New from NoVA!

[SgtBill]

And I love my S&W model #41 .22 cal. semi auto and it is a great starter gun for new people if you can afford the weapon.
Bill

[Fallout]

Although .22s are great for cheap ammo and maybe warming up to the big boys later, I think it would be a little too amateur for me. I also feel it would be like driving a Prius after owning a Mustang GT 500. I'm not worried about the price of ammo, it gives me more motivation to hit the target every time or if it comes down to a situation where accuracy is needed, I don't mind popping off a few more rounds to get the job done ... although one should be all it takes.

I wouldn't say I'm new to pistols, just not Clint Eastwood. I grew up shooting I was just happy to pull the trigger, if it hit something I was a little more happy. Let's just say I need a few more years of medical school before becoming a surgeon with a pistol. I may go one more time to that range to fire off a 9mm to see if that's a little more comfortable, the .40 wasn't bad but I was all over the place with some of the rounds.

I think I will skip on the Remington 870, I found myself drawn to it but it sounds like it's just a higher priced shotgun and doesn't have any major advantages. I still need to decide if I want to go with the 500 or 590. I might go pidgin shooting someday but a majority of it will be home defense and popping off a few rounds.

Thanks again guys for the continuous info, recommendations and help.

[gunderwood]

I don't mind popping off a few more rounds to get the job done ... although one should be all it takes.

Against a determined attacker whom you actually have to shoot because all other efforts have failed before justifying lethal force...one is almost never enough. Going in with that mindset is likely to get you in trouble. You're shooting to stop the threat...do not shoot one round, take time to re-evaluate, etc. Keep shooting until it is clear there is no threat or you need to reload.

[Fallout]

I don't mind popping off a few more rounds to get the job done ... although one should be all it takes.

Against a determined attacker whom you actually have to shoot because all other efforts have failed before justifying lethal force...one is almost never enough. Going in with that mindset is likely to get you in trouble. You're shooting to stop the threat...do not shoot one round, take time to re-evaluate, etc. Keep shooting until it is clear there is no threat or you need to reload.

I would never shoot to kill unless the person/s appear to be wanting to use lethal force. I would think in a majority of break ins or robberies, the person/s aren't wanting to harm anyone. You see in most of the robberys they show on TV the robber holding up the person with a gun and at the first sight of trouble they are running for the hills, even though they are the ones with the gun.

I am always that guy to yell at the movies why the guy didn't shoot someone in the leg instead of just shooting them in the head. The situation can usually be stopped with even a warning shot.

This may be majorly flawed thinking but at least that's what I would like to think or at least what I would like to think. I will never know what I will do till the moment is upon me and I just react.

I know when I was staying with my sister after getting out of the military, she lived in a wooded neighborhood that was know for having a little trouble with some of the neighbors. One night two guys apparently went up to their bedroom glass door and started banging on it and waving what they thought were guns. Of course without thinking they got straight up and left the bedroom without grabbing a gun (my sister is/was a newly hired crime scene investigator and just bought a gun. I of course being out of the military always thought that I would be the type to rush into a situation, handle it and it be done. Of course I only had a .22 Rifle with a scope I used to have fun with and shoot rabbits with. I wanted to rush out and do my thing in my head but didn’t mostly out of fear probably. The two guys ran away but it made me think of how I would handle a situation in the future and hope I would react better. Then again you never know, what if I went out and out of adrenaline shot one of them or ran out to stop them and got shot. I guess this is one of those fears I have about owning guns and others owning guns. Most people you would think are educated and know what their doing but in that situation that tests their knowledge, skills and handling of a weapon are they going to do the right thing? Miss? Shoot them in the head when maybe a warning shot would have done the job? Shot 5 times when once was enough?

[gunderwood]

I would never shoot to kill unless the person/s appear to be wanting to use lethal force.

Any other kind of shooting is assault with a deadly weapon or murder in VA. Besides no one around here is shooting to kill, we're shooting to stop the threat, but we're only shooting if legally justified in killing them...if that happens to be the result which we won't and don't know ahead of time.

