Monday, June 11, 2007

We Get Letters

"...I asked this on a firearms forum and got hammered so I'm turning to you for help...would using less than lethal ammunition for home defense be advisable under any circumstances..."

Before doing anything, familiarize yourself with local laws regarding ammo. LTL is perfectly suitable for those unprepared to take a human life, and with that in mind ANY defense is better than NO defense. Getting smacked by a beanbag or rubber bullet from a 12 gauge is an unforgettable experience. The noise and flash and impact will most likely, as in 94% of the time, send an intruder running. Actually, just the sight of a weapon sends that many goblins a'scurrying, so you can imagine what adding the full frontal effect of a shotgun will do.

Less Than Lethal is of course a misnomer, as close-quarter impacts have and will continue to inflict lethal injuries. I understand where you're coming from, and would never in a million years recommend shooting for the arm or leg, but that's up to you. Pay as little attention to the gun boards as is humanly possible, because many responders are members of law enforcement and will either tell you the wrong scoop or try and dissuade you from using a toy that heretofore has been theirs and theirs alone. Others are chairborne commandos who haven't a clue and will advise you to do as THEY DO and nothing else. You are, and hopefully will remain an individual, and one size does not fit all when it comes to the human condition.

In summary; if you refuse to consider killing someone then don't. If retreating is not an option then by all means load up with LTL munitions. Aim for high center of mass, and continue to fire until the threat is negated. As noted, chances are you'll be just fine, and I won't insult your intelligence by ending this with a plea for you to switch to lethal ordnance. Practice with what you'll use for self defense, then practice some more.

Good luck.

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