| I have been called, e-mailed and stopped on the street, | | | | The two most common sizes are 12 gauge and 20 |
| questioned in my office, at a couple of places where I | | | | gauge, there are many other sizes but for home |
| shop, and at the post office. I do radio ads for Steele's | | | | defense we'll stick to the more common 12 or 20. |
| Gun Shop and I'm known to be familiar with firearms to | | | | Ordinarily the shotgun is less expensive, easier to use, |
| some degree. I have been asked about what kind of | | | | and better for defense than a pistol by far.Many |
| gun or ammo to purchase for home defense and | | | | people think that shotguns have shot that spreads, to |
| about concealed carry of guns and knives. Some of | | | | send out a wall of lead, and that you can't miss with a |
| these questions were from people who have never | | | | shotgun. That is BULL.. The longest distance most of |
| owned guns before and some from those who "hate" | | | | us will be able to shoot in defense, inside our homes, is |
| guns and even hate gun owners as well to some | | | | about 20 feet. At that distance the size of the circle of |
| degree.One of my friends has interest in a business | | | | shot from a shotgun is about two and a half inches in |
| near the World Trade Center site. One close friend | | | | diameter or less. It's easy to miss with a shotgun, but |
| was the one who first reported the plane that hit the | | | | not as easy as it is to miss with a pistol. Some people |
| Pentagon, about three windows from his office | | | | want to get all sorts of specialty ammo for a shotgun |
| window. Another friend of mine lives on Long Island | | | | to use in home defense. That is not needed. The |
| and works in the building industry and at a huge lumber | | | | cheapest "bird shot" is the best for home defense and |
| store there; so she is in constant contact with workers | | | | the least likely to go through wall after wall after wall |
| and contractors connected to the New York City | | | | through your house and into the sleeping rooms of the |
| area. Several of my friends are military, National Guard, | | | | rest of your family and the neighbors up and down the |
| and police. I am no authority, in my mind, nor compared | | | | street.By the way, most pistol ammo will go through |
| to some that I know, but I am very open in my | | | | three or four walls, perhaps more, before it stops if |
| communications on anything. So, I am asked about a | | | | you miss the person you are shooting at in self |
| lot of things. I have been around guns, gun shops, | | | | defense. Where are the kids? Think about it before |
| police, military, and worked as a Federal Law | | | | you get a gun. In fact thinking is far superior to shooting, |
| Enforcement Officer, as a Security Policeman in the U. | | | | regarding self defense. In modern homes, made of |
| S. Coast Guard, and as a Security and Public Relations | | | | foam insulation, wall board and vinyl siding; a pistol bullet |
| person at FEMA for a while in disaster preparedness | | | | can easily penetrate both sides of five or six homes |
| and as an on-site disaster center worker.I do have | | | | before stopping.Guns are expensive and good guns |
| some opinions and some are quite strong. They are | | | | are very expensive. There are some ways to beat |
| based on knowledge and experience and information | | | | the system however. There are lots of used guns on |
| from those who know better than I. So here is some | | | | the market, especially police guns, because everyone, |
| data in the form of;Frequently Asked Questions and | | | | especially the police, want to have the coolest and |
| My Answers.Q: WHY HAVE A GUN IN THE FIRST | | | | most awesome and most new gun that is being |
| PLACE?For the same reasons we have smoke | | | | advertised. So they trade in the old guns and often the |
| detectors, first aid kits, fire extinguishers; life, health, | | | | older guns are the better guns although less cool. Silly |
| dental and home insurance. Because planning, | | | | aren't they? There are lots of good used pistols, |
| preparation and investment in proper tools and devices | | | | revolvers and shotguns in the gun shops of America |
| -- give us more control over ourselves and our destiny | | | | and many of them are superior to the new stuff in |
| and well being in any arena. And, having better control | | | | reliability and accuracy. Go figure! J Or you can |
| of our lives and future is a native concern and need | | | | purchase a new gun.No matter what you get, make |
| for most of us.I think, and most of us think, that any life | | | | certain that you learn how to use the gun correctly |
| worth living is worth defending. We have dedicated 40, | | | | and get some training from someone who really |
| 50, 60, or 100 hours a week to providing for our | | | | knows guns and safe handling. Most men think they |
| families so that they may live life without major | | | | are genetically endowed with gun smarts and they are |
| interruptions or inconveniences and death or injury at | | | | not. In fact most men who are first time or infrequent |
| the hand of a "Bad Person". Disaster is certainly not | | | | users of guns are far more stupid and far more |
| part of our plan for optimum survival for us and our | | | | dangerous than women and no more likely to hit what |
