this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2024
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Okay so I am going to tell you something unpopular but true. A gun will not make you safer. If you truly just want home defence options there are other better things than a gun. Home defense is a close quarters encounter a gun is a range weapon. Unless you are very well trained, a gun will not be your best option and seriously well trained not just Gravy SEAL trained.
If you still decide to get a home defense gun. You don't need a lot of shit hanging off it or something fancy. Truly the best defense hand gun is a 4in DAO 38 special. But they are just not cool enough so people always have to get something fancy. A revolver is more reliable, needs less cleaning and can cycle a misfire. Getting in DAO will mean every trigger pull has the same feel every time.
Things you don't need is really anything hanging off your gun. Red dots, lights, lasers, ect are pretty useless. You're better off spending time and money learning how to point shoot. I get it is fun to accessorize. Everyone wants Barbie's Dream House. If that is what you want for it, have fun. But if you truly want a home defense gun. Do it the right way not the Gravy SEAL way.
Also please know that in home defense you are much more likely to shoot a loved one or be killed with your own gun then to successfully defend your home. Learning unarmed combat is safer and likely to serve you better.
They are planning on using a pistol for home defense, not a scoped rifle. Most defensive encounters with a pistol are likely not going to be at great distances to begin with, and even if someone was expertly trained in unarmed combat if the option exists to not have to get close that would still be preferable. It's also harder to retreat while grappling with an intruder than being able to engage from across a room.
For a self/home defense gun you shouldn't slack on cleaning regardless of its type. But also the vast majority of modern striker fired pistols are exceptionally reliable and generally don't need any/excessive cleaning.
If you train to use them under pressure and they demonstrably help with getting on target they aren't useless. A light in particular can be very helpful if you might have trouble identifying your target (see also: don't shoot your loved ones). It's certainly easy to overdo it, and ideally you don't want to rely on additional accessories, but still far from "useless".
While it's possible that's true (a lot of gun use stats can be tricky to accurately measure), do you even know if this poster lives with or even around other people?
No reason not to learn unarmed combat if you're able and willing - it can only help. I don't think it's always going to be safer in every life or death situation though. Suppose a person lives alone in an area with a cartel known for doing home invasions with a group - in that scenario they're probably going to be killed if using a pistol (or rifle, or shotgun etc.) but they will definitely be killed with just their fists.