O/T Violence close to home

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So the wife and I bought a house in the very outskirts of Columbus. We are technically in Columbus, but have a "Canal Winchester" city name. We've been here since married, just about 1.5 years now.


We never hear any sirens around here because there is only one way in and out, and unless someone back here calls, we don't hear them go past on the main drag.

Anyway, last night I heard sirens, even commented to the wife about how we never hear them around here.

So my wife's friend sends her a message on facebook about how there was a murder in our neighborhood last night!

Some dude was shot in his garage and died!

WTF

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/lo...us-southeast-side-fatal-shooting.html?sid=102

So now I am pissed and living on the edge. I think it was drug related since the left the girlfriend alone, and didn't rob or steal, but it was the next street over. How can I not be a little uneasy.

No way I can sell the house and move... What shall I do?

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be safe anywhere anymore. I live out in the country now but when we were building this house, we had two guys just walk in one morning. When confronted they said they had a carpet delivery (yea, right... ceiling not up in half the house, wires sticking out of the ceiling and walls, etc... deff NOT ready for carpet). The one guy got nervous, poked his buddy and they hurried out the door and took off in a van. We got off lucky, since then there's always been a weapon close by.

"In God we Trust. All others keep your hands where I can see 'em!" ~Unknown.

A 12 gauge makes for an excellent defense gun. Especially a pump. I doubt there is anyone in the world that doesn't know what the sound of a 12 gauge racking one in the chamber sounds like. And with a short barrel/open choke and the right ammo, at close range it WILL saw someone in half. And if you're looking at the business end, it'll look big enough to park a semi in with room to spare. You can load your own ammo or purchase it, there is a growing number of companies producing low-velocity rounds. I would tend to avoid the less-than-lethal rounds, but at close range they can be deadly too. (If you injure someone in your house, even if they broke in, they can sue you for it... such is our society. But as the saying goes... dead men tell no tales...).

A pistol can be quite effective as well. I would not consider anything smaller than a .380 for self defense, and even a .380 I'd class as a back-up piece. The larger the chunk of lead, the faster they're going down. A .45 acp is rated somewhere around 95-99% for a one-shot stopper. The downside is that not everyone is comfortable handling one of those. For most calibers, there is a growing selection of defense rounds designed for minimum penetration that you can get too, ones that disintegrate when they hit a solid object. They'll make an ugly wound, but if you hit a wall, it'll at the most just spray a bit of sheetrock and debris into the next room.

Any pistol caliber can also be handloaded for lower velocities. It's not that expensive to do.

I'd also take the wife/girlfriend/significant other (I'm generalizing for the sake of everyone else reading this) out to the range and get her comfortable shooting a gun. I wouldn't expect her to go clearing a house, but it will be better if she is comfortable using one if the need to would ever arise. Get her a gun too. And anymore I'd seriously consider both of you getting a carry permit if it's offered in your state. Carry religiously, get so used to it that you feel naked if you walk out the door without it, you'll be less likely to forget it at home then. The only catch is: if you're afraid to use the gun, you shouldn't carry it, the last thing you want to do is get shot with your own gun.

I have a 12 gauge that I use for home protection/trap shoots. My buddy has 410's for protection. He also has a .22 on his side all the time. He used to carry a .38 until more and more people started moving in. The houses are really close together (lots of kids, too) so he downsized to the .22.

IMHO, he'd be better off with the .38 and frangible defense rounds. Contrary to popular belief, the .22 ricochets easier than other calibers and carries a surprising amount of penetrating power. IIRC, your standard .22 can punch through over six 1" pine boards, even the all lead tipped ones. In other words, it has plenty of penetrating power to punch through say a house that has an exterior wall covered in siding and injure someone inside. A .38 with an all lead wadcutter might have a tough time topping that, the larger, softer bullet will lose a lot more velocity punching through something.

I remember years ago someone explaining why we never used sandbags when the West was being won against the Indians. He then took a bow and put an arrow right through a 5-gallon bucket filled with sand. Then he took a .44 and standing about five feet away from the bucket, fired into it. The pistol never came close to making it through the sand, despite being a "big, powerful handgun."

 

[User Name missing]

I wouldn't worry about it TOO much. For safe of mind, throw up some security lights, maybe a security system. But most likely, if you leave everyone else alone, they won't mess with you. I used to live on Elmwood in Newark. Now thats a bad neighborhood! But for the most part, no one bothers u if you don't bother them. The occasional vandalism, mostly just fireworks in the yard & other ppls trash. But a security light helped alot. The last straw was when someone fired a revolver outside our house at 11pm+.

