Suggest a smaller weapon to wound but not kill

[Mounted Madness]

Over 40 years of shooting, 30 years of policing and as a firearms instructor - and I have heard questions like this in the past.

The short answer is, forget about it. It's a stupid question if you're not prepared to commit time and effort into it.

You're better doing the following:
1. Assess the probabilities of such an event,
2. Get appropriate locks and security systems in place to deter and fend off any potential break ins.
3. Get her a cell phone and show her how to use it.
4. Spend the money for these things at the front end, because the lawyers for the deceased will be getting it at the backend.

Though cops are required to be qualified with their firearms, even they miss a moving target. This after 100's of rounds of ammo. Warning shots don't exist, they are center mass shots that miss.

Remember...once the bullet leaves the barrel, you've lost complete control over its destiny...so you have to be prepared for the aftermath.

If Momma wants a gun, tell her she'll have to practice, practice, practice with anything from a 38 special and up. She should take a course as well in criminal and civil law so that she can answer questions asked by the investigating police, understand her rights, and prepare for being sued.

As I've preached to pretty much every cop I've instructed over the years, if you are involved in a fatal shooting, be mentally prepared for the murder investigation that will follow. You have rights - so shut the %$#@ up and call a lawyer, not your wife, boyfriend or mother.

Also, arrange for a shrink to speed dial when the event occurs, since she'll need to 'talk' to someone.

 

[Mounted Madness]

-Then why do cops carry it?

Mace/pepper spray and a CELL PHONE!

Police carry pepper spray and tasers to 'temporarily incapacitate' the bad guy long enough to place the individual in a temporary restraint (handcuffs and/or police transport). These items are not supposed to be deployed without followup action by the officer.

Basically, you disorient the individual long enough to get control of them, so that you can win the fight.

 

[schmism]

paint ball gun.... sling shot.... taser

 

[RTII]

The most ridiculous thing I read this year yet.

I'm pretty close to this sentiment. Sounds like you're trying to comfort your Mom without any expectation of real defense or protection. I guess if you just want to make a noise hoping to scare an intruder, then IMO you might as well make a BIG noise!

 

[om21braz]

I'll agree with several others here. Under the stated conditions, the best policy would first be to keep them out of the house - good locks and use them. Also already mentioned is the fact your mother would be ill prepared in a high stress situation to handle a pistol to defend herself well - my next suggestion is shown in the link below. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

HOME

 

[Bird]

Over 40 years of shooting, 30 years of policing and as a firearms instructor - and I have heard questions like this in the past.

The short answer is, forget about it. It's a stupid question if you're not prepared to commit time and effort into it.

You're better doing the following:
1. Assess the probabilities of such an event,
2. Get appropriate locks and security systems in place to deter and fend off any potential break ins.
3. Get her a cell phone and show her how to use it.
4. Spend the money for these things at the front end, because the lawyers for the deceased will be getting it at the backend.

Though cops are required to be qualified with their firearms, even they miss a moving target. This after 100's of rounds of ammo. Warning shots don't exist, they are center mass shots that miss.

Remember...once the bullet leaves the barrel, you've lost complete control over its destiny...so you have to be prepared for the aftermath.

If Momma wants a gun, tell her she'll have to practice, practice, practice with anything from a 38 special and up. She should take a course as well in criminal and civil law so that she can answer questions asked by the investigating police, understand her rights, and prepare for being sued.

As I've preached to pretty much every cop I've instructed over the years, if you are involved in a fatal shooting, be mentally prepared for the murder investigation that will follow. You have rights - so shut the %$#@ up and call a lawyer, not your wife, boyfriend or mother.

Also, arrange for a shrink to speed dial when the event occurs, since she'll need to 'talk' to someone.

I've seen some pretty good and some pretty bad recommendations in this thread, but this post covers the topic very well. Excellent information, well done, Mounted Madness.

 

[bonefish101]

If she can handle a shotgun she could load a bean bag shell as her first round followed by a few 00 buck, just in case the "visitor" is not deterred by the first round.
I also would recommend the shoot to kill line of thought.

No bean bag rounds here....

 

[2manyrocks]

I've seen some pretty good and some pretty bad recommendations in this thread, but this post covers the topic very well. Excellent information, well done, Mounted Madness.

