Editor’s Note: Larry Johnson is a retired professional engineer and as he states, “a self-professed gun nut.” Mr. Johnson has provided readers with some valuable information about the pros and cons of gun ownership, and we thank him for
Not too long ago there wasn’t much question on whether or not to have a gun in the house. Pretty much everyone had one, and there was no stigma attached to it. Things are different today. We live in a much more violent society, and the issue of home defense is more complicated. As a self professed “gun nut,” I am probably not qualified to advise you on this subject. There are some issues, however, that you need to consider.
First and foremost: Are you willing to take a life? That is, are there circumstances in which you would be willing to kill another human being? If you cannot imagine that, then please do not have a gun. You see, a gun is not for intimidation, warnings, or bravado. A gun is to kill with. If you are not willing to do so, the dirt bag invading your house most certainly will be. If you have decided that, yes, to protect your child/wife/husband from being tortured or killed you are willing to take a life, then we can proceed. As you are aware, there are many kinds of guns available to those of us living in a free country. Let’s examine the pros and cons of some of the most popular.
1) Shotguns: Absolutely the most effective and devastating of short range weapons, there are some disadvantages for home defense. It is essentially a two handed weapon which has significant recoil. There is nothing better in the hands of a trained operator but for the average home owner, it might not be the best choice.
2) Rifles: Like shotguns, a rifle is a two handed affair, potentially with significant recoil, again, requiring perhaps more training for home defense than the normal home owner might have. As with shotguns, rifles can serve the purpose of a hunting tool as well so if a member of the household is a hunter, these may be viable alternatives.
3) Handguns: There are two major divisions of handguns; revolvers and pistols. Either is more easily concealable than rifles or shotguns and either is readily operated by one hand which can be an advantage. At the typically short ranges involved inside the home, a handgun CAN be sufficiently powerful for the purpose of home defense. Revolvers are simpler machines than semi automatic pistols but typically hold fewer rounds. Minimum caliber sizes for defense start at 38 caliber for revolvers and 9 millimeter for “autos.” Both refer to the diameter of the bullet used and both are quite close, 0.357“ for 38’s and 0.351“ for 9 mm. I always recommend for new shooters who don’t intend to practice much that they get a revolver because it is a much simpler manual of arms with no safety to worry about and no heavy slide to retract. It is said they are the original “point and click interface.” Good revolvers are available from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Taurus, and others for $500 or less. Good autos are available from those as well as Springfield Armory, Sig Sauer, Kahr, and of course Colt, as well as others. They tend to have larger capacities but they also tend to cost a few hundred dollars more than a revolver.
Once you decide that you want to be able to effectively defend your home, there are some accoutrements you need to consider. Along with purchasing ammunition, you will need eye and hearing protection for every member of the household since you will be obligated by common sense to practice. Every member of the household should be familiar with the operation of the defense weapon you select, which brings us to the issue of gun safety. All guns need to be secured in such a manner that they prevent unauthorized access but remain available for emergency use by the household. Everyone must recognize that guns are not toys and that gun safety is unequivocal. I recommend that all members of the family memorize these four basic gun safety rules:
1) ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
2) NEVER ALLOW THE BARREL OF A GUN TO POINT AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT WANT TO DESTROY.
3) KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL READY TO FIRE.
4) KNOW YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEHIND IT.
Shooting is sort of like riding a bicycle. It’s not that difficult to master the basics but to get good, you need to practice and work. Since in the case of shooting, lives are involved, I maintain it is worth it to develop the skill.
