Poll: Let's settle something right now, can you defend yourself with a gun?
- Thread starter Xan Krieger
- Start date
Recommended Videos
I didn't mean the people who are in that situation should get their head checked, I meant the people who commonly argue that guns in the UK should be legal because they may get stabbed by someone illegally carrying a knife... Legalising firearms is not the answer to that... All that does is escalates the violence unnecessarily. I am specifically talking about the UK though...FelixG said:
Also... we seem to be getting domestic issues and warzones confused. I would carry a gun when sausage side in a theatre of operations, but they are irrelevant for when at home in peace time!
If there was actually a credible threat from knife crime across the UK, then things might be different, but there's not, so we shouldn't escalate pointless laws because some douches think it's cool to walk around in public with their 'piece' or 'shooter' swinging from their hip, compensating for their implied lack of man-hood...
Haha, no worries! Due to my job I spend a lot of time studying the world and different places... I know that even within a country things can be vastly different! (Look at Mali right now! Ever since the coup I was waiting for that to kick off! :S)FelixG said:
I take it you are from across the pond? I know things are massively different there, mostly because of heritage, so I won't even begin to try and get my head round that one... I guess if I moved there for long enough I may understand...
Maybe, however, it may have been massively different if the guns hadn't been there in the first place!
I think it depends on the situation. I live in a Castle State, so I am allowed to defend myself and my property, but effective defense should not be purely reactive. I am ex-law enforcement and I tend to keep a gun in an accessible location (still locked up and unloaded, but able to be gotten to from any room in the house with the proper code). You are most likely to have your home invaded during sleeping hours, so if you have only one gun keep it in a safe near your bed. Once you hear the burglar/invader/ect you go for your gun (provided you have time, if they are already upon you it is best to leave it locked up) and exit the house. Don't stay to defend your stuff, it is replaceable. Exit your house with your loved ones and move to a defensive location (preferable next door if you are friends with your neighbors) and call the police. If they come for you then defend yourself.
Pepper spray can take up to 10 seconds to have full effect, even then during training we get to spray the new recruits with pepper spray and make them run an obstacle course. Only 1 out of 15 (on average) in every class fails the course on the first try. Yes it makes it much harder to fight, but believe me, you can still do a lot of damage if you want to. Stun guns / tasers are a bit more effective. First thing though, never use one on someone pointing a gun at you. The voltage causes muscles to contract and may cause the gun to go off (finger contracts pulling the trigger). As far as effectiveness I can only speak for police grade tazers, and they tend to do the job quite well. Only 1 in 10 remain standing after a full discharge, and you can get up to 20 discharges from a single battery (though you have to reload the barbs after every shot if you miss). Public stun guns (from my understanding) are only about 1/2 the voltage, but still mostly as effective (7/10 go down). The main disadvantage here being that public stun guns are not projectile. You have to be point blank to fire them (though I am sure there are some states where tazers are legal).Hagi said:
Ah, cool. Thanks for the info. Bit less effective than I imagined then.barbzilla said:
If I had to pick a self-defense weapon though I'd probably still go for a stun gun or tazer though. I reckon that in the situation where someone has a gun pointed at you you don't want to be making any sudden movements anyway, whether it's with a tazer or actual firearm.
In any other situation I can imagine the certainty of being able to fire with much less hesitation since chances of killing people are pretty much restricted to pace-maker patients and such (I think?) could greatly improve your chances. Pointing a gun at somebody might stop them, but zapping them feels a lot more certain to me.
Mostly though I'm just hoping I'll never get into a situation where I'd need either
.
Yeah. You pull the trigger and the woman falls down. Self: defended.
I wouldn't pull out a gun unless I absolutely had to use it, though, and shooting at burglars and stickup men doesn't automatically count as self defense. In that situation, the presence a gun alone is sometimes enough to escalate a more benign situation into violence. That's what I consider a bad idea because I really don't care to shoot at people over consumer goods.
This isn't armchair hypothesizing, either--I've been tested.
I caught a burglar once. My dog was having a fit about something, and I thought there was a coyote or raccoon, so I ran outside to check, and there was a lanky alien twig freak trying to break into my detached garage. He'd already broken into a shed and had some power tools piled up underneath a tree, but that wasn't enough for him. Anyways, I turn the corner, and he's standing there prying at the window with a particularly pointy screwdriver. He notices me, I ask him what he's doing, he tells me his wife kicked him out and he's trying to find somewhere warm to stay, I ask him his name, he says John Smith(I should have shot him on principle for want of originality), I tell him he can't be here, John, to get lost, and he takes off, running through the snow as gracefully as a deer. No biggie.
