That is the only time i have felt the need for having a gun on me. In the middle of no where tent camping with my family, protected by just a thin sheet of nylon and our wits. My folding knife seems grossly inadaquate. I am not too worried about wild animals but more so about humans intent on doing harm.

And you think that happens only in the middle of nowhere?

Of course not silly :)



alf

I AM NOT STRADLING A GOD DAMN FENCE.

I want to get some other peoples opinions, so now I am indecisive? BULL*****.

I was not asking about gun ownership. I own an AK-47, and have owned numerous assualt rifles through the years.

The post was about whether its a good idea to carry a weapon everyday.

SO READ THE GOD DAMN POST BEFORE ACCUSING ME OF WAFFLING.:mad:

It's just an internet message board....
:eek:

DO.... NOT.. PI$$ ...OFF....THE... GUY....WITH......THE......AK47.

repeat 100 times.

No wonder you don't see the need to carry everyday. The AK would be a little excessive and akward. ;)

LOL. The AK does create a bit of a bulge under my coat.

Actually, this begs the question why Italy has a much lower gun death rate than the US, despite at least some of the citizens being able to carry guns.

Oh, and - on-topic - we have a .22 air rifle in the house, although it never gets used anymore.

man, I missed a gun thread this far into it??

Hehehe...

Well, I recently purchased my 18th firearm. I picked up a Marlin 917VS for an upcoming prairie dog hunt. The .17HMR should be devastating on 'dogs probably out to 150, maybe even 200 yards.

I am also considering a S&W 637 (2" 5 shot .38 revolver) for concealed carry. In the spring next year, I'll be driving from Austin, to Virginia, and checked - with a Texas CHL, I can carry in every state I need to pass through all the way to Virginia! w00t!

I own some guns, but don't see the need to carry.

It depends on your circumstances. I don't frequent unsafe places, live in a safe (very) neighborhood, heck I'm usually in bed by 9 - getting old I guess. I would ideally like to have a bedside gun, but with two little kids I think the probability of an accidental shooting is higher than a home invasion, again this depends on where you live. If I assessed the risk differently, I would carry and/or have a bedside gun and/or have a good watch dog - though in CA I'd have to carry something other than a gun, a Taser maybe.

When I lived in a crime-ridden part of West Hollywood, I had a bedside gun. When I lived in another part of LA, in a secluded yellow house during the Nightstalker period, I also had a bedside gun, w/ laser sight and safety slugs. And a shotgun under the bed. This was pre-kids.

I just don't see any deep righteous implication to whether you keep a gun for self-defense, or not - just what is practical and prudent under the circumstances. I do think it should be your legal option to do so. At the same time I think the government should be able to make sure that only mature, trained, responsible individuals with no criminal or violent background have that option.

Harddrive,
If the shoe fits wear it!
I've re read your posts and I still think you are sitting on the fence, even if it's with an AK. The first post was about what everyone owns, without listing yours, then you went off into: should I? Shouldn't I? The point goes beyond owning your toy. It's about carrying, believing you have the right to use it when circumstances demand, understanding that your actions may terminate another human being's life, that you will be held accountable for your actions and may have to pay dearly for the consequences and that you will have to live with it everyday for the rest of your life. Until you can answer I am or am not prepared to carry under those conditions you are sitting on the fence.
Don't piss off the man with an AK? A keyboard commando full of himself.

Isabo has spoken. Girl I respect the hell out of you!

I'll chime in on a few things here...

For the 12ga home defense. DO NOT USE BIRDSHOT. I don't give a rat's patootie what you've read. It may not penetrate walls, but it may not penetrate the perp in your living room, either. You want to be able to HURT your target, not just piss him off. Buckshot will not penetrate walls very easily, so don't worry much about that. Round projectiles slow down VERY rapidly. In a penetration test that a friend did on drywall, it didn't penetrate as well as most pistol rounds.

and... YOU STILL HAVE TO AIM with a shotgun. The spread, even with birdshot, at defensive ranges won't be very wide at all.


As for 'escalating' a confrontation... Remember, whether you choose to carry or not, you MUST commit yourself to avoidance, deterrance, deescalation and escape BEFORE resorting to deadly force. However, if all of the above is unsuccessful, and some thug is about to crack my skull open with a baseball bat, I am not afraid of 'escalating' anything by pulling a gun. I don't think he's going to think "he's got a gun, I should whip out my bazooka now, so I can beat him!". I think a criminal is more likely to crap his pants and run like a sissy.

Anyway... I'm going to be trying to get my CHL in the next couple months. I'm pretty sure I could conceal a full size 1911, but I just wouldn't be comfortable with it. The S&W 637 I mentioned above only weighs 15oz and is very small. I'd be MUCH more prone to carrying it, as it would be comfortable to me.

Always remember - it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

For home defense I would recommend hollow points. Even though my current bed side pistol (Wilson Combat 1911) is presently loaded with .45ACP 230gr. hard ball. I shoot mainly 1911 pistols and hand load about 90% of my ammo. 1911s have never been known to feed hollow points reliably. In any case shot placement is the important thing. Never trust any bullet not to penetrate sheet rock. As far as the safety slugs, I have never used them and have heard they are inadequate for personal defense. Im not the best person to answer that question.

[
Not really a successful bullet unless you get a good shot to a vital area from very close proximity. Similar results are found with birdshot. [/B][/QUOTE] Take a look at this (www.firearmstactical.com/briefs5.htm) before you put you trust in prefragmented bullets.