Gun on Mantle - Good Idea?

Simple response...

No...

The main part of what you said that stood out was "she doesn’t have training..."

If she doesn’t know how to use it, it'll be dangerous to her as well as others around her. Pretending the kids are not involved in this portion and your wife is the only person in the house, I can see this being a problem for several reasons...

1. If she doesn’t know how to use it (Load, reload, aim, shoot, handle, if she's scared of it, etc...) she may hurt her self or others nearby
2. She may feel empowered and challenge the perp rather than flee for safety. This would clearly put her life in danger...
3. She most likely would not be ready to deal with the consequences if she actually took someone’s life. If you build yourself up to know that protecting your life as well as your loved ones life, you’ll normally come out of any defense situation with a clear conscious. If she’s not ready for that or she's not trained to deal with that, having a gun available for her should be your last resort…
 
I agree with the others, a 1911 is not a good idea for someone that doesn't train at all... a revolver is the original "point n' click" interface...
 
I don't like the idea. The REAL purpose of a gun (at least for me) is to have actual protection, not perceived. If my wife picks up a gun, I want it to be loaded. Locked in a digital keypad safe is my preference, so it can be in-hand quickly without a key, and kept loaded.
 
Look, the best gun is the one you have ON YOU when trouble strikes. Since she is not big into guns, you have to lure her into them. Start her off with a .22 LR revolver for plinking and, if possible, find a woman who shoots to help train your wife. The NRA might be able to guide you to a woman who is one of their certified NRA firearms instructors. After she's mastered the .22 LR move her up into soft loaded .38 special target loads fired out of a .357 magnum revolver. You also want to stay away from snub nosed revolvers and use a revolver with either a 4 or 6 inch barrel to help reduce recoil. Everything that you do to enhance her knowledge in shooting is a good thing which could save her life or yours. So a decent revolver, with at least a 4 inch barrel, is better than having her try to control the recoil of a snub nosed revolver. This is why, because of recoil associated shooting problems, so many police departments used to mandate 4 inch revolvers for the rookie officers. So if you start her firearms education off as fun and easy to do with the .22 LR, add some encouragement then suggest some formal training and you should end up with a new shooter in the family. You want to work things to the point that your wife will actually have a gun on her person, even if it is a .22 LR revolver, to help protect herself. If she learns to shoot the .22 LR effectively then it will improve her chances of survival and her factor of comfort around and using firearms.
 
Got to a humaine society and get a dog, mid or large sized. My pit - pointer is always at the front window. She is a pussy car however no one knows. They give you lots of love back too...

IMHO a shotgun is the best home defense weapon. I have a single shot gun under my bed.

ROG
 
Gaimen,

How about puting a gun IN the Mantle?

Lots of fireplace mantle's slip off their studs. Hollow out a place in it for a loaded 1911!

Or just cut a square piece out of the mantle top, deep enough for your 1911, and then put an edge (or shoulder) on the rim of the square you cut out. Make a like piece of wood to fit over (a top, or lid) and rest on that edge you made. Gun is inside. A vase, with a cloth underneith, is over the 1911s resting place!

What you don't want is a box ON the mantle. That's so obvious any two bit thief will look inside in search of valuables.
 
Leaving your weapons in plain site in your home will help Joe Crackhead steal your prized pistols rifles and shotguns. A nice gun collection in a gun cabinet is an open invitation to be stolen. Don't blame the crooks when your robbed you could have protected your firearms better.
 
We should also be able to walk in a public place at night if we wish without fear of being attacked. However most who can CCW do when in this position. Protection is protection.
 
We should also be able to walk in a public place at night if we wish without fear of being attacked. However most who can CCW do when in this position. Protection is protection.
And if a person is attacked do we not blame the attacker?
 
If you can't get your wife to the range and get her some training, get an alarm and a dog. A large dog.

Playboypenguin, you might be the first person I have ever met that has books stored under his sink! I thought I was a book worm but that really takes the cake! Of course, I'm single, with two bathrooms and plenty of books and magazines on the floor of my "reading room". ;)
 
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