Bought another Home Defense Handgun

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doc540

New member
So, last Sat. night while my wife and I were out, our daughter hears the dogs going nuts downstairs.

As she looks down the stairwell, she sees the front door knob turning back and forth like someone is trying to get in the house at 11:30pm! She quickly calls friends nearby who rush over to the house.

Whoever it was goes away quickly and the dogs settle back down.

The wife discusses it with me and says, "You know, if you're gone and we're downstairs and someone breaks in, we'd have to get upstairs to the pistol to defend ourselves".

So, I've bought another pistol: Scandium Smith and Wesson .38 snub with a Crimson Trace laser sight. (I don't really like the lightweight snubs, but I can load it with low recoil hollowpoints and, of course, I got a deal on it.)

Within a couple of weeks we'll have it, they'll practice with it, and it will be stashed downstairs in a hidden, secure, but accessible place.

Gotta protect my girls and equip them to protect themselves.
 
You proabably should have ordered 2, you know, so you could have several hideout guns :D. I always have one handy, even around the house, cause you just never know. good goin.
 
they'll practice with it, and it will be stashed downstairs in a hidden, secure, but accessible place.
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Thats a good idea, I too have a backup strategically hidden in another area of the home where my wife and I both have access to it. Hidden well, and no children in the home.
 
OK second guessing here

Now that you have bought the gun already and it is safely too late for my advice to do any good (or harm) here goes:

12 Gauge or 16 Gauge pump shotgun. with a tactical flashlight on the fore-end.

There are two sounds in the world that will cause immediate stoppage

Rattlesnake

Pump shotgun action closing.

If you are about to go through a door and hear a shtogun chambering a round on the other side of it (no nervous "I have a gun!", just the action.), would you open the door? Probably only if the rattlesnake sound was behind you.

Shotguns are much easier to hit with than a handgun. Stopping power of a half-ounce of largish pellets or a slug is tremendously more effective than a 125 grain hollowpoint or 160 grain solid of any shape. (1/2 oz is about 220 grains and is MUCH larger in frontal area than the best-expanded .38 bullet - essentially it is pre-expanded)

Granted, operating a phone while armed with a handgun is easier than with a shotgun, and clearing a house (not recomended for the inexperienced) involves less fumbling if armed with a one-handed weapon. But settling in to a safe room while calling for backup on a cell phone (house wires can be cut), the firearm of choice....shotgun.

Lost Sheep
 
My daughter's not physically capable of confidently and effectively handling even a short barrel shotgun.

The jury's still out as to whether or not she will be willing and able to handle even the snub.

But I'm having her mom and an LEO friend/firearms instructor train her. I will be nowhere around.

It's a 19 year old kid thing.;)
 
I bought several old Colt Official Police trades a few years ago and use them for strategic home defense guns. Low recoil and easy to use for Wife and other family that may be in house and need to use them.
 
The wife discusses it with me and says, "You know, if you're gone and we're downstairs and someone breaks in, we'd have to get upstairs to the pistol to defend ourselves".
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If the door's locked that should deter the intruder plenty long enough to go upstairs and assume a defensive position. It's much easier to keep someone from coming up one staircase than trying to guard multiple downstairs doors and windows anyway. From an upstairs position you can effectivly guard the stairs while waiting for the 911 response.

I'd suggest a retreat to an upstairs position to be part of the plan rather than stashing a handgun. What if they are upstairs when someone tries to break in? Are they supposed to run toward the threat to grab and secure this gun?

My daughter's not physically capable of confidently and effectively handling even a short barrel shotgun.
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If she can't handle a 20 gauge pump she should probably be relying on pepper spray. A snubby won't be any easier for her to control.
 
One thing to add, Doc: (Good plan, though!)

Have a written, signed letter of permission stored right where the pistol is.

Your daughter is not 21.

Kids under 18 in many states cannot carry a firearm or have access to one without parent supervision or a signed statement of permission.

While your daughter is over 18, this is a handgun and those are not to be purchased from an FFL if you are under 21.

It's a little thing, but it might save you a hassle if she ever truly needs the gun.
 
azredhawk44: That's really good advise. It looks like Doc540 lives in the Lone Star state, and in TX anyone 18 or over can have handgun, they just can't buy it. So the letter really shouldn't be necessary, especially in a HD situation. I really can see the usefullness of it in other states though. Good looking out!
 
