I always used to ask my intruders to wait a few seconds while I loaded my revolver. Now I just KEEP it loaded! Gunner Harry
I have a .22 revolver just for home defense. In all honesty, I really don't want to kill anyone. I have seen life leave rabbits and deer, and it isn't pretty, and they are animals. The eyes glaze over and they are still. The revolver hopefully would act as a deterrent, but nine shots will do some damage if necessary. In reality, I probably will never need a gun. It isn't Dodge City around here or Chicago. I never felt it would be wise to carry either. It could get you into some serious trouble if misused instead of the other way around. Back to a revolver, they can sit in a drawer for years and still fire, but an auto may have it's lube dry up. Jamming is a reality.
That's pretty much the way I feel, @Ed Wilson. I learned early in life that I didn't enjoy killing things, so I didn't hunt. Since I eat meat, including venison, it would hypocritical of me to frown upon hunting. I'm in favor of hunting, but it's not something I want to do myself. I suppose I could if I needed to, but I don't expect to need to. The same is true of having a weapon for protection. I suppose I could use a weapon against someone who was seriously threatening myself or my wife, but I doubt that I'll ever have to make that decision. Still, I feel better having guns around, and I'd probably carry one more often if I remembered to. What scares me are the people who would deny me the right to defend myself.
Never thought I would need a weapon either but 26yr in LE rammed the point home very vividly also witnessing the attack on my day and seeing him stabbed in his eye and myself cut in face and left arm made me very glad I could stop it all, or I would have lost dad right then. Due to life's experiences my thoughts are some different in the protection area, to this day I shall never forget the street thugs face when he saw he had made a very bad choice in victims of dad and I, he knew in a split second he had chosen the wrong ones, he paid dearly for his cruelty also the one cutting on me, the 3rd the driver was caught and got 40 yrs. Denied parole I was notified.
I am a very firm believer in staying alert and observing your surroundings best you can, the un expected can happen to anyone at any place or time in reality.
This is a vary valid observation, @Tex Dennis , and something that many of us probably don’t do. When I lived and worked alone, I always kept a small .22 in the vehicle with me , just in case of an emergency, and I had the .22 rifle in case of coyotes or other farm needs. Now, we live in a dangerous neighborhood where we hear gunshots at all hours of the day and night, and many of the people are selling drugs, and we probably should have some sort of a weapon; but we don’t. I think that if a person knew that someone was going to try and kill them that day, most of us would probably make sure we had some kind of weapon and be prepared to defend ourself and our family.
I trained with a SWAT team, but I have never been faced with having to make the decision to kill someone so I will still say that you don't really know what you're going to do until you have to make that decision. Not being armed removes a potentially valuable option, however.
When we were coming home from dad's Dr appointment we were attempted car jacked, they blocked us front and rear and one came to each side instantly stabbed my dad he was blinded in r eye for life, they got me on left cheek and arm , then the tables turned and the worst experience in my life I reacted instantly, as said I will never forget the look the thugs had for that split second of pure terror, I had quick clot in my kit and used it on dad 1st then myself, never gave a thought on using it on an eye had to stop the bleeding ASAP, no billed by grand jury and in court and statements 4 days was it, the judge told the driver he was a very lucky man to be alive and not like his friends. The driver still has over 10 more years locked up and I will be notified upon release they said. His parole at 20 was denied. I just cant forget that day.