That's the best summary I have every read anywhere.

 

[beppington]

I'm pretty close to this sentiment. Sounds like you're trying to comfort your Mom without any expectation of real defense or protection. I guess if you just want to make a noise hoping to scare an intruder, then IMO you might as well make a BIG noise!

Pretty much the case ... recall my mention of blanks.

The next step above that, in my mind, was ammo that would actually do something, to appease her, just not much.

 

[dmccarty]

Mom, with extremely little gun experience, wants a weapon to guard against home intruders.

She's got my old .22 rifle right now, & we've shot it, loaded it, un-loaded, etc. but even that's dicey. I don't trust her with it, & it's probably too big for her to swing around & hit something in an emergency anyway.

How about something smaller (pistol sized?) that shoots something other bullets, that will injure but not kill somebody/ something (coyotes, etc). She's not convinced mace will do what might be needed.

So you do not think mom is able to handle a weapon physically and mentally.

You are afraid she might hurt herself with a weapon.

She is afraid and wants protection of some kind.

As others have suggested, getting the motion sensor lights and better locks is a good idea. The lights are cheap and effective, we had them on our city house.

While a revolver with blanks is surely not the best for most people, it might be best for your mother given the stated limitations. I have read reports for years of someone shooting at an intruder in their house, the shots miss, but the intruder runs away. I do not think most intruders are going to figure out that the revolver is shooting blanks.

Your mother is right to be concerned about the effectiveness of mace or pepper. Some people are knocked down by the sprays, some people would just run, and for some, they are not bothered. Spray has its place and is better than nothing.

There are two types of spray, stream and a "fog". The stream is good for "shooting" at a distance but has to be aimed while the "fog" is good for close in and aim is not as important. With both sprays the sprayer is likely to get a bit of the spray but more likely with the "fog" spray. In a house, the "fog" spray would be my choice.

Unless FLA law has changed, you can get both pepper and mace. I have "eaten" both pepper and mace. Pepper is worse. Far worse. Pepper SHOULD have an immediate effect on the person. It should shut there person's eyes immediately. In fact, they will not EVER want to open their eyes again because of the pain. If they breath the pepper, there SHOULD be a immediate inflammation in their throat that will make breathing a bit harder and painful.

The problem with sprays is that some people are not bothered by the spray, though very few, but people can also fight through the spray. The sprays can hinder and buy time. They MIGHT chase someone off or stop them. But it is a big might. I know of an incident where a guy was sprayed with almost an entire can of pepper but kept on fighting. He had trouble breathing, could not see, but he almost strangled an officer to death. Another officer was about to shoot the suspect when he stopped fighting.

If you do get pepper you only need 4-5% pepper in alcohol not water. Pepper is an oil and oil and water do not mix. More than 4-5% is not supposed to burn more but just prolong the burn. 4-5% will burn for a good 45-60 minutes. It and mace will reactivate when you think it is gone and take a shower.....

I had a similar situation years ago with an elderly relative. But in my case I knew there was another relative who was abusive and dangerous to family members. The elderly relative worried me about her ability to use a weapon. She certainly would not have hesitated to use the weapon if needed but I was concerned her physical ability would get in the way. I worried about the situation but I knew the dangerous relative was going to be a problem one day. It was only a question of when and who would he take with him. They lived in sight of each other and the dangerous relative could easily watch the elderly woman's house from his easy chair.

Eventually the dangerous relative killed himself. Thankfully he only killed himself and his dog. I was worried he would go across the street and kill his relatives before shooting himself or having the POlice shoot him. Worse case he would kill the family, then retreat back to his place which had a good 200-300 yard approach, aka a kill zone, down a single lane across open farm land. Responding officers would have been in deep doo doo in that situation since he was a hunter and had the weapons to easily reach out that distance.

In my case I knew there was close to 100% chance the guy was going to be a problem. The only real question was when and who did he take with him. The near certainty in the situation trumped my worry about the elderly woman hurting herself. You, thankfully, do not have the certainty in my case.

My grandmother used to live in Crime Hills, Orlando. I think you will recognize the real location. Thankfully nothing ever happened to her though we really worried about her as the neighborhood went down hill. My grandmother is not the elderly women I mentioned before. Thankfully.

Later,
Dan