Is it good to have a gun for personal defence from robbers?

Question

if a robber comes in your house and you cant call the police, is it good to have a gun ,is it even allowed and which gun and ammo is the best for this situation

Answer 1

I believe it is good to have a firearm in the house, but that would be your choice. Only you can decide if you want a gun in your home.

A lot of people do not believe anything can happen to them, but the fact is anything can happen to anyone. I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

A lot of people suggested shotguns and yes shotguns do work but i am a handgun guy. I prefer handguns for in home defense.

Your best bet is to go to a gun shop and look around and ask questions. No matter what you buy, if you buy, get training on how to use the firearm and of course a safety course. Buy some sort of gun safe to keep it locked and way from unauthorized users. Show your children that guns are not to be played with and if they see one to get an adult.

As for my suggested firearms. I would start off with a 9mm as it is low in recoil, ammo is cheaper, and it is still a decent self defense round.

I love the Springfield Armory XD Series, Ruger SR9, and Taurus 24/7 Pros and Millennium Pros. They are all reliable and should be under 600. In fact I paid only 440 after taxes for my SR9 and a buddy of mine only paid 500 for his 24/7. The Millennium Pros by me are only 350 or so.

As for ammo I use Speer Gold Dots in 9mm and .45acp JHP(hallow points) for defensive purposes. I have not used my gun in self defense and hope that I never have to.

For range time and practice i use Winchester FMJ 9mm and CCI .45acp FMJ.

Good luck and I hope these links help.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php...

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/F...

http://www.taurususa.com/products/produc...

http://www.taurususa.com/products/produc...

Answer 2

It depends on who you are and who you share your home with, as well as where you live.

Answer 3

A gun in the hand is worth a cop on the phone.

In my state, Alaska, I am allowed to defend myself and others.  Nearly everyone here owns several guns.......... I honestly do not know anyone who has just one..... and in my town break-ins and robberies are almost unheard of.  Usually only happens if somone has a pile of mail or newspapers on the porch to signal nobody is home.  

The best ammo is Federal 'Personal Defense'.  

Hope this helps

Answer 4

Edward,

The answer to your question depends on where you live.  If you live outside the USA, the answer is that you probably do not have a legal right to self-defense using a firearm.

Even in some US States, one is required to flee, even flee from their own homes, if possible rather than resist an attack with lethal force.

IMO, unless it is illegal for you to own a firearm, it is always a good idea to have a firearm for home defense.  If someone is breaking into your home, or has already entered your home, who can protect your family faster or better?  You, on hand and armed, or a police officer who might or might not arrive at all, and if he arrives will not arrive for 15 minutes to an hour or more?

If you can legally own a firearm, i.e. you are a citizen or legal resident alien, buy a gun, and most importantly, LEARN TO USE IT WELL, and learn the law so you will know when lethal force is legal.

Good Luck and Good Shooting,

Doc

Answer 5

It's a helluva lot better than needing one and NOT having one.

If you've ever had to call the police, even in a small town, their response time is generally 15 to 30 minutes. By the time they arrive, all they can do is photograph the crime scene and count bodies. Do not count on them to be there to protect you. That is your own responsibility. For someone not too familiar with firearms, I'd recomend a shotgun in 12 or 20 gauge, loaded not with buckshot, but with birdshot. If you miss, this load is not likely to penetrate walls, but at close ranges (most use of firearms against an intruder are at ranges of no more than 15 feet) it will still create a huge wound and enough trauma to drop a criminal in their tracks.

Answer 6

That all depends on whether you would rather be a Victim, than a Survivor.* YES of course you are allowed.* Best choices are a 12 or 20 gauge pump shotgun loaded with number 4 bird shot.The other choice is a 357 Magnum revolver with a 4 inch barrel, loaded with 125 grain jacketed hollow points.* It is a no-nonsense man stopper.* Your last choice and a smart one is to have both the Pump Shotgun & the 357 Magnum.* Either they will be Dead or you will.* Which would you choose?* You decide.*

Answer 7

The 12 gauge pump action shotgun is one of the most popular home defense firearms in America.... Its easy to use, reliable and can fire several different types of cartridges - slugs, buckshot, etc.... The Mossberg 500 is arguably the most popular home defense gun you can buy......

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default...

This is the model I recommend.... Mossberg 500 12 gauge 18 1/2 inch barrel and holds 6 shots.... #50411

http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_...

This is whats at my house -- 20 inch barrel 8 shot model...... #50577

http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_...

Excellent shotgun info......

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/long_guns/...

Shotgun info.....

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/a...

Answer 8

about your question about having a gun, to use for home defense.

if you are not willing to kill a person that invades your home or attacks you, you have ABSOLUTELY, NO business being in possession of a gun.

the reason behind that, is the person or persons, will probably take said gun away from you, then use said gun on you.

about 90% of people that have guns for self defense, don't have what it takes, to shoot &/or kill someone that is attacking them.

Brave words, are REAL CHEAP.

Answer 9

Yes, the mere sight of a firearm is often enough to make a robber turn tail and flee. However, you cannot bet your life on this so get two pistols: A .45acp semi-automatic or a .357 magnum revolver for the robbers and a .22lr revolver for target practice. Always use the heaviest Full metal jacketed bullets available for personal defense as pistol rounds don't travel fast enough to expand consistently. Otherwise a pistol grip 12 gauge shotgun (Remington 870 or Mossberg 590) is an excellent home defense tool.

Answer 10

Yes it is good to have a gun to protect yourself from intruders IF you are also willing to learn how to properly handle the weapon AND you are actually willing to use it. If you are not ready to learn the proper use of the weapon or are not willing to use it if you need to, then do not get a gun.

As one answer has said, the easiest weapon to use for home defense is a shotgun. I suggest a 12 Ga pump action with #00 buckshot though instead of #4 shot. Though there is a chance of the #00 going through a wall, there is also a chance that the #4 would not have the impact you may need.

I really have to stress though that if you are not ready to use a gun against another human, and possibly take a life, you should NOT get a gun.

Answer 11

I would recommend a 12 or 20 gauge pump shotgun. It's easy to use (even in the dark), the sight of it can be pretty frightening to a burglar, and the sound of the shell getting jacked into the chamber tells any intruder that he's making a mistake. It also has the advantage (over a handgun) that you can point it at someone effectively from across the room, and it's doubtful that a burglar would try to wrestle it out of your hands.

A lot of people use and recommend handguns for personal defense, but unless you are willing and able to spend the time and expense of training to use it effectively, it has a good chance of being taken away and used against you. High powered pistols also have the downside of the possibility of a missed shot going through a wall and into another room, or even out of your house. A shotgun (shooting #4 shot) will pack a monster-size wallop over a fairly large area, and most walls will contain the pellets.

Answer 12

First off shotguns, if you chose a shotgun here's something to think about since shotguns are longer then pistols. Think off this, say you hear a noise and you grab your shotgun and you start walking down your hallway then you hear the noise again coming  from the spare bedroom, you walk to the door, you have your gun in front of you. You stick your gun around the corner and then WHAM, your gun gets ripped from your hands and then, BOOM they shoot you, now what did you do wrong. #1 You stuck your gun around the corner and got it got ripped from your hands #2 Let's say the robber was beside the door inside the door and was waiting there to jump you UNTIL he saw the gun barrel snake around the door and then thought O NO he's armed so he decided to grab your gun barrel and rip your gun out of your hand's and then shoot you. #3 Dont get a shotgun unless you want to be turned into HAMBURGER☻

Answer 13

yes just keep it away from children

Answer 14

Ok, there are several factors to consider with this question.  

As far as the legal issues, it would all depend on where you live just google 'gun laws' for your state and city (provided you live in the US).  I have dealt with this question a lot, since I am a firearms instructor.  In deciding if you want to purchase a gun you have to think of three things, 1.  Would you be willing to use it for self defense?  2.  Do you possess the good judgment necessary not to use it unnecessarily (IE: you and someone get in a heated argument while you have access to it)?  3.  Are you willing to train with and practice with the firearm with any regularity.  

When someone enters your home and you pull a gun on them you have just made it a fight or flight situation with that individual, they will do one of two things, run like there is no tomorrow or attempt to attack you with or without their own weapon.  If you are not comfortable with using the firearm or competent enough to hit what you are aiming for you may have just caused a dangerous situation that would not have otherwise been present.  

If you decide to get a gun take a basic class first to see if you are even comfortable firing a firearm at all.  If not there is your answer, if so then it becomes a question of what are you most comfortable with.  

I would recommend along with many others that have responded with either a handgun or shotgun.  

As far as handguns are concerned you want the largest caliber you are comfortable shooting with.  If you are only buying one gun and aren't terribly familiar with it then I would recommend a revolver, they have a lot of power in a compact package and are very, very reliable.  With a semi-automatic you will have an increased amount of ammunition it will hold, but it may jam in any number of ways.  Handguns do have one advantage over shotguns in that they are easier to turn corners with and you have less barrel hanging in front of you for an assailant to grab.  Shotguns however require less practice and aim.  And a pump shotgun is a VERY intimidating sound to anyone who was thinking of doing you harm.

Answer 15

Yes, It is a great idea to have a Firearm for home defense.

Cops carry no legal responsibility to protect you from being robbed unless you are in protective custody or have some other arrangement with Law Enforcement. You must protect yourself.

Call 911 anyway, tell them that someone is in your house, you heard glass breaking and that you have a gun. Tell them that you are very concerned for your children's well being and that you are going to go get them. (If applicable.)

KEEP A ROUND CHAMBERED! No matter what gun you choose. You may not be able to take the extra second that it takes to pump the shotgun or rack the slide on that pistol. Under stress, it is very easy to make the gun malfunction during these operations. It also does not give away your position within the house, or that you are armed, keeping the odds a little more even between you and the bad guy.

