From: n9020351@henson.cc.wwu.edu (James Douglas Del-Vecchio)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: suggested weapons (was: Killing burglars.)
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:38:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: henson.1992Aug26.233834.4913
Organization: Western Washington University

mjc+@cs.cmu.edu (Monica Cellio) writes:

>>1. shoot to kill to avoid lawsuits.
>>2. use a calibre large enough to take out a big hunk of meat, but not too
>>   large that a missed shot will pentrate walls and kill neighbors.
>>3. keep club soda handy to clean up spilled blood and circumvent stains.

>So, what specific weapons and ammo do you folks recommend for home 
>protection?  Assume it's for an adult with no previous firearms experience
>(bows and crossbows aside) and a willingness to learn.  (Of course, no weapon
>gets into my house under *my* power before I've been properly trained with 
>it.)  Goals are to maximize effectiveness (shooting to wound is stupid) while 
>minimizing both risk to others (pass-through on walls) and property damage.

>I would have sent email, but I suspect there are others who would like to
>know.  I am not being sarcastic.


	This is a great question to ask on rec.guns, where you will
get a complete answer from a great number of people, but I will put
in my two cents here.

	First, two great books for someone in the position you are in,
(little experience, willing to learn) on the topics of self protection
and firearms, are _The Truth about Self Protection_, by Massad Ayoob,
and _Armed and Female_, by Paxton Quigley.

	My own opinion, is that .38 special is about the minimum caliber
for a handgun intended for use in protecting yourself and your family.

	A .38 revolver, or a .357 revolver loaded with .38s, is about the 
the most novice-friendly handgun you can buy.  I can recomend some items
that I think are especialy good products for this use below.

	I am mostly experienced with pistols (that's pronounced 
"semi-automatic handguns" in tv anchorperson jargon (^8), but I like 
revolvers because revolvers are simpler than pistols to learn to use, 
more novice-friendly, idiot-proof, stress-proof (like the stress of 
listening to someone kicking down your door) etc. 
Revolvers are just aim and fire, no fiddling with safties, etc.

In a pistol I would reccomend 9mm as a good caliber for the purpose you
want.  .380 is rather impotent, .32, .25 and .22 are terribly so.

Anyway, either .38 or 9mm is what I would reccomend for pistol ammo.
Re shooting through walls:  Any handgun, rifle, or shotgun projectile
may go through many walls, very possibly exiting your house and going 
through other house(s) to hit someone else.  You have to be aware of
where you are sending the bullet.  There is specialty frangable ammo
that is intended to break up on impact with a wall, but this may reduce 
the ammo's ability to stop an attacker.  Just plain old hollowpoint ammo
has the best record for stopping an attacker as reliably as possible.

Some good handguns to ask to see and handle in a store are
all of the below, at least, before you make a purchace:


Taurus Model 85 and 85C:
	21 oz, 5 shot .38 with a 2" barrel.   	~$200
	A good little gun, good price, comes with comfortable 
	grips out of the box, unlike the compact .38s made by S&W.
Ruger SP101:					~$300	
	25 oz, 5 shot .38/.357 with 2" barrel.
	Also has good comfortable grips.  Heavy for a snub.
Ruger GP100:					~$350
	38 oz, 6 shot .38/.357 with 4" or 3" barrel.
Sig 226:	Sig 228:			~$700
	28 oz, 9mm, 15+1 or 13+1 shot, 4.6" or 3.8" barrel.
	Expensive.
Glock 19:					~$400
	21 oz, 9mm 15+1 shot.	4" barrel	
	very light and compact.  
Star Firestar:					~$350
	30 oz, 9mm 7+1 shot.	3.5" barrel.
	very compact and flat.   Good for small hands.

A post can only cover so much, but I hope this points you
somewhere.   Rec.guns is a good place to ask that kind of
thing.

Jim Del Vecchio