Guns in self-defense

You don't need an atom bomb to flush out a single rat in your kitchen. There is such a thing as an overkill. Weapons need to be managed for safety and for deployment. The bigger the firepower the higher the maintenance and safety quotient. The law of entropy states that things tend to get sloppy as the situation gets complicated. For home defense we must deal with these variables: 

• perceived threat
• management considerations vis a vis perceived threat
• safety considerations vis a vis location of weapon and place of deployment

So if the perceived threat is a single rat, you don't nuke 'em and blow up your own house. We are exaggerating the example here to drive the point that efficiency and economics are tied together. If a rolled-up newspaper is enough to stop an annoying cockroach why shoot it?

Many weapons are designed for the battlefield rather than for home defense. A weapons buyer must clearly understand which weapon fits his purpose unless he is a gun collector. Nevertheless, a gun collector must fully understand the safety considerations, as will be discuseed later.

So do you really have to buy a Tec-9 or an UZI for your home? With children running around, that would be courting disaster. Part of the management considerations are the legal implications of your weapon based on the laws of you locality. In the Philippines, you can still end up with a charge of homicide based on the circumstances. You can't just shoot and claim self-defense even if it happened inside your home. In some countries these cases are appreciated differently. Remember the Korean student who got shotgunned by the father of his classmate when he visited their home? The shooter was acquitted based on the principle of "castle-keep". But such common law jurisprudence does not apply in other countries like the Philippines.

For the home if you are not a gangster or something, with a normal threat of a possible theft or robbery, then you might need a simple and reliable weapon. A weapon that can be deployed with relative safety and designed for such common crimes.

A home-based weapon or a personal weapon must be concealable,  easy to deploy and reliable. A .38 caliber snub-nose is a very logical choice. It does not jam. It's drawback for the home is that once loaded it is very easy to fire. A pistol can jam if not properly maintained or if not properly loaded and cocked. The ammunition also plays an important part. Afterall it is the one that actually kills. Choosing a good ammo is a necessity. For pistols, the .45 has been tried and tested to deliver. It is very easy to maintain like the revolver. Other calibers may be suited for you to buy but it must suit your hand and personality. So before buying try gripping it for comfort. If it is too heavy for you why buy it?

A lot of people buy full-sized pistols or revolvers for self-defense but these weapons are not designed for self-defense but rather for police work or combat duties. Thus, they are not easily concealable and would require an outside holster to properly carry in the person.

For self-defense therefore it must be compact enough to hide. You cannot display your weapon as if it were the wild wild west. Assasins and firearms snatchers can easily disarm you if you parade it like you were John Wayne (if you can draw it easily from your holster, it means the snatcher can draw it easily too).

At home weapons must be separated from their ammos. It is better to remove the firing pin of the weapon when not in use. They must be stored securely with only you knowing the combination. If you intend to use it on a burglar, it means that you intend to commit homicide. Security for the home must not start on your weapon but on other more sensible variables like the height of your fence, the locks you put, the alarms you installed, the security mindset of your household, etc. Your weapon must only be your last resort (that is why there is such a thing as a panic room).  Remember a homicidal burglar who enters your home enters it with the element of surprise so it is very unlikely that you will be able to deploy your weapon exactly as he enters your abode. It is not a cowboy duel so stop the macho myth. Accept the fact that when shit happens you won't be able to draw your weapon (unless you carry it around your house like a paranoid Billy the Kid). 

There is a reason why security companies sell burglar alarms, CCTV cameras,  and other gadgets and not just guns. Guns are proximity tools. As I have mentioned before, when you have to use it it means the burglar or the intruder is already near you. Why was he able to pass through your gate, your door, your garage, your window or any other entrance? Perhaps you might need to buy a better lock, a new door or a new latch to your window than resort to buying a gun. If the gun is the best anti-burglar option security companies would just be selling firearms only. 

Security therefore is not that simple. You need a complete security survey or evaluation of your home. Is your fence the right height? Is your househelp becoming too friendly with your next-door gardener? Do you live in a gang-infested neighborhood? Things like these must be considered. The gun is not a magic pill. You will also need some training to use it properly.

If you have that enough money to ever need security, then hire security guards (the rich do!). If you are subject to grave threats hire bodyguards (the rich do!).