I have enjoyed the debate (minor one) between Kevin and SGS. I won't get into the revolver vs. semi auto but I will have to side with SGS on the gun safes. I raised two very independent and curious boys, Rule breaking was not unheard of by them. One rule they never broke and they have admitted to breaking many of the house rules, was they never touched one of our guns without permission. I went against all traditional teaching, I told the boys that ALL the guns were kept loaded. There were no safe unloaded gun in the house. Now that was not true. I also did not keep the guns in a safe or have any form of locks on them. Most of the guns were kept in the closet unloaded but a couple were on the night stand or in the night stand drawer.
Living in Arizona, I am allow to carry and I do, during all my waking hours, home or out. I also keep a loaded 20 ga, shotgun by the bed, and an AR15 in the closet. I do plan to get a cheap gun safe, simply for ease of storage, not for safety. My collection of firearms will continue to grow, so I will need better storage space. The wife really objects to surrendering any of her closet space.
I have to maximize my storage space. Bottom line, I am not a big fan of locking down weapons, with any type of devices. I do agree and would insist any children present in the home, must be taken to the range and shown and taught proper gun safety. They need to see and understand these are not toys and once the trigger is pulled, something down range is going to get a hole in it.
Over penetration is another hot topic and highly debatable. To me, over penetration is not the real issue, missing the target is the big issue. If I hit the bad guy center mass, I really seriously doubt there will be enough energy left in the bullet to do much, if any, damage to a bystander. Now if I miss the bad guy, then no matter the caliber or bullet type, it could be a danger to bystanders. Granted bullet type and caliber due play a factor in penetration but hitting the target in the desired location plays a bigger part. Yes I know that if I hit somebody center mass with a 50 BMG, it is going through, got it, but we are talking general home / self defense. Now, 9mm, 40, 10mm, 45acp, 38spc, 380, almost any bullet type will either stop or lose enough energy to not be a major threat to bystanders, if the the shot was a center mass shot, even FMJ (Full Metal Jacket).
kate, something my wife wanted, I loaded her 9mm pistol with the first round snake load (she thinks it the first 2 rounds), this is her way to justify using force. Her concept (not mine) is the first 2 shots are to change the bad guys mind. If the bad guy continues to advance, the next shots are lethal. You can have the option of a first round snake load in several calibers. You do have to be careful with semi-auto pistols, many will not cycle with snake loads. I tested my wife's pistol, it worked with her pistol, but would not cycle mine. There are any handgun and ammunition types for every occasion and personal size. Just take your time and pick out what works best for your need.