Great idea.

Sport45, you missed the part where he said he already has a gun upstairs, so no need to run downstairs toward the threat.

Mike
 
And we've repeatedly discussed the best home defense tactic: retreat, barricade, 911, shoot for CM if advanced on.
 
It reads to me that someone has decided that your daughter is a easy target for whatever awful thing they have in mind.

You have repeatedly said in your posts that she is mentally unable to defend herself (because of her lack of maturity).

I would not be leaving her at the house like that again unless there was someone there that could protect her or she was with some friends that proved trustworthy.

This person that tried to get into your house most likey knew you and your wife were gone and was likely only seconds away from harming your daughter.

People like this act as though the wonderful person you and your wife raised are nothing more than an object of temporary gratification better left for dead after they are done torturing it.

People that fixate of young victims they believe to be defenseless also have a habit of waiting long periods of time just waiting for the right time to snap the trap on their prey.

If she is totally scared by firearms,I would definitely get her some pepper spray,a big can for the house and instruct her how to use it.

You might also want to get a company like ADT to install an alarm system in your house.

Install deadbolts through in the doors with screws large enough into the door frame so the lock plates are secured into the door 2x4 frame itself and not just the door frame.

Light the house up New Years at night.

Had this person gotten into your house,your daughter might be gone and you might never know where she was abducted too.

It is even more distressing that this person was never found,you never had the police dust the door for fingerprints (if they would even do that) and this person is still watching your daughter and your house and waiting for you to leave your daughter undefended again so he can do what he wants how he wants to your daughter.

I would be extremely concerned this guy is still out there.

You should give your dogs some extra biscuits.

They might have just saved your daughters life.
 
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Get a set of Hogue Full grips on order. That will help with the recoil.

Ohh, and get some Wadcutters on order too. Low recoil practice.

ASAP
 
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sign on door "protected by SMITH&WESSON"
training is the key
this situation you described might be the thing it takes to get the 19 yearold attention span to except the training, and not live in the "this can never happen to me" mentality.
 
Have you discussed the incident with any neighbors, to see if they have had a similar incident?

Definitely report the incident to the police department (9-1-1 during).

Ask the PD about establishing a neighborhood watch program to share information.

Have you asked your family if they may know who it was - mysterious boyfriend, etc.?

This is a very scary incident, especially if the bad buy has not been identified, odds are they will come back, unless it was just a passer-byer (don't count on it).

Just to reiterate a couple a key things to do:
- light up the exterior of your home, varmint don't like light
- keep the dogs, maybe get a bigger one too
- install an alarm, even if just a cheap DIY door/window actuated one - an early warning for your family
- train your family

Be safe and do not advertise your absences - no one needs to know when you are not there. Do not set patterns.
 
Thank God you daughter was unharmed.

I personally do not believe the sound of a shotgun action being worked scares people. I do believe the sound makes an intruder aware someone is there, awake, armed, and gives away the location of the defender. A prudent individual does not want to take a human life, even a lower form of human life. Criminals know that, and bank on it. If it were not true, there would not be so many criminals out there today.

If your daughter is not comfortable with a handgun or shotgun, but still willing to try a firearm, then look at a USGI M1 .30 carbine and/or a GSG-5 semi-auto .22 rifle. Both are small, fairly lightweight, accurate, controllable, user-friendly rifles. These two might not hide easily between sofa cushions but would be fine for defending a position at the top of a stairwell.

I bought my twenty year old daughter a S&W #331 TI .32 H&R magnum; light weight, decent power, six shots, can also shoot .32 S&W Long ammunition.
S_W331ti.JPG
 
I'm very glad that your daughter is safe.

The thing is now like others have said, is that this is the perfect opportunity to instill in her a more alert and watchful mentality. There should be no more "it can't happen to me" arrogance.(I'm sorry, but this is what this statement means in ANY situation)

It sounds like you are getting her training so you are doing the right thing for her safety and your piece of mind. Too bad more parents aren't like this now a days.

If this is her first firearm, even with training, I wouldn't suggest a snubby revolver or even a sub-compact semi-auto. I would go more along the lines of maybe a compact to full size
9mm. Something with a little less felt recoil, I think we all know that those snubbies can be a little rough on the wrists. Just my .02.

Please keep us updated on the progress you are making with her training. Mainly, if the youngin' learned her lesson or not! :)
 
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