, if you miss a vital spot in the |
| ammunition for practice and for defense the same | | | | attacker. What you need is practice, practice, |
| gun will allow the use of extremely powerful .357 | | | | practice, so that you can certainly hit what you are |
| ammunition. They are made to hold 5 or 6 cartridges | | | | aiming at and STOP an attacker. REAL experts say: |
| and that should be fine for home defense. They are | | | | It is better to shoot the attacker 6 times quickly and |
| quite accurate and fairly easy to learn. They have no | | | | accurately when you need to stop the attack than it |
| "safety" lever so under tension and in the terror of | | | | is to hit them with one |
| having to use one for self defense, there is no | | | | super-duper-Cowabunga-pooper bullet. So practice. It |
| safety to remember about changing to the fire | | | | is bullet placement that will save the life of you and |
| position from the safe position. Many, many people | | | | your family; bullet placement that STOPS the Bad |
| have died as a result of trying to defend themselves | | | | Person fast enough to stop that BP from hurting you |
| with a gun that was still on safe when they needed | | | | or a loved one.Q: GUNS ARE NO HELP AGAINST AN |
| to fire it to stop someone from killing them. The Bad | | | | AIRPLANE AIMED AT YOU, OR SOME ANTHRAX |
| Person won't wait for you to remember the safety. | | | | SPORES. WHY ARE YOU SO SET ON HAVING |
| I'm not in favor of safeties at all. Every person in the | | | | GUNS?Some folks are concerned about potential |
| home that has access to the gun MUST be trained in | | | | social turmoil, rogue bands of harmful burglars, |
| safe handling. No safety switch, lock or chain will | | | | perhaps dangerous riots, and there is a certainty |
| make a gun safe in the hands of an idiot or an | | | | that, for the first time, this war is happening here |
| unsafe gun handler - same thing.A revolver is the gun | | | | and there are no safe zones, at least no certain safe |
| that cowboys used. The cylinder holds six shots, and | | | | zones. As members of a community, we seek to |
| revolves as it's shot, hence it's called a six shooter or | | | | support our community with personal and community |
| revolver, and after each shot the cylinder revolves to | | | | commitment -- a price others are and have been |
| put another cartridge in back of the barrel ready to | | | | willing to pay. Now it MAY be our turn. I'm not saying |
| fire when the trigger is pulled to slam the hammer | | | | this is correct or right or even necessary; I'm just |
| down and fire the bullet out the barrel to what is | | | | saying that is what some people feel and |
| aimed or pointed at.Once a person has fired several | | | | think.Owning a weapon is a personal decision. Some |
| revolvers or several handguns, many of them choose | | | | people have swords, canes, baseball bats, pepper |
| a pistol. A pistol is a semi-automatic handgun that | | | | spray, potato mashers and even hornet spray or a |
| does not have a cylinder but has a magazine to hold | | | | water pistol full of vinegar for self defense. Years |
| several cartridges instead. It is called a semi-automatic | | | | ago almost all women carried a few long hat pins for |
| because it moves a new cartridge in place to befired | | | | defense and almost all men carried a stout umbrella |
| each time the trigger is pulled, just like a revolver. | | | | or a walking stick. In many countries, even today, it |
| Some pistols hold 15 or 20 shots or rounds as we call | | | | is considered sensible to carry a dagger, a dirk, or |
| it. Modern pistols are only allowed to have 10 rounds | | | | even a pistol (such as in Israel) or a rifle all the time |
| in America as a result of some idiotic laws passed by | | | | for self defense. I don't take a position either way |
| people who should not be allowed to have guns | | | | for whether or not YOU have a weapon or decide |
| themselves. I prefer pistols to revolvers myself but | | | | to defend yourself against those who would rob or |
| advise revolvers for first timers to learn on.By the | | | | harm you and those near you.I do take one position |
| way, an "automatic" is a gun that fires all of the | | | | however. I think that those who say guns are bad |
| shots, in machine gun rapid fire fashion with ONE pull | | | | and no one should have a gun and no one should |
| of the trigger. Few people own and even fewer can | | | | protect themselves with a gun should have signs on |
| effectively use an automatic weapon. They are | | | | their clothing, their cars and around their homes and |
| better for noise than for hitting something. The real | | | | businesses. That sign should say "I do not believe in |
| best choice for home defense is a shotgun. But most | | | | guns or other weapons, and I do not have any |
| people want a pistol as it's easier to have next to | | | | weapons, and I will not defend myself, and I do not |
| the bed and to get ready. The shotgun however is | | | | believe in anyone protecting themselves against an |
| easier to aim under stress and is more likely to stop | | | | assailant." If you are really against self defense and |
| an attacker faster. Shotguns come in many | | | | against guns - prove it and post the signs!Otherwise, |
| configurations and sizes. They come in several | | | | for those of intelligence; Take care, prepare, practice |
| cartridge sizes too. The two most common sizes are | | | | and be safe. |