Home defense questions

[Absster]

Hello! Found this forum when I was searching online for gun info and I'd like to browse the classifieds. Hoping someone might be able to answer what I'm thinking is fairly quick questions. I'm getting overwhelmed with all the info out there.

I live in one of the smaller, country cities in the OKC area and we've recently had 2 high speed chases through our town and 2 seperate groups of people breaking ino vehicles. And still on my radar is an incident that happened about 4-6 months ago where someone tried to bust in the back door of one of the homes in my neighborhood in the middle of the night. All this has led me to where I am now in asking for advice in moving forward with protecting myself (a stay at home mom) and my children in our home..in the event it is needed.

I was raised around guns and have watched my dad clean enough hunting guns that I could probably do it by memory. I have a healthy respect for them but I have NEVER shot one. My step father is a police officer and has offered to teach me when I'm ready.

At this time, I don't want to carry a gun on me or with me. It would be used for home defense only. Someone told me a 9mm would be best but would love opinions or maybe more specifics? I have young children at home so opinions on the safe but quick, accessible storage options? We have a large gun safe but something more easily accessed would be good. I'm clueless there but want to be..overly ..informed before I commit to having a gun outside of the large safe. Classes? If I have my policeman step dad teach me...likey will that be enough? You don't have to take classes or get permits for just within the home, right?


Sorry for being long winded, but I think I got all my questions on there. Any other advice is greatly welcomed!

 

[tRidiot]

Maybe start simple... a little .38 revolver or something is almost foolproof. They have simple biometric or pushbutton combination lockboxes you could keep near your bed.

Take the step-dad's advice and let him teach you to shoot, or go to one of the ranges and take some lessons, rent a few handguns, take a women's-oriented self-defense class, etc.

And/or hang out here and just read read read... you'll find out you learn more than you thought you could just from following conversations and looking up gun models as they are mentioned as well as reviews.

Good luck, and welcome to OSA!

Oh, and put on your Nomex underwear.

 

[65ny]

You'll likely get a bunch of different opinions, but here's mine. Like tRidiot said, a revolver is the way to go. If you ever need to use it you're going to be under a lot of stress. You dont need to forget to remove the safety, rack the slide, or worry about malfunctions. With a revolver you just point and shoot.
(those issues can be minimized with a semi-auto, but it requires lots of practice)
Obviously keep your weapons secure, but don't make them mysterious to the kiddos. If they're not curious about them the're less likely to want to fool around with them wihout you knowing. Take all the training you can and practice often.
Consider a Smith & Wesson model 10 or something similar for a first house gun. They're plentiful, dependable, accurate, and pretty cheap too.

 

[doctorjj]

I disagree with the revolver comments. A lot of women have a hard time with the trigger pull on a revolver. As for the issue with a safety or racking the slide, get a M&P or Glock and keep on in the chamber. No safety, no racking the slide. Modern, high quality semi autos are essentially just as reliable as a revolver. Revolvers have parts and are mechanical. They can and do fail. It's a very low rate but so is a malfunction in a properly maintained Glock or M&P.

Now I'll put my flame suit on. I would take a class over training from your step dad who is a LEO. There are some LEO, including some on this board, who are excellent shooters, master level. Most however, shoot their gun only for their qualifying yearly and that's it. They would not be good instructors.

 

[POKE1911]

I disagree with the revolver comments. A lot of women have a hard time with the trigger pull on a revolver. As for the issue with a safety or racking the slide, get a M&P or Glock and keep on in the chamber. No safety, no racking the slide. Modern, high quality semi autos are essentially just as reliable as a revolver. Revolvers have parts and are mechanical. They can and do fail. It's a very low rate but so is a malfunction in a properly maintained Glock or M&P.

Now I'll put my flame suit on. I would take a class over training from your step dad who is a LEO. There are some LEO, including some on this board, who are excellent shooters, master level. Most however, shoot their gun only for their qualifying yearly and that's it. They would not be good instructors.

