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Need advise on guns

iMillJoe

Hot Rolled
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Location
St. Louis
The recent events in Ferguson and my proximity to them have left thinking I need a gun. I'm not a gun ho carry one with me at all times kind of guy, but I just might sleep a little better if I had one near by at the moment.

I have 20 gage ammo, for my (dads) bunny hunting gun I used when I was a kid, and I have trained with M-16's in the military. I am however not very qualified to select a home defense weapon.

If I should buy anything what would be best? A pistol, even though I've never shot one, or a 20 gauge, like the one I used as a kid?

I also don't know Missouri gun laws AT ALL, If I get a 20 gauge, do I need to leave a plug in it, even though I'll likely never use it to hunt?
 
For someone of your experience level, a revolver in 38spl fits the bill. A s&w 642 is a compact 5 shot gun that will give you no problems
 
Really just depends. Go to a Range tell them you want home defense gun. They will make suggestions for your given budget. Most of the ranges around here you "rent" any gun they have if you buy ammo

Get it either Pistol or Shotgun and practice with them. Shooting, Reloading, Clearing Jams etc
 
A revolver would prolly be best for home defense for people who never plan on shooting a firearm on a regular basis...it's a point and shoot with no safety or chambering a round to worry about.

Since you all ready have a 20 gauge I wouldn't run out and buy anything else that will most likely never get shot.

A shot fired from a shotgun by a scared as shit dude with somebody in their house is much less likely to miss.
Also a hit from a 20 gauge even with bird shot at distances one would shoot in a house is a no joke kill a man dead kinda thing.
 
For someone of your experience level, a revolver in 38spl fits the bill. A s&w 642 is a compact 5 shot gun that will give you no problems

What do those cost? Whats a 20 gauge cost for that matter? Where do I buy from? I'm not a gun enthusiast, google doesn't seem to give me good answers.
 
A revolver would prolly be best for home defense for people who never plan on shooting a firearm on a regular basis...it's a point and shoot with no safety or chambering a round to worry about.

Since you all ready have a 20 gauge I wouldn't run out and buy anything else that will most likely never get shot.

A shot fired from a shotgun by a scared as shit dude with somebody in their house is much less likely to miss.
Also a hit from a 20 gauge even with bird shot at distances one would shoot in a house is a no joke kill a man dead kinda thing.


I don't have a 20 gauge, My dad bought one for me to use when I was a kid, he sold all his guns when Lisa Madigan started suing the Illinois State police for the names of every one who held a FOID card.

In my house a 20 gauge will do the job from the longest distance possible, even with bird shot. I lean towards it because I've used one. A hand gun however is portable and concealable, should a defensive weapon even been wanted outside the home.
 
A shotgun of any gauge can be picked up for less than $300 for a decent one.
Do a little shopping around and you might even find one that's semi auto for that price range.

Now that I think about it I get a sense that your more worried about what happens while your out and about than in your home.
 
Go to WallyWorld and purchase a Mossberg 500 in 20 guage. Pick up a few boxes of 20 guage #6 shot shells. Take it to the range and shoot it until you are comfortable with it. Read the instructions. The shotgun will cost $250-$300. The ammo about eight dollars a box.
 
There is a book called something like "gun laws of all 50 states" which is not a bad place to start. Gunlaws for the 50 States

Very conventional advise for shotguns is 12gauge (but 20 will do) with 00 buck or larger.

There is a lot of noise about this topic, here's my pretty simple take: "have a gun that works, that you know how to use, then minimize exposure to conditions where you would need to use it"
 
Go to WallyWorld and purchase a Mossberg 500 in 20 guage. Pick up a few boxes of 20 guage #6 shot shells. Take it to the range and shoot it until you are comfortable with it. Read the instructions. The shotgun will cost $250-$300. The ammo about eight dollars a box.

Practice a LOT with bird shot but when it count's you had better have #1 or #2 buckshot in it for home defense, bird shot will just pi$$ off someone unless your at 0 range. For close quarters work I prefer a double stack 9mm like my Springfield XD 9 service model, 17 rd's to get something done!!
 
