Why low capacity for home defense?

[Diamondback]

Also true, amigo. Hell, I still beat myself up over four friends with badges who were there in The Ex and I's time of need but when theirs came and a fifth gun and an eye watching their backs might have mitigated or prevented their massacre I wasn't there... (November 29, 2009. Mark, Ron, Tina, Greg, know that you are not forgotten down here.)

"All skill is in vain when an angel decides to take a piss in the flintlock of your musket."--Clint Smith

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I've always like that old quote...I engraved it on the first powder horn that I sold...
Andy

 

[OldBroad44]

Once in Marshalltown, IA, in 1993. Girlfriend was at a laundramat when a group of young hispanic men wouldn't let her leave. I showed up and tried to walk her out, and they blocked my path. So I told her to wait and I went out to my pickup parked out front, retrieved my Ruger P90 .45, and walked back in gun in hand and they scurried out the door. Got my concealed carry permit a few months later.

Then another time I was doing census work in Idaho in 2000 in a little white trash town called Onaway. Pulled over next to a driveway on a gravel road to look at the map and a guy came running out of his garage screaming and cussing at me about being on his property. Came running up to my rolled down window reaching into his jacket. I drew my Glock 22 and leveled it at him and he stopped abruptly, and started backing up saying he was calling the cops. I took off and never heard anything about it again.

Many other times I've had to have my gun out and ready while driving in Arizona when someone road raged me.

Oh, and one time in `93, I was driving from Iowa to Idaho in my `70 Torino GT musclecar on a secondary highway going from Montana to Wyoming, deep on the rez, trying to take a shortcut on Highway 212.

I had to take a leak, so I pulled over on a dirt road that went up a small hillside with a bunch of switchbacks. Drove up far enough to find a turn around spot and some trees. Turned around and stopped, and while I was doing my business, I saw an old yellow Ford F150 pull off the road and pull across the dirt road, blocking my exit.

They were only maybe 300yds away and I could see them clearly and they could see me. They just sat there in their pickup watching me and presumably waiting for me to come back down so they could do God knows what.

I decided that was a good time to do some target practice, so I got out an empty pop can and set it up on the hillside. Got out that Ruger P90, and proceeded to fire a couple of shots knocking the can around. They promptly started up their pickup and took off.

Probably a couple of other incidents I don't recall right now, but I will never be without a firearm at home or out in public.

Re the 2 guys that used their pickup to block you from leaving and your "ignoring" them and just having a little target shooting session-- Brilliant! Not approaching, confronting, or menacing, in spite of having the gun handy right in your hand and blatantly displayed. My hat off to you, PNWguy. I'm going to remember that one.

 

[bbbass]

My use of the term for self defense is a bit over the top as I don't think that many folks will indeed shoot that way...
But may main point remains accurate fire is more important than the volume of fire , or the capability of the volume of fire...

I agree. Mr John keeps repeating that the guy that gets the first round into flesh usually wins the day. The old timey gunfighters thought the same way. Accuracy beat quick draw.

@bbbass
"Suppressive Fire" can be small arms...rifles , machine guns etc...it is used to keep the enemy's head down , their returning fire inaccurate etc...

I know. Twas just having a bit of fun! Always enjoyed the war movies or books when the Sarge or Looey called for "suppressive fire". Made me kinda wonder when the "suppressives" were going to step up to the firing line and get involved! --------- Not really.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I know. Twas just having a bit of fun! Always enjoyed the war movies or books when the Sarge or Looey called for "suppressive fire". Made me kinda wonder when the "suppressives" were going to step up to the firing line and get involved! --------- Not really.

Ah...the dangers of electronic communication...Good thing I didn't think you were asking about :
"Suppository Fire"...
Andy

 

[Pete F]

@bbbass
"Suppressive Fire" can be small arms...rifles , machine guns etc...it is used to keep the enemy's head down , their returning fire inaccurate etc...

My use of the term for self defense is a bit over the top as I don't think that many folks will indeed shoot that way...
But may main point remains accurate fire is more important than the volume of fire , or the capability of the volume of fire...
Andy

I was assuming that @bbbass was kidding with the carpet bombing as suppressive fire. It is also a lot harder to do successful suppressive fire with a semiautomatic than with a fully automatic. I prefer accurate directed fire over volume also, but a few shots over their heads doesn't hurt. (a little late with my reply)

 

[bbbass]

Ah...the dangers of electronic communication...Good thing I didn't think you were asking about :
"Suppository Fire"...
Andy

Been there, done that! There was this time... never mind.

 

[surevaliance]

1911 with extended magazine: "I am a high-capacity"
Glock 26 with standard magazine: "What do you mean?"
SP 101: "You both, shut up!"

 

[alv7722]

Was on another forum and guys were talking about their nightstand guns and most of them had 1911s or revolvers.

