self-defense Archives - Page 31 of 32

Coming Soon: Is a Shotgun Your Best Bedroom Defense Weapon?

May 22, 2010 by ttag

RF and I got to talking the other day about defending your castle in the middle of the night. Assume that you’re sound asleep and you hear a noise. You’re in bed. NOW what do you do? Let’s also asume you’re armed. What do you have next to the bed? Shotgun? Handgun? Baseball bat? All of the above? (That would be me, actually.) We’ve been talking to the helpful, friendly folks at Taurus, makers of the “Judge” line of revolvers that shoot both .45 Colt ammo and the oft-overlooked .410 shot shells. Our Taurus rep opined that the best shotgun for home defense is a Taurus Judge – because it’s both a handgun and a shotgun. This got me to thinking. What would happen if you had to defend your home, starting from a sound sleep? Could you effectively rack a shotgun and bring it to bear? What about semi-auto or revolver? What about stopping power? And then there’s that aiming thing. What if I miss? Would shooting double-aught buck help?

Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network

May 15, 2010 by ttag

IDPA: Because Bad Guys Don’t Stand Still.

May 11, 2010 by ttag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8nzuNv2Qz0

Imagine this scenario. You hear a noise in your house. You’ve been to the range. You’re used to shooting at targets, and you’re pretty good at between 7 and 25 feet. You grab your gun. As you look up, you see not one, not two, but three assailants, in your home, and intent on doing you harm. What do you do. (channel Dennis Hopper’s voice in your head here:) WHAT DO YOU DO?

Editorial: Gun Violence Reporting and Point of View(s).

April 29, 2010 by ttag

So I’m reading this riveting story about a recent self-defense shooting. Now the facts behind the story are these…

A 32-year-old former security guard, Harry McCullough, was in an Omaha, Nebraska Walgreens picking up a prescription and buying ice cream when two masked men entered. He saw a gunman holding a sawed-off shotgun to a woman’s back as she held a phone to her ear. BOth robbers yelled profanities at the customers. McCullough pulled out his .40 caliber S&W pistol from his waistband and shot the armed man, firing four shots. The robber collapsed outside the store. His sawed-off shotgun blocked the front door from closing. McCullough then chased down the second robber, ordering him to get face-down in an aisle until the police arrived.

Score: armed citizen 2, armed bad guys 0. Now, let’s take the story as it was reported, and examine the generous helping of bias the reported added to the story…

Octogenarian Beatrice Turner’s .22 Gits ‘Er Done

April 22, 2010 by ttag

No, her name isn’t “Annie.” (That would just be toooo perfect, now wouldn’t it?) But when the goin’ got tough, Beatrice Turner got her gun, and got ‘er done. And her story can serve as an object lesson to all those that say you “have to be a great shot” and be someone who keeps those skills up by weekly visits to the gun range, in order to defend yourself. Not.

The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword. Sometimes.

April 20, 2010 by ttag

I’ve been in a lot of airports lately. Airports are the original “gun-free zones” and with good reason, I might add. As long as the TSA and airport police are armed (they are, aren’t they?) and ready to use their weapons if needed (ditto), then I’m actually okay with being weapons-free. Mostly. While I’m cool with not carrying a gun into an airport or onto an airplane, I’m not nearly as happy with having to divest myself of anything else the TSA has deemed to be contraband. Case in point, my tactical flashlight and knife.

Now before you decide that I’m some sort of idiot for wanting to be able to carry a knife on a plane, hear me out…

Hostage Takeaways

April 16, 2010 by ttag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HaY2gV5seg Another interesting video from the Krav Maga guys, this one on what to do to disarm your assailant if he comes at you from behind.

What To Do When You’re Assaulted.

April 16, 2010 by ttag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07jnqD8wvyE I’ve taken a bunch of self-defense classes. My biggest take-away? Every situation is different. You never know what’s gonna happen, and so you try to be prepared, realizing that all your training may not be enough to save your butt when push comes to shove. On the other hand, any training is better than … Read more

Get a Grip: Shotguns for Self-Defense

April 13, 2010 by ttag

I’m the proud owner of a (rebuilt) Remington Wingmaster 870. I’m not a “shotgun guy” – but I’m learning. I bought it at a pawn shop, to be used for home defense. I immediately took it to a gunsmith I trust, who rebuilt it from the ground up – took it from what looked like an abused weapon to one that runs and runs and runs. He also added a magazine extension tube, shortened the barrel to within an inch of the legal limit, added a front sight, and cleaned it up. That was stage one. Now I’m perfectly happy shooting it as it is. But my dad had trouble dealing with it’s length/weight (he’s 84), and the rest of my family is not built like I am (6’4″, 235 or so lbs.). So it looks like I’m in the market for some parts for the venerable 870. No problem…Midway USA to the rescue. But not so fast, buck-o. The Mighty Wingmaster is apparently the shotgun version of a Jeep Wrangler – or what the AR-15 is to carbines – a platform that allows, nay encourages you to modify it in almost any way you can imagine.

I’m looking at a pistol grip, a folding stock, and an adjustable stock. All three offer advantages – and disadvantages. Here are the three I’m considering:

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