At the point when your turn on your attackers you're now the fox. problem is you have scruples, morals and are NOT a criminal. You have things to lose, at that point, they dont. The very thing you protect becomes your weakness. And they will use that. Are you really willing to die? If you die trying to defend your home, what happens to your family as you lie there exsanguinating in the living room or the upstairs hall? If you die, who's there to defend them NEXT time? Like I said, if they want what you have badly enough, they'll get it and go to any lengths to do that. Look long and hard at your family and decide if its better to stand and fight or to get them safely out of the house and to a neighbors while the cops go on "the hunt" as its been called. Call me a coward, but my money says beat feet, get out, and watch my child grow up rather than watch what happens before my eyes go dark. There ARE some sick people out there, sicker than you and I can imagine. But even an idiot can get off a lucky shot, a desperate crack head can leave you just as dead as the other people you described. To assume otherwise is to underestimate your enemy and overestimate yourself.
You're very welcome jkdlifer! If you're ever in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact me. I usually have some type of tactical class going on monthly, whether it is my Pre-Tac (dryfire and tactics) or actual live fire courses. Also, let me just give you the proper protocol for using a firearm in home defense situations. ****NEVER HUNT THRU YOUR HOME!!!**** I know people think "I know my house better than anyone else," or "better not step into my castle." But that is the wrong mindset. The only time you hunt thru your home is if you have a good indication that someone is being harmed and you have to go get them. If not...the protocol is: 1) Barricade the door shut and get yourself and anyone else behind concealment. 2) Call 911 and tell them you have an intruder in your home and you are armed 3) Place the phone on the bed/table/sofa with 911 still on the line and scream at the top of your lungs "I've called the police and they are on the way. I am armed! If you come thru this door I will be forced to shoot you." (This way 911 has you recorded giving ample warning, if assailants choose to come thru the door they knew what was up) 4) Hold aim at the door. Doesn't matter if there is 1 or 10 people, you can only get 1 at a time in thru the door...hence why doors and stairs are called "the fatal funnel." If they come in, then light em up! 5) If you shot someone, kick their gun away from them. When the cops come just be on your knees and throw your gun away from you. They don't know you're the good guy or bad guy, and if they see you armed and someone bleeding on the floor...they might just shoot ya! Prepare to get arrested. You may not pay the piper...but you're still going for the ride! That's when the 911 recording of you screaming warnings out will come in handy! God willing none of us will ever have to face this situation, but if we do, then we need to get past our ego's and understand how the tactics, and laws work. Here is a link to a quick preview of my Pre-Tac course: http://youtu.be/UvDwVrc_ySY
Depending on your state the law may or may not be on your side. In mine it works in my favor. Enter my home at your own peril.
Kuma...I called a friend of mine who's an attorney in Philadelphia, PA. He says that "Make My Day" laws only partially protect you under the "Castle Doctrine" which is the set of laws/statutes that outline the use of deadly force. He tells me that even though someone break into your home, they still have to provide an immenent threat of grievous bodily harm before you use deadly force. Then he cited some case law in which people still got sentenced to prison time in PA for use of deadly force in home defense without proper cause. Be careful brother....damn lawyers aren't making the world a better place!
If you are in my home unlawfully you are a threat to me and my family. If you listen to verbal commands then you might walk out of there alive. If you don't then you're a threat to me and I'll act accordingly. PA is actually a pretty good state in that its use of force laws are far more on the side of the public than the criminals (unlike many states). 18 Pa.C.S. §505 and §507 go a lot more in-depth but sufficient to say our action plan should work out in our favor if need be.
I asked 2 local police I know about if you were to batton or bat an intruder, they both were of the oppinion if you use it to push, ram or force some one away you are fair, like 'I was on the landing having heard an intruder he came up the stairs, my wife was ringing the police I used my base ball bat/telescopic baton/cricket bat/slab of bear to force him back down stairs' they both reconed you would be safe as houses ref prosecution. they were not so sure about just storming down stairs and laying wood to bone.
oh yeah as for knives, its a no no. big no no. knife fans. ITS A NO. some judges have ruled using a knife voids any claim to self defence it is apparently very rare for it to be over looked in the UK. Neither officer knew the cases involved though.
