# Home Defense pistol yes or no **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2017, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296 "2017-04-12T07:30:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/1 "2017-04-12T07:30:39Z")
The other day my vehicle had a window smash apparently I had nothing taken except a nylon wallet type holder in my driver’s glove compartment that had a bunch of spare keys for different things and my vehicle registration. I’m unsure whether or not a house key was in the wallet but I’m getting a little paranoid thank you though the person who broke into my car is waiting for an opportunity until I’m away from my house to break in. At the same time I’m 99% sure that it was some wandering homeless person or drug addict because the parking lot is right in the middle of a path that used to get from the local homeless shelter and where is places along Riverwalk way where they like to hang out and drink. So anyway, I’m not really in mortal fear for my life as I am a large and strong person but I’m also getting older now at age 58 and honestly would prefer not to get in a to the ground scrap as my insurance sucks. Honestly I almost want the pistol more for shooting whoever broke into my car in the ass if they show up at my residence but having a gun in my house is just one more thing for them to steal if I’m not there. So now I have to think about beefing up security in my absence. I suppose the question is I don’t think I absolutely need a gun but it might be better to have one than not have one. I’m unsure about which way to go. I’m thinking I really just want the gun because I’m so pissed and having my car violated yet again. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/2 "2017-04-12T07:32:57Z")
Sorry for the typos I’m using voice to text and I don’t think I can correct my post using Tapatalk Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/3 "2017-04-12T07:47:52Z")
A pistol as a self defense weapon is a great idea. Thinking of using it to protect property is a bad one. The use of a firearm for self defense is only to be used to prevent death or grave physical harm. Pulling the trigger on someone who is breaking into your car, but not a threat to you will land you in serious trouble. With that said, I’m a firm believer in having a firearm near in case of a threat to myself or my family. In fact I never leave home without my pistol. If you do end up getting one may I suggest reading a book by Massad Ayoob caked In The Gravest Extreme. It had become the “Bible” of using a firearm for self defense. I feel your frustration, be careful and know the law. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/4 "2017-04-12T09:07:55Z")
no! [http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1559827610396294](http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1559827610396294) > [@](#): > > For most contemporary Americans, scientific studies indicate that the health risk of a gun in the home is greater than the benefit. The evidence is overwhelming for the fact that a gun in the home is a risk factor for completed suicide and that gun accidents are most likely to occur in homes with guns. There is compelling evidence that a gun in the home is a risk factor for intimidation and for killing women in their homes. . . .there is no credible evidence of a deterrent effect of firearms or that a gun in the home reduces the likelihood or severity of injury during an altercation or break-in. Thus, groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics urge parents not to have guns in the home. mc ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/5 "2017-04-12T11:17:24Z")
If you want to defend against a home invasion, a handgun is a _lousy_ tool for the job. A 12 gauge, pump-action shotgun is best. The only exception would be if you carry the handgun on your hip 100% of the time while inside your house. (I’m not aware of anyone who does this.) Keep a loaded shotgun next to your bed. An extra shotgun hidden somewhere in the kitchen or dining area would also be a good idea. And **obbn** is spot on… if you witness someone breaking into your car, call the police. Don’t confront them. Don’t go Clint Eastwood on them, else you’ll be looking at 30 years behind bars. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/6 "2017-04-12T11:28:33Z")
A very large number of home-defense types sound like they have a mental picture of shooting a human being with a lethal weapon, and are weighing the question of whether to furnish thenselves with the means to do so if the opportunity arises. A new door lock would be a lot cheaper than a gun, but the rest of it is up to your own conscience. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/7 "2017-04-12T11:38:22Z")