A 20 ga. with #8 birdshot will pit a 20 ga. hole through 3/4 inch pine lumber and a layer or two of shingles at a distance of about 4 feet as my uncle found out years ago. Luckily, the muzzle was above all his grandkids heads.

I would recommend #4 shot.
 
12 ga shorty shotgun in the house. I have 7.5# bird shot loads for the first two then #4 loads after that. Shot gun is the go to for home defense for me. What ever you buy, be familiar with it. If that 20 gauge ammo is old do you really want to trust your safety to that?
 
I'm sitting here in Brentwood a few miles south of Ferguson and my shop is in Webster Groves. My home defense weapon is a Belgian Browning 12 ga superposed with a couple of extra shells in an elastic band, max load triple Bs. At a range where anyone is much of a threat, they will do a lot more than upset him. Since I have nothing against my neighbors, I don't favor large buckshot with its longer range. Having owned and shot handguns for over 60 years, my opinion is that you can do some powerful missing with one until you have in a lot of practice.

In Missouri you can buy a long gun with a simple background check. I haven't bought a handgun in so long that I am not familiar with the present regulations re purchase, but I know that you can get a concealed carry permit after a background check, a note from your sheriff, and passing a course. Bullseye Range on Manchester a bit west of Kingshighway has one, I think for $125 with the firearm and ammunition included. In fact, they will not allow you to use your own. The course is divided between classroom, written test, and practical shooting.

Naturally I am watching the events in Ferguson closely.

Bill
 
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Many years ago Richard Ramirez was on the loose in this area & my wife thought we should get a gun. We bought a short barrel 12 gauge. It was never taken out of the box & the shells were misplaced shortly after purchase. On the upside, my neighbor tells me that Winchester quit making shotguns a long time ago so mine may have some collectible value. I never did find that box of shells.
 
Many years ago Richard Ramirez was on the loose in this area & my wife thought we should get a gun. We bought a short barrel 12 gauge. It was never taken out of the box & the shells were misplaced shortly after purchase.

So, what good is a gun in a box with misplaced shells if the Night Stalker came a creeping?
 
First of all, you have experience with shotguns and AR pattern guns in your past. You are going to want one of those. A pistol requires a lot of practice, like 5-6 days a month, 500rds a trip, with a mentor, for at least 6 months, practice. And that still might not be enough for most.
Shotguns are good, get a pump action Mossburg 500 or Remington 870, learn to load it and shoot it, then go to the range twice a month to practice for a few months. I say pump action because they are super simple and very reliable. Some #4 or #3 shot would likely be good enough for defense, but BB would be my choice. I have seen what it can do to a coyote at 25yds, and people are no tougher than a yote.
An AR is not a bad home defense gun, but it is expensive (compared to a shotgun) and requires a bit more forethought with regards to ammo and safe directions of fire. Frangible ammo would make it safe for your neighbors and family, like the Barnes varmint grenade and MPG bullets. But they are moderately expensive, and you would still need to practice.

Best bet, is to go into the local sporting goods store/ gun shop, tell the guy behind the counter what you want to do, and have him show you the guns and see what feels best for you. You don't have to be a "gun guy" to own a gun or to enjoy them. They are a tool, like a hammer, and actually kill less people every year than hammers do.
 
One thing I would not suggest is to buy a "home defense" type shotgun. If you ever have to use it you may face a jury who could be convinced that you bought that scary "assault shotgun" looking for trouble.

First find out the laws in your state. Most states have gun owner associations that fight bad legislation. Look at my location; we in Massachusetts are very familiar with bad firearms law. We finally got some changes made to some terrible legislation that was enacted in 1998.

PS: If cost is an issue used firearms are often cheaper, especially the larger old .38 specials that were trade-ins by new semi-auto buyers. Once you satisfy the legal requirements you can start checking out gun shops.
 








 
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