home defense

[Stumpkiller]

Boy, if we open up the "self-defense" to include raccoons and other marauders I'd have to say I have more notches on my pump .22LR than anything else.

In one trip to the barn. (OK, so the mouse wasn't self-defense, but that's a BIG mouse and he had a knife!)

I figure if I can drop a moving weasel I must have something on the ball even if it wasn't a chest hit. ;-)

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Down in Hillbilly country that there be good eatin!

Dave

 

[Coot]

I assume that the mouse entered your barn in a "riotous or tumultuous" manner? :grin:

 

[Stumpkiller]

He presented himself in a physically menacing manner and there was a threat to me of imminent serious bodily injury.

I could have hit my head jumping up on a chicken roost while screaming like a little girl!

 

[Danbo]

Were I inclined to take this thread seriously I'd lump the usefulness of BP and lead ball in the same category as the claymore mine.

On the point of home defense, without revealing a lot of my contrived and perhaps amusing strategy, the essential tool is a pump or SxS scattergun. I don't think they ever made a pump action caplock, or flinter for that matter. There were some swivel breech guns though....

 

[Shine]

Im amazed you found a mouse with that weasel around. I have one here that hangs around I feed him hamburger on occasion. I dont have chickens so I don't mind. Hes better than any cat.

 

[Josh Smith]

Gents,

The original post just says "home defense."

Shot a woodchuck once that was trying to borrow under my concrete back porch. I would consider that to be home defense, being:

1. Defense of property, which is usually legal on critters under depredation laws, but not on humans.

2. Defense of self, in which you're in imminent danger of life or limb and must fire to preserve such.

You tell corn and soybean farmers around Indiana that shooting deer eating their crops is not a form of self-defense, and you'll get laughed at.

:idunno:

Josh

 

[necchi]

I found it easier to put a in gate with a latch,, now I don't hafta walk around de-fence.
Helps keep de dog in de yard too.

 

[Rogue River]

Is that a weasel or a possum? :idunno:

 

[LeMat1856]

.
. jan 28 / 20:55


hey eagle claw,

i have two comments i'd like to add to this discussion: 1)personal experience, 2)equipment.

1) by experience i mean actual in-your-face experience.. have you ever been robbed or mugged or had someone break into your home ? not to brag, but i have... two of those three (mugged and robbed at knife point).

my thoughts are that a brown bess would be almost useless in a real-life situation.. a victim has about 2 seconds to 'see' the danger unfolding and another 1-2 seconds to execute your offense.. if you could load, aim, and fire a bess in that amount of time, you're a better man than i.

2) my only home/self defense equipment (currently) is black powder simply because i don't want to be 'on the list' for any legal organizations given the possability (or even probability) that they will come knocking someday collecting personal firearms to make this a safer, more police dependent, toothless america.. what they don't know won't hurt them, i say.

that being the situation, i keep two of them loaded and ready at all times - including caps on nipples.. all i have to do is cock and fire.. if you can feel safe having the bess ready to that level, then it might be helpful.. another thought just popped into my head and that might be how *unexpected* a live fire BP rifle might be and what an advantage that could be.. it's a long shot at best (no pun intended) :grin: .

i base my position on the old saying that "when seconds count, it's good to know that 911 help is only minutes away."

be advised, though, that if i could keep my privacy and freedom of preparedness with modern CF firearms, i would actually get an ACP1911 and an AR15 carbine (aka M14...?).

interesting question and one we should always keep alive as a reality check.

:thumbsup: ~d~

 

[kelleyjk]

.
. jan 28 / 20:55


be advised, though, that if i could keep my privacy and freedom of preparedness with modern CF firearms, i would actually get an ACP1911 and an AR15 carbine (aka M14...?).

:thumbsup: ~d~

Well the AR15 carbine isnt "aka" as a M14 in most circles, that designation being reserved for a whole nuther rifle platform, but we get your point. (M16 A2 and later carbine was designated the M4)

Thats what I keep handy for any SHTF scenario which is pretty unlikely even in Dallas TX!

Your typical home invasion (a popular alternative to burglary now) generally happens so fast you would probably be better served by a handy handgun (within close reach) maybe a brace of Colt Walkers to keep it swingin traditional :thumbsup:

Another recent innovation for home owners even apartment dwellers to consider is the "drive way" high jacking. Getting in and out of the car is a vulnerable moment, victim distracted, no avenue to escape etc. Clearly a concealed carry permit is indicated for that type of home "de fence" :rotf: (ha ha youre killin me neechi!)

So I'll offer the unthinkable :shocked2:

Prevention.

Its worth a pound of cure or in this case better 100gr behind a big lead ball!

 

[Shine]

the middle critter is a weasel in its summer coat. In winter its white and called an ermine.

 

[Ken Cormier]

Blumderbus loaded with self tapping sheet metal screws. The sound of that big lock being cocked would make them take notice lol :2

 

[larry wv]

Their are a lot of unregistered pistols and long guns around. They can't be traced if you pay cash. Hope the gun shows are left alone instead of comeing up with a bunch of restrictive laws. I would feel ok with a cap and ball rev in a home defense but it won't beat a 1911 and a few extra magazines. Larry

 

[token tory]

Flintlock smooth bore for defense makes as much sense to me as riding a buggy to work in the 21st century :idunno:

 

[DutchmanDick]

Yeah pretty much the same here, you must exhaust all possible exits before defending yourself. And if you do shoot someone you better kill them or they will sue. :shake:

And if you do kill him, his mommy, girlfriend, kids, sister, or all of the above will sue ya.

Vern

Michigan did it right. Not only can we shoot home invaders, if necessary, but we are also under no "duty to retreat" if we are ANYWHERE we have any legal business to be - even on a public sidewalk. Not only that, but neither criminals nor their families may sue if said criminal is shot by a private citizen while the criminal is in the act of committing a crime.

That being said, if I had to choose a muzzle-loader for self defense, it would be a combination of my Starr D/A .44 revolver (handles much like a modern D/A revolver) and my howdah pistol loaded with 10-12 #1 buckshot per barrel (makes it a nice, legal alternative to a breechloading "lupara" - the Ithaca "Auto and Burglar" gun of the 1920's was a 20-gauge double-barrel pistol). I'd consider my blunderbuss as a third choice, since it's bigger than the handguns (therefor, slightly less maneuverable), and a flintlock besides (slightly less reliable). No slur on flintlocks, but I'd trust a caplock more in an emergency.

 

[Shine]

The Amish don't seem to have a problem getting to work in one. Just sayin. :grin:

 

[token tory]

I have to give you that one. :surrender:
Mind you I never said It wouldn't work having exhausted all other avenues, it just wouldn't be a first choice for me. :rotf:

 

[nkbj]

Reminds me of the thread on what muzzleloader would you take if all you could have was a muzzleloader. I'd still vote for the double barrel with rifling in one barrel, sights on the rib in the center. And I still don't have one dangit.

 

[larry wv]

Like to have one of those myself. :grin: Larry Wv