I have a S&W M&P40 full-size with a weapon light and 15-rds of .40 S&W ammo. The next gun I get to is an Extar EP-9 with 33-rounds of ammo and a weapon light.

My thinking is that this is my castle and my fortress. I am not limited to size or capacity, like when I carry in public, when responding to threats or attacks against my home, so why not have my highest capacity firearms handy?

Just wondering if anyone here has chosen a low capacity firearm as their home defense weapon and why. Guys in the other thread were all seniors and used what they were most comfortable with, which I can respect.

We are still America!! We should choose whatever we damn please!! I occasionally like to travel to the Oregon coast. To get there, I must go through 30 miles of California. So I carry a Glock 30. It is also my nightstand gun. For outside business, I like my LR-308, though I am becoming partial to my 45-70 lever gun, with a red dot sight. My ultimate concern is stopping threats wearing body armor. There is no wrong choice!! IMO.

 

[OldBroad44]

Defensive Gun Use Tally by members participating in this thread. Civilian DGUes only. Home invasions or attempted home invasions tallied separately from other DGUes. Only includes situations in which the NWFA member or his house were present and involved.

Home invasions or attempted home invasions: Total 14.
3 Diamondback
2 each: AndyinEverson, Wombat of Doom, OldBroad44
1 each: PNWguy, leadcounsel, Pete F, DB Wesner, 2A2Dend

Other Defensive Gun Uses: 10
3 each: PNWguy, OldBroad44
1 each: Wombat of Doom, EPS, aksu745, 2A2Dend

Total civilian Defensive Gun Uses among people participating in this thread--24.
Total number of shots fired--0. In all cases the bad guys ceased the attack and departed when presented with the gun.

It's interesting that half or more of the DGUes were home invasions.

 

[Diamondback]

OB44, would you say my In The Line does or doesn't count toward DGU? I may not have drawn but the armpit bulge from the hardware was clearly visible.

 

[OldBroad44]

OB44, would you say my In The Line does or doesn't count toward DGU? I may not have drawn but the armpit bulge from the hardware was clearly visible.

Tell me the incident again. I may have missed it.

If you were actually working in armed Security protecting a client I didn't count it. In this tally I was after totally civilian DGUes. I counted it if the bad guy's becoming aware of your gun is what stops an attack. You don't necessarily have to draw the gun. Some people just put their hand on it. I would not count it if you were just guessing there would have been an attack, though. So only the cases where the bad guy starts an attack and then withdraws when they are presented with a gun get counted. So DGUes are obviously undercounted. Sometimes bad guy becomes aware of gun before his bad intentions are clear. If you are carrying openly, for example, that might have prevented an attack, but we wouldn't usually know it.

 

[Diamondback]

Private Executive Protection, standing between a young lady on my college's staff and her stalker ex. (Kinda blurry; not long after that, it may not have exactly been professional but we got personally involved too.) Dirtbag knew I had the hardware, and while attack wasn't actively underway I believed it to be imminent.

 

[OldBroad44]

Private Executive Protection, standing between a young lady on my college's staff and her stalker ex. (Kinda blurry; not long after that, it may not have exactly been professional but we got personally involved too.) Dirtbag knew I had the hardware, and while attack wasn't actively underway I believed it to be imminent.

If stalker known to be after your protectee shows up, I agree some form of attack was likely. I didn't count it because your profession was to put yourself in such situations. I think it was an attack prevented by your presence as armed security, but not a civilian situation.

 

[gmerkt]

Me, 12 gauge Rem. 870 with riot barrel. Hidden, not locked up, inaccessible to grandchildren. I have my opinions about likely need for home protection, no sense in beating the topic to death here further. Guns are kinda like padlocks. In many cases, they keep people honest. I like having the option, realize the dangers of having to use one. Agree that it's a dangerous world out there. One time when three white tee shirt wearing gentlemen tried to waylay me, I sorely wished I had one with me. I was able to surprise and outsmart them but it was a close thing. I've never again nor ever will go into an Interstate highway roadside rest room without one, regardless of carry laws.

 

[washagonian]

Great thread. Caught myself LOL a couple of times and nodding in agreement a bunch of other times.

In response to OP:

Nightstand: Glock 19 with G17 Mag with +2 OEM extension (19 +1)
Carry: Glock 26 with +2 OEM extension (12+1)

My opinion (your mileage may vary), after looking into human psychology and firearms combat, is that I need to train and develop ONE SET of ingrained muscle memories for the two weapons that I've chosen to have available if forced into a self-defense situation. Fine motor skills go out the window under the stress of a life-threatening situation, as does cognitive functioning. I love shooting other platforms, but will stay with the same weapon platform for defensive use. Also, I agree with several other posters about mag capacity - you're at home so there's no reason not to have a large capacity magazine for your weapon of choice (spouse / signifiant other not withstanding). You can never have too much ammo.

 

[H2O MAN]

Why low capacity for home defense?

I can't think of a valid reason to go low capacity.