| family.Because people are neither natively brave nor | | | | they aim for either. As a matter of fact, women are |
| courageous and because people are natively more | | | | usually better shots than men atfirst, according to my |
| comfortable, less fearful, having something to hand for | | | | experience. I have taught several hundred people how |
| self and family defense; having a weapon to hand or a | | | | to shoot for the first time and have helped a few |
| method of defense and protection is an internal instinct | | | | dozen others shoot better. By the way I'm not a |
| that is intrinsic and native. That can include decisions to | | | | professional firearms instructor, just a willing friend and |
| lock the doors, live in safer areas and staying alert to | | | | neighbor who has shot a lot and owned a lot of guns |
| news and current events. Even those who hate guns | | | | over a lot of years.IF you do get a gun, and I'm not at |
| and want all of them gone, always seem to have a | | | | all certain that you should; keep your defensive firearm |
| kitchen knife, a baseball bat or a sword (Ha) to defend | | | | handy but secure and practice, practice, practice. |
| themselves with. The Bad Person, BP laughs as such | | | | Practice often enough to be dangerous to the Bad |
| implements in the hands of someone not used to | | | | Persons and often enough to NOT be dangerous to |
| fighting for their lives and it is in fact laughable if you've | | | | yourself and your family. At a minimum that will be |
| ever seen a street thug fight or attack | | | | weekly for a few months and then monthly for |
| someone.Those who decry guns are the first to call | | | | several months and then at least every two or three |
| 911 and beg someone, a policeman, with a gun to | | | | months thereafter. Even those who hunted all the time |
| come and defend them - the police can not and WILL | | | | 30 or 40 years ago but not much in the last 10 years, |
| NOT ARRIVE IN TIME. In fact the police are not even | | | | are not to be trusted to be safe and accurate with a |
| expected to arrive to defend you. They are expected | | | | firearm now.Q: WHAT IS THE BEST KIND OF AMMO |
| only, by law, to come and mark chalk lines around your | | | | FOR MY GUN AND FOR SELF DEFENSE? IS IT |
| dead body and that of your family - and to write up | | | | BEST TO USE THE BULLETS THAT COST 2 OR 3 |
| the reports, take pictures of the blood splattered walls | | | | OR 4 OR EVEN UP TO 12 DOLLARS PER |
| and floor, and file them away along with a report on | | | | SHOT?The silly news shows, the major media |
| what they find at the scene of your murder. Check it | | | | evening news is fond of showing off all sorts of buzz |
| out; even the Supreme Court of the United States had | | | | saw bullets and bullets that will penetrate bullet proof |
| made a written decision to that extent.Q: FOR A NON | | | | vests and all manner of other nonsense. Almost |
| SHOOTER, WHAT GUNS ARE RECOMMENDED | | | | anything on the evening news about guns, ammo, self |
| FOR DEFENSE?None. A non shooter should not have | | | | defense, etc. is a lie or at best BULL. Now, regarding |
| any gun. Having a gun without taking the time and | | | | ammunition; you don't need a lot of ammo for self |
| effort to learn how to USE it correctly and safely hit | | | | defense. In a defensive situation if you need more than |
| what is aimed at is not only silly but it's dangerous. | | | | ten or twenty shots, you are likely going to die anyway |
| Here, I agree with the anti-gun people. THEY shouldn't | | | | as there are either too many people for you to defend |
| have a gun because they wouldn't use the gun and | | | | against or you are too bad a shot to defend yourself. |
| would likely shoot someone for nothing, or miss and hit | | | | However, under the stress of self defense, it is not |
| someone else. Non-Shooters should not own guns, | | | | unusual for police to miss every single shot from a 15 |
| period. Anti-gunners are more likely to become | | | | shotpistol when shooting at a Bad Person that is only |
| murderers or accidental killers with a gun than without. | | | | 15 or 20 feet away. In shoot outs where trained police |
| It is a cinch that if they don't trust others with a gun, | | | | are shooting at BPs who also have guns, it is not |
| they certainly are not worthy of trust with one | | | | unusual for several hundred shots to be fired for each |
| themselves, and that's certain.Q: FOR AN | | | | person that is killed. Think about it. They need to |
| INEXPERIENCED, NEW SHOOTER, WHAT DO I | | | | practice a LOT more don't they. Luckily BPs don't |
| RECOMMEND?First of all, don't buy a gun if you are | | | | practice much, if any, either. What you need lots of |
| not going to become proficient with it and that takes | | | | ammo for is practice.How about all these wonderful |
| some time, repetition and training. My first suggestion is | | | | and special self defense bullets? There are bullets that |
| the .38 caliber/.357 caliber revolvers. These are | | | | cost $6 each or more that are supposed to work |
| inexpensive and easy to find new or used. The .357 | | | | better and faster for self defense. The real truth is |
| revolver and can be used with low power .38 caliber | | | | that it doesn't matter a HOOT how expensive the |
| ammunition for practice and for defense the same gun | | | | bullet is, if you miss a vital spot in the attacker. What |
| will allow the use of extremely powerful .357 | | | | you need is practice, practice, practice, so that you can |
| ammunition. They are made to hold 5 or 6 cartridges | | | | certainly hit what you are aiming at and STOP an |
| and that should be fine for home defense. They are | | | | attacker. REAL experts say: It is better to shoot the |
| quite accurate and fairly easy to learn. They have no | | | | attacker 6 times quickly and accurately when you |
| "safety" lever so under tension and in the terror of | | | | need to stop the attack than it is to hit them with one |
| having to use one for self defense, there is no safety | | | | super-duper-Cowabunga-pooper bullet. So practice. It is |
| to remember about changing to the fire position from | | | | bullet placement that will save the life of you and your |
| the safe position. Many, many people have died as a | | | | family; bullet placement that STOPS the Bad Person |
| result of trying to defend themselves with a gun that | | | | fast enough to stop that BP from hurting you or a |
| was still on safe when they needed to fire it to stop | | | | loved one.Q: GUNS ARE NO HELP AGAINST AN |
| someone from killing them. The Bad Person won't wait | | | | AIRPLANE AIMED AT YOU, OR SOME ANTHRAX |
| for you to remember the safety. I'm not in favor of | | | | SPORES. WHY ARE YOU SO SET ON HAVING |
| safeties at all. Every person in the home that has | | | | GUNS?Some folks are concerned about potential |
| access to the gun MUST be trained in safe handling. | | | | social turmoil, rogue bands of harmful burglars, perhaps |
| No safety switch, lock or chain will make a gun safe in | | | | dangerous riots, and there is a certainty that, for the |
| the hands of an idiot or an unsafe gun handler - same | | | | first time, this war is happening here and there are no |
| thing.A revolver is the gun that cowboys used. The | | | | safe zones, at least no certain safe zones. As |
| cylinder holds six shots, and revolves as it's shot, | | | | members of a community, we seek to support our |
| hence it's called a six shooter or revolver, and after | | | | community with personal and community commitment |
| each shot the cylinder revolves to put another | | | | -- a price others are and have been willing to pay. |
| cartridge in back of the barrel ready to fire when the | | | | Now it MAY be our turn. I'm not saying this is correct |
| trigger is pulled to slam the hammer down and fire the | | | | or right or even necessary; I'm just saying that is what |
| bullet out the barrel to what is aimed or pointed | | | | some people feel and think.Owning a weapon is a |
| at.Once a person has fired several revolvers or | | | | personal decision. Some people have swords, canes, |
| several handguns, many of them choose a pistol. A | | | | baseball bats, pepper spray, potato mashers and even |
| pistol is a semi-automatic handgun that does not have | | | | hornet spray or a water pistol full of vinegar for self |
| a cylinder but has a magazine to hold several | | | | defense. Years ago almost all women carried a few |
| cartridges instead. It is called a semi-automatic | | | | long hat pins for defense and almost all men carried a |
| because it moves a new cartridge in place to befired | | | | stout umbrella or a walking stick. In many countries, |
| each time the trigger is pulled, just like a revolver. | | | | even today, it is considered sensible to carry a dagger, |
| Some pistols hold 15 or 20 shots or rounds as we call | | | | a dirk, or even a pistol (such as in Israel) or a rifle all the |
| it. Modern pistols are only allowed to have 10 rounds in | | | | time for self defense. I don't take a position either way |
| America as a result of some idiotic laws passed by | | | | for whether or not YOU have a weapon or decide to |
| people who should not be allowed to have guns | | | | defend yourself against those who would rob or harm |
| themselves. I prefer pistols to revolvers myself but | | | | you and those near you.I do take one position |
| advise revolvers for first timers to learn on.By the way, | | | | however. I think that those who say guns are bad and |
| an "automatic" is a gun that fires all of the shots, in | | | | no one should have a gun and no one should protect |
| machine gun rapid fire fashion with ONE pull of the | | | | themselves with a gun should have signs on their |
| trigger. Few people own and even fewer can | | | | clothing, their cars and around their homes and |
| effectively use an automatic weapon. They are better | | | | businesses. That sign should say "I do not believe in |
| for noise than for hitting something. The real best | | | | guns or other weapons, and I do not have any |
| choice for home defense is a shotgun. But most | | | | weapons, and I will not defend myself, and I do not |
| people want a pistol as it's easier to have next to the | | | | believe in anyone protecting themselves against an |
| bed and to get ready. The shotgun however is easier | | | | assailant." If you are really against self defense and |
| to aim under stress and is more likely to stop an | | | | against guns - prove it and post the signs!Otherwise, |
| attacker faster. Shotguns come in many configurations | | | | for those of intelligence; Take care, prepare, practice |
| and sizes. They come in several cartridge sizes too. | | | | and be safe. |