The Protector : Home Defense 101

Article Posted: November 18, 2012

Who knows for certain what the future brings? To me, I assume it will be what it was in the past. Not much will change, the good ole' USA will keep on being the world power it is today...but what IF something goes wrong? What IF the economy collapses? Or quite simply, what IF someone is breaking into your home and you just happen to have six daughters and a beautiful wife as I do?

The what if's need an answer. How are you going to protect yours when a what IF occurs? My wife says she would just call the police... Well, my dear, we all know that's a poor answer. The police rarely stop crime from happening, they simply try and find who did it and stop them from doing it again. Besides, I live out of town and any phone call to the sheