bburge said:
I won't bore anyone with my opinions on choice of firearm, I have no formal creds - but a lot of what I've read (which isn't a LOT of it - DANG this is long!) the reoccurring "get a pump 12ga" is crap.
What ever you do end up with - GET FORMAL TRAINING. That training should not be simply HOW to use it, but also WHEN to use it.
Best of luck to you and your family Red...
bburge
You can dispute my reasoning if you want. But my litmus test for a suitable weapon, is one where you can hit a Jack Rabbit. The test being, you walk up and kick a bush, a Jack Rabbit comes out, he is gonna be running in any direction in a 360 degree circle, including right through your legs, he is gonna run maybe ten feet and change directions 90 degrees. Your mission is to turn the Jack Rabbit into dog food, without shooting your friends, the farmer, his house, his tractor or your dogs.
OK, how many people can do this with a pistol? How many with a rifle? I´ve trained my 10 year old son to do it, about 50% of the time, with a shotgun. A carbine, maybe, the farm house a quarter of a mile away is probably gonna take a few. A sub machine gun (or pistol claiber carbine), maybe.
Unfair criteria? Almost exactly, what a quick fire range, is set up to train for. With a little tactical movement thrown in.
Another simple test, take a string (15 feet long), anchor one end, make a mark at 4 " (on the string and on the floor) and make a mark at say 24" (32" would actually be more realistic for a shotgun, a shotgun is closer to a tripod, a pistol to a bipod) inches (on the string and on the floor) , draw the string tight, make a mark at the end of the string. Move the 4 inch mark 1/8" (then 1/4") left or right of the mark on the floor, then again at the 24 inch mark. Where does the end of the string go. Doesn´t prove a thing. Try it again backwords while looking through your legs. Doesn´t prove a thing, it proves to me, if you got to shoot left right or backwords, it gets harder. Try jogging in place for 15 seconds and take the test again.
Most people can become profiecent with a shotgun, a whole lot faster, than a pistol, the shotgun shot is pretty much dead after 40 yards or so, a pistol round, about triple that or more.
I see three possible solutions, for his problem, go camping, bunker down or get a shotgun. Or maybe prepare for all three options, then train with a pistol.
If I´m full of crap, please tell me, I´m gonna be a bonehead and probably not listen to you, but feel free. I`ve watched hundreds (actually thousands) of shooters and soldiers, under moderate stress, try to hit a target with a pistol. I was never really impressed much. With a rifle, they did some better. If I was to use a shotgun, at a pistol match, they would sure enough call me a cheater.
An indoor rifle, is pretty much a shotgun, a carbine, a sub machine gun or a pistol. I beleive low penetration was one of the criterias, so anything much over a pistol round is eleminated.
I personally see a shotgun and/or a hand grenade as the best options, with limited training.
Explaining a shotgun to the local authorities, shouldn´t be to difficult. The court system, most generally frowns on handguns, as policy. You show up at court with a sub machine gun, or a star wars carbine (in a pistol caliber), in evidence, you can pretty much kiss your rear goodbye.
If you have the magic answer, I´m willing to be enlightened.
Oh, I almost forgot, give the Jack Rabbit a pistol, take the test again, while he is shooting at you.
I´ve talked, read and listend to many experts with excellent resume. I tend to listen to the experts in there 80`s.
I remember when I first moved in here (twenty years ago), Grandpa (like 85 at the time) across the street, was hanging out the window, with a double barrel shotgun (Goose gun with like a 36" barrels). Telling two youngsters, to get the heck away from his car. I barley remember what grandpa looked like, but can still vividly remember that old goose gun.
atriot:
