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In Reply to: Illinois issues gun owner identification card to 10-month-old boy..... posted by millen on May 15, 2007 at 20:09:34:
On a related note, gun ownership rights vary by village and city within the state of Illinois. My village does not allow handguns even with a state-issued FOID card.
....My kinda village!Smile
Sox
local laws do not prevent criminals from possesing firearms, only law-abiding citizens. Knowing that even if the homeowner is home when he decides to break in that there are no weapons present lessens any risk. Violent crime in my area is pretty rare, and my next door neighbor is a cop, but I would not want to rely on anyone else to come to my aid if need be. i would prefer that ALL handguns be collected and destroyed, but that genie left the bottle decades ago.
Shotguns with an 18" - 22" barrel are far preferable to handguns for home defense. The chances of someone breaking in while you are home are very remote but should that occur you would be much better served with a short barrel, 12 ga. shotgun loaded with #4 buck. You don't need a handgun.
A single round from a .44 Magnum or a .357 Magnum will case far less damage to my home with equally fatal results to Mr. Felonius Monk!
... people do.
1) Intimidation factor - a handgun at thirty feet, especially in a dark house, doesn't look terribly threatening. Even if the intruder recognizes that you have a gun he probably isn't going to be able to distinguish a Desert Eagle from a target .22. Chambering a round on shotgun makes a noise that will get almost anyone's attention.
2) Number 4 buckshot has 21 pellets is a standard load versus one bullet per round in your .44 Magnum. I'm glad to say that I don't speak from experience but I suspect that accuracy on the range does not transfer 100% to actually shooting at a person, especially a moving one. At interior distances a shotgun isn't going to be spraying pellets all over but you will have a much larger diameter impact zone than a handgun round.
3) Most handguns, especially .44 or .357 magnums, have severe problems with over penetration. You don't want to take the risk of shooting your neighbor or someone from your household two or three rooms away. Your handgun only will cause less damage if you hit the guy squarely in the upper torso. Under many other scenarios it can cause far more damage than a shotgun loaded with #4 buck.If you have real concerns get a dog and an alarm system or move. Deterrence is always the best defense. Noting how well the average person drives a gun wielding general population is not going me feel more secure.
That phrase will never be used in a sentence with my name. But seriously, your points are valid. I really don't worry about crime and I'm not obsessed with a bunker mentality. In fact my neighborhood is fairly upscale and doesn't have much of a crime problem. (although there was a murder three blocks away two years ago in broad daylight that has yet to be solved) I simply have a problem with legislation that has little effect on the problem but restricts honest people.
Anyone who believes that government (at any level) will protect them sould remember 9/11, Katrina, and the scores of recent school and shopping mall shootings. Our police departments are well-intentioned and are staffed with mostly brave, competent officers but too many times they can only react to, not prevent violent situations. That's why the only person who is responsible for my safety is myself.
But S&W will. ;-)686
!
.....or those who like to see who they are shooting at.Smile
Sox
n/t