Great Advice. I agree that a well maintained modern semi is very reliable. The ability to have 17 rounds in a 9mm is a huge advantage over a revolver as it carries much more ammo, reloading -for the average person- is much quicker as well. 17 should be plenty for most home defense situations. Also if it has a rail you have the ability to attach a light. As JJ said you don't need a thumb safety and just keep one in chamber. That being said you should think of the best place you want to keep it. Night stand, closet, dresser, desk etc. Then find a quick access gun safe that will work with that configuration. They have a ton of options out there so there is one that works for most setups. You could do one with a code or thumbprint. Most are no bigger than a shoebox. I mounted one to the inside of my nightstand. Safe, secure, and quick to get too. When I buy a new desk I'm going to put one in there too.

 

[swampratt]

I took my children shooting at a young age. We shot melons and paper along with milk jugs and small animals.
They have a very healthy respect for guns and other weapons and a very good knowledge on how they work.

I was never afraid of leaving my guns out.
I suppose there are children that do not listen. Mine were not those children.
My wife's favorite gun is a 6" barrel 357 mag revolver.

I was in an altercation with a tall dude in my front yard a few years ago and she went inside and grabbed the 45ACP semi auto.
I took care of the issue quickly with no gun ..I asked her why she chose the 45 over the 357 as both were loaded and in the same place ready to fire.
She said the 45 has more ammo in it.
Ok then.

She can hit targets (milk Jugs ) out to 130 yards with both guns.. so hitting the target is not an issue.

She just likes more ammo.

I heard a gun shot the other day outside and I grabbed the 45 auto and an extra magazine.
Got me thinking I need more magazines.. be really bad to run out of ammo.

 

[65ny]

"She can hit targets (milk Jugs ) out to 130 yards with both guns.. so hitting the target is not an issue.

That's pretty impressive. I'm not even sure I could see that far. Note to self: Stay out of swampratt's yard.

 

[swampratt]

She shoots better than I do. I have not convinced her to go deer hunting and kill one yet though.
She is not a flincher and has very steady gun control.
She said a few times she will not shoot someone who makes her mad she will use poison and finish off with a wood chipper.

 

[furlong222]

I would listen to your step father and take training from him - you don't need to be a competition shooter - just safe and proficient at very close range - my bet is, if you have a problem in your home, at the first sound of a gunshot your problem will run away....my advice to my significant other is - when someone is in the house fire one round into the floor - if they don't run wait until you see them and put the next 2 into their body - she shoots good enough to do that every time - an inexpensive revolver would be my advice - but your step dad will steer you in the right direction...as a disclaimer - we have no one else in the house - listen to your step dad on safety issues - did I mention, listen to your step dad ?

 

[Absster]

Thank you all for the advice! Maybe all the differing opinions is why it's hard to find a good, solid answer out there.

Maybe it would help to tell you what we already have....but I can't currently ask my husband the details of actually what they are. And then there is the option of selling a couple or a few to get what will be best for what I'm looking for. My understanding of what they are is extremely limited Such as...we have 4 cowboy looking guns, 2 that look like the ones that are turned on their side and thrusted forward to pop someone (I only kid...I know that's not what is SUPPOSE to happen) and then one that looks like a hybrid of the two types. Then we have long guns....3 shot guns, an AK something, a black powder rifle (could you imagine?!) and then one I really don't know what it is. And a sword!

My fil passed away and most of what we have came from him or my husbands grandfather. We sold off most of them but we did keep these and they stay in the safe for now.

I know that, in chaos (security alarm blaring, woken up in the middle of the night, trying to get to the other side of the house to the kids) there's not a lot of room to rely on yourself to be your best. If you ever asked me if I'd stand in a burning house...frozen in fear...I'd tell you absolutely no..until it happened. So I get all that. Limiting what needs to happen in an event is probably best.

I'll have to think more on where I'd want to put it that I could grab quickly. I know I don't do number codes well under stress.