Home Protection

[brfd557]

The short answer is there is NO perfect weapon for HD or for any situation that involves lethal force. You can not prepare for everything that could happen. Pick a handgun, or shotgun, or rifle that you can hit a target with easily. If that's a double barrel 16 gauge. No problem. If it's a 44 magnum Winchester Model 94. No problem. Any weapon is better than none. This isn't fashion show for the latest tactical accessory out there. Get what works for you. B/C if you're confident and comfortable with the weapon, than you'll do better than something tactical and cool that you're unfamiliar with. Of course if you used an M4 in Iraq that might be your best option. I don't know. You have to decide. As does every individual here what's best for them personally.

Penetration. If bullets don't penetrate they don't kill things. There's no magical way to keep a bullet from penetrating a bad person and not a wall while still being an effective round. Sorry. What ever weapon you decide on using train with it. Don't go spraying rounds all over your house. Tell the kids and wife to lie on the floor if a bad guy breaks in to minimize their exposure. Would it still be possible to do the unthinkable and kill one them with over penetration? Sorry. Yes bullets kill things. On the flip side the bad person with a gun won't be worried about over penetration so taking them out quickly is better I feel. You have to decide what you want to do. Nothing is without risk. Do the best you can to minimize it. I hope you never have to use a weapon to defend your house.

Dave

IMO perfect answer!

 

[tigers2011]

So, what if the BG loudly breaks into your home, and loudly announces to everyone that he has no intention of hurting anyone, but just wants to take the TV? You still gonna shoot him?

§20. Justifiable homicide

A. A homicide is justifiable:

(1) When committed in self-defense by one who reasonably believes that he is in imminent danger of losing his life or receiving great bodily harm and that the killing is necessary to save himself from that danger.

(2) When committed for the purpose of preventing a violent or forcible felony involving danger to life or of great bodily harm by one who reasonably believes that such an offense is about to be committed and that such action is necessary for its prevention. The circumstances must be sufficient to excite the fear of a reasonable person that there would be serious danger to his own life or person if he attempted to prevent the felony without the killing.

(3) When committed against a person whom one reasonably believes to be likely to use any unlawful force against a person present in a dwelling or a place of business, or when committed against a person whom one reasonably believes is attempting to use any unlawful force against a person present in a motor vehicle as defined in R.S. 32:1(40), while committing or attempting to commit a burglary or robbery of such dwelling, business, or motor vehicle.

(4)(a) When committed by a person lawfully inside a dwelling, a place of business, or a motor vehicle as defined in R.S. 32:1(40), against a person who is attempting to make an unlawful entry into the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle, or who has made an unlawful entry into the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle, and the person committing the homicide reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the entry or to compel the intruder to leave the premises or motor vehicle.

(b) The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply when the person committing the homicide is engaged, at the time of the homicide, in the acquisition of, the distribution of, or possession of, with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance in violation of the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law.

B. For the purposes of this Section, there shall be a presumption that a person lawfully inside a dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle held a reasonable belief that the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent unlawful entry thereto, or to compel an unlawful intruder to leave the premises or motor vehicle, if both of the following occur:

(1) The person against whom deadly force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcibly entering or had unlawfully and forcibly entered the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle.

(2) The person who used deadly force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry was occurring or had occurred.
C. A person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and who is in a place where he or she has a right to be shall have no duty to retreat before using deadly force as provided for in this Section, and may stand his or her ground and meet force with force.

D. No finder of fact shall be permitted to consider the possibility of retreat as a factor in determining whether or not the person who used deadly force had a reasonable belief that deadly force was reasonable and apparently necessary to prevent a violent or forcible felony involving life or great bodily harm or to prevent the unlawful entry.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 655, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 392, §1; Acts 1983, No. 234, §1; Acts 1993, No. 516, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1378, §1; Acts 2003, No. 660, §1; Acts 2006, No. 141, §1.

 

[spanky]

Be careful. You cannot shoot an intruder unless he actually poses a danger or threat to you and your family.

Says who?

