The 2nd amendment diary – Day one
After a great deal of introspection, I’ve decided to get a handgun. To be honest, I came very close four years ago right after 9/11. But the lawlessness in New Orleans sealed the deal: I’m not going to outsource my family’s safety to shoe-shopping police officers. To recycle a cliché: I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
So today I stepped into the local “sports” shop, the same one I passed for years without giving it a second thought. Right inside the door was a long line of shotguns and rifles, which brought back memories of my younger days when my old man took me skeet shooting on my uncle’s land in Sussex County, New Jersey. Not to brag, but I was a pretty good shot and bagged my first pheasant when I was 16 or so. More proud than I was, the old man had it stuffed and mounted in my bedroom (a rather strange conversation piece for a teenager in suburban New Jersey).
Anyway, I wasn’t sure what the whole process of obtaining a gun in Massachusetts would entail so I struck up a conversation with a clerk at the store. An affable codger, he informed me (with, I thought, a little irritation at my naiveté) that I would have to go to the police station and sign up for a safety course before I could get a gun permit and come back when you have it.
OK…so I headed over to the police station. A woman behind bulletproof glass told me that the next class was October 1st and that I should hurry and sign up because spaces are limited. Already I was getting the unmistakable impression that getting a handgun in Massachusetts would be both laborious and expensive. Here’s the cost I’ve added up in my head so far:
Basic safety course - $80
Firearm identification card & license to carry - $100
Photo ID for LTC - $5
9mm Smith and Wesson - $300-$400
So in my mind, I’m already a half-grand in the hole without even counting ammunition, range time, and assorted other fees. Plus, it will be a month before I can take the course to even touch a gun. But I’m going to keep this ball rolling. I’ve already told the wife that I’m going to put the gun in a lockbox and plaster the box behind a wall in the basement. I may need a sledgehammer when a crisis hits, but at least I’ll be prepared.
Next installment of the 2nd amendment diary: October 1st (maybe)
16 comments:
Eric:
I know you're going to get about a bazillion responses to this, but I thought I'd add in my $.02.
Have you thought about possibly purchasing a shotgun instead? Handguns are generally ideal for home defense, but if defending your home is really what you're after... well, you really can't go wrong with having a 12-ga. hanging around.
It's good that you're taking a safety course, considering the type of handgun you're considering. The care and maintenance -- not to mention the use -- of a auto loading pistol is something of a science if you want to do it right. They're complex to operate (when it comes to handguns, anyway) in situations that aren't ideal. Low lighting, when you've just woken up, etc. They're also more susceptible to jams and malfunctions, and that's why I chose a Ruger SP-101 for a "defense" firearm. (Another added bonus of having the Ruger is that I can take a box of .38 ammo with me to practice, but load the much better .357 cartridge when I'm keeping it at home.)
When it comes to the safe-keeping of your firearm in the home, it sounds like you're right on the money, what with having younger children at home. I don't know their ages, but have you considered introducing them to shooting? A couple of nice .22 rifles would be perfect for them, and would make the best training tool to get the youngsters off on the right foot if you're going to be keeping a firearm around the house from now on.
One thing I can't imagine, however, is how difficult it must be to find a place to go shooting in Massachusetts. ;)
Eric, if you are preparing for a "doomsday" scenerio, you need to make sure your wife know how to handle the firearm as well! I would recommend that she herself takes the class as well, and she should come along with you to the range!
I was going to add my two cents, but Ryne did it for me.
Just one point to add - they sell wall-mounted, locking steel holders for shotguns that are rock-solid safe - similar to what cops use to secure their weapons in their cars. Long guns can be stored with absolute safety, if this is your concern.
Ryne et.al. - You know, you make a good point. For some reason, I just never considered getting a shotgun even though it would fit into my main purpose. I've had this fixed vision of getting a handgun, shooting a couple rounds at the range for practice, then drywalling it away to keep it away from my kids (who are both in single-digit ages).
As Bill Jordan said "If you have your choice of what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun... and a friend with a long gun."
I would recommend that every sane man on the planet have a rifle, shotgun and pistol and know how to use them.
Distance is your friend in a confrontation and a rifle can keep people at a distance. Rifles can also hold from ten to forty or even more rounds, so less reloading.
Your idea of plastering the firearm in the basement wall is terrible. When you need a firearm you normally need it NOW! At most I would suggest a combination or biometric lock box in the bed room and that only if you have small children.
