The previous thread: http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=86360 was understandably locked due to some silliness in the OP, but I though it might be profitable to continue this discussion in another thread. I'll just repost the advice I gave in that thread. This is a good place to debate what's being said, ask questions, or brag about the guns you own. Just please leave the "you'll pry my gun out of my cold dead hands" end-of-the-world stuff out of the thread. We can discuss the societal implications of guns in TNZ, this is just for practical matter of gun ownership.
Reposted:
I'll try to give you a general rundown on what your options are. Your best bet is probably a shotgun, but I'll look at handguns as well. The most important thing to keep in mind is that guns are serious business. Don't buy them to feel like a man, you are not Dirty Harry. Guns are dangerous, treat them with respect. Also, I put a lot of work into this post, so make sure and read it start to finish. There's plenty of information you'll need. First, some basic rules to follow (slavishly). I borrowed these from The Firing Range subforum of the Something Awful forums, credit where it's due:
Basic Information
The 4 safety rules of gun ownership:
1. All guns are always loaded. Whenever a new gun is introduced in a situation, assume it is loaded. Even if it has been unloaded in a desk drawer for thirty years treat it like it is loaded until you can both visually and physically verify that it is unloaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to
destroy. Assuming you somehow failed to yield to the rule above, keeping the gun pointed at non-living things will go great distances to prevent deadly accidents.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target
(and you are ready to shoot). You can’t hurt someone if your finger is off the trigger, so only place your finger on the trigger if you are ready to fire. This practice is also known as “trigger discipline”.
4. Be sure of your target. Know what it is, what is in line with it and
what is behind it. Bullets tend to travel long distances unless stopped by a sizable object. Don’t shoot at an object unless there is something behind the object to prevent further bullet travel from penetrations and misses. Also know that some targets should not be shot at because of the dangers involved. For example don’t shoot surplus steel core ammunition at steel plates for they have tendencies to ricochet.
Okay, so now you know how to go about not killing the wrong people. Let's look at your options:
Shotgun: The most common gauges are 12, 20, and .410. If I were you I'd stick with the 12 gauge. The 20 gauge is acceptable, but the .410 is commonly regarded as a "varmint gun" at best. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still wouldn't want to be shot with a .410, but for home defenses purposes a .410 just isn't recommended. Go with a "pump" action. This is the style you see in the movies, where you pump the part under the barrel back and forth to cycle the shells. It's the easiest and quickest to reload.
The recoil on the 12 gauge isn't as bad as you'd expect. As long as you're holding it properly and weigh more than 150 lbs you'll be fine. I've actually fired my 12 gauge one-handed held out like a pistol before. It's a dumb thing to do so don't try it, but I was still able to handle the recoil just fine.
Personally, I like the Mossberg 500 the best. It has a capacity of 4 shells +1 in the chamber. The 590 model has a higher capacity, sure, but it costs a lot more. 5 shells should be more than enough. There's a few other makes and models that people like. Shop around see what works for you.
Your shotgun will shoot different things depending upon the kind of ammunition you purchase. For shooting skeet, go with target or game loads. The boxes are clearly marked at the store. Make sure they're the same gauge as the gun you bought, obviously.
However, for the purpose of home defense, you're going to want to pick up 00 (or double ought) shells. They are also called "buckshot". Home defense is serious business, not a fun game (I'll go into greater detail on this later). For that reason, you want a load that will reliably put someone down. The double ought won't penetrate walls nearly so much as many pistol and rifle rounds, (for the love of god never use an assault rifle for home defense k?) but is a reliable and effective home defense load. Stay away from shotgun "slugs" unless you're just looking for a good time on the range. They're basically just a giant bullet that comes out of a shotgun, awesome but not overly practical for home defense. Also avoid all those gimmicky specialty shells you might see at a gun show (beanbag, rock salt, etc), even assuming they're reliable. There are a handful of situations where non-lethal shotgun shells might be a good idea. You won't find yourself in any of them.
In my next post, I'll address pistols and home defense.
Reposted:
I'll try to give you a general rundown on what your options are. Your best bet is probably a shotgun, but I'll look at handguns as well. The most important thing to keep in mind is that guns are serious business. Don't buy them to feel like a man, you are not Dirty Harry. Guns are dangerous, treat them with respect. Also, I put a lot of work into this post, so make sure and read it start to finish. There's plenty of information you'll need. First, some basic rules to follow (slavishly). I borrowed these from The Firing Range subforum of the Something Awful forums, credit where it's due:
Basic Information
The 4 safety rules of gun ownership:
1. All guns are always loaded. Whenever a new gun is introduced in a situation, assume it is loaded. Even if it has been unloaded in a desk drawer for thirty years treat it like it is loaded until you can both visually and physically verify that it is unloaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to
destroy. Assuming you somehow failed to yield to the rule above, keeping the gun pointed at non-living things will go great distances to prevent deadly accidents.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target
(and you are ready to shoot). You can’t hurt someone if your finger is off the trigger, so only place your finger on the trigger if you are ready to fire. This practice is also known as “trigger discipline”.
4. Be sure of your target. Know what it is, what is in line with it and
what is behind it. Bullets tend to travel long distances unless stopped by a sizable object. Don’t shoot at an object unless there is something behind the object to prevent further bullet travel from penetrations and misses. Also know that some targets should not be shot at because of the dangers involved. For example don’t shoot surplus steel core ammunition at steel plates for they have tendencies to ricochet.
Okay, so now you know how to go about not killing the wrong people. Let's look at your options:
Shotgun: The most common gauges are 12, 20, and .410. If I were you I'd stick with the 12 gauge. The 20 gauge is acceptable, but the .410 is commonly regarded as a "varmint gun" at best. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still wouldn't want to be shot with a .410, but for home defenses purposes a .410 just isn't recommended. Go with a "pump" action. This is the style you see in the movies, where you pump the part under the barrel back and forth to cycle the shells. It's the easiest and quickest to reload.
The recoil on the 12 gauge isn't as bad as you'd expect. As long as you're holding it properly and weigh more than 150 lbs you'll be fine. I've actually fired my 12 gauge one-handed held out like a pistol before. It's a dumb thing to do so don't try it, but I was still able to handle the recoil just fine.
Personally, I like the Mossberg 500 the best. It has a capacity of 4 shells +1 in the chamber. The 590 model has a higher capacity, sure, but it costs a lot more. 5 shells should be more than enough. There's a few other makes and models that people like. Shop around see what works for you.
Your shotgun will shoot different things depending upon the kind of ammunition you purchase. For shooting skeet, go with target or game loads. The boxes are clearly marked at the store. Make sure they're the same gauge as the gun you bought, obviously.
However, for the purpose of home defense, you're going to want to pick up 00 (or double ought) shells. They are also called "buckshot". Home defense is serious business, not a fun game (I'll go into greater detail on this later). For that reason, you want a load that will reliably put someone down. The double ought won't penetrate walls nearly so much as many pistol and rifle rounds, (for the love of god never use an assault rifle for home defense k?) but is a reliable and effective home defense load. Stay away from shotgun "slugs" unless you're just looking for a good time on the range. They're basically just a giant bullet that comes out of a shotgun, awesome but not overly practical for home defense. Also avoid all those gimmicky specialty shells you might see at a gun show (beanbag, rock salt, etc), even assuming they're reliable. There are a handful of situations where non-lethal shotgun shells might be a good idea. You won't find yourself in any of them.In my next post, I'll address pistols and home defense.
