BuddyLars Loc: Rockton, Illinois

Good Day Fellow Hedgehogs,
I was an accident baby, Dad and Mom were in their '40s when I was born. Dad liked to hunt but when I got to be around 5 years old he stopped. He had shotgun, 30-06, .22 rifles. I never shot any of these firearms, but Dad let me handle them when I was in my early teens. Damn heavy.
I grew up as a child in the '60s. Born 1957. My Dad and I would watch war movies and war tv. shows together. For Christmas and birthdays I would get firearm toys. Johnny 7 O.M.A. (One Man Army) Monkey gun, James Bond attache case which held a knife and would shoot a bullet at a unsuspecting spy, and many other things of this nature. As I got into my teens I got a couple of BB rifles.
When I got married and raised my 2 kids I did not have any firearms, BB guns in my ownership. Nor did we have toys that were firearm related. Not by conscience choice, just didn't have any. My kids were into sports, soccer, and they were on traveling teams which with team practice and home practice, playing with their friends and games we did not have time to do much more than that. Both kids went into the military in 1999 and in basic training my Son received the Basic Training Ribbon, Honor Grad Ribbon and Marksmanship Ribbon (highest score in his flight). He was asked if he would be interested in going to Special Forces, he declined stating he had no interest in killing anyone. He was also asked "What if someone was trying to kill you" he answered "I do not want to be put in that situation." Jason and Sofie served 10 years and now as private citizens they both have firearms. Out of our family I was the first to buy a firearm for the sole idea of self defense in the home. As Jason became a private home-owner he realized how vulnerable he and his family were and bought some firearms. Sofie followed suit.
I understand how parents can influence their children when being raised. I grew up around gun toys and played with neighborhood kids with these toys, but as a young family man I did not pursue having a firearm, until 3 years ago. My Son and Daughter never saw a firearm in our home or even see a toy that looked like a firearm but as they have young families of their own they have firearms in their homes. Their world as young adults is far different than my world was as a young adult.
When my kids were in the service we all bought ps3 game stations and played 'Modern Warfare" on-line together. Much fun. I played with my grandsons also. Sofie in Arizona, Jason in Colorado. Sofie is back in Rockton and her son loves firearms, loves the military channel etc. I bought him a BB gun and he is an accurate shooter. He also has many nerf toy guns and a few airsoft handguns and rifles. With his father he has shot 9mm pistols and different rifles. Elias will grow up with the idea that firearms are a right and normal thing to have. Did I help perpetuate this idea? Yes. I believe the younger you train someone with proper handling of an unloaded and loaded firearm the more responsible this person will be. This is not the only child in the U.S. to go through this procedure.
Banning firearms will be next to impossible with adults like me teaching our children (my case my grandchildren) the owning, caring and responsibility of safe handling of all firearms (even toy guns) is a right that should be taken seriously.
As a note I have never killed an animal, went on a couple of hunting trips with a neighbor and his Dad when I was a young teen. They were hunting rabbits. I personally do not want to kill an animal for sport nor for food. I probably should learn how to dress one and how to prepare it for consumption just in case if I ever have to in the future. I have a few friends and co-workers who hunt which they have the meat processed and in turn I have eaten.
I've bored you long enough.
Have a Happy New Year.
BuddyLars

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

Very similar to me except for folks eliminated in Viet Nam. Not that I wanted to or felt any pride in doing it but it was simple....Them or me.

I'm retired, have weapons in the house but don't hunt. Anything I want to eat is sold in a store and is renewable.

My family is familiar with my weapons and I tell my wife if she fires the pistol, stop at 6, check the intruder and if he or she is moving, you've got 3 more bullets left.

Sarge69

BuddyLars Loc: Rockton, Illinois

Hey Sarge,
Thanks for your service to our country.
In Ill-annoy we need a FOID (Firearm Owners Identification) Card to buy and own a firearm. You may not even touch a firearm in a gun shop. I'm waiting for my wife to get hers from the IL State Police, then we will go shopping. I own a Hi-Point .45, it is ugly and heavy. Too heavy for her. I've taken it to the range, it is accurate and have not had any jams. It cost me $180.00 with hard shell case at our local dealer. I'm thinking a smaller 9mm for Inger, but I want her to handle the pistol for fit and comfort. I saw this pistol on Buds http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/411552788/CANIK+STINGRAY+9MM+BLACK+FINISH+15%2B1 and I like the video presentation.
Also I've been thinking on getting a Hi-point .45 carbine http://www.hi-pointfirearms.com/carbines/carbines_45caliber.html
I'm heading to Bullet Stop Gun shop this week-end and see what they have.

jadeast Loc: Virginia

For those that can handle it the .45 is a great pistol but In my experience as a competitor and coach in the military, it's way overkill and few people can handle it as well as they might with sometime smaller and less intimidating to the shooter. when the shooter becomes intimidated by the weapon they begin to flinch when pulling the trigger and the accuracy becomes non-existent. Add a near panic situation to that and it's just not going to be what the shooter is trying to accomplish. Sure one round will knock a man down wherever you hit him if you hit him. In my experience with a weapon of that size, the longer they shot it, the less accurate they became without special and consistent training. IMHO the best weapon for anyone is one they are comfortable shooting, not the largest weapon they can handle.

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

That's why the Sterling 380 is so good for my wife. It's small and easy to handle and the recoil is minimal after you fire it a few times to familiarize.

Sarge69

jadeast Loc: Virginia

The hole it makes is a bit smaller but it smarts just about as much as the bigger gun! How many of that size hole in his gut does it take to get a criminal's attention?