I had a gun, and he had a screwdriver. In all reality, I very probably could have gotten away with it. But my gun stayed snug in its holster, because it just wasn't necessary yet, and I really didn't want to make it necessary. Big success!
Twenty minutes later, and after pulling into the wrong driveway three doors down, the pigs arrived to make their token effort at finding the man who, at this point, was probably three towns over. When they'd returned from their truffle hunt they helpfully told me that if I had to go outside at night I should carry a gun with me. sigh.
I wouldn't pull out a gun unless I absolutely had to use it, though, and shooting at burglars and stickup men doesn't automatically count as self defense. In that situation, the presence a gun alone is sometimes enough to escalate a more benign situation into violence. That's what I consider a bad idea because I really don't care to shoot at people over consumer goods.
This isn't armchair hypothesizing, either--I've been tested.
I caught a burglar once. My dog was having a fit about something, and I thought there was a coyote or raccoon, so I ran outside to check, and there was a lanky alien twig freak trying to break into my detached garage. He'd already broken into a shed and had some power tools piled up underneath a tree, but that wasn't enough for him. Anyways, I turn the corner, and he's standing there prying at the window with a particularly pointy screwdriver. He notices me, I ask him what he's doing, he tells me his wife kicked him out and he's trying to find somewhere warm to stay, I ask him his name, he says John Smith(I should have shot him on principle for want of originality), I tell him he can't be here, John, to get lost, and he takes off, running through the snow as gracefully as a deer. No biggie.
I had a gun, and he had a screwdriver. In all reality, I very probably could have gotten away with it. But my gun stayed snug in its holster, because it just wasn't necessary yet, and I really didn't want to make it necessary. Big success!
Twenty minutes later, and after pulling into the wrong driveway three doors down, the pigs arrived to make their token effort at finding the man who, at this point, was probably three towns over. When they'd returned from their truffle hunt they helpfully told me that if I had to go outside at night I should carry a gun with me. sigh.
Oh, definitely. I know rudimentarily how to operate one, but I've held a handgun before and it is heavy. The longer the gun, the better weapon it would make.
Actually that is something that the Tallahassee PD is looking into right now. We have way more assaults with stun guns and pepper spray than we do with firearms. We think it is linked to the fact that they are non-lethal so people think it is safe to go around spraying/stunning friends as pranks. That doesn't mean that guns are safer, not by a long shot, but perhaps we need training and licenses for those too. I actually support registration of gun ownership and mandatory safety classes, I just also support gun ownership. Your second point is correct, you do not want to react when someone has a gun pointed at you. All defensive weapons are proactive and not reactive. If you use reactive devices while someone has what amounts to an instant fire weapon, you increase the likelihood of being shot yourself.Hagi said:Ah, cool. Thanks for the info. Bit less effective than I imagined then.barbzilla said:
If I had to pick a self-defense weapon though I'd probably still go for a stun gun or tazer though. I reckon that in the situation where someone has a gun pointed at you you don't want to be making any sudden movements anyway, whether it's with a tazer or actual firearm.
In any other situation I can imagine the certainty of being able to fire with much less hesitation since chances of killing people are pretty much restricted to pace-maker patients and such (I think?) could greatly improve your chances. Pointing a gun at somebody might stop them, but zapping them feels a lot more certain to me.
Mostly though I'm just hoping I'll never get into a situation where I'd need either
I also hope you never get into a situation where you need either. Cheers m8
Yes, you can defend yourself with a gun. If your assailant also posseses a gun, or otherwise threatens your life in someway, you need to shoot first and ask questions later.
If your assailant is without one, so long as they have a fear of death, you need only convince them that the gun is loaded and you aren't afraid to use it in order to stop them where they stand. And if they continue to press you, treat them as threatening your person as above.
If your assailant is without one, so long as they have a fear of death, you need only convince them that the gun is loaded and you aren't afraid to use it in order to stop them where they stand. And if they continue to press you, treat them as threatening your person as above.
Eh, OP is a bit ambiguous.
Am I physically capable of it? Well, I've never shot a hand gun, and I've only shot a rifle a few times. I also don't own a gun, so, no, I guess.
Would I be able to do it if I had to? I believe I would, but who knows, never been in the situation.