I would think in a majority of break ins or robberies, the person/s aren't wanting to harm anyone. You see in most of the robberys they show on TV the robber holding up the person with a gun and at the first sight of trouble they are running for the hills, even though they are the ones with the gun.

You believe everything on TV? I don't know what their intentions are and I don't intend to ask them over a cup of tea either.

I am always that guy to yell at the movies why the guy didn't shoot someone in the leg instead of just shooting them in the head. The situation can usually be stopped with even a warning shot.

Because that stuff only happens in movies. There is no such thing as legally shooting someone in the leg unless you were legally justified in potentially killing them. If you are legally justified in using lethal force you should use it to its maximum effect or you are putting others at risk. If you aren't justified in killing them you aren't justified in shooting them in the leg or firing a warning shot either.

That's just a bunch of BS made up by Hollywood and people who don't know anything about firearms. Sorry to bust your bubble.

This may be majorly flawed thinking but at least that's what I would like to think or at least what I would like to think. I will never know what I will do till the moment is upon me and I just react.

No one ever truly knows how they will react until it happens, but waiting until then to figure it out virtually guarantees you won't do it right. There are very few people who instinctively do the right thing...at least until its too late. We fight how we train and we train as real as possible. You don't draw a gun unless you are ready to use it.

I know when I was staying with my sister after getting out of the military, she lived in a wooded neighborhood that was know for having a little trouble with some of the neighbors. One night two guys apparently went up to their bedroom glass door and started banging on it and waving what they thought were guns. Of course without thinking they got straight up and left the bedroom without grabbing a gun (my sister is/was a newly hired crime scene investigator and just bought a gun. I of course being out of the military always thought that I would be the type to rush into a situation, handle it and it be done. Of course I only had a .22 Rifle with a scope I used to have fun with and shoot rabbits with. I wanted to rush out and do my thing in my head but didn’t mostly out of fear probably. The two guys ran away but it made me think of how I would handle a situation in the future and hope I would react better. Then again you never know, what if I went out and out of adrenaline shot one of them or ran out to stop them and got shot. I guess this is one of those fears I have about owning guns and others owning guns. Most people you would think are educated and know what their doing but in that situation that tests their knowledge, skills and handling of a weapon are they going to do the right thing? Miss? Shoot them in the head when maybe a warning shot would have done the job? Shot 5 times when once was enough?

Couple of points.

1. Neither you nor your sister thought it through, had a plan, and trained to that plan...so of course you made lots of mistakes. You should have grabbed the gun, taken up a defensive position and called the police.

2. Good thing you didn't rush out and kill them because that would be murder. Good thing you didn't rush out and fire a warning shot as that too would be illegal and breaking several laws depending on the state. Good thing you didn't rush out and threaten them with the firearm as that's brandishing. Someone banging on your door or window is not a threat which justifies lethal force. I suggest you do some reading and take some CC classes.

3. Being in the military does not make anyone a warrior. In fact, most of the military is support staff doing non-combat roles. Last I heard it's about 2/3s. That isn't to in any what dishonor their service. I'm just saying that, and since we're on the movie theme, being in the military doesn't automatically make one Rambo. Being a warrior when needed can be exhibited by anyone including a 90lbs soccer mom of three children. Training helps significantly.

4. You really don't seem to understand the legalities of justified lethal self defense. Your understanding of the situations appear to be very pop culture. Please get some real legal training before you end up dead or in jail for murder.

[Fallout]

Any other kind of shooting is assault with a deadly weapon or murder in VA. Besides no one around here is shooting to kill, we're shooting to stop the threat, but we're only shooting if legally justified in killing them...if that happens to be the result which we won't and don't know ahead of time.

Even if I was justified to kill someone I still rather not do it I guess is my point. But of course as you said we would never know ahead of time.

You believe everything on TV? I don't know what their intentions are and I don't intend to ask them over a cup of tea either.

