Pick Three (3)
- Thread starter old bear
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Is that the "life expectancy" or "average life expectancy" that you are refering to? I had an interesting discussion with an older gentleman in which I put forth a very similar point to the one you are now (that "life expectancy" had nearly doubled since the founding of the country). He pointed out that "average life expectancy had nearly doubled- there were pleny of 80-90-100 year olds when he was a kid (1930's) .... the "average life expectancy" had increased largely because infant mortality had vastly decreased- sickly kids just did not make it past 5 years of age, by and large. Now, we save many that go on to be sickly into adulthood. He went on to point out that what little increase in average life expectancy gained in the last 50 years has come at huge cost in terms of advanced medical care, the vast majority of which is incurred in the last few months of life, and prolongs the patient's life only very little. Increased vehichle safety standards also figure into it, he said, but by and large, the old people when he was a kid were as common as they are now, only they were healthier and more active than those who sit warehoused in "assisted living centers" today, sometimes for decades, these days.....
someone mentioned how the 12ga has too much recoil. If it does, for you, don't use it. Recoil doesn't matter as much as attitude and determination.
My mother, at 4'10 (and a HALF, damnit!
) and never more than 112lbs in her life, wore a size 3.5 ring.
She proved on more than one occasion that she was more than "home defense" accurate, firing her father's Ithaca 12ga SxS from the hip!!
Beyond a certain physical minimum (being able to hold aim and fire the gun), its about the mental attitude of the shooter. Determined people can manage a lot!
My mother, at 4'10 (and a HALF, damnit!
) and never more than 112lbs in her life, wore a size 3.5 ring.She proved on more than one occasion that she was more than "home defense" accurate, firing her father's Ithaca 12ga SxS from the hip!!
Beyond a certain physical minimum (being able to hold aim and fire the gun), its about the mental attitude of the shooter. Determined people can manage a lot!
I'm short....there are enough of my posts metioning my height. I have hunted / shot my Mossy 835 for years and have run plenty of 3 1/2" shells through it. And I have seen several "men" that were a fair bit larger than me wuss out after firing 3" steel shot shells. Attitude and determination count for a lot.
Speaking of which, if your opponent sees you nervous on your end of the gun they may well think you don't have it in you to use it. If they see that you mean it, a 22 will ususally be enough to disuade them from persuing their chosen course of action.
As 44AMP said, there are two differing situations here, 911 can / will respond and 911?????: WHAT"S THAT????
If you are carrying a long arm, there is no hiding it. In the "If you are on your own" scenario; deterent force is or can be a major factor....think L.A. riots (BTDT). In an urban setting, a shotgun is not a handicap. If the sight of one is enough to make bad people change directions, it did its job. If they don't change direction, you can change it for them and the followers of Mr. Tough Guy will need to make a moral check (with fail as a leading result). Now that you have proven resolve and determination, they will look for a softer target.
Slow reload?? Ever practiced tossing one in through the ejection port? Did that plenty of times duck / goose hunting. Not as fast as a mag change on your Glock, but it works well enough. Even then, you can top off a partial mag on a pump easy enough w/o taking it off the shoulder if you practice it.
One must consider their individual situatrion. I have a good friend who id absolutely lousy with hand guns....he knows it. But with a 30 carbine or Camp 9 he is well armed. In our setting, a full power rifle is overkill, but if that is what is at hand we can make it work to our advantage. But I sure won't use one if someone is banging on my door at O'dark:30. Same if they aqre coming through the window. Here, properties are 40 - 50 foot wide. Shotguns w/ buck shot, light/intermediate rifles with the right ammo, and standard hand guns are in order. YMMV
I own a relatively large multi-level home to include a semi-attached thee car garage with upper loft. There is also a separate boat house/dock across the front yard (50 yards distance) from the main house. I do have firearms strategically placed for protection with convenience in mind. It would take a few more than thee to cover my home and concealed carry requirements on vehicles and boats. My spouse also has a concealed carry permit. This alone can at time requires two handguns when we are not together.
I can not quibble over the three firearms combination of rifle, shotgun and handgun, but there are times when different calibers in each configuration simplify life.
I can not quibble over the three firearms combination of rifle, shotgun and handgun, but there are times when different calibers in each configuration simplify life.
