Self Defense in Apt Complex

[DavidR310]

So I was talking with my Dad about my plans for having my GF defend herself while I am away.

He suggested, that since she is not much of a gun lover but will use a gun, to get her a revolver and load it with 38 special snake shot.

This way if she does shoot someone and perhaps misses a few shots from the target, it won't kill the family across the way or the next unit over. It will however make enough bang to wake the neighbors and combined with any flashes, confuse and possible disorient any assailant that took several rounds in the face of snake shot out of a S&W 686 4".

What say ye Calguns?

[Blackhorse2010]

Like I told my wife: If you're going to shoot someone, make it two the thoracic cavity, and if the assailant fails to stop, one to the ocular-cranial cavity.

Period.

No shooting to wound.
No shooting to disable.
And for heaven's sake, no warning shots!

Critical Defense/Critical Duty/Zombie Max is designed to not over-penetrate, but will expand nicely in biomass.

[Librarian]

Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb - use of a firearm is 'deadly force'.

Snake shot is for serpentes, not hominidae.

[bigbearbear]

Before going into guns, you should first think of other perimeter safety precautions first. Get a monitored alarm system if your apartment complex allows it, and reinforce the door frame (again if they allow it) so that it cannot be easily kicked down with a single hit.

The firearm should be the absolute last resort. And I think a revolver or a semi-auto handgun isn't a particularly good idea. They tend to be more difficult to shoot accurately, especially if under stress and if your gf doesn't train/shoot regularly. It can also be dangerous to her, if you don't hold the revolver correctly, it can blow your fingers off.

I would say a semi-auto 20ga shotgun loaded with buckshot might be a better choice. It is also slightly more versatile since you and your gf can use it for sports shooting, something she might enjoy.

[Chaos47]

Like I told my wife: If you're going to shoot someone, make it two the thoracic cavity, and if the assailant fails to stop, one to the ocular-cranial cavity.

Period.

No shooting to wound.
No shooting to disable.
And for heaven's sake, no warning shots!

Critical Defense/Critical Duty/Zombie Max is designed to not over-penetrate, but will expand nicely in biomass.

Totally agree with the above bolded section.
Pretty much no one here would advocate bird shot in a shotgun as a serious means of defense. So why in the world would snake shot be a good idea.

Have you ever patterned snake shot?
Have you ever seen how small those pellets are?

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot30.htm

[Squidward]

Snakeshot is for snakes.. If you want to have her shooting 'shot' of some type, I recommend 'Buckshot' .

[sigstroker]

It's not even that good against snakes.

[Zane1844]

I think she would be better off with real SD ammo, along with training so that her pulling the gun wont become a liability.

[Dvrjon]

...get her a revolver and load it with 38 special snake shot.

This way if she does shoot someone and perhaps misses a few shots from the target, it won't kill the family across the way or the next unit over.

OK, so the intent of the snake shot is that, if (when) she misses the bad guy and randomly hits someone else, the person accidentally hit won't be hurt?

Why would you think the result would be different if she HITS the bad guy?

Next, if she misses "a few" times, she has three shots left. You think she can put the remaining three into the bad guy's face? He won't be standing there, waiting.

Dad taught me, " If someone deserves to be shot, he deserves to be shot good."

Self-defense ammo, frangible loads, etc. improve her survival rate.

[AreWeFree]

I concur with the other posts, snakeshot is horrible idea and a gun should be used for its intended purpose; responding to deadly force, with deadly force.

It sounds like you are concerned about over-penetration. I have read quite a bit about this over the years and evidence points to low weight, high velocity rounds as the best solution.


An ar-15 would be ideal for your gf.

[nastyhabts26]

Better than snake shot would be frangible ammo or Glazer safety slugs.

[negolien]

That's horrible idea get her pepper spray a whistle and if a gun is used you better use hollow point's or a shotgun and use it indoors only unless she has a ccw.

[baggss]

A friend of mine is an ex County Deputy Sherrif. His advice is if you have to shoot someone just keep pulling the trigger until it goes "click" and bulletts stop coming out. 1 or 2 well placed shots is pre-meditated, a whole magazine, regardless of the damage done, simply shows that you paniced and just "pointed and made it go bang" until it was empty. Better defense in court = less jail time

[corcoraj2002]

A friend of mine is an ex County Deputy Sherrif. His advice is if you have to shoot someone just keep pulling the trigger until it goes "click" and bulletts stop coming out. 1 or 2 well placed shots is pre-meditated, a whole magazine, regardless of the damage done, simply shows that you paniced and just "pointed and made it go bang" until it was empty. Better defense in court = less jail time

I would say do not follow this advise, just my $0.02 . But two well placed shots and a simple I feared for my life statement will be better than I just unloaded a magazine into them.

If you are going to shoot someone it had better be premeditated and a controlled response. I know I practice at a range so that if someone breaks in, I have a well thought out plan. Even shouting a warning and having 911 on the line when it happens.

Now, premeditated manslaughter or murder is a different issue.

[AreWeFree]

Better than snake shot would be frangible ammo or Glazer safety slugs.

FYI, frangible ammo acts just like fmj unless it hits steel or an equally hard surface.