That's where the law in Louisiana becomes cloudy, but, as we all know its kind hard to prove in court that he broke in without the intention of doing bodily harm. BUT.....

I don't believe it's quite as cloudy as you are making it out to be.

 

[Hitman]

Says who?

The voices in his head.....and the TV

Our laws damn sure very CLEARLY make no mistake on what is allowed.

 

[dwr461]

There's a discussion about what you do if someone breaks into your home and announces they they have no intention to hurt you but are just here for the TV?

Seriously?

Why don't we waste our time talking about zombie attacks or other such nonsense? The above isn't going to happen any more often than the zombie thing.

Dave

 

[cookiemonster]

What if a zombie breaks into your house and announces all he wants to do is steal your t.v. That's assuming he can talk, so I guess he would have to write you a note. Headshot while writing before he gets too far with his intent?

 

[Sin-ster]

What if a zombie breaks into your house and announces all he wants to do is steal your t.v. That's assuming he can talk, so I guess he would have to write you a note. Headshot while writing before he gets too far with his intent?

They can say, "Brains!" a lot of the time. Is it such a stretch to think they couldn't manage, "TV!"

 

[dwr461]

What if it's Vampire Zombie Sasquatch that breaks into your home?

 

[JWG223]

So, what if the BG loudly breaks into your home, and loudly announces to everyone that he has no intention of hurting anyone, but just wants to take the TV? You still gonna shoot him?

I would not.

I would, however, hold him at gunpoint until he either called my bluff and charged me--upon which I would, or fled, upon which I would not, or hopefully, believed me and stayed put until the cops arrived.

My TV is neither light, nor worth killing anyone over (1995 or so HUGE big boxy thing with a 24" screen I believe. Doesn't work with anything but DVD/VHS).

I would spend more money in court defending my actions than that old TV could ever imagine being worth, probably not even when it was new.

I would spend my time visualizing the suspect memorizing everything I could about them. Tattoos, piercings, height, build, color of hair/eyes, apparent age, mode of transportation (if any) as they fled, and DEFINITELY shoes. A thug will change their getup, but they will RARELY jettison/swap shoes.

Really, if I truly believed I was in no danger, I would not kill a home intruder. It's more hassle than it's worth, and I could spend more money than anything in my apartment was worth other than my life. It is further possible that if they were so forthcoming and whatnot about their intentions that they truly had hit a hard spot in life and they might be worth salvaging as an individual. It's just not a very hardcore criminal thing to kick in a door unarmed and announce that all you want are electronics. It's the desperate, ballsy move of an individual at the end of their rope for whatever reason.

If they had a weapon, I would indeed shoot no questions asked. You don't arm yourself and kick a door in if you truly mean no harm. Evidence through action > Words.

 

[davidd]

What if it's Vampire Zombie Sasquatch that breaks into your home?

Then it's probably safe to say he would not be there to steal your TV...

 

[Gus McCrae]

I am preparing to get flamed for this comment right now but I don't care. If penetration is a big worry I wouldn't go over a 20ga in a house situation involving buckshot. In all honesty with the new .410 rounds available and the amount of recoil equaling a quick second shot I would even go with a .410 mossberg and wouldn't feel undergunned. Plus my wife loves her 20ga remington and her .410 mossy. Both are youth models and she shoots them very well as do I.

I have no problem with someone using a 20 gauge or even a properly thought out .410. But if a bullet won't penetrate flimsy sheetrock, how is it going to penetrate enough bad guy?

There's a discussion about what you do if someone breaks into your home and announces they they have no intention to hurt you but are just here for the TV?

Seriously?

Why don't we waste our time talking about zombie attacks or other such nonsense? The above isn't going to happen any more often than the zombie thing.

Dave

On top of that, how do you know they aren't lying?

My biggest problem with they kick, hard. Too hard for my girlfriend. And, 00 buck Will go through a badguy and into a kid's room if he's not shot dead center of mass. I love my Mossberg M590a1, but I wouldn't use it in home defense if I had kids.

Autoloaders and some stocks can help with the recoil.... as well as proper training.

