Late-night ramble
Mete #26 wins the prize with Nathan #18 a close second (but first in the timeline. Kudos to Pahoo #4 for reference to the right to self-defense. roashooter #25 is on the right track, but even a baseball bat requires practice and gives no advance warning and is not autonomous as a good dog is. Even a relatively untrained small dog is excellent at sounding an alarm.
cc-hangfire covers both the bases of the right to self-defense and the wisdom of discretion requiring training and practice.
44 AMP knows, but then 44 AMP should know. (To clarify: This is a compliment to 44's expertise demonstrated over a long time and an impressive number of posts. Also he has earned enough respect of his peers to serve as a moderator.
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After 30 posts, I stopped scoring others' posts, but 1Dab (#32) just has to be mentioned. And those who claim a car is not like a gun, I say that the comparison is not about the machine so much as it is about the operator. An unpracticed operator of a gun is as bad as an unpracticed operator of a car. To the OP's post 48, I am not advocating that only experts should have guns. I advocate that everyone should have a gun (except those incompetent or morally opposed to themselves having a gun) AND BE COMPETENT to operate it at a minimally sufficient level to not be dangerous to themselves and others. (Don't get me started on who is to determine what that level is....that is for another thread and would take this thread off-topic.) See PAX #50.
kyjim # and mete #26 really hit the nail on the head with consideration of the willingness of a person to use deadly force in protection of life and limb. A VERY important and often under-considered point.
So, after commenting on everyone else's thoughts, here are mine that I composed several years ago before I gave sufficient consideration to the defender's mindset:
For anyone asking about self defense at home, start where the efforts produce the most effect. Prevention.
First, create defensible space around your home. No hiding places, good lighting secure windows and doors that cannot be breached with anything less than the "jaws of life". There's more you can do with passive defense, but you get the idea. Preparation is key.
Then an early warning system. The only thing better at sounding an alarm at a stranger's approach than a good, protective dog is a couple of geese. They honk at everything new. And you can't bribe a goose with a hamburger. Unfortunately, you can't housebreak a goose, either.
However, a dog has other advantages.
As a tool for home defense (and even away from home, too), a dog in the 75-150 lb range is great. The right species (of which there are many), will be good with the kids, protective of the home (whether you are home or not), intimidating to evildoers even on the street or parking lot, yet not so alarming to anti-gun types. They make good burglar alarms that never need batteries. They also have other benefits, like; They are good exercise, excellent psychiatrists, and allow the children to learn about raising a being who is dependent on them, unselfishness, responsibility, loyalty, and a different kind of love than family bonds. Just remember, that the amount you practice with your handgun, you should also invest in training with your dog. They will love you for it.
One more thing. You can warm your toes under a sleeping dog. Not a good idea under a gun.
For home defense, get yourself and your family into a "safe room" where you will be keeping a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. There is only one thing more compelling toward a hasty exit than the sound of a pump shotgun's closing bolt. If that sound comes from behind a closed door, no sane criminal will ever open that door. And if he does, an 18" shotgun is a lot easier to shoot straight and true than any handgun. The right loads can also be selected that won't penetrate your exterior walls to endanger your neighbors.
It has been said many times (so much so that I do not know the original author) that a handgun is what you use to fight your way back to your REAL weapon. A short-barrelled long gun with a stock (none of those pistol grips) is MUCH easier to hit with.
I will steal a line from someone else I have seen on these forums. Sorry, I don't have the name handy to give full credit. "If you find yourself in a fair fight, then your tactics suck." Prepare beforehand, so you will never have to be in a fight at all, much less give your opponent a fair one.
So now, I have to update my original article to include my new lessons learned:
Right to self-defense generates an obligation to train enough to be responsible in its use and careful consideration of one's willingness to use that force. And remember, even a dog brings responsibility to your doorstep. What brings more responsibiity? A gun or a dog?
Thans for reading my late-night ramble
Lost Sheep
p.s. after looking at the thread title again, this post-script inserted itself in my head. There is no such thing as a low maintenance handgun for a non-gun person. To own a gun, you have to be a gun person and maintain your skills and your mind-set.
But remember, maintenance can be fun.