When my husband’s jacket was stolen with our house keys in it, we changed the locks. Didn’t occur to me to buy a gun. But then again, I am in the UK. Still seems the much more obvious solution. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/8 "2017-04-12T11:40:33Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > If you want to defend against a home invasion, a handgun is a _lousy_ tool for the job. A 12 gauge, pump-action shotgun is best. The only exception would be if you carry the handgun on your hip 100% of the time while inside your house. (I’m not aware of anyone who does this.) Keep a loaded shotgun next to your bed. An extra shotgun hidden somewhere in the kitchen or dining area would also be a good idea. > > And **obbn** is spot on… if you witness someone breaking into your car, call the police. Don’t confront them. Don’t go Clint Eastwood on them, else you’ll be looking at 30 years behind bars. nonsense. a 12 gauge shotgun is horrible, especially for an inexperienced handler. they have absolutely _brutal_ recoil, and most tactical/“defense” shotguns have short barrels so you can add blinding muzzle flash to that. further, too many people believe the nonsense that “you just point it in the general direction and pull the trigger.” even with an open choke, the spread of buckshot at 20 feet is likely to be only 4-5 inches. that’ll blow through walls as well as any bullet. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/9 "2017-04-12T12:16:47Z")
Coupla things: 1)This is the big one. Could you shoot someone if it came down to it? Someone breaks into your house, you grab your gun, fumble with it, he’s in your room just as you have it ready to go. You don’t know if he’s armed or not and if he is, you don’t know with what. A gun, a bat, a knife…maybe nothing…can you pull the trigger? Can you turn the burglar into a pile of dead guy on your bedroom floor? If the answer to that isn’t an instant ‘yup’, don’t get a gun. This isn’t the place to be hemming and hawing, he’s not going to be and you can’t be sure (or at least assume) he’ll kill you first if he thought the house was empty. I was never totally sure about this one. I always assumed I could if it came to it, but never 100%. Then one day my store got held up at gun point. While my cashier was getting robbed, I was on the phone with 911 and and loading my a gun I had in the office. Don’t get me wrong, I’m wasn’t planning to run out there and do anything, I was just going to sit tight in my office and if the guy decided to to come check for other people in the building, he’d be dead. _That_ was the day that changed me from thinking I could do it to _knowing_ I could. I now _know_ that (assuming I’m armed), if someone points a gun at me, I’ll have no problem shooting them, period. 2)From my CCW Class. If you’re going to keep a gun in your bedroom, that’s all well and good, but practice with it. Practice laying in bed, and going through every.single.step, from getting it wherever it’s going to be, to pointing it at the door. For most people that would mean rolling over, grabbing it, unlocking it, loading it, racking it, and pointing it at the bad guy. And, as they said, don’t practice until you get it right, practice until _you can’t do it wrong_. It seems so simple, but in a panic situation, you’ll mess this up. As a demonstration, they locked two guns up. One in a case, one with a cable. One with the code 1234, one with a key (and keep the key in your bedroom, not on your keyring, on the kitchen table). Handed each to two different people and told them when they say “go” they want the two students to unlock the guns and put the magazines in. When they said ‘go’ they started flashing the lights on and off, banging on the desks, yelling and screaming and generally making these people, who had to do little more than unlock a padlock, feel rushed and panicked. IIRC, it took them well over a minute. When we got held up, one of my employees (he was in the backroom. Looked like he feet were stuck to the floor he was so freaked out by it. Cop said that was totally normal. 3)I think someone said it, but shooting someone for breaking into your car is hard to defend. If you’re not in the car, you probably can’t to it. If you’re in it at the time, you may be okay if you repeat the mantra ‘I feared for my life’. Home intrusions are, of course, totally different and you’ll have to check the local and state laws regarding them, but if you ever were to shoot (and kill) someone, remember, you feared for your life. I know this is a long post, but one more thing. I very much suggest you take a CCW class. Check the reviews on them and find one where people said they learned a lot, especially if it got into things like handling the gun or some minor self defense. Some of the stuff I touched on above was from that class. Oh, and one last thing, always remember what’s behind your target. And not just behind the target, but behind the wall behind the target. I mean, I never plan to shoot someone in my house, but I do know that even if someone is in my bedroom with a gun, I can’t shoot them if they’re on a certain side of my bed because if (when) I miss, the stray bullets will go into my kid’s room, who will likely be up and moving because of the commotion. Where will your strays go? Kids? Neighbors? So keep that in mind also. But, again, a basic handgun safety class should cover this kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/10 "2017-04-12T12:35:43Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I’m unsure whether or not a house key was in the wallet but I’m getting a little paranoid thank you though the person who broke into my car is waiting for an opportunity until I’m away from my house to break in. So instead of changing all the locks (which is the normal Response to loosing your key here) you want a gun because …? > [@](#): > > So anyway, I’m not really in mortal fear for my life as I am a large and strong person but I’m also getting older now at age 58 and honestly would prefer not to get in a to the ground scrap as my insurance sucks. If you are worried they are watching you in order to break in when you are gone, you won’t get into a fight with them. If, however, you worry a (Mad Max) gang