>Could you elaborate on this?<

Sure thing, Jaffo.

In the first place, the typical homeowner does not want to shoot anybody. He just want's 'em gone. That's key to the whole thing.

In the second place, the typical homeowner wants to live in Hollywood rather than the real world. He/she is not going to take the time to become proficient with a handgun. And they do not realize that the first thing you lose, in a high-stress situation, is your small motor control.

So, instead of becoming Bruce Willis, blazing away with a pair of side-ways held autos (talk about a joke), they're left there fumbling around, trying to find the safety on that expensive Glock, while their hands shake and the sweat runs down into their eyes. Meanwhile the bad guy, who has no compunction about using it, is likely to take the gun away from them.

For the typical homeowner the best approach is this: Go down to the pawn shop and buy the cheapest operating pump shotgun on the shelf. Cut the barrel off even with the magazine tube. Load the gun, and store it under your bed in a combat-safe position.

If there is somebody in the house who doesn't belong there, I guarantee one thing. If that person has never been near a shotgun in his life, but it's the middle of the night, and he's where he doesn't belong, and you jack a round home---he's gone. No ifs, ands, or buts. And if you have to shoot it, even if you miss, the bad guy then knows for sure that you're serious, and is gone.

My house is a little different. Here we have a simple rule: Intruders found here at night will be found here in the morning. You cannot stand anywhere in my house and reach without encountering a loaded handgun. But nobody said my house was typical.

I suppose that could be right, but I don't know if I would lump 99% of people into that category. My problem with your solution is that well, in my state anyway, sawed off shotguns are illegal. The barrel must be a minimum of 18 inches.

I will agree with you though, that unless you have been completely trained on the use of a handgun, chances are you will do more damage to an intruder throwing it at them rather than shooting them.

I usually keep my .357 revolver in my nightstand without a trigger lock. Sorry, but I have a hard enough time opening that thing up adrenaline free, much less if someone is breaking into the house. When I was a child, my father did the same thing and we all new better than to even think about touching that and my kids are no different.

If I am going to be away from the house, i.e. leaving a babysitter to watch the kids, then I lock it in my safe with the rest of my weapons.

This is probably not a good idea for everybody. Everybody meaning the people I see at the supermarket who cannot control their children as they run around, grab stuff, or cry over and over "but I waaaaant it". In order to to do what I do safely means you have to invest the time and effort into disciplining your children and making sure they know the rules unequivocally. In other words, I trust the work I have done with (or "on") my family more than I do a gun lock. Those parents who feel that paying the $50 for a good lock is better than training their kids, either have dull witted children, or have forgotten how resourceful they can be otherwise they would know any determined child can get past a tiny lock.

I'm not lumping everybody into any categories, Jaffo. I try to never do that.

I'm talking about the percentages of actual clients, who paid me big bucks to help them design effective home defense systems, or people who made inquiries but couldn't get through the Hollywood syndrome.

A lot of people misunderstand what a home defense consultant does. My job isn't to decide which handgun you need. It's to decide whether you need one in the first place. But an incredible number of people think it's the former.

FWIW, according to the GCA (Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended), legal shotguns must have barrels with a minimum length of 18 1/4 inches. 18 inches is a colloquial figure, but is technically incorrect.

But what do I care? It's not like you're going to be carrying the thing around with you. We're talking about a home-defense weapon.

And, if you do use it on a low-life, the least of your immediate concerns will be possessing an illegal shotgun. Trust me, even though you are in the right, you will be put through a judicial wringer.

Anyone who even contemplates a home defense weapon needs to first become thoroughly conversant with the "in gravest extreme" legal concept, and how that applies. Basically, it's the determining factor in when lethal force is justified. It saddens me that many law enforcement officials do not understand it, and you can get an awful lot of bad advice from the local police chief.

Let's face it -

Is this America?

The America I grew up living in is long gone.

These morons want to interpret everything "their" way and they stretch, pull, pinch and tweak their way through it all.

Take a real good look at our country.

Look where we came from - where our parents and grand parents came from. What they did in fighting wars and sacrificing for this country. Believing in the words of our country's forefathers.

Look at where we are today.

Look around you.

Would you say things are different?

I haven't found ONE politician in the whole 50 states that I care for. Not one. Not in any level of government.

Yeah - we're free - free to do as we please and get away with it - that is where we are going. Not a good road.

Don't get me wrong - there are good people out there - and there are bad. As the good people get the short end of the stick in one way or another they turn bad for whatever reasons.

I dread the future for our young ones.

ME TOO!
BUT I HOPE FOR THE BEST! (NEVER FORGET: FAITH-HOPE & LOVE)