I skipped the last 40 pages... so I probably missed all the details and arguing and whatnot....
Anyone keep a gun at home? Not for hunting or anything like that. More for protection from break ins and whatnot. There has been a lot of shady shit in my neighborhood lately. Just trying to see what your thoughts are on this.
Yes I know the risk of keeping a gun in the house. I do not have kids and it won't be left out in the open or left unlocked. Yes I have shot guns before, I have made parts for guns and I know how they work.
I'm sure there are better alternatives to keep in the house but lets face it, who doesn't want a gun? Come on.
Would a small gun be better than a big gun?
Recommendations, opinions, your own stories, etc etc etc... lets hear it.
Shotgun.
If you're serious about home defence a pistol is a waste of time. Get a shotgun and be done with it. Due to the spread of the bullets and more instinctive aim it's a better close quarters weapon than a pistol. Also, the sound of a cocking shotgun carries and should be enough to set anyone who hears it off at a full sprint.
Handguns by comparison are harder to aim, particularly under stress. Stress increases your heart rate, and as your heart rate increases your fine motor skills deteriorate. Aiming a pistol is more of a fine motor skill than aiming a shotgun.
considering most gun fights last less then 3 rounds i doubt you will ever need more the the 6 the 38 holds. and if you can't take someone down with six shots you need to learn to aim. i just like the simplicity of a revolver too.
That's a frequent misconception. Honestly, the average person can't hit the broad side of a barn when using a pistol in a fire fight. It has to do with the human bodies natural reaction to stress (ie, fight or flight) and your ability to control a weapon and employ it effectively while under stress. Well trained cops have unloaded their whole magazine and not hit their target who's 10 feet away, while that target 10 feet away has also unloaded his entire magazine and not hit the cop.
The truth is that the pistol is generally a poor combat weapon, thus the reason it's normally used as a backup weapon.