will break in while you are in your house, then a) it doesn’t matter what happened to your key b) improve your door and window security c) do you have an Alarm System? Because if you don’t wake up during a “home Invasion” then a pistol won’t help you either. Additional Point: if you are worrying about your safety, much more important than guns or Alarm Systems is a smoke/ fire detector (and depending on your Region, a gas detector). > [@](#): > > Honestly I almost want the pistol more for shooting whoever broke into my car in the ass if they show up at my residence That is assault with a weapon or murder (depending on how well you shoot and your jurisdiction). Also, since you didn’t see the thief, how will you know it is the thief with the stolen key who Shows up and not the neighbour you gave a spare key so they can water your flowers? > [@](#): > > but having a gun in my house is just one more thing for them to steal if I’m not there. Don’t get a gun in the first place. > [@](#): > > So now I have to think about beefing up security in my absence. Noticing a certain spiral there? Just improve General security without the gun. > [@](#): > > I suppose the question is I don’t think I absolutely need a gun but it might be better to have one than not have one. In which way? I assume you are not actually living in Somalia, Afghanistan or Max Max. Therefore, a gun will endanger you the following ways: a third of gundeaths in the US are suicides, because it’s easy and quick for depressed People. If the gun can be easily found, an invader can find it before you and turn it against you. Or the invader can also be armed - so you have a shootout? How well are you trained? (And what is your reaction time?) A not-small number of gun deaths are accidental Shootings - either Kids finding the gun and playing around, or “father shoots son sneaking in at 1 am mistaking him for intrude”. Or in your case “elderly couple feels threatend on Halloween and shoots teen in the back as he was leaving their property”. Could you live with that (regardless of what the legal outcome would be?) In contrast, improving your doors and Windows and installing an Alarm System can’t backfire that way. (Chose a good Company, though: some Alarm companies had shady employees who came back several months later to use the codes to break in…) > [@](#): > > I’m unsure about which way to go. I’m thinking I really just want the gun because I’m so pissed and having my car violated yet again. Good for you recognizing the emotional Response. Now wait for your head to clear and follow the reason. If you want to protect your car, and know People needing things regularly walk past, I’d recommend a different parking spot, a protected parking lot or a different type of car (cheaper-looking). And sorry it happened to you. Sounds sucky. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/11 "2017-04-12T12:39:46Z")
Forgot: A light-hearted take on safety: [Safety First - Scandinavia and the World](https://satwcomic.com/safety-first) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/12 "2017-04-12T13:55:12Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > nonsense. a 12 gauge shotgun is horrible, especially for an inexperienced handler. they have absolutely _brutal_ recoil, and most tactical/“defense” shotguns have short barrels so you can add blinding muzzle flash to that. further, too many people believe the nonsense that “you just point it in the general direction and pull the trigger.” even with an open choke, the spread of buckshot at 20 feet is likely to be only 4-5 inches. that’ll blow through walls as well as any bullet. Another thing, for a novice shooter, working a pump is _not_ second nature. Add in the stress of facing an intruder. If you opt for a shotgun, get a semi-auto. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/13 "2017-04-12T14:01:13Z")
If you have to ask us that question, the answer is an unequivocal “NO!” Get a dog instead. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/14 "2017-04-12T14:14:59Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > A pistol as a self defense weapon is a great idea. Thinking of using it to protect property is a bad one. The use of a firearm for self defense is only to be used to prevent death or grave physical harm. Pulling the trigger on someone who is breaking into your car, but not a threat to you will land you in serious trouble. > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > And **obbn** is spot on… if you witness someone breaking into your car, call the police. Don’t confront them. Don’t go Clint Eastwood on them, else you’ll be looking at 30 years behind bars. I really wish that people would quit spewing such ignorant nonsense. Repeat after me – “It depends on where you live.” Back in 2009, a car dealership/garage in Colorado Springs had been having problems with thieves. The owner and two of his relatives lay in wait for the next group. They ended up killing a guy as he was climbing the fence. They got hit with a wrongful-death lawsuit, but faced no criminal charges whatsoever. [http://gazette.com/burglars-family-awarded-300000-in-wrongful-death-suit/article/123946](http://gazette.com/burglars-family-awarded-300000-in-wrongful-death-suit/article/123946) This guy confronted somebody on mere suspicion. He didn’t have a gun, but he used a level of force that was nearly lethal. > [@](#): > > Following a review by the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the veteran that choked a man in an act of self-defense will not be charged with a crime. > > On Jan. 22, Army veteran Craig Uehling, 30, encountered 25-year-old Scott Smith in a Colorado Springs neighborhood. Uehling says he found Smith in his driveway and was concerned he was trying to burglarize his neighborhood. Uehling put Smith in a chokehold to subdue him. In doing so, Smith lost consciousness and eventually stopped breathing. Smith was revived by paramedics and hospital personnel, but suffered serious bodily injury. > **[Veteran will not face charges for putting suspected burglar in chokehold](https://www.kktv.com/content/news/Man-put-in-chokehold-by-veteran-now-out-of-coma-412152653.html)** > > Following a review by the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office, the veteran that choked a man in an act of self-defense will not be charged with a crime. > [@](#): > > A Colorado Springs liquor store owner was recently cleared of criminal charges for shooting a shoplifter in the face. As reported by KRDO NewsChannel 13, the store owner shot a man on October 25 after the man stole a bottle of vodka. > > The man dived into a getaway car, and the store owner was trying to write down the car’s license plate number when someone hit him in the head with a hard object. The store owner fired gunshots into the car. One shot hit the shoplifter in the jaw, and another shot hit an accomplice in the leg. The store owner was arrested three months later, but was not officially charged with any crime. [http://fire.h50.us/~ellmannp/liquor-store-owner-cleared-of-criminal-charges/](http://fire.h50.us/~ellmannp/liquor-store-owner-cleared-of-criminal-charges/) ---
**Author:** ![thatguyjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6de8d8/32.png) [@thatguyjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatguyjeff)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/15 "2017-04-12T14:16:05Z")
Don’t pay too much attention to “advice” about what weapon, shotgun vs. handgun, calibers, “stopping power” etc. The best weapon for you is the one you know how to operate properly and safely. Take a basic handgun course. Most offer classroom weapons and you don’t have to own a handgun to participate. Many have a variety of classroom weapons to try out - different calibers, revolvers and automatics. Make sure the course includes instruction on the laws in your state/municipality. Example - here in MN, if someone breaks into my car and I shoot them I’ll be charged with attempted murder/murder. There must be a deadly threat to my life in order to justify the use of lethal force and someone busting a window and rooting around in my car doesn’t qualify. Other states do have laws that allow for the protection of property. “Stand your ground” laws, “Castle doctrine,” etc. And if you like sport shooting, you will want to pick a weapon that fits in your hand well, is comfortable to shoot (some weapons can really wear on your hands after a few dozen rounds, or even one round like many snubby .357s) and you can afford to shoot (9mm handgun ammo is usually the cheapest, .44 mag or .357 mag is much more expensive). ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/16 "2017-04-12T14:19:10Z")
In what way is “Getting free after a Trial” not “getting into Trouble”? That some People got off free (and that some US states have this “stand your ground” loophole for murder) doesn’t make it slam-dunk. I don’t know if the OP is black - but I assume a black man Shooting somebody with the Claim of self-defense might get a different Jury outcome. And beyond the legal technicalities and Trouble (time, Money for attorney), there is the Moral question. Not everybody is a Zimmerman, who goes on making Money after killing a Teenager and feels like a hero. Some People do feel guilt for killing another human being through a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/17 "2017-04-12T14:30:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If you have to ask us that question, the answer is an unequivocal “NO!” > > Get a dog instead. Yep, a big noisy dog named Gooch. He doesn’t have to be dangerous, just loud. And change your locks. And, if you haven’t already, make friends with your neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/18 "2017-04-12T14:41:15Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > In what way is “Getting free after a Trial” not “getting into Trouble”? the common refrain is “better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.” ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/19 "2017-04-12T15:04:52Z")
I’m a big proponent of armed defense, but as a first measure I would recommend changing your locks. If you go that route, there are locks that you can get that are easy to rekey in the event you need to, without having to change the whole apparatus. After other basic security is addressed, then you decide what the right firearm for you is, or isn’t. I’m not a user of long guns for home defense simply because they don’t allow me to operate with one hand. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296/20 "2017-04-12T15:13:10Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I really wish that people would quit spewing such ignorant nonsense. > > Repeat after me – “It depends on where you live.” Why don’t you post actual laws that prove you correct, instead of posting articles that do the opposite of what you apparently intended? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-defense-pistol-yes-or-no/784296.md?page=2)