I would welcome you over at gunsnet.net / ak-47.net where I am a moderator (of the H&K91/G3/CETME battle rifle forum). It is the largest firearms forum on the web.
Couldn't agree more with Ryne. Shotgun is the way to go. It has the highest ease of use, and is the most accurate in a stress situation. Also, a No 8 to the abdomen will pretty much make sure anyone you shoot won't spend the next 20 years in jail thinking about how to sue you. A short barrell Benelli Mausburg or Remmington Model 870 is the way to go. A handgun is a bad idea and they have to be registered/illegal in some states, long arms are much less regulated. A S&W 9mm will go through drywall and mason board which risks injuring hurting innocent people/family members.
Couldn't say enough positive about a shotgun. Pump action holds 5rounds + 1 semi auto is typically 3-5 and a double barrell is 2.
>> then drywalling it away to keep it away from my kids
Bad idea.... when you need that gun, you don't want to have to break through a wall to get at it. I understand the need for safety with kids around, so a better idea might be to build a false panel in a bookcase, put a mount on the wall behind a ceiling panel, etc. The idea: well hidden but extremely accessible. Be clever. There's an old saying: sometimes the best place to hide something is in plain sight.
I agree with Slippery Bill about state defense courses being used primarily to certify non-incompetence, and that's something I should have addressed better in my first comment.
The advice about finding and frequenting a good shooting range is also good. There you'll meet people who actually know what in the heck they're doing, which is always good.
ur definitely an american
In blue states they believe that after-the-fact police paperwork is your best protection against crime.
You might want to consider a small 9mm ( 2" barrel ) for carry and a 12 or 20 guage shotgun loaded with buckshot for home. Don't get the folding stock, etc. geegaws- keep it stock. Get a A SMALL, cheap gun safe and lock up the shotgun and 9mm ammo. The pistol should be readily accessible but secure from children. They can get at things you think are hidden. A small code-lock safe is a good idea. If you really get into firearms in the future you can get a 1000 lb. fire-resistant gun safe in any size you can afford.
The Chicopee Gun Club is a good range if you are in the area.( Granby ) The S&W range is also good.
I personally bought a handgun a few years back for personal safety reasons.. it's amazing how much safer you feel having one in the house.. at least once you figure out how it all works and become somewhat comfortable with it.. but always 'respect' it
I'll have to agree with everyone else about plastering the gun behind a wall.. big no no.. if the crap hits the fan, you'll end up nowhere near your basement, and you won't have even 30 seconds to defend your family, much less the 2 to 4 minutes you'd need to knock a hole in a wall.. then dig out the box.. fumble with it with your now cut up hands.. then get the ammo.. drop the ammo.. pick it up again.. load the gun.. and then run back upstairs to find yourself staring up the steps into the face of someone really bad who is possibly better armed, and knows exactly where you've been from the noise you've been making
nope, you want that gun to be accessible as quickly and quietly as possible.. and you want your wife to know how to use it, too.. don't pressure her, but get her familiar with it.. and get yourself familiar with it.. take it apart and clean it while she's around.. that way she'll eventually lose her fear that you'll kill yourself while cleaning it, as apparently every GFW (gun fearing wussy) thinks happens to every gun owner
always, always, always follow all the rules of gun safety.. and point out to her that you're doing it.. eventually she'll see it as a tool rather than Evil Incarnate, as the media have been telling her for years.. the same goes for your kids.. don't hide it from them, but let them check it out to satisfy their curiosity.. tell them when they know the rules and are responsible enough, they can go shooting with you sometime.. that's much better than treating it as forbidden fruit that they will be either afraid of unnecessarily, or irresistibly drawn to and not mentally or physically equipped to handle
I also agree that a revolver, and particularly the Ruger, is a great choice.. they are much more reliable than a semiautomatic, and are generally much easier to handle for beginners.. plus they don't eject the spent casings into your face, which I know has scared the beejeezus out of several women that I've taken shooting
getting a shotgun is a good idea.. the learning curve is much shorter, and you potentially might not have to jump through all the hoops that the great state of Massachussetts is requiring.. a shotgun is also much more intimidating and requires far less skill and accuracy to be effective
anyway, congrats on the scales falling away from your eyes and seeing reality! in times of real emergencies, count on no one to help you.. if someone shows up and is actually helpful, that's great.. but if they don't (and in a timely manner), it could mean the safety or life of a loved one.. never forget that the most common action by police officers when called on 911 is to take reports of what happened
Damn, how did I miss this one?
Good post! One more armed encampment in Kennedy Country - coming up!
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