I used to believe a shotgun was the best defenseive weapon in the house until I did a little research.

I have come to the conclusion that keeping my XD-45 seems to be the best choice for 2 reasons. One is I carry in my home while awake and at night the gun is on the end table next to my head. Since the gun does not have a thumb safety, it is ready to shoot simply by picking it up. Of course, all the kids are grown and out of the house and there are too many walls to penetrate before a bullet could leave my house so I don't have to worry too much about missing the target on the first few rounds. And it gives me 13 shots befrore I have to worry about the next move. If I do miss then I always have the hope that my wife would be a better shot with hers than I am with mine.

1. The shotgun is just a tool that is good for the right application.... behind the bed, gun pointed at the entry is a good use. There really isn't anything up close that would be as devastating.

2. You need to train to use whatever platform you are choosing.

3. .45 ACP will likely penetrate more walls than 00 buck will.


Now, I think very highly of shotguns, but it's just a tool that is very effective in the right situations. You shouldn't be clearing houses. I don't have kids, so if I'm aware of an intruder, I make sure the wife is next to me, we get behind the bed with the shotgun leveled on the door. The other calls the cops. We don't go looking for anyone.... unless the plan falls apart for some reason.

Any of the choices work fine, you just need to think about how to apply them.

 

[oleheat]

Take down without penetration, eh? Have you ever fired some 00 into drywall? And for the love of God, please don't say you load that thing with birdshot.....

And your issue with "birdshot" is......?

 

[spanky]

And your issue with "birdshot" is......?

Penetration (or lack thereof) through heavy clothing at greater than contact-ish distance.
Spread and Pattern inconsistency
Number of projectiles

 

[oleheat]

Be careful. You cannot shoot an intruder unless he actually poses a danger or threat to you and your family.

So, what if the BG loudly breaks into your home, and loudly announces to everyone that he has no intention of hurting anyone, but just wants to take the TV? You still gonna shoot him?

That depends. Is the LSU game about to come on?


The scenario you described is a home invasion, Dave.


I think what you're getting at is the moral angle of it rather than the legality issue. Most folks I associate with don't appreciate an intruder entering their home forcefully and announcing ANYTHING, much less he means them no harm if they give up the Bigscreen.

 

[oleheat]

Penetration (or lack thereof) through heavy clothing at greater than contact-ish distance.
Spread and Pattern inconsistency
Number of projectiles

I wouldn't want to be the testing ground for that in the space of the average bedroom.

 

[Suburbazine]

That depends. Is the LSU game about to come on?


The scenario you described is a home invasion, Dave.


I think what you're getting at is the moral angle of it rather than the legality issue. Most folks I associate with don't appreciate an intruder entering their home forcefully and announcing ANYTHING, much less he means them no harm if they give up the Bigscreen.

If I have a gun and the intruder doesn't **** his pants and leave, he intends to kill me. Simple logic for a complicated problem.



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[spanky]

I wouldn't want to be the testing ground for that in the space of the average bedroom.

Neither would I. I wouldn't want to be shot with a pellet gun but that doesn't mean I think it's a suitable defensive weapon.

 

[oleheat]

If I have a gun and the intruder doesn't **** his pants and leave, he intends to kill me. Simple logic for a complicated problem.



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Yeah, chances are if they're breaking in, it isn't because they want to talk to you about your Personal Salvation.....

 

[biggin215]

Neither would I. I wouldn't want to be shot with a pellet gun but that doesn't mean I think it's a suitable defensive weapon.

Thanks for answering the questions in a much kinder way than I would have. People who advocate birdshot for home defense rank up there with those that advocate racking the shotgun to scare the intruder away and loading salt into shotgun shells.

 

[SGT_Kramer]

My house is kinda nice in that to get to my kids room you have to go by my bedroom door and makes for a nice place to meet a 12 gauge. If they get past the great dane , the security alarm and the steal door frames they probably just don't want to steal things. My guess would be I pissed someone off pretty good or something. Just generaly my neighbors house would be a much easier target.