As I mentioned before MAKE SURE someone is on the phone with 911.

Choosing the gun is mostly individual preference. Contrary to some of the other answers, I would advise you to consider how much you will be moving thorough the house, because a shotgun is much more unwieldy going through doors or the kitchen in low to no light. It also does not leave a hand free for things like talking to 911 on the phone. Quietly directing the kids toward your pre-designated gathering place. It is better for kneeling behind the bed, with it pointed at the doorway to the bedroom. A handgun is much more convienient for these kinds of things since it is controllable and lethal with only one hand operating it.

Good and Proper ammo is a must. If you are using a shotgun, Birdshot will not penetrate the body deep enough to kill unless it is a point blank shot to the head. If you're that close with a shotgun you are going to have problems hitting the target anyway. Number 4 BUCKshot, (not to be confused with plain old #4 shot) seems to be the best compromise between penetration in the bad guy and lack of penetration in normal household walls.

It would also be a good idea to put nightlights throughout the house or a bright mounted weaponlight such as the surefire forend so you can make sure it isnt the neighborhood drunk wandered into the wrong house before you shoot.

If you choose a handgun, Make sure it is chambered either in 9mm, .38 special, .357(mag or sig), .40, or .45. These calibers are proven and there is a wide variety of very good ammunition for each. When you choose a gun, make sure it is reliable and from a manufacturer with a good reputation. Choose the right gun for you. If possible try several of the different guns and calibers before you buy. Make sure you get a gun you can handle because you can't hit as well with a gun that you are scared of. Stay away from ultra light revolvers, because they kick a lot more than their heavier siblings.

But whatever you decide on, you must practice trigger control and sight alignment. It is easy to jerk the trigger and miss from even as close as six feet.

Contrary to popular belief, a good expanding hollowpoint bullet rarely overpenetrates, as it is designed not to. Winchester's Ranger-T ammo, Federal's new HST, and Speer Gold Dots are your best bets they have been researched extensively by law enforcement organizations and been proven on the street.

Congrats on choosing to not become another crime statistic for the morning news. Protecting yourself is always a wise decision!

Answer 16

A gun is an excellent weapon to keep in any situation where someone is robbing your home or trying to hurt you. Guns are allowed to be used in the protection of your property and home from criminals in most states of America. The right to defend yourself, your loved ones, and your property is in the Second Amendment of our Constitution.

If I was being robbed inside my house and had no time to call a police 911, I would feel safer holding either a 12 gauge pump shotgun or a .45 acp handgun, than just holding a phone in my hand and hoping that the criminals don't cut off my phone line. Either of these 2 guns will strike terror in the hearts of any criminal, just pumping up a 12 gauge shotgun in the dark of night is enough to make most criminals run in terror and fearing for their lives.

Answer 17

The answer to this question depends to a very large degree on where you live and the gun laws of that location.  If it is legal in your area to own a gun and keep it in your house for self defense, your next question is whether you could actually use the gun to kill a bad guy.  If you are not absolutley sure that you could pull the trigger, you are best not to have the gun because if you hesitate, the bad guy could take it from you and use it against you.  Okay, let's assume that you could actually shoot another human being if they were a threat to you or your family.  The next question is do you know how to use a gun properly and safely?  If not, you need to get some good instruction and keep in practice so when the time comes, you will be able to react properly and use the gun to protect yourself and your family.  Thirdly, and this is very important, do you have a safe place to keep your gun where someone, such as a child, cannot get it?  If you can give the correct answers to these questions, then I would say that it would certainly be to your benefit to have a gun for the protection of yourself and your family.

Answer 18

its a good thing yes but if you have kids make sure they know not to play with it but let them no what it is, but for home defence you can never go wrong with a nice 12 gauge pump

Answer 19

I do. I have a 357 magnum I keep in a locked file cabinet. Just make sure every now and then you bring it out, show it to the kids, and impress upon them how dangerous they can be. I teach my kids that it is a tool, the same as my power saw and drill. They do not play with those, and should not play with my gun. It also has the added benefit of teaching them to not play with ANY gun or ammo, even if they find it lying on the road.

Answer 20

Have owned guns for a long time & there are a couple of ways to go............

Once believed there was an intruder in my house & getting out was not an option.

I made every effort to get to a safer, place , announced that I was armed  & just waited .

There are varying rules on use of deadly force from state to state , but I believe an intruder that has been warned & still trys to harm you or your family, needs to be stopped one way or another.

Having  said that , I agree w/ the 12ga pump theory.

It can  w/  any round , do great harm to an intruder if absolutely necessary.

Very reliable & if someone sees or hears a shell being chambered &  is crazy  enough to still come at you , they deserve what they get.

A 12ga is also good for hunting & clay birds.

The other is the Nike theory....

Put them on & run like h**l if you can.

Best regards