Because that stuff only happens in movies. There is no such thing as legally shooting someone in the leg unless you were legally justified in potentially killing them. If you are legally justified in using lethal force you should use it to its maximum effect or you are putting others at risk. If you aren't justified in killing them you aren't justified in shooting them in the leg or firing a warning shot either.

That's just a bunch of BS made up by Hollywood and people who don't know anything about firearms. Sorry to bust your bubble.

I don't believe everything on TV no, but when it's in the news on a camera seeing a robbery and a guy with a gun run off...yeah. My diluted point was going back to even though a guy has a gun out doesn't mean you shouldn't think about pulling out the tea cup and not whipping out the pistol.

Again I would never shoot someone ANYWHERE unless justified which to me would be nothing short of being shot at.

No one ever truly knows how they will react until it happens, but waiting until then to figure it out virtually guarantees you won't do it right. There are very few people who instinctively do the right thing...at least until its too late. We fight how we train and we train as real as possible. You don't draw a gun unless you are ready to use it.

This is probably your best point. No offense, you made some good points but all of them don't matter until whatever happens happens. All your talk of training, CC class, defense classes, any other type of fire arm training but when things go down hill you may react completely different.

Couple of points.

1. Neither you nor your sister thought it through, had a plan, and trained to that plan...so of course you made lots of mistakes. You should have grabbed the gun, taken up a defensive position and called the police.

2. Good thing you didn't rush out and kill them because that would be murder. Good thing you didn't rush out and fire a warning shot as that too would be illegal and breaking several laws depending on the state. Good thing you didn't rush out and threaten them with the firearm as that's brandishing. Someone banging on your door or window is not a threat which justifies lethal force. I suggest you do some reading and take some CC classes.

3. Being in the military does not make anyone a warrior. In fact, most of the military is support staff doing non-combat roles. Last I heard it's about 2/3s. That isn't to in any what dishonor their service. I'm just saying that, and since we're on the movie theme, being in the military doesn't automatically make one Rambo. Being a warrior when needed can be exhibited by anyone including a 90lbs soccer mom of three children. Training helps significantly.

No one will ever have a plan, if you plan for a situation you are probably planning to fail. That may sound dumb and may be flawed but what I mean is you CAN’T plan for every situation it’s impossible, hence why I thought what I said and you confirmed was the best advice “No one truly knows how they will react till it happens”. Now I will say I did leave out that we call the cops which she did almost after getting to a safe location in the house, but they came long after the two ran off.

I will admit we didn’t have a plan. I don’t think anyone thinks it’s really going to happen to them nor did I think about it at the time. We took proper measures to safeguard that most people do which is lock up, make sure things are locked up which is what most people SHOULD do. Regardless of what people think not everyone has or should have a gun nor should it be the first thing to grab. There are plenty of non lethal weapons out there that people should have or can have in such situations, if you have a gun and you grab it in the situation, great, but it shouldn’t qualify as part of everyones plan.

Again, in that situation in which I have never been in before I think I handled it fine, no one got shot, everyone stayed safe and yes police were called which is what anyone can hope for.

4. You really don't seem to understand the legalities of justified lethal self defense. Your understanding of the situations appear to be very pop culture. Please get some real legal training before you end up dead or in jail for murder.

I actually hope the same for people like you. I hear from too many people about plans and classes and training, I am just as scared of people like you who THINK you have a plan and carry a gun than the people who have probably never taken training. Odds are you are more likely to pull your gun thinking you know when or who to fire on and the person who doesn’t have the training is likely to avoid the situation completely. Again no offense, you may do what’s right but someone else like you may think they know what they’re doing and freak out at the moment. It sounds like I am less likely to take any lethal force than you.
I understand a lot of them now, since this situation I have been through Reserve Police Officer training, as I stated before when someone recommend that I take my DD14 to get my CC license I still want to take the class to know the laws and speak with someone personally for questions. I have also joined this forum which seems to be filled with some knowledgeable people and plenty of reading material for laws in Virginia.

Anyway thanks for the advice again I am reading, going to a CC class soon enough, I may join the NRA but just depends…