Wrong http://solicitors.contactlaw.co.uk/criminal-law/when-does-self-defence-become-murder-994258.html There is no such thing as an absolute - each case is based on individual merits and factors; exactly as it should be Seemingly the only universal rule of thumb is that the force must be reasonable and necessary to end/prevent/detain (whatever the requirement is)
I think that bit in bold is the keystone to the whole deal. If you can ascertain what is reasonable and not EXCEED that, then the law effectively becomes a non-issue for you. But that is a feat much more easily said than done. This is why its a good idea to be very familiar with YOUR local laws concerning home defense.
I stand corrected. Thanks Hannibal. I agree with the shotgun advice for home defense OP, though I know nothing of the NRA course and can't endorse it. I recommend getting VERY familiar with the spread and penetration power of the shell you'll keep for the weapon at a variety of ranges though. At close range, even birdshot will probably be devastatingly lethal, and you wanna know where those pellets are going. Since the OP mentioned family, which seems to imply children, someone should probably stress the importance of a high quality, touch-pad firearms safe as well. Should you opt for that, don't use a code very similar to your home security code that your small children may know as well. A friend of mine had her little girl guess their firearm safe code because it was only a single integer off from the perimeter alarm code. Should you bring a firearm into your home with children, it's very important to make sure you and your wife are on exactly the same page about what precisely to do should you need to address a home invasion attempt. Even if you happen to be Frank Castle, your children and your wife might react in very dangerous and unpredictable ways to a dynamic, high-stress situation. You'll probably be too "adrenaline focused" on any threats to be accounting for the location of your loved ones, especially if they are moving around and tiny. A common security tactic is to have a "hardened room" where everyone falls back to that will take an intruder longer to breach and allow you time to call the authorities and for them to respond. If your wife is less trained in the operation of the firearm, she should probably be the one managing the children while calling the authorities, which of course is a lot for a single person to handle. Using that tactic, you'd want to establish precisely where the children/wife should be in standing in said room in advance, and where the ballistic "point of domination" would be for you. I'm reluctant to suggest fleeing with your family as readily to a stranger if a firearm may be involved, because it takes considerably more training to learn to safely maneuver, sprint, stop, aim, keep your finger off outside the trigger guard until you want something to die, etc. Also, managing moving children on top of that would be a lot for most combat veterans to deal with. Keep in mind that you're also likely to be totally unaware of who precisely might still be outside your home despite the presence of strangers inside of it. And train safe. I have permanent ringing in my left ear because someone decided to fire a .22 pistol 15-ft adjacent to me in a canyon when I wasn't wearing ear protection. And I've seen .22 rounds ricochet back to hit their source at impressive distances. Penetration Video Of Birdshot From 12 Gauge:[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQngI_r2hQc"]12 ga shotgun with birdshot vs Front Indoor walll - YouTube[/ame]
Or at least in a hopeless coma... use the shot gun to wing 'em and then flip it around and club 'em like a baby harp seal! At least that way you can say you tried NOT to kill them
Where I am at now, I see these puppies all over the place. Not sure how they would be for S-D. One nice thing about shotgun shells is that the load can be varied. Not everyone is compelled to use Double-Ought to make their point. Best Wishes, Bruce
I have a Taurus Judge too...I think it's a fun gun! Although not my first choice in self defense weapons....I keep the first 2 rounds with the 410, rest in .45. The 410 makes for a great "hallway clearer"so I can get down the stairs. The .45 is doing the rest of the work!
I dunno why you guys pay taxes if you have to purchase all this gear to keep your family safe. What the hell are those guys doing with all your hard earned? For home defense it should be atleast tax exempt. The Bear.
