Zhukov said:
Can you please define your question a bit more clearly?
I can't tell exactly what you're asking. When you say "can you", do you mean...
a) Do I personally have the ability to use a gun in self defence? (Kinda. I have some training, but I haven't handled a gun for years. I'd need a refresher.)
b) Is a gun a viable self defence weapon? (Yes, obviously. Although not quite to the degree that a lot of people think.)
c) Are you legally in the right if you defend yourself with a gun? (No idea. It would vary between countries and states anyway.)
Round of applause for Zhukov, please!
SanAndreasSmoke said:
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First shell is a blank (most intruders will flee if they believe they're up against another weapon.)
Second shell is rock salt (This'll put a criminal down, but likely won't kill him.)
The rest are lethal. There is a extremely slim chance you would even need to get this far, but if a criminal won't run from a blank and if you miss the target with rock salt, the last resort will do the job.
I...actually quite like this kind of an arrangement. Bit of a three strike rule right there.
And now for a reply for everyone:
But, as for the topic at hand, well, over here, if you can retreat safely from the danger, you have a duty to do so. Escalating the situation when you could have removed yourself from it safely will get you in trouble. But, as I said before, over here the police actually are legally obligated to "protect" as well - it sucks for the Americans that that's not the case over there, but it's easier to tot guns around than it is to push for change in the legislation I suppose.
But seriously, my personal opinion? Running into the situation guns blazing is a stupid thing to do. Especially if you don't know anything about the folks trespassing. There could be more than one, for instance. That'd be bad for you. Yes, I'm sure there's a story out there how one person sent more than one perp off with a firearm, and I'll call it right now:
anecdote. Don't even bother linking, because you know if I linked just one story that's along the lines of my point, you'd be calling me out on it.
So using a firearm is a last resort thing, not the first. First would be getting yourself out of danger.