So I bought a new shotgun...

[Peenyuh]

Outta control!

[tnf]

Well if I've read correctly your against private citizen ownership.

If 2 crack heads bust into your home at 3 am what you gonna do to protect your fam?

you're

And are you illiterate?

Regarding the home defense issue - and this is a broad question, so don't (again) interpret it as a subtle anti-gun rant -
when you think about it, aren't the number of home-invasion situations where owning a gun would be helpful fairly small? Here's my point - unless you are talking about a pistol or other small weapon that you keep at your side all the time, the gun is likely going to be locked away in a safe place. With that in mind, consider the 3 simplest categories of invasion - 1) you are home when it happens, 2) you are not..and 3) you come home to find someone in your house.

Obviously situation 2 means that the gun is useless for protection and if not secured properly (of even if in some cases) can end up on the streets as a newly acquired tool for a criminal.

In situation 1 - if you are sleeping and they break in and set off an alarm they may bolt. If its the type of person that doesn't bolt when the alarm goes off, odds are they may be a bit more nutty and may be the aggressive type for whom having to get out of bed (being groggy, startled, dazed) unlock and load your weapon, and then get into a position to defend yourself or your family without getting one of them killed in the process is going to be rough, especially with a shotgun. We can all envision ideal situations where the gun does save the day, but I would argue that you can see just as many, if not more, where it makes things worse when you have an aggressive and violent home intruder (most aren't violent and just want some shit without getting caught). Usually people counter my question here with some hypothetical where everything works just fine and the bad guy is shot and everyone else is safe, but I'm looking from the perspective of the total number of scenarios where its helpful for security vs. those where it isn't or where it just makes things worse. Now if you have a pistol, and are very effective with it, the situation may be a little different due to the precision issue, but the other logistical considerations are still present. If you aren't sleeping when they try to break in, and you get to the gun before they make it in, and they don't shoot you first, I can see the benefit.

In situation 3 - if you surprise an intruder by getting home when they are in your house, the gun (unless it is on you) seems to be a non-issue or perhaps a bigger risk in the case of them getting a firearm that isn't secured or perhaps even managing to access one that was secured (assuming that they may have had the tools for this). The odds of you getting to a locked gun, loading it, and all this, while someone else is in your house again seem small. And if you know the person is in the house, but aren't sure where, going in to get your gun is sheer stupidity as you don't know if they are armed. If you come home and see that someone else is there, the only real sane choice is to get the fuck out until the police come.

So I really only see one small subset of situations where a gun truly is a good 'insurance policy' for protecting your home. The number of situations where a person will be able to successfully use it to protect themselves seems really small compared to those where it doesn't help or perhaps making things worse by turning a person who wasn't going to be a violent criminal into someone who is (here I am going off the observation that many of the people I know who speak boldly about how safe their house is because of their guns have no training beyond target practice in how to use the gun in a potentially violent situation and would most likely either miss their target entirely or have said target wrestle the gun from them and shoot them instead.)

So, what is it I am missing about how a gun is truly a very useful home defense tool? I am sure there are things I have overlooked on both sides, but I can't envision myself truly feeling safer because I have a gun in my house (unless its on me all the time, and even then...)

I don't care if people want to own guns. Just trying to learn more about the perspective of those who really do consider guns an insurance policy for home safety.

I've posted my opinion regarding gun ownership in the past and made it clear that I am not against it. Competitive shooting, collecting unique and antique guns, etc....I don't care. Knock yourself out.

[Geebs]

Actually, you guys aren't constitutionally allowed to keep a gun for home defense unless you come home and find an oppressive government trying to sell your cat for crack

[YourGrandpa]

Gramps' kid goes for a swim in the pool.

LawL's dad showing him their time honored tradition of rhino cock sucking.

[GONNAFISTYA]

[Peenyuh]

[LawL]

Gramps gets ready to take the yacht out on the harbour.

[diego]

Wait, hasn't Tove been raped in the butt?

[YourGrandpa]

Gramps gets ready to take the yacht out on the harbour.

U mad?

[HM-PuFFNSTuFF]

Screwing your employer again I see gwamps. Oh wait I guess you have a variable lunch hour. Sometimes it's at 3pm, sometimes it's at 9:30 am and sometimes 11am. Get back to work you coffee jockey.

[YourGrandpa]

Yes, look at me screwing my company.

Actually I'm between estimating assignments. I'm waiting for my GM to get with me about what's next. So my company is well aware of my current down time.

Anything else, Mr. Time Keeper? How about you share some other obsession you have with me.

[LawL]

Gramps gets ready to take out the limo.

[MKJ]

maybe gramps should take a personal day to complete this voidfight with lawl.
give it his full attention

[YourGrandpa]

LawL's family trip to the dentist.

[LawL]

Gramps put a few extra rooms on the house.

[GONNAFISTYA]

lol

The people on the top level must be really rich. They prolly have two shotguns and two TVs.

[YourGrandpa]

LawL's clearly upset.

[YourGrandpa]

LawL trying out for the Australian Idol show.

[XLer8er]

Why do guns always have to be such menacing black? It's so cliche. I think fluorescent orange paint would communicate much clearer the inherent dangers of handeling such a weapon. Or maybe you could paint some yellow stripes on that black, so that it looks like some kind of dangerous insect.

Its what color carbine steel is. The stock and barrel is usually made of it and its kept that color (treated). The rest is done to look uniform. Think of it as like having a gun that half made of diamonds. Another thing is if you painted it you better well have good paint. Guns heat up real fast and cool almost just as fast. it will need more then simple engine enamel with the sudden heat changes. The plain carbine steel holds up well to temps.

We got geeky computer peeps here, owning a gun is a whole different world of tech and "cool" shit. One reason to be into them.

[Peenyuh]

He doesn't say much, but when he does...

[LawL]

Gramps competing at the Redneck Olympics.




He won first prize.

[YourGrandpa]

LawL gets his first bath.

[LawL]

Gramps and Cruella tie the knot.

[YourGrandpa]

A true representation of the Australian people.

[YourGrandpa]

LAWL and his crew throwing up gang signs.



Watch out for that run-by blow darting.