Assault rifles offer a bit too much for home defense

Indy Star ^

[conservativefromGa]

John Strauss

Assault rifles offer a bit too much for home defense

February 14, 2003

As store shelves throughout the city are emptied of duct tape and plastic sheeting by people concerned about terrorist attacks, other folks think the best defense is a good offense.

Don Davis said gun sales at his Westside store have doubled since the latest terrorism alert. He said the $599 AK-47 is a top seller.

Davis became locally famous a few years ago with endlessly repeated TV commercials in which he cocked a finger at the camera and cackled, "Folks, I don't want to make money -- I just love to sell guns."

It turns out that terrorism sells.

"For me, when times are bad, business is good," Davis said Thursday.

He was at a trade show in Florida this week, shopping for gas masks for customers suddenly nervous about chemical or biological attacks.

At his Don's Guns, manager Ben Chance let me test-fire the AK-47 and a $999 Bushmaster, similar to the military M-16, in the store's indoor range.

The Bushmaster delivers a high-velocity round very accurately with little kick. The AK-47 will give you a jolt, but with that kick you get a larger round capable, they say, of going through a car's engine block.

Just what you need to stop terrorists invading your subdivision.

Of course, some people might end up with guns simply for home protection. And if that's the case, Chance says, an old-fashioned shotgun might do the trick.

"A 12-gauge is a nice gun to have in the house. You don't have to aim the gun. You just point it in the general vicinity, and you're actually going to hit what you're pointing toward, because (the shot) scatters."

Business also was up at 500 Guns on the Westside and at Pop Guns Trading Post on the Eastside. But managers at those stores said that had more to do with the arrival of income tax refund checks than Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein.

"There have been a few people come in and express concern," said Mike Hilton, the manager at Pop Guns. "But overall, people tend to be pretty complacent about it, to be honest."

Hilton said he recommends that someone who wants a gun take a training course. Then, once he has an idea of their skill level, he'll suggest a firearm -- often a small revolver.

He's not big on the AK-47 in this case. If used for self-defense, it's likely to "overpenetrate" -- go right through the attacker, through the wall of your home, through the wall of the next house and into somebody there.

Guy Montgomery, manager of 500 Guns, also recommends a revolver -- not a battlefield rifle -- for home defense.

Still, there's a magnetism about the assault weapons. Firing one of these guns is the shooting equivalent of twisting the throttle on a squat Harley -- lots of noise and simple, raw power.

They're fun, but they may not be real practical.

So if you're convinced al-Qaida is down the street and you want to establish a defensive perimeter in the front hallway, do the neighbors a favor.

Just borrow dad's old shotgun.

[CFC__VRWC]

AK-47 might penetrate the engine block of a French car....

But who needs it to? Every time the engine backfires the driver will surrender.

[OOPisforLiberals]

From a pure fact point of view, this article is actually correct. The significance of pulling the trigger on a -rifle- caliber weapon in your house is

- you will become deaf
- it -will- go through your entire house (barring the odd collision with stuff like a fridge). Rifle rounds are nasty nasty nasty.

Most people don't appreciate the incredible power difference between pistol rounds and rifle rounds. Its a world of difference.

While, I certainly think everyone should own an AR just on general principle - for actual close quarters home defense nothing beats a plain old shotgun (pick your flavor).

[way-right-of-center]

Maybe he should read this thread.

[WilliamWallace1999]

00 Buckshot sounds cool, but Gun's and Ammo did a nice comparison study and found 0 or 1 shot gave the best combination of pellet number to penetration at usual combat ranges. 00 is designed for deer hunting and uses pellets that are .30 caliber. Nice size, but too few of them. Take a look at Remington 0 buckshot Tactical Loads. They are what many Law Enforcement officers carry in this area.

Better yet, buy a box of several different kinds and go blow the crap outta some gallon jugs of water. Very cool and gives you a chance to feel recoil and compare time to recovery between shot.

Stay safe, stay armed.

[Centurion2000]

Don Davis said gun sales at his Westside store have doubled since the latest terrorism alert. He said the $599 AK-47 is a top seller.

My God, he's raping his customers. Home of the 300.00 Battle Rifles

[c-b 1]

I'm curious why people always tout pump shotguns.

I am sure there are various reasons. I have an 1100 Remmington, and two 870 pumps, the tube extenders are on the 870s the main reason, ease of loading, to load an 870 you push the round in, with the 1100, contending with the button to release the door is a pain. The other factor is known reliability, over 30 years I have fired thousands of rounds through my 870, not once has it failed to function properly.

I prefer # 6 or # 7 1/2 shot for home defense, it will probably penetrate my exterior wall, but not both mine, and my neighbor's.

[nunya bidness]

I am guessing I am pretty well off unless a T-Rex comes through the front door.

There's always room for one more...

Good to see your tagline back where it belongs.

[noutopia]

My 40cal S+W is sweet,much better than a 9mm,the 40 has knockdown power with no more recoil than my 9.Lots of police forces have gone to the 40cal.

[harpseal]

I shall consider it but I still have yet to purchase a new S&W since they sold out to the Clinton administration. I realize the successor company has not enfoced the deal but I am unsure if it still could be binding. I amy break down and buy one if I like it but I already have a hand cannon or two and the .45-70 or the .416 Rigby will stop about anything on land.

[Centurion2000]

www.southernohioguns.com ..... screwed up my first post, but I've bought a few things from them. They're pretty decent but go with the HAND PICKED OPTION (+$10) :)

[way-right-of-center]

I traded my 45/70 for a Model 7 K/s .350 Rem Mag. Great trade for me. Lightweight weapon, easy to carry and fire. Plently of oomph for North America. And Short Action. Try one out if you get a chance

[Husker24]

One of the coolest things about a good ole 12gauge is that you can get all kinds of special ammo for them, like those "bird bomb" things thats supposed to be like an M-80 that fires out of your shotgun. They also make Flachette rounds and rounds that explode on impact, ive also seen some type of flame thrower round. You can even buy those bean bag rounds now if your a little squeamish about actually killing someone that breaks into your home. I havent tried any of those exotic rounds but I would like to. If anyone has tried any of these please tell me about how they worked. They have alot of this stuff on www.gunbroker.com

[SBprone]

I'm curious why people always tout pump shotguns. I have a Remmington semi-auto 12 ga. which works just fine. I'll admit that the sound of a shell being racked into the chamber is pretty intimidating, but there must be more to it than that.

Pump guns are cheap. That's it. Even an 870 can be had for about $300. The off brands for a lot less. That makes them an easy sell for home defense. Your Remington when sold in combat configuration costs as much as two or three 870s. Face it, we're talking about a piece that most folks will run a box or two of shells through and then never fire again. Cheap is what sells in this niche of the firearms biz.

[Aric2000]

I am so sorry, but the main purpose of an assault rifle is to wound, NOT kill. Main reasoning here, it takes 5 people to deal with a wounded man, and if you kill someone, they will leave the body until the fighting is over.

AK's and M-16's, their bullets tumble, that way when they hit mass they bounce around and inflict incredible wounds. Once one of these bullets hits a body, it is most likely going to stay there, assault rifles are NOT great for home defense, they are large, unwieldy and you have to be a fairly good shot. But, this guy is full of crap when it comes to "going through" someone.

Give me a 12 gauge anytime for home defense, lots of power, will take out the intruder with not much effort or skill, and makes a most respecting sound when loaded up. A perp's WORST nightmare is a homeowner with a shotgun coming down a hallway

[ImaGraftedBranch]

I'm curious why people always tout pump shotguns. I have a Remmington semi-auto 12 ga. which works just fine. I'll admit that the sound of a shell being racked into the chamber is pretty intimidating, but there must be more to it than that.

Yeah, I know. But there isn't.

It is why I own both: Remington 1100 semi-auto with extended loader and a slug barrel, and a Remington 870 Express. One for serious rapid fire should an elephant invade and is not concerned with the chambering sound, and one for those criminals that DO care about the chambering sound.

From what I gather, there are no criminal elephants in my neighborhood (nor my city, county, state, country or continent), so I always keep the 870 handy :)

However, should a crazed whacko on PCP feeling no pain take by birdshot and keep on keepin' on, he'll go down with a couple of slugs.

Besides, my wife is very comfortable with the pump-action.

[harpseal]

I have tried it and the a couple of others. They all will do the job but there is something about the cartridge Teddy Rosevelt called his "big medicine" that just appeals to my historical sense.

[aeronca]

bump--thanks

[way-right-of-center]

Partially true. Thats why military ammo is FMJ, not soft expanding. It is intended to penetrate and exit instead of expand and kill. Doesnt tumble however. Unless loaded wrong.

[way-right-of-center]

I should say loaded incorrectly, and i dont maen backwards. I meand the load being inappropriate for the configuration, btw

[TXnMA]

Once you get used to it, the short-barreled Mossberg 590 with a pistol grip is not too hard to handle. My (ex 101st Abn) son even does a respectable job shooting skeet (from the hip) with one.

Tthe sound of that slide being racked in the dark is unmistakeable -- and guaranteed to make the hair on the back of your neck stand at attention!

I'm shopping for one right now...