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Two distinct scenarios here. If I'm outside the home my weapon would be the SCCY CPX-2. It has proven to be very reliable and surprisingly accurate. 99% of the time I have it with me, usually on my hip. In the home I do have more choices. On my nightstand there is usually either a H&K USP or a Para P-14. By the bed I usually have my 14.5 lightweight AR. In the next room is my Mossberg 930 SPX. A shotgun is a very versatile tool in the right situation. The 930 is very easy to ghost load, and that gives me 9 rds. of whatever is in the tube, usually a mix of 00 and 4's. The sights are excellent, the trigger is superb and the thing is very accurate and reliable. If you're ever in such scenarios where your life is on the line and you're amped up on adrenaline, the last thing you think about are recoil and noise. What matters most is your mental attitude and your training.
I have shot my 870 12 ga at 10 , 20 and 30 yards to see where 00 goes . At 20 I start to get outside of the 7 ring and at 30 1 or 2 will mis the target , the rest from the 10 ring to off papper . Slugs go where I hold the bead at 30 . If using a shotgun for home defence you may want to try somrthing like this .
My .357 Mag I keep loaded with 110 gr for less penatration . Rifles are my preffered but not always the best for answering the door with . But I have done so .
My .357 Mag I keep loaded with 110 gr for less penatration . Rifles are my preffered but not always the best for answering the door with . But I have done so .
Mine is a pick 3 with a optional 4th...
Pistol - Glock 35 and/or companion (mag sharing) G27 - Either would do, the later being more concealable if need be.
Shotgun - Huge deterrent, they know your not likely to miss.
Vastly more versatile than any other firearm and a wide array of ammo types is available for almost any task or hunt.
Rifle - Larger caliber semi auto - AR-10 or FNAR 308
All purpose defense, ok for hunting but a bit heavy for packing around.
If services and food become a longer term issue in my heavily wooded suburbia, add:
Lightweight 22, discretely picks off one meal at a time. Quiet, effective.
This roll could also be filled by a long barrel 22 pistol with good optic.
If I had to pick just one... Glock 27
Pistol - Glock 35 and/or companion (mag sharing) G27 - Either would do, the later being more concealable if need be.
Shotgun - Huge deterrent, they know your not likely to miss.
Vastly more versatile than any other firearm and a wide array of ammo types is available for almost any task or hunt.
Rifle - Larger caliber semi auto - AR-10 or FNAR 308
All purpose defense, ok for hunting but a bit heavy for packing around.
If services and food become a longer term issue in my heavily wooded suburbia, add:
Lightweight 22, discretely picks off one meal at a time. Quiet, effective.
This roll could also be filled by a long barrel 22 pistol with good optic.
If I had to pick just one... Glock 27
I'm of the AR,Glock,Glock .keep 3 bugout bags together all the time food @ ammo in 3 locals.G30 an G21 never much out a of hands reach for those things that go thump in the night. CC.everyday.Primative camp about 40 days a year so 10 days aint no hill for a stepper. PS. We're not preppers just country.
PS. We're not preppers just country.I can live with 2, a handgun, let's say a HK P30L or VP9 that I am carrying on my body most of the time anyhow and an AR15 for the high capacity, reliability, accuracy and low recoil. I suppose the 3rd self defense tool would be a reliable, sharp knife that is a daily carry also.
Compact service-caliber pistol for ordinary carry.
I'd recommend a Glock 19 for someone starting fresh. I don't have one, but that's only because I now habitually point Glocks high, and don't feel the need to switch and retrain.
Semi-auto carbine/rifle for home-defense.
I'd pick the AR-15 with a good 1x optic. In 5.56, the AR-15 will give you 30+1 standard. It's easy to aim, recoil is light, and the controls are sensibly placed.
I don't really have use for a defensive shotgun in the line-up. If I grab a long gun, it's going to be a carbine. I prefer quick, accurate single shots to the shotgun's slightly slower firing and spread.
I'd throw a light on all of them. Don't shoot at what you can't identify, and a good part of each day is spent in darkness!
I'd recommend a Glock 19 for someone starting fresh. I don't have one, but that's only because I now habitually point Glocks high, and don't feel the need to switch and retrain.
Semi-auto carbine/rifle for home-defense.
I'd pick the AR-15 with a good 1x optic. In 5.56, the AR-15 will give you 30+1 standard. It's easy to aim, recoil is light, and the controls are sensibly placed.
I don't really have use for a defensive shotgun in the line-up. If I grab a long gun, it's going to be a carbine. I prefer quick, accurate single shots to the shotgun's slightly slower firing and spread.
I'd throw a light on all of them. Don't shoot at what you can't identify, and a good part of each day is spent in darkness!