Room Mates

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jrock18

Moderator
I'm starting college this fall in a pretty rough area of Philadelphia. I'm not worried about my first year because I have to live on campus in a dorm with 24/7 security, and a no-gun rule. So a gun wouldn't help me in that situation anyway. However next year I intend to live off campus as it's far cheaper in a rented apartment. In this case I would love to purchase a shotgun for self-defense, but I worry about my roommates as I would not be able to afford an apartment to myself. It is college so I expect to have random people in the apartment that my roommate/s know but I don't. Also, it's safe to assume that there will be times when my roommate/s and I are intoxicated.

While I trust myself inherently with any long gun, I have serious trust issues with other people. My grandfather taught me gun safety since the first time I ever looked at one of his guns. The best way to describe the level of respect and safety instruction that I've learned is that my grandfather would break water guns, cap guns, and gun toys in general if I pointed them at my brother or anyone else. It was a bit excessive, but it did the trick.

All of that being said I am really leaning towards continued reliance on my baseball bat until I can live on my own, because I just see something bad happening. It would be hard to find room for an adequate gun safe, and trigger locks are about as effective as a do not touch sign in my opinion.

I honestly think my decision's already made, but I would like to hear the opinions of everyone here.
 
Adding a shotgun to the ingredients in the mix you describe is a bad idea. In that setting, if you can't secure it, don't have it. I feel you would be far better served if you had a small handgun in a lockbox bolted to the floor by your bed. That's how I did it.
 
I'm only 18 presently, soon to be 19, and I'll only be 20 when I first get the apartment. Thanks to the lovely laws in place I won't be able to own a pistol for the next 2 years. In addition, although I look forward to owning a pistol and getting ccw when I'm old enough, I have no experience with handguns whatsoever. I'd rather put my trust into a nice shotgun, which I have ample experience using.

I do think a pistol is superior for home defense, but again the lessons taught to me by my grandfather included not trusting yourself with any firearm that you haven't put in ample time with on the range.
 
I absolutly agree with VUPDblue. Right now there's very bad stuff going on in Philly. Having a gun entails the supreme responsibility of control of the weapon at all times. Temple or Penn (?) are in very bad areas of the City.
DO NOT BRING A GUN into an "iffy" situation into Philly.
 
I'm attending Drexel which is literally across the street from Upenn.

I think I'm going to wait until I'm 21 and then buy a handgun, a safe, and apply for ccw. That way every thing is safe and there aren't any accidents. It's ridiculous that I can buy a 12 gauge shotgun, but can't own a pistol.
 
I had a room mate obtain one of my pistols from a drawer, obtain a loaded magazine from a second drawer, load the pistol and fire it accidentally into the floor while I was in college.

Not good.

My lack of thorough forethought allowed all of his transgressions and created the potential for much worse.

-RJP
 
Find a private room that you can rent...specifically a place that only you will have access too.

There are loads of affordable places that you can rent by yourself instead of having to rent a house or apartment with roommates...if you are willing to look and put in some leg work.

I rented a great little studio above a detached garage from a older couple in Upper Darby. They treated me like a son and I would happily volunteered to do any heavy labor they needed doing...like mow the grass or move the occasional odd piece of furniture for them.

They respected my privacy and offered an occasional home cooked meal if I was around. In turn, I never broke the house rules. Pops purposefully didn't ask I had a pistol for personal protection. I think he knew...and approved.

I really miss those fine folks!

Just an option to think about.
 
The only issue with that option creature is that I need to be near campus as I can't afford the $1200 a year they want for me to bring my car, and the only places close to campus are campus housing and apartment complexes.
 
BTW could anyone who lives in Pennsylvania give me a quick and dirty run down on the gun laws. As far as I can tell online it looks like you could just walk into a gun store, let them check your ID, and then buy a gun and walk out.
 
I'd avoid any gun where you can't keep unauthorized people from using it. Especially with the possible/ probable use of drugs and or alcohol are involved. You won't be safer. As Rob wrote someone can get access to it while you're not there and really bad things can happen. If you can't keep it in a safe it's not safe.

B
 
1. Put a lock on your door and leave it locked if you are not in there. If your roommate is going to break in to get to your weapon, so could any thief. Personally, I prefer to live with roommates that I know and can trust (as I did in college and now at 35y/o too).

2. At 18, you can legally purchase a pistol from a private party in this country, just not from a FFL dealer. Unless it's prohibited in your state specifically, that is another route. At 19, I lived in Gainesville, FL, at the time of the Gainesville student murders. My dad gave me a .41mag revolver, for my personal protection. That was a lot easier to conceal in the room than a shotty would be, and it would be easier to wield in the confines of an apt. HOWEVER, you have to really thing about over penetration in terms of your roommate and neighbors.
 
I forgot about that fact keith, but that means I couldn't buy a new gun right? Someone would have to buy the gun for me, and then me buy it from them but I think that's illegal. If I purchase a pistol I intend to get a glock 21 and load it with hp ammo, so over penetration shouldn't be a major issue right?

BTW - this is the shotgun that I was going to get.
http://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=G50577
 
No it's only illegal if the person can't otherwise own a gun. Anyways the easiest way would be to have your parents buy the gun for you. At least under Florida law that's perfectly legal. Obtaining ammo is an another problem has it's against the law for stores to sell handgun ammo to someone under the age of 21.
 
I'll have to have a little convo with my grandfather because my parents make sarah brady look like Calamity Jane. I don't know if he'll do it for me just because my parents would turn it into WW3 if they found out.

I do have a question though. I'm 250 pounds with about 200 being muscle. I'm considered fairly strong and I lift weights and all that. Would I be able to become as proficient with a .45 as a 9mm, or should I learn to shoot on a 9mm and then progress to a .45?
 
Keg parties and guns go together like dynamite and bonfires. You have a lot of thinking to do. If you are responsible enough, you need a handgun and a FIRMLY THROUGH-BOLTED safe with a finger combo or similar failsafe and responsibility to keep absolutety silent about the fact that you even own one. Even then, I have concerns. Some Sigma PI guy sees his girl flirting with your room-mate and ANYONE in the house knows a gun exists? YIKES! Home invasions? (you'll be at class on a regular schedule).
Are you remembering WHY a gun is kept in the first place? Last resort for life and limb? You need a GOOD GUNSAFE!!! Hardware store bolt cutters make short work of strap throughs, and a good scewdriver will open any case. Firesafes are for fires! On many models the hinges can be tapped out.

I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, just concerned.
Be Safe and Good Luck!
 
If I do get a pistol which won't be for at least the next year, I do intend to get a small gunsafe. I didn't know they made them that small until I looked. Like I said until now I never considered a pistol for self-defense in a home. I think if I did get one I'd tell my roommates just in case they needed to use it, but I'd definately drag them to the range with me and teach them how to use it.
 
You seem to be a big enough fellar to fist you way out of a predicament. Forget the gun for now...get yourself a set of brass knuckles and call it a day. Buy yourself a gun when you graduate and move in to your own digs.
 
I think if I did get one I'd tell my roommates just in case they needed to use it, but I'd definately drag them to the range with me and teach them how to use it.
Click to expand...
Bad idea. For them to be able to use it, they would have to know the combo to your safe. You may feel fine with the roomies you choose at first but, believe you me, they can turn into the biggest headaches short of a divorce in a heartbeat. I lived with 5 other guys in college in a big row-house. One was my best friend since birth, and one more was my partner on the PD. The other 3 were great guys until one fell into a life of drinking and laziness and one more became a fairly major thief. I trusted them all the day we moved in together. I wouldn't pee on either of the last 2 if they were on fire now. Get the pistol, the safe and a decent disguise for it. Don't tell anyone about it and feel safe in the fact that you have a bit of protection just inches away.
 
I am big enough to fight, and I have had minimal MMA training. Plus I wrestled for 4 years and played football for 2. A baseball bat was my first instinct, but I'd be happier with a gun. If I do go with a pistol I could always buy a computer case with a removable side panel and hook it up to my real computer like it's a server, but that would only be really really good camouflage not a safe.

If my roommates are big as well, I think our chances would be ok against any intruder.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top