Am I legally able to do it? Depends on where I live. Most places in the United States you can. Florida, where I live, not only has the whole Castle Doctrine going (i.e. you can defend your castle with deadly force) it also has Stand Your Ground which protects gun slinging yahoos who get into fights they could have run away from. Basically in Florida if you can make a credible argument that you were in immediate deadly danger, you can start shooting.
Am I physically capable of it? Well, I've never shot a hand gun, and I've only shot a rifle a few times. I also don't own a gun, so, no, I guess.
Would I be able to do it if I had to? I believe I would, but who knows, never been in the situation.
Am I legally able to do it? Depends on where I live. Most places in the United States you can. Florida, where I live, not only has the whole Castle Doctrine going (i.e. you can defend your castle with deadly force) it also has Stand Your Ground which protects gun slinging yahoos who get into fights they could have run away from. Basically in Florida if you can make a credible argument that you were in immediate deadly danger, you can start shooting.
I think we're going by "the best defence is a good offence".Katatori-kun said:
OT: I could defend myself with a gun, depending on the situation. If there was an intruder in my house, then yes I could. Well, not legally, but I have the ability to, as long as they aren't aware that I am armed and waiting. While I've never fired a real weapon, I have used air pistols and rifles, so I could certainly aim and land the first shot.
On the street however, I don't know if I could draw and fire a pistol before the other guy has seen me move and shot me. Depends entirely on the situation though.
Generally, if one is properly trained in its use, a gun is among the best personal defense tools around. Furthermore, it is more likely to end a conflict before anyone actually gets hurt than other self defense tools such as stun wands or pepper spray, few assailants give a shit if you wave a stick or spraycan at them, a gun is often the only thing they respect enough to actually back down.
Personally, better than most, but I would at minimum need a refresher course before attempting to carry.
Personally, better than most, but I would at minimum need a refresher course before attempting to carry.
Not necessarily. My mother scared off a would be rapist with an empty snubnose when she was young.adamsaccount said:
Yes.
As either a deterrent (point at and / or shooting to miss but frighten) or for actual defensive agression (shooting to wound, maim or kill) but, as several people have already touched on, in most cases the mere threat of a weapon is enough to deter most intruders. The majority are looking for an easy pushover, hence the number of cowardly fuckers who prey on old people.
Personally, if someone breaks into someone else's home then they deserve everything they get in my opinion. Intruder beaten with a cricket bat? Oh what a shame...what's that? Would be rapist shot in the testicles? Diddums.
Living in the UK, I am not allowed to have a gun because I am not a farmer or a gun-club member but, in the dark, I defy anyone not to spot that my airsoft Beretta aint the real deal! If someone were to break into my house would I use it? Too bloody right I would - I'd deal with the consequences later!
As either a deterrent (point at and / or shooting to miss but frighten) or for actual defensive agression (shooting to wound, maim or kill) but, as several people have already touched on, in most cases the mere threat of a weapon is enough to deter most intruders. The majority are looking for an easy pushover, hence the number of cowardly fuckers who prey on old people.
Personally, if someone breaks into someone else's home then they deserve everything they get in my opinion. Intruder beaten with a cricket bat? Oh what a shame...what's that? Would be rapist shot in the testicles? Diddums.
Living in the UK, I am not allowed to have a gun because I am not a farmer or a gun-club member but, in the dark, I defy anyone not to spot that my airsoft Beretta aint the real deal! If someone were to break into my house would I use it? Too bloody right I would - I'd deal with the consequences later!
Quick thing: to those who are saying that guns are not able to defend, I respond with saying "Prevention is a form of defense". Meaning if you can prevent someone from shooting you or your family or friends, I would consider that more defense than than any bullet-proof vest (both on the other hand is an amazing defense). This is in the same way you could use a shield to bash someone.
'Course you can. It's a fucking gun. That fact alone would frighten any burgler. In most cases with a gun in defense, you only have to fire once. If you miss, he will be scared and run away, and if you hit him, he's down for the count because y'know... It's a gun. Even weak ones can pack a punch.
Do criminals come up and truthfully announce their intentions to you? How are you supposed to tell the difference between a mugging and a rape until the time when drawing a gun is possible has passed? Maybe people should just not rob other people if they don't want to get shot...Trippy Turtle said:
That is complete nonsense. Guns are used in competitive shooting, hunting (unless you meant animals as well when you said kill), and target shooting.Aris Khandr said: