Home invasion, lessons learned

[alanint]

Once the police arrive, you say only two things;
- I was in fear for my life, (or others lives)
- I fired to stop the attack

Then keep your mouth closed until you speak to a lawyer!!! People involved in a self defense shooting are frightened and pumped full of adrenaline. Their natural reaction is to try to justify what took place to the arriving police. They often say way more than the should or need to. The majority of cops and prosecutors are good guys but there will always be one who is anti-armed citizens or otherwise disposed towards arresting and prosecuting a shooter.

[cirelaw]

No Better Advice Anywhere! Somebody is forgetting our second ammendment, The 'Right To Bear Arms' but your not allowed the use them!

[Steve Lempitski]

Interesting that people would use a handgun for home defense..issue I have is that the bullets used will easily penetrate a wall and hit an innocent. My home defense weapon is an easy to point on target single shot 20 gauge with pistol grip. With 20 inch barrel loaded with 3 inch 7 1/2 shot, the load will absolutely destroy anybody it hits, and wont go through the wall. With 3 other rounds attached to the barrel by rubber band I can reload in less than 5 seconds...

[Curly1]

12ga is my first line of home defense with pistol as backup.

[Steve Lempitski]

Smart man with the shotgun! A 12, 16, or even 20 gauge loaded with birdshot at home defense range is definitely a one shot put down - cant say the same with a handgun.....

[alanint]

My home defense gun is also a 12 guage Mossberg 500 with a Butler Creek folding stock, heat shield and sidesaddle ammo carrier.
In my glove box when I travel across the Everglades is my Serbu Super Shorty 8" barreled 12 gauge and occasionaly, if traveling at night, my XM177E2 M16 Carbine.

[Steve Lempitski]

8 inch barrel 12 gauge? I guess thats the 21st century blunderbuss LOL. Seriously I believe that has to be a class 3 firearm - I thought 18 inches is minimum for a shotgun barrel....

[LWaali]

That does bring up an interesting question about class 3 weapons.. When researching Ruby Ridge some time back, it was brought up that the shortening of a barrel by the owner is not in itself illegal. It only becomes illegal if taking the weapon off one's own personal property or selling the weapon. I have always wondered about this because the actual AFTE regulations are quite vague in specifics. Is there anyone in here that is actually trained in the legalese required to clearly understand the regs?

[Steve Lempitski]

One has to really know the regs if working on or around guns - when I was working for a gunsmith part time, a guy walked in looking to have a skeleton metal stock made for his Thompson Contender. The gunsmith was all set to start the order until I checked and found that had he done so, the weapon would have become an illegal short rifle, as rifles have to have a minimum of 16 inch barrels. I understand there was at one time, and may still be the issue of attaching a stock to an artillery luger - the ATF had overlooked it for exemption to the regs...

[alanint]

My Serbu is indeed, an NFA regulated weapon. It is an AOW, so the transfer is a ridiculous $5 versus the typical $200 for other SBR or SBS NFA weapons.
The ultimate "Road Rage" stopper.....

[cirelaw]

Great thing to have anywhere! Isn't really the same as a sawed off shotgun!

[alanint]

The "Luke Skywalker" holster gets a lot of comments when I occasionally wear it.

For in between work, I like to have my 14" barreled Remington 870 Police/Secret Service Magnum shotgun. It has Tritium sights and shell holder stock handy.

[suum cuique]

Originally Posted by alanint

Once the police arrive, you say only two things;
- I was in fear for my life, (or others lives)
- I fired to stop the attack

Then keep your mouth closed until you speak to a lawyer!!! People involved in a self defense shooting are frightened and pumped full of adrenaline. Their natural reaction is to try to justify what took place to the arriving police. They often say way more than the should or need to. The majority of cops and prosecutors are good guys but there will always be one who is anti-armed citizens or otherwise disposed towards arresting and prosecuting a shooter.

A law professor's advise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc

[cirelaw]

Thats the best legal advice I have heard or seen since my 3 years at Villanova Law School! class of 81. A Must See!

[Marine 3]

Originally Posted by nukem556

If you don't kill 'em, they'll do a couple months in county lockup on the taxpayers dime, get out and do it to someone else.

Or, they will do that couple months and get well fed ,rested up and their teeth fixed at taxpayer expense and THEN get out and come get YOU for revenge!
Marine 3

[cirelaw]

If they try again, I'm well prepared!!!

[singleshotman]

i was a victiam of a home invasion in CA.Trust me, i lived learned the hard way it's someone you know who sends out the info. as "i,Cladius" said trust no one.I MEAN IT.My father had a girlfriend who was a drug perspn. i was living at home at the time. she came thru the door with two niggers who had .38 pistols.They tied us up and took all our pistols and$400 cash and my ATM card.The woman was caught and went to prision.I've Learned TRUST NO ONE.

[Ron Wood]

James,
I understand your anger but your racial slur is intolerable. My own personal opinion is that you should never use that language on a forum of this type again.

[cirelaw]

I am especially disgusted by your language and racist manners! We have been blessed with a beautiful little grand daughter whose father is black and in fact played the mets. She is priceless in ours and in Gods' eyes. You could learn some thing from these beautiful young 7 year olds. Unlike people like yourselve they are truly race blind. In case you haven't noticed we have a black president who undoubtly achieved so much more then yourself. Check your callender its 2013 not 1961! PS Alley knows how to spell five letter words!!!!!! Regretably Yours, Eric, Esq.

[Jan C Still]

I thank Ron and Eric for their replies!!!!
Jan