Daughter's New Toy
 

Well my daughter decided to move out on her own and wanted me to help her pick out something for protection/self-defense at her new residence. I suggested a 20 ga shotgun but she wanted a handgun. She went and got her CC License. I offered her my Bersa Thunder .380 but she couldn't work the slide and she didn't like the size of my Colt Trooper MK V so off to the gun shop we went. After spending a couple hours handling different handguns she settled on a Taurus Melinium 9mm. Neat little gun. We took it to the range on Sunday and gave her a course on function and shooting. After about 4 mags full of ammo she was getting pretty good even though she wasn't bad to start with. Initially she was hitting about 3" left and 6" high (probably tentative with the new pistol). But by the end of the session she was putting them in the 3" bull regularly and those that missed, didn't miss by much. I sure do pity the fool that tries a home invasion with her around.
But I did give her specific instructions that if anyone happened to invade her house at night to stay in her room, behind the bed, call 911 from her cell phone and if they enter the room to shoot for center of mass and to keep shooting until they flee or drop and remain in the room until police arrive.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

Good advice!

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

Make her shoot it some more Bronko. I worry about gals with automatics unless they are pretty well versed in firearms....which most ain't.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

My uncle in Alabama did that. He hid in his room and waited for the person to come into the room. Said stop and the guy kept coming so he shot him 2 times with a 45 ACP. Both center mass. The court said the first shot was self defense but the second shot was not because the guy had a knife and was not within striking distance. He ended up with 10 years for it. He should be getting out in about 2 years.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

That is a pretty crappy deal get 10 years for protecting yourself, sorry that is how it went

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

I'm not questioning what you say, but something seems fishy here. There's not a jury in the world that can tell someone their life isn't in danger. Only the person in question knows if it is or not. I think we need the other side of the story to understand fully what happened and why your uncle got 10 years. Crappy deal none-the-less.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

So I guess that every cop who double tapped a perp wasn't in mortal danger after the first round. The reason for the double tap is to increase your odds of putting one round on target by 50 %

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

Well it's good to have, hopefully never have to use it, and more than likely won't ever have to. Hope she's not paranoid about a burglar etc.....I often wonder about where to store a gun for protection? nightstand where anyone can get to it? loaded/unloaded? 1 in the chamber? clip loaded in the gun but not in the chamber? I worry about friends kids etc....finding it, and something happening because i twas there for protection and now a travesty occurs. I mean you don't want to have to load a clip, then load the gun, unlock it from a case/safe etc...do you? Curious what others do? Anyone else worry about these things? Also is it really a concern to anyone that they'll eventually be a victim? or more of just a precaution? I guess my question is what do you do with the weapon? I saw a safe in amovie recently, small pistol safe.....that opens once it scans your finger prints i assume? so it opens quick.....its safe/stored away, if it exists guessing it costs a good buck, but seems pretty ideal.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

PS- after reading the posts, juries are filled with the dumbest, naive, morons you could imagine, I saw a show on 20/20 about a guy self defense, similar story, never been in trouble with the law etc...was a preacher I think! or involved with his church, had like 5 kids, etc....shot the guy self defense, called 911, gave him medical attention and they still tried him/convicted!

I wish it was a jury of your peers, not randoms off the streets, in some ways at least in a bench trial you're getting 1 guy makeing a ruling who's educated, intelligent, etc...etc....not sure I trust either.

I've heard if you shoot, you kill, no leg shots, no warning shots.....also then only 1 side to the story. Also if you do happen to shoot an intruder, I recommend waiting til the lawyer arrives to talk to anyone. maybe call 911, after that, call the lawyer, it happens everyday, someone gets hung for doing somethign right.....but happens to be illegal, or a jury etc....

Hoep your uncle does well, wish he had a better lawyer/outcome. Pretty certain he knows now what to do case that happens again, though I suspect he's a felon now and can't own a firearm, so next time I guess the knifed intruder will get closer.....and he'll be dead/ but at least not guilty of shooting someone/not in self defense.

These stories get me so riled up.

totally think a shotgun with buckshot is the way to go for self defense. Might consider a light for that pistol....also, can get a light n laswer combo, though all I'd want is a light. Wonder how many badguys have been shot with hunting rifles/intruders, ya know the guy who only owns rifles....like a guy comes in and he loads his 300 mag, or .375 or something, those will go through armor....btw.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

Isn't the saying, 2 to the chest, 1 to the head? heard that from Jim Scouten, perhaps the coolest guy ever to hold a firearm!

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

Wouldn't you empty your clip? That's something a jury wouldn't understand, non gun owners deciding a gun crime is ridiculous btw, all those anti gun /scare of gun types would find you guilty. If I fired once, I'd keep firing til someone was on the ground. So unless that first shot knocked him off his feet.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

Tehy said that one round is self defense. Then if you wait and he keeps coming at you you can fire on rounds until he stops coming. I was in the Marines and always double tap when im shooting self defense. If you keep coming at me in my house after getting hit with 2 rounds of 3.5in no4 Turkey loads at 5 yards you are gonna be hurting because there is 3 rounds of 3.5in 00 Buck behind that.

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If she dumps the clip most likely a jury will consider that excessive force. Whether or not she hits anything or nothing. In NC the law reads " use of deadly force can be used when threatened with death, serious bodily harm, to stop forcible entry,or sexualy assault to a person with normal fortitude" or to some extent thereof. Whos to say whats normal. What my not bother me could scare the crap outa someone else and vice versa... My CC instructor taught us double tap center mass if you miss and perp is still advancing repeat until he's down or runs away. NEVER JUST SHOOT TILL YOUR EMPTY!!! then it becomes excessive force. Don't tell the police you were trying to kill the perp or that you were aiming at his head/heart. A DA and jury will take that and charge you with murder or manslaughter.(excessive force again). When questoined simply say you were aiming center mass and was just trying to stop the threat. I mean the guy that broke in your house at 3 in the morning with knife/gun might just want to show you his new toy (yea right).

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

Bronko, I think that's great advice. As for some of these other replys, I say to each their own. But as for me, I would a lot rather have to mortgage the farm to hire my daughter a slick, shyster lawyer than to pay for her funeral.

RE: Daughter's New Toy
 

pick up some of the brass, get rid of it, reload a few in the clip, wasn't empty.

Turkey shot first, then buck shot? what a nice guy, haha. how many does that thing hold? here in IL we're limited to 3 rounds in a shotgun. fun state I tell ya!

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I quit keeping a loaded auto in the house after I bought a Colt Officers off my brother. He kept a loaded magazine in the gun and the other 2 loaded for years. When I bought the gun off him, it jammed all the time. As soon as I replaced his old factory mags with new factory mags, the gun never jammed om me again. I guess the magazine springs can get weak from being loaded for years at a time. For this reason, I keep a S&W .357 by the bed. I was later told that if you keep the magazines only half full, the springs will last longer. Since I am a pretty good shot, I'll stick with the wheel gun for home defense. A shotgun is still the ultimate HD weapon but then again, if it's a pump or auto, still have the spring issue. Perhaps a side by side shotgun would be best.

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Under MS laws we can't be jailed or sued for shooting someone : tresspassing, stealing, threatning, or harming us, but I still shoot to kill.

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how about keeping it in a small keypad safe under the bed, locked during the day, unlock it when going to bed at night. clip half full to put less wear on the mag, chambered or unchambered is up to the sleeper.

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bewteen the mattress.none in the chamber but a full clip.... ?????i always thought about behind the head board. where its simple to jus reach around??