Think about it. You've got two situations here. One is where someone breaks into a house, and all the people inside are the frightened victims. The other is where you have the nervous criminal trespassing and the angry hick comes with the shotgun.
When someone breaks into a house, they have a lot to be afraid of, as does the occupant of the house. The key is to amplify their fear rather than dissipate it by showing your own. But, in their fear, if they panic, they may do something more dangerous. It's very easy to safely scare off an intruder, and it is the wisest and most practical course of action. The only time it won't work is if you are up against a professional, like an assassin or something. In that case, even a gun won't help you, unless you are also a professional.
Actually, Rym told me this was not the case, that guns/pistols can be made to be nearly silent when you chamber the round. I don't know. I'm just going off what I heard, not personal experience.
Well, He's right, but not entirely so. Firearms can be made to be relatively quiet when cocked, however, this is a rare feature for a stock firearm, and in my experience, this is not a common modification. Also, you can chamber a round quietly in in some firearms, but this not the case for all firearms.
Nothing any of you have suggested is safe or practical unless you also, as I noted above, have control of the situation.
One would think that this is somewhat of an obvious first step, and to point it out every single post, especially when you have already pointed it out, to be somewhat redundant. Were someone to attempt just about anything suggested in this thread without some measure of control on the situation, they deserve everything they bloody well get.
There are plenty of places that will disable someone without killing themimmediately.
Fixed for accuracy. If I shoot an intruder in the leg and damage the femoral artery, without immediate medical attention, they're dead. Round to the shoulder? Massive blood vessels, and IF they survive the bleeding and inevitable shock,they're crippled. If you shoot them, and they go into shock, without medical attention, they could quite easily die. Shooting to disable is pure Hollywood fiction, no matter how good your shooting is. If you are shooting, you are shooting to kill.
Thanks, very true. If you shoot someone in a designated good-guy area and leave them in a secret underground bunker, they will probably die. I never said we weren't going to permanently damage them. As far as I'm concerned, crippling is fair game. If you're stupid enough to break into my house, you deserve what you get. However, I was assuming that after disabling said intruder 911 would be called, at which point police and medics should be dispatched if the dispatcher has any sense.
I probably should have also noted that it takes an insane amount of accuracy to hit a target as small as a hand or foot or to purposely avoid major organs and blood vessels, and the chest presents a much easier target.
I am not advocating people running into bad situations because they happen to have a gun; I was simply pointing out that those who own guns generally know a lot more about using them properly and legally than those who don't, which is one reason that those who don't own them tend to revile or fear them. I personally choose to take martial arts instead of owning a firearm because it's much more difficult for someone to take my leg away from me than it is to take a gun or knife. It's also more versatile; what if I happen to be somewhere that I don't have that weapon on me? The first rule of self-defense is avoidance. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you will be hurt if at all possible.
Not to self: Never try to invade Nuri's secret underground bunker.
Damn right. I My Geo-bots will fuck you up. ^_~ Have you met my Alter Ego? I make small children cry with Geometry! Bwahahaha!
I disagree. Intruders are in a foreign house, they don't know the layout (which is a distinct disadvantage). Furthermore, you are not negotiating with the criminals, you are establishing a situation in which you control the terms. By providing terms on which he should leave (i.e."I have called the police, you should leave" or "I have a loaded weapon, leave now"), you determine the pace of the engagement in which he must determine the next move.
This may not be entirely accurate. Sure, if you have a unique floor plan and do not live in an apartment AND the person hasn't been scoping out your place, then it may be unfamiliar. However, if you live in a place that has a mass-produced floor plan, you may be out of luck on this one. The intruder's reaction to your terms is also unpredictable. Cornered is the worst way to make them feel. They will likely become dangerous if they think they have nothing to lose, and let's face it; usually the people who break into places are not the smartest. It may not occur to him that simply dropping everything and getting the hell out before the police arrive will save him a trip downtown.
It may not occur to him that simply dropping everything and getting the hell out before the police arrive will save him a trip downtown.
While I'm not psychologist, I'm pretty sure this would be the first thing to come into his mind. Additionally, notice how I used the wording "leave now". By saying this, you are actively reminding them the option of leaving and preventing the sense that they are cornered.
Comments
When someone breaks into a house, they have a lot to be afraid of, as does the occupant of the house. The key is to amplify their fear rather than dissipate it by showing your own. But, in their fear, if they panic, they may do something more dangerous. It's very easy to safely scare off an intruder, and it is the wisest and most practical course of action. The only time it won't work is if you are up against a professional, like an assassin or something. In that case, even a gun won't help you, unless you are also a professional.
I probably should have also noted that it takes an insane amount of accuracy to hit a target as small as a hand or foot or to purposely avoid major organs and blood vessels, and the chest presents a much easier target.
I am not advocating people running into bad situations because they happen to have a gun; I was simply pointing out that those who own guns generally know a lot more about using them properly and legally than those who don't, which is one reason that those who don't own them tend to revile or fear them. I personally choose to take martial arts instead of owning a firearm because it's much more difficult for someone to take my leg away from me than it is to take a gun or knife. It's also more versatile; what if I happen to be somewhere that I don't have that weapon on me? The first rule of self-defense is avoidance. Avoid putting yourself in a situation where you will be hurt if at all possible. Damn right. I My Geo-bots will fuck you up. ^_~ Have you met my Alter Ego? I make small children cry with Geometry! Bwahahaha! This may not be entirely accurate. Sure, if you have a unique floor plan and do not live in an apartment AND the person hasn't been scoping out your place, then it may be unfamiliar. However, if you live in a place that has a mass-produced floor plan, you may be out of luck on this one. The intruder's reaction to your terms is also unpredictable. Cornered is the worst way to make them feel. They will likely become dangerous if they think they have nothing to lose, and let's face it; usually the people who break into places are not the smartest. It may not occur to him that simply dropping everything and getting the hell out before the police arrive will save him a trip downtown.