What struck me as interesting was that these are people who have existed the bulk of their adult lives without any interaction with firearms; but who are now concerned about where the country is heading and see home defense as an increased priority. We’re talking about people with whom you’re more likely to bump into at a country club dinner party or engineering seminar, rather than a NASCAR event.
When pressed for reasons for the sudden interest in arming themselves, the general responses seems to be-
a) They worry that a worsening economy will create a greater scarcity mind-set and lead to more crime.
b) They think class warfare is about to be stepped up a notch.
c) They worry that anti-gun laws will be passed and that it will become harder for citizens to purchase guns.
If you’re one of those people considering the purchase of your first gun, below is an (edited) email I sent to an acquaintance who is considering purchasing a gun for home defense. He complained about difficulties target shooting with a pistol (at some point in the past) and was therefore thinking about buying a shotgun. For the sake of anonymity, let’s call him “Joe.”
"Joe,
My guess is that you were disenchanted with a 9mm or similar handgun. They’re difficult to control (aim) and the bullet tends to tumble, which means it could go through your target, bounce off the drywall and hit a family member. As a result, they’re probably not the best choice for a hand gun in the home. When the Army switched to the 9mm Browning I had a devil of a time qualifying with it.
By contrast I never had any issue qualifying with the 1911 45. Its two main advantages for a home defense side arm are:
One- It’s easy to aim, and
Two- the bullet tends to expend its kinetic energy on whatever it hits.
Translation it doesn’t tumble. You don’t have to worry about it going through your target, hitting the wall, and bouncing into someone else. It also has stopping power which makes it ideal for dealing with an intruder. In that situation you’re likely to be hurried, just aiming for central mass and trying hard not to jerk the trigger.
On the shotgun, it’s a trade off. For in home you don’t want a long barreled Jed Clampett type shotgun which would be very difficult to handle while running down a narrow hallway. A short-barreled shotgun one would be better; unfortunately a sawed-off shotgun would add legal difficult and would not work for sport shooting.
If you’re set on a shotgun, you may want to check out Orvis. Orvis has a custom service which offers some beautiful (and I do mean beautiful) American made over-and-under shotguns at reasonable prices. If you're willing to spend some money, you could purchase a custom job by a firm like Holland and Holland . When it comes to shotguns, I prefer the sport shooting over-and-unders as opposed to the side-by-sides.
Lastly, we haven’t seen any wild turkeys recently, but we do see deer every day. We also recently started to see glimpses of grey foxes.
Regards,
John P.
PS- If not Orvis, some people swear by Ruger and Beretta."
For NRA Membership info, click here.
(Photo is a Kimber Ultra CDP II, a smaller sized .45 made for
the concealed carry market. It weighs
approximately 25 ounces with a barrel length of 3 inches. It also has
ambidextrous thumb safety.)
1 comment:
Apropos, I just read this off the Chicago Sun-Times:
December 8, 2008
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Political Reporter
As gun sales shoot up around the country, President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that gun-owning Americans do not need to rush out and stock up before he is sworn in next month.
"I believe in common-sense gun safety laws, and I believe in the second amendment," Obama said at a news conference. "Lawful gun owners have nothing to fear. I said that throughout the campaign. I haven't indicated anything different during the transition. I think people can take me at my word."
But National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said it's not Obama's words — but his legislative track record — that has gun-buyers flocking to the stores.
"Prior to his campaign for president, his record as a state legislator and as a U.S. Senator shows he voted for the most stringent forms of gun control, the most Draconian legislation, gun bans, ammunition bans and even an increase in federal excise taxes up to 500 percent for every gun and firearm sold," Arulanandam said.
Obama answered "yes" in 1996 to a questionnaire from an Illinois group on whether he supported a handgun ban. But he later said a staffer filled out that answer and he did not support a ban.
Nationally, background checks for gun purchases jumped nearly 49 percent during the week Obama was elected, compared with the same time period last year, according to the FBI's National Instant Background Check System.
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