Using AR or AK as a defensive weapon - Page 2

therookie · July 21, 2002, 02:13 AM

aye to that. I'd rather be sued by Johnnie Cochran than dead...

But I still say a shotgun's the best for home defense. If 30 people are attacking my house, they're probably gonna get me no matter how much ordinance I'm packing...

And the nice cha-chunk of a 12 gauge is awfully intimidating....

---------

Yeah I believe in Gun Control.... I use both hands!

Blackhawk · July 21, 2002, 04:17 PM

If you're going to worry about getting sued and investigated after an SD need, you'd better limit yourself to a lamp or something that's in every home, maybe a chair so you can clearly worry about whether or not your estate is in order.

Otherwise, use an effective tool that you've practiced with and are competent in using.

My choice would be an AR of the two you listed, but an AK would be only a hair behind....

Hkmp5sd · July 21, 2002, 09:52 PM

Mannlicher,

Being sued is the last thing I would think of also. But anyone that prepares to use a firearm for self defense needs to be aware of what is going to happen following the incident. You should know what physical effects it will have on your mental state, what the cops are going to do when they arrive, dealing with the DA and news media, etc. You can have a successful use of deadly force and hang yourself afterward by your actions.

There is a very high probability you will be sued, no matter how obvious the need for self defense appears. The BG is going to have a family member with a lawyer that smells $$$. The current estimate is that it will cost you at least $20,000 to defend yourself in a legal shooting where you did everything correctly, unless of course, the BG has a swastika on his forehead and his birth certificate says Charles Manson.

The type of gun should not matter, but it does. My 9mm suppressed MP5 is the perfect weapon for home defense. Very accurate, lots of bullets, no noise, no recoil and no overpenetration. To actually use a machinegun in a self defense incident would be legal suicide however. Everyone would focus on the gun.

Don Gwinn · July 22, 2002, 10:22 AM

If you really think it can't possibly happen, think back to the last time you saw a gun owner crucified in the press merely for *owning* an "arsenal" with one or two guns that didn't meet the letter of the law. You think the same departments would hold back after you've just shot some poor misguided young man who had just met the girl of his dreams, begun going to church, entered a 12-step program and was beginning to turn his life around?

krept · July 23, 2002, 01:24 PM

First off, I have limited $ and made some choices that I have to live with for the time being. My primary go-to defensive weapon is my always ready cocked and locked HK USP .45 full size.

We live near a state prison. If word gets out that escapees are on the loose, the AK-47 comes out. If my family, friends or cave are threatened by bad guys and I have time, out comes the AK. SHTF in any way? AK gets the nod. If one USP magazine is emptied and a threat is still present, the other will be emptied on the way to the AK.

For the people that are already cringing... yes, the 8 - 30 round magazines are stoked with FMJs. Sure there are better choices I could have made, but this is the tool I live with when "something bigger" is needed than a pistol.

July 21, 2002, 09:52 PM	#28
Hkmp5sd Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2001 Location: Winter Haven, Florida Posts: 4,303	Mannlicher, Being sued is the last thing I would think of also. But anyone that prepares to use a firearm for self defense needs to be aware of what is going to happen following the incident. You should know what physical effects it will have on your mental state, what the cops are going to do when they arrive, dealing with the DA and news media, etc. You can have a successful use of deadly force and hang yourself afterward by your actions. There is a very high probability you will be sued, no matter how obvious the need for self defense appears. The BG is going to have a family member with a lawyer that smells $$$. The current estimate is that it will cost you at least $20,000 to defend yourself in a legal shooting where you did everything correctly, unless of course, the BG has a swastika on his forehead and his birth certificate says Charles Manson. The type of gun should not matter, but it does. My 9mm suppressed MP5 is the perfect weapon for home defense. Very accurate, lots of bullets, no noise, no recoil and no overpenetration. To actually use a machinegun in a self defense incident would be legal suicide however. Everyone would focus on the gun. __________________ NRA Certified Instructor: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Home Safety, Personal Protection, Range Safety Officer NRA Life Member

July 22, 2002, 10:22 AM	#29
Don Gwinn Staff Emeritus Join Date: March 9, 2000 Location: Virden, IL Posts: 5,917	If you really think it can't possibly happen, think back to the last time you saw a gun owner crucified in the press merely for owning an "arsenal" with one or two guns that didn't meet the letter of the law. You think the same departments would hold back after you've just shot some poor misguided young man who had just met the girl of his dreams, begun going to church, entered a 12-step program and was beginning to turn his life around? __________________ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don Gwinn: Chicago Gun Rights Examiner

July 23, 2002, 01:24 PM	#30
krept Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2000 Location: AZ Posts: 1,363	First off, I have limited $ and made some choices that I have to live with for the time being. My primary go-to defensive weapon is my always ready cocked and locked HK USP .45 full size. We live near a state prison. If word gets out that escapees are on the loose, the AK-47 comes out. If my family, friends or cave are threatened by bad guys and I have time, out comes the AK. SHTF in any way? AK gets the nod. If one USP magazine is emptied and a threat is still present, the other will be emptied on the way to the AK. For the people that are already cringing... yes, the 8 - 30 round magazines are stoked with FMJs. Sure there are better choices I could have made, but this is the tool I live with when "something bigger" is needed than a pistol. __________________ the tallest blade of grass is the first to greet the lawnmower blade

July 21, 2002, 02:13 AM	#26
therookie Member Join Date: February 15, 2002 Posts: 72	aye to that. I'd rather be sued by Johnnie Cochran than dead... But I still say a shotgun's the best for home defense. If 30 people are attacking my house, they're probably gonna get me no matter how much ordinance I'm packing... And the nice cha-chunk of a 12 gauge is awfully intimidating.... --------- Yeah I believe in Gun Control.... I use both hands!

July 21, 2002, 04:17 PM	#27
Blackhawk Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2001 Posts: 5,040	If you're going to worry about getting sued and investigated after an SD need, you'd better limit yourself to a lamp or something that's in every home, maybe a chair so you can clearly worry about whether or not your estate is in order. Otherwise, use an effective tool that you've practiced with and are competent in using. My choice would be an AR of the two you listed, but an AK would be only a hair behind....