The Backup!

[Puke]

Neat!
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=25765

A gun rack for your bed.

[Insurgent]

Pretty cool.    Only down-side is that you'd have to clean the gun pretty often as it will quickly accumulate icky things like dust mites, hair and dead skin cells!

[EJinCT]

Pretty cool.    Only down-side is that you'd have to clean the gun pretty often as it will quickly accumulate icky things like dust mites, hair and dead skin cells!

I could see how that might get in the way of other activities too. 

Think I'd rather have a pistol for a bedside g.t.g.

[dan_sayers]

Think I'd rather have a pistol for a bedside g.t.g.

Handguns are for carrying. Home defense takes a long gun

[EJinCT]

Home defense takes a long gun

I know of a few goblins that would disagree. 

Personally if it was an option, I would have both to cover any contingency; but in a go-to scenario, I'd be willing to wager that the pistol will prove easier to operate/maneuver with. Of course situational awareness is key.

[dan_sayers]

Think no knock warrants. Then think vests

Besides, no argument is more influential than the clack of a shotgun being charged

[EJinCT]

lol, if thats the case, 1 shotgun will likely not offer much protection against any prolonged assault; ( which is likely should one actually dispatch the first wave.)  Perhaps an I.E.D would be more suitable for that scenario? j/k What if the S.G. is semi-auto?   

If I'm forced to pull a s.g. on someone, there will be an infinitesimal amount of time between racking and firing. I won't draw/aim unless I'm committed to firing, so I don't give warnings. If I'm going to fire on someone it will be because I had no other options.

Typically, (IME anyway) when dealing with L.E.O's being taken into custody is the likely outcome so I wouldn't feel the need to pull on them; I do make distinction between loss of liberty and loss of life.

Of course there are exceptions, but thankfully they are not the norm. Babylon would much rather have us alive so they can benefit from us in some way; martyrs do them no good.

If one is that worried about corrupt L.E.O's;consider investing in flash-bangs and securing a route of retreat. Victory through superior firepower is very unlikely in this situation.

[penguins4me]

Typically, (IME anyway) when dealing with L.E.O's being taken into custody is the likely outcome so I wouldn't feel the need to pull on them; I do make distinction between loss of liberty and loss of life.

Realizing that such events such as the ones I'm going to mention are essentially a stastistical anomoly, they should still be mentioned anyhow:

When thugs impersonate cops on the road, in public, and in your home, it can become a question of trusting armed, violent men with no good reason to be in one's home, or acting quickly in defense of a threat in one's own home. All complicated by the matter that, no matter who the invaders are, the fight will be over very quickly; without swift action on the part of the would-be victim, the invaders will always win.

[EJinCT]

^^^

...situational awareness is key.

That includes threat assessment. I'm quite aware B.G's come in all flavors, with many different wrappers. 

I don't just give anyone my full trust; and when dealing with those with power, I try to be even more aware of my environment.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Think I'd rather have a pistol for a bedside g.t.g.

Handguns are for carrying. Home defense takes a long gun

I worked in a gunstore when I was a teenager. Whenever someone came in for a handgun for home protection, we would steer them towards a shotgun.  We always had a selection of used doubles and singles, and, would give them a good deal on a less desirable 16 ga. We would sell them a few shells and tell them to take it out to a field and shoot it so they would know what to expect.

[EJinCT]

Think I'd rather have a pistol for a bedside g.t.g.

Handguns are for carrying. Home defense takes a long gun

I worked in a gunstore when I was a teenager. Whenever someone came in for a handgun for home protection, we would steer them towards a shotgun.

Interesting; why?

Even with all the advancement in firearms do you think that policy would still be appropriate?

It is hard for me to come to any general consensus on which is best for all situations; too many unknown factors.

The best weapon, is the one that we can use best, no?

[error]

As the guy from Front Sight says, any gun will do if you will do. The gun is far less important than the person holding it.

[Insurgent]

As the guy from Front Sight says, any gun will do if you will do. The gun is far less important than the person holding it.

Very true.

Nice signature line, error 

[Recumbent ReCycler]

Hmm, that's pretty cool, and simple to boot!  I think I have all of the tools needed to make something like that.  I have experienced one middle of the night uninvited guest who came into the house without knocking back before I moved to NH.  I happened to have a pump shotgun and a pile of shells next to my bed.  I jumped out of bed, grabbed the shotgun and enough shells to fill it, filled the magazine, and started down the stairs.  As I approached the bottom of the stairs, I racked the slide to load a shell.  By the time I got to my kitchen the intruder had already gone out the back door and was double timing his way out the back gate from my yard.  I really didn't want to have to shoot anyone or hold someone until the MPs arrived, so I was glad that he decided to run.  He never came back.  Since I was in need of sleep and the last time I had called the MPs to take care of a problem in the neighborhood it took them over an hour to show up, I decided to just lock my door and go to bed.  Shotguns are very effective for scaring off intruders, are easy to aim, and don't usually penetrate through walls as easily as pistol or rifle bullets.  That is why they are good for home defense.

[penguins4me]

Think I'd rather have a pistol for a bedside g.t.g.

Handguns are for carrying. Home defense takes a long gun ;)

I worked in a gunstore when I was a teenager. Whenever someone came in for a handgun for home protection, we would steer them towards a shotgun.

Interesting; why?

Even with all the advancement in firearms do you think that policy would still be appropriate?

It is hard for me to come to any general consensus on which is best for all situations; too many unknown factors.

The best weapon, is the one that we can use best, no?

All other things being equal, the long gun (shotgun, rifle) is *much* more powerful, hence capable, than a handgun. One double-ought buck shell, for example, holds around nine .33 calibre pellets. At 1600 feet per second, this is roughly the equivalent of nine shots from a 9mm handgun... with ONE trigger pull from a shotgun.

Projectiles fired from rifles can be even more devastating - above a certain velocity (2000 fps? I forget), the shockwave from a bullet entering and passing through a body can do permanent damage by itself, without the bullet ever touching all the damaged areas. I believe the term is 'hydrostatic shock'.