 

[PaleBlue90]

i keep my single shot 20 gauge with rounds next to my bed. i also keep my semi auto benelli next to my bed. i only had to use the 20 once. was out at a buddys, his door lock got busted, and his moms crazy ex bf kept walking by. well at 2 am the bastage trys to sneak in only to find my barrell at his neck. i escorted him out of the house and told him he wouldnt be so lucky next time. never saw him again

 

[mjonesjr]

Arm yourself to protect your family and property. Teach your wife how to use the weapon properly.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

Arm yourself to protect your family and property. Teach your wife how to use the weapon properly.

She should be part of your plan to protect your home and you should have a plan.

Teach her how to use your weapon of choice and what to do while you are using it.It could be as simple as ....I get the shotgun,You stay BEHIND me and grab the phone.

A good start....
Auto outside lights
lock your Storm door (if you have one) as well as your main door.The more noise they make getting in the more time you have to react.
A simple alarm system.

It sounds like the person knew the shooter in this case.

JMO

 

[Jspafford]

If you read the comments left after the story in the link posted, it sounds like it was a drug related murder. Some of the posters make it sound like he was dealing something and owed money to someone.

I don't know why someone would post it just for fun, since it seems pretty specific. But, I still think I will start shopping for a weapon.

 

[bmonee5]

this same thing happened to me only a two drugsters got in a heated argument and one guy got shot with a shotgun and nobody died. Now i have a 44 in my bedside drawer and a 7 mag in the living room just incase. I know nothing will ever happen to me but you can never truly know all you can do is prepare.

 

[mn_smokeater]

If you read the comments left after the story in the link posted, it sounds like it was a drug related murder. Some of the posters make it sound like he was dealing something and owed money to someone.

I don't know why someone would post it just for fun, since it seems pretty specific. But, I still think I will start shopping for a weapon.

as alot of the guys here have said i must say you cannot go wrong with a good 12Ga shotgun as a HD gun. my primary HD gun is an remington 870 with 3 rounds of 00 Buck and 2 rounds of #4 Buck.
heres some reading on shotguns and walls http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3.htm

handguns i use my .45ACP. its a good manstopper with the right rounds.

 

[eric17mx]

Buy a saiga 12, she will never do you wrong, classicarms.us is awesome! Seriously a no bullshit semi auto 12 gauge based on the ak47, best for home defense, btw 20 round drums are selling for 120 now

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

Recommendations?

Any good handgun will work. Just get frangible rounds. They break up into powder on impact with hard surfaces (wallboard, wood, etc) but will still inflict damage on tissue.

 

[eric17mx]

If your getting handgun and never reallY shoot much and just want something simple id get a revolver in 357 mag, definatly a one shot drop on that. I wouldnt worry about collateral with a handgun to much unless your neighbors are 5ft away, shotgun is best thought just point and shoot you wont even have to aim.

 

[mn_smokeater]

Any good handgun will work. Just get frangible rounds. They break up into powder on impact with hard surfaces (wallboard, wood, etc) but will still inflict damage on tissue.

just did a quick hunt and seems its semi scarce at least in .45acp
heres what i found after a quick browsing round though
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=312532

this is my current HD round:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=189089

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

just did a quick hunt and seems its semi scarce at least in .45acp
heres what i found after a quick browsing round though
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=312532

this is my current HD round:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=189089

He doesn't need a .45. He'll want something the missus can drop the hammer on without ripping an arm out of her. I have a S&W Sigma in .40, and there's almost NO kick. And frangible rounds are plentiful for it. Bought a box at Gander Mountain for ~ $40.

I like Federal Hydra-Shok rounds, myself. Have the Mak loaded with them.

 

[mn_smokeater]

He doesn't need a .45. He'll want something the missus can drop the hammer on without ripping an arm out of her. I have a S&W Sigma in .40, and there's almost NO kick. And frangible rounds are plentiful for it. Bought a box at Gander Mountain for ~ $40.

I like Federal Hydra-Shok rounds, myself. Have the Mak loaded with them.

true i had forgot that the missus would use it as well. the .40 is a great round.

on the missus note...what about a wheel gun a good DA/SA one is pretty dang simple to operate under stress and iv heard in most cases its all over in under 4-5 shots. say something like this?
http://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=G770130

 

[turtle3.0]

A 12 gauge makes for an excellent defense gun. Especially a pump. I doubt there is anyone in the world that doesn't know what the sound of a 12 gauge racking one in the chamber sounds like.

I cannot agree more. CH CH

(If you injure someone in your house, even if they broke in, they can sue you for it... such is our society. But as the saying goes... dead men tell no tales...).

Unfortunatuly the scums "next of kin" can then sue you. I read a story somewhere a while back where a crackhead broke into some college kids place. All the kid had was one of those samari swords that hangs on the wall for "decoration". If I remember correctly he decapitated the intruder. The kid then got sued by the crackheads family and of course they won. Gotta love the American legal system. 100 years ago, if you were in another man's house and he caught you, your were dead PERIOD. Now I guess you have to ask an intruder nicely to leave your house.