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Do You Need A Gun For Home Defense?

The decision to purchase a gun to defend your home, yourself and your loved ones is an important and serious one. Does a woman need a gun for home defense? Only you can make that decision. I can help with my 5 part series starting with Making The Decision Part 1: Do You Need a Gun?

You must explore your local laws to fully understand your rights and governing the use of “lethal deadly force”. If someone breaks into your home, can you shoot them even if they are not visibly armed? Under what circumstances can you legally display your gun? These are just a few of the questions you want to answer as you make the decision to own a gun for home defense. To learn more about legality of gun ownership read the Law Section.

In most states, you cannot shoot a thief running away with your property because the immediate threat is has “passed.” Neglecting to understand the legal issues including your rights and your risks involved with owning a gun for home defense is careless. You not only put others and yourself at risk, but the 2nd Amendment Rights of others. Being a knowledgeable gun owner is part of what defines The Well Armed Woman. In addition, understanding the laws will better equip you to make quick decisions when under great stress.

This article will discuss owning a gun with the primary purpose of home defense and protecting yourself at home. You may not be comfortable with carrying a gun on your person, but would like to own a gun for home defense. This series will discuss the best options for you. If you have or carry a handgun on your person which is typically a smaller, lower caliber gun, but would like to own a gun specifically for the purpose of home defense, the same recommendations will apply.

Here is a series of articles discussing all that is involved with owning a gun for home defense.

Many women decide they want a gun for home defense, and the question of which one is the best can be daunting. The two practical choices for a woman are, a handgun or a shotgun. The first question to ask yourself is “which can I handle best, confidently and safely?” A shotgun in most situations is the best for home defense. But, they are large, heavy and can be difficult to handle. A larger caliber handgun would be recommended if you lack the physical ability to handle a shotgun. A large revolver designed to shoot a large caliber can be ideal for the short distance shooting that most commonly occurs in self-defense situations. The Taurus Judge is an example of such a firearm.

Walls don’t stop bullets. If you have to fire your firearm in your house you must be aware of what lies behind your target. You could wound or even kill innocent bystanders in adjacent rooms and adjacent houses. Caliber and ammunition selection can lessen the significant risk, but the bottom line is this:

NEVER DISCHARGE A GUN AT A TARGET IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO STRIKE EVERYTHING THAT LIES BEHIND THAT TARGET

The next two sections of this series explain two options of guns for home defense: shotguns and handguns.

Continue Reading

The next section in this series is Do You Need a Shotgun for Home Defense?

or skip to Do You Need A Handgun for Home Defense?

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3 thoughts on “Do You Need A Gun For Home Defense?

  1. Mindy Jollie says:

    I like what you said about being a knowledgable gun owner and being familiar with the laws. My friend has been thinking about buying a firearm, since she lives alone and she believes it will help her feel more secure. She’ll have to go through the proper channels and find a gun she feels comfortable with, as well as reading up on the state and federal laws she needs to know.

  2. Faylinn Byrne says:

    I completely agree with how you said that it is important to research local laws before making the decision to buy a gun. I believe guns can give a sense of security, without having to fire them at anybody. Lately, I have been thinking that I could have one just for protection as I live by myself in the middle of a farm.

  3. Sarah Packer says:

    My husband is recommending me to get a gun of some sort since I’m home alone a lot, so I wanted tips and advice on buying! I didn’t know shotguns were the best for home defense but can be hard to handle. I’ll have to show this to my husband, so we can look for handguns or other guns that would fit my stature and tastes, thanks to this post!

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