wotanson wrote:I think it is very important for the citizens of any "free" society to be "armed". About half of our founding fathers felt that a standing army was a bad thing, a threat to liberty. I believe that an unarmed citizenry is a citizenry open to the coersion and tyranny of ones' government.
I agree that "an armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man is a subject," quoted from George Washington if memory serves.
wotanson wrote:I own a rifle and keep it in my home in the unlikely event I might have to defend my family and/or property from the "bad guys".
A rifle would be my last choice. Too much penetration in most cases, making it dangerous to others in the house, neighbors, etc. I consider a 12 gauge shotgun and #00 buckshot ideal, though a handgun with Glaser Safety Slugs is an acceptable alternative. Maximize delivery of energy, minimize excessive penetration. If the projectile exits the assailant, you have lost some of its power to protect you. Generous person that I am, I want an assailant to receive every foot pound of energy my handgun can produce]It would be somewhat easy for me to obtain a permit for a handgun, I choose not to. My wife and I are expecting our first child and I wouldn't want a handgun around the house, though I would take all safety precautions.[/QUOTE]
Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, especially if the requirements for obtaining one become more stringent in the future. At one time in my area, a hunters' safety card was all you needed for a permit to carry concealed; now you require an NRA-certified course certification or something equivalent.
wotanson wrote:It's too much of a risk to me, my SKS is all I need I would think.
Please see above comments again concerning rifles as a home protection tool. Take all precautions with handguns, certainly. There are handgun safes on the market that can be opened in total darkness by feel in a matter of seconds, which both secure your handgun against theft or misuse yet allow ready access for defense. Using a rifle in your home could easily cause injury to someone you had not intended, and that opens you up to all sorts of potential lawsuits. Just doing my part to try to keep my Spydie brethren (and sistren?) out of harm's way.
wotanson wrote:They look at me funny when I tell them my Pop got me my first .22 rifle when I was 12 :D
I was taught from an early age that to lay a finger on my father's firearms without him present and without his permission would result in swift and terrible punishment; it never crossed my mind. When I was old enough, he taught me how to shoot and how to safely handle firearms. My 6 year-old daughter will not touch a knife or gun without her daddy present; when she is in my opinion old enough to listen, retain, and obey safety rules unquestioningly she will be taught how to use both knives and firearms for enjoyment and defense. I see a Spyderco Cricket in her future as a first knife, and my father's .22 as a first rifle for precision shooting. :D
Please understand that I am not trying to razz you or give you a hard time; it is just that there are so many misconceptions about firearms and their most efficient use that I feel compelled to save people potential suffering. If you are more comfortable with the SKS as a home protection tool, then by all means stick with it, just please keep in mind that a 7.62x39mm FMJ projectile at over 2300fps will not be slowed a great deal by an average wall or by soft tissue, making it a grave threat to others unless you are alone in the house and have no neighbors closer than a couple of miles distant.
I could go on for days about firearms, but I'll shut up now (again). If anyone wants any questions answered offline, feel free to e-mail me privately.
---
Ta,
H