Bruce with a Canon Loc: Islip

my $.02.
Personally I shoot 45acp and 40 cal. I have been shooting since 1966. I served 7 years in the Army and competed with the army pistol team shooting 45 acp.
For more petite folks I recommend 22 or 380.
I ensure those I train hit center mass under pressure, Wether it be a 22 or a 45, if you don't hit your target, you might as well be hurling rocks..
Better to hit an intruder with a 22 than to miss with a 45.
Our home uses a 12 and 20 guage pump shotguns for primary defence.
In NH I worked in a field that required concealed carry, I carried Detonics Combat master and S&W Chiefs special back up.
Never touched the weapons in the performance of my duties.
I had ocassion to use a shotgun in my home to prevent a burglery, racking a round did the trick, never had to level the shotgun.
I teach using the weapon you are most accurate with, not the biggest gun you can fire.

BuddyLars Loc: Rockton, Illinois

Hi Bruce, I agree with everything you have written. At Bullet Stop Gun Shop in a town close to mine they offer a training session with multiple handguns of different calibers. Two people for the price of one. They supply the firearms and ammunition. My wife and daughter will take this class even though my daughter has her handgun already. I think my wife will be more comfortable with another female than with me. I am so undecided on 12.ga shotgun or the hi-point .45 carbine rifle. I am attracted to the .45 as it takes the same ammo as my handgun thus less variety of ammo needed, but as you stated about racking your shotgun, that sound is distinctive and anyone just hearing it would think twice. I've convinced myself, shotgun. I'll get the carbine later.
Thanks for your post.
Lars

Bruce with a Canon Loc: Islip

Lars,
My drill instructor pointed ut in his own common sense way
"even a total moron wull freeze when he hears a shotgun rack a round"
He was right.
PS shotgun ammo is cheap and easy to reload. a 410 or 20guage can be handeled by most anyone, and with practice a 12 guage with light loads can be handeled by a petite lady.

I havent tried a comparison, But I suspect the target could not be able to tell between 2 3/4 load of bird shot vs buckshot hit center mass

Photogdog Loc: New Kensington, PA

I too was born in 1957. I own a number of firearms and I have two sons. We spend a lot of weekends at the range. I don't hunt, but we target shoot a lot (it's easier going to the grocery store for the meat). I've never even pointed one of them at someone else.

People need to held accountable for their own actions.

Why is it that someone can drive drunk & kill someone but the car is just a machine? The same person kills the same people with a gun and suddenly the gun takes on a life of it's own.

Gun control is a myth. The only people that will obey the law are the ones you don't have to worry about. Criminals, by definition, don't obey the law. If someone commits murder, rape, kidnapping or armed robbery with an illegal gun and are caught, the gun is the least of their concerns. They're looking at 25 to life just for the capital crime.

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

True story. I was the assistant pay-master for our unit and one day one of the soldiers was having his 'bad day.'

He reported to the paymaster and was told that due to his borrowing money while on leave, he was a NPD (No Pay Due).

Well, he went ballistic and since we carried weapons at all times then in our advisory group in Vietnam he started waving his rile around and getting to the point where the rifle was pointing towards my Lieutenant.

I told the young soldier who was quite tall, "Look Williams, either shoulder that rifle or let me know which knee-cap you want blown apart because I've got my 45 out, pointed at your knees and think about being a cripple the rest of your life."

He calmed down immediately.

Sarge69

jon636 Loc: SELDEN LI

Good morning Sarge and Buddylars firearm chitchat.. I must agree with both of you altho I was raised in TEXAS and hunted for food and livestock protection. I spent 10 years in the Airborne Rangers and 3 and one half years in Korea where I did what I had to to come home. After that I spent 24 years in the NYPD ending my career as a Sgt in Homicide. During that time I shot NO ONE and am proud of it. I found I was able to talk a few perps in to giving up.Nuff said

BuddyLars Loc: Rockton, Illinois

Around 1995 my wife would watch some kids after school whose parents would pick them up around 5:00pm. One boy was the son of of friends of ours. Fun kid, but was on medication for hyper activity, he was around 8-10. This family moves to North Carolina and we lost touch with, but their oldest son was friends with my son and daughter on facebook. We find out that the boy my wife watched was involved in an accident with him being drunk and underage. A few months later he had another car accident while being underage and again drunk but this time he killed a young lady. He served a few months in jail. I found out a little while ago he had moved back to Rockton/Roscoe area. I cannot imagine the grief the young lady's family was/is enduring. One, the senseless death of their loved one, Two the slap on the wrist for a repeat drunk driving offender.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/charlotte/obituary.aspx?pid=17079718#fbLoggedOut

Black Bart Loc: Indiana

Some posting in this thread will be in for a real shock if they ever need their gun for self defense.

While the argument that a little 380 will make a hole is true your goal when facing an armed assailant is not to just hit him you must incapacitate him to the point that he can not even pull the trigger.

If you shoot a guy with a small caliber he will blow your head off with a 44 then drive himself to the emergency room for medical attention.

The goal is not to cause him to seek medical help you must drop him in his tracks.
Where I live it is cold in the winter if an intruder has on a heavy leather jacket a shotgun with a bird load may not penetrate that is why I keep a short barrel shot gun with the shoulder stock replaced with a pistol grip and loaded with 12 Gage 00 buck.

Several years ago I was living in a house with a in-closed back porch it was hot that night and we left a window open in the kitchen near the door out to the porch.

My wife woke me and said someone was trying to get in the house.
I got out of bed with my shot gun peeked around the door frame and saw a man at the door.

I racked that pump and yelled freeze he ran like hell he knew what that sound was.

Nothing will instill fear like the sound of a shot gun being pumped.

This is just one of those cases where the gun stopped an intruder without firing a shot.

BuddyLars Loc: Rockton, Illinois

Thanks for your military service and for serving as a police officer.
Having a sidearm you were prepared. That's what the majority of law-abiding U.S. citizens want.