by Jim Huckabee

Created on: July 29, 2009

There is more to choosing a firearm for home defense than which gun you should purchase. If the boy down the block breaks into your home to steel your...then a firearm means nothing. In a case as this simply turning on the lights and yelling will scare of the intruder away. If the professional B and E man breaks in to your home chances are real good you won't be home. The firearm is now nothing more than one more item which will be stolen.

When choosing a firearm for home defense the first thought in your mind should be, can I pull the trigger? If your conscious can answer a definitive yes then you are willing to take another life. If the answer is no then stay home and watch Jeopardy because you stand a good chance of becoming a victim of the firearm you bought to protect yourself.

Many home intruders are willing to do or intend to do bodily harm. The intruders who are drug addicts looking for a few quick dollars are apt to turn on you if cornered. In this case they are not thinking rationally. They are willing to harm or kill to get that next ten dollar bag of their chosen poison. Then there are the rapists, serial killers, and possibly the pledge gang member who has to prove worthy of membership. These are the reason to purchase a firearm.

In most communities if you shoot an intruder you must kill them inside of your home. If you only wound this intruder and they get outside the law enforcer will arrest you. In some cases the intruder whom you shot can turn and sue you. Now what do you do? If the answer is still a trip to the sporting goods store don't buy the gun which looks cool. The semi-automatic (assault rifle) or shotgun is a tempting choice. But keep in mind you are inside of your home and the amount of room needed to draw and maneuver the weapon is limited.

A hand gun is small and easy to grab and fire. A hand gun takes practice to use and proficiently hit the target. So make sure several boxes of ammunition and several trips to the shooting range is in the budget. Most people can hit the refrigerator from across the kitchen without practicing. But remember your refrigerator isn't an intruder. The intruder isn't going stand still to be shot.

The moment which you purchased the firearm has come and a real person is in your home attempting to make you the next victim. Under these circumstances your adrenaline is flowing like Niagara Falls. When the firing pin makes contact with the primer of the shell is the intruder going to fall or continue on to you?

A 44 magnum will put down almost any living creature. But can you handle it? They are bulky, heavy, and the recoil can knock you down. On the other hand a 38 special won't drop a person with intent. Look at the newer semi-automatic hand guns with gas porting. The gas ported hand guns reduce the recoil to a minimum allowing a small framed person to shot a higher caliber round. A hand gun like the new 10 mm will kill with a single shot and the recoil will be negligible under stress. So make sure you talk to the firearm dealer so you don't become the victim of your defense.

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