Charger,
I hope you take this the right way - but the area in which you live has little to do with wanting to protect yourself. Sure, if you live in "butt fck smalls-ville" then the
chances of needing it are lesser than "down-town craps-ville". That does not negate the risk - it lessens it!
I live in an affluent area of L.A., but thats exactly why I have a 357 on the nightstand. Some piece of crp dirtbag isn't going to rob his neighbor, because his neighbor is exactly like him and has nothing worth stealing; that piece of crp dirtbag is going to look for the guy with something worth stealing - maybe the sucker who can afford a shiny new truck
I made some mistakes when i first started buying guns; and a gun range isn't necessarily going to help you make the best decisions. Firing a gun at the range is no substitute for operating a gun under real pressure. Training is never going to recreate that pressure, but it is the closest we get without putting ourselves in harms way. 1911 (Kimber) is a fancy gun, but would I trust my life with one if given a choice between that and a XD, Glock or revolver - hell no! Do i want to think about that safety being off or on, is that up or down - no thanks
The previous link to the course at Front Sight covers all kinds of things, from selecting a gun and accessories, to the moral and legal implications of using your gun. I cannot express enough my praise for this course. The web site sucks - it looks like some rambo training course for redneck morons - the reality is far removed. It is 6 days crammed in to 4! seriously - you get on range at 8 am and leave at 6 pm (9pm on the nightshoot), lunches have optional lectures. NO time is wasted. The most important 4 days you will ever take in learning how to protect your loved ones.
On the last course I attended I met a jewelry store owner who shot two robbers who attacked his store. He had not had training before, and told us the horrors of dealing with this situation in real life (physical, moral and legal). He subsequently sought training after realizing simply buying a gun was not enough. Heck, we don't think folks can drive just because they went out and bought a vehicle. ooops, I'm ranting . . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by charger1213
You mentioned you would like a few different guns in the house in different areas? What kind of an area do you live in. Not totally up to date on Palm Springs, but didn't realize it was this bad. It's hard for me to relate to that being in North Idaho. I can leave the garage doors wide open all through the nights and have never had problems. LOL
One thing that makes me think reading recomendations....if you can roll in the kind of wheels you're in.....you can probably afford 90% of any production guns. Go to a firing range / gun shop that rents everything they sell...(a good shop will have everything) and do just that....try everything.
I bought a Glock when I was younger and don't care for it anymore. Biggest thing is it doesn't feel comfortable in my hand. Kimber was mentioned...a very nice gun, but the best feeling Kimber I've ever fired was their least expensive model. Grip, and recoil feel were very good.
Dogs have just as much liability as Guns if not more. You lock up the gun, you're probably covered for liability. Lock up the dog, and it becomes mean. Get a dog that protects and has good general temperment. Some guard dogs....well lets not go there.
Get an alarm on your house!! LOL That will give you some kind of notice.
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