prana,

i don't want to be in a life or death situation and get killed because i didn't realize the safety was on.

If you treat the safety as always on you won't forget. Like, even if it's off and you push the button/lever to off before you shoot it takes how long?

This is true. And the example I always give for the hummph parumph about manual safeties is the M4/Ar15. You run the safety on an AR just like you do on a 1911... rifle comes up safety comes off, rifle comes down safety goes on.

That said the safety of a gun is your mind and your finger.

i'm not interested in risking my life for this.

*DAO

lol @ Lirva's half-assed attempt to speak nadsat.

Appy polly loggies, I should have vidied it was for the gloopy ones.

Safety or no safety is like the 1911 vs Glock debate.

Its starting to almost feel like a real gun thread here.......

The real evidence will be when the M1A vs AR15 debate commences.

9 mms are horrible for home defense, there's a reason why the military got rid of them.

I would recommend taking a gun class at your local gun range. In my area they have a handgun, shotgun, and rifle familiarity classes. It's a great way to try different guns out, get comfortable with guns in general, and then allow you to feel confident enough so you can go "rent before you buy" different guns.

As far as which caliber (assuming you go pistol) is recommended for home defense, the rule of thumb is, "the largest caliber you're comfortable with and will actually take to the range often."

For most people they end up with a .40 or .45. Something like an HK USP .40 might be a perfect option for you. It's well designed, reliable, and doesn't kick bad at all because of the way it's designed/how much it weighs etc.

For home defense, my opinion:

No safety > safety if you trained/grew up/learned guns the way the army teaches you (point down range, safety off, then aim/fire)

Safety > no safety if you trained/grew up/learned guns the way the FBI teaches you (which is to flip off the safety while drawing the gun)

Overall though I think it's a TINY thing and should be one of the last considerations in choosing a firearm for home defense. Reliability and how comfortable with the gun you feel are >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> then the safety debate imo.

That's why I said "or ones that can be decocked".

You have no statistical evidence to back that up.

When did that happen? Assuming we're talking about the United States, the Beretta 9mm is still the issue sidearm. Besides, that's a stupid argument given that the military can't use hollowpoints.

Yes, but remember this is his FIRST handgun. I have a Glock myself, and I think it's an okay gun. A FIRST gun should need a little more deliberate action to make it fire than a Glock does.

I don't think it's a tiny thing at all. For a first-timer, it's the numero uno consideration, imo.

Regarding safeties, once you've been shooting for awhile, you don't even think about it. A good tool for putting artificial pressure on yourself, although not to the same degree as a real self-defense situation, is IPSC/IDPA matches. I was shooting a stage where they video'd everyone, and I got to see where during the draw that I snapped the safety off(yes, it was at the right time). I don't think about it when I'm shooting and don't even remember doing it.

It's more like lifelong gun owners vs. zombie apocalypse people imo.

I'll admit that if I really feared for my life for the majority of the day walking around town getting groceries and stuff I would probably take the safety off.

So this evening I headed out to get a six pack and was pulled over by a TX DPS trooper. Turns out my tail light was out. He asked for ID, I gave my drivers license to him, he asked where I was going, looked in the windows of my vehicle and asked questions. I answered even though they were slightly invasive("what's in the box?", etc.), because all contact I've had with DPS troopers in the past has been professional and amiable with no punitive citations issued, just warnings.

He then instructs me to have a seat in my vehicle while he checks my license, comes back and asks me if I'm carrying tonight. I informed him that I am and he tells me I'm supposed to show my CHL with my drivers license. I apologized, signed the warning, he asked where my weapon was but didn't insist on seeing my CHL and didn't freak out and slam me or anything. TX DPS are thumbs up in my book, always professional from my experience, though I've seen some video of troopers crossing WAAAY over the line.

So I come home and research the issue of showing LEO's your CHL when asked for ID. Turns out, it is the law that a CHL holder must show his CHL permit when asked for ID, but as of 2009 there is no penalty for failing to do so. This is the only law I know of that has absolutely no legal penalty for breaking. If there are others I'd like to know what they are.

My research also showed that when a CHL holder's driver's license is run by a LEO, an asterisk shows indicating there is additional information associated with the driver's license. This additional info usually pertains things like CHL holder or warrants. Kind of conflicting I suppose, but even though there's no penalty for not showing your CHL permit I figure it's definitely best to go ahead and show it to avoid pumping up the LEO anticipating a warrant arrest for those few seconds between seeing that asterisk and then reading it's just for a CHL holder.

Anyway, I'm a bit disappointed with myself for making such a slip, I take everything firearms related seriously and tend to beat myself up a bit when I make a firearms related mistake. I'm racking my brain trying to figure out if this issue was covered in my class and just can't recall it.

I think we've discussed this issue in this thread before when a poster informed a LEO he was carrying and got slammed for it. Just wanted to share my experience for the benefit of others.

I wonder if the trooper liked my hat.

I like your hat!


post moar

dafuq dat hat mean?

Look for a face with two arms sticking up.

kinda looks like a pissed off kirby

He's flippin the man the bird! eff yeah!

With that look on his face it seems like he's disappointed in all humanity in general and just flipping everyone off.

i dont understand the right parenthesis.

it's the left side of his body

oh i see it now!!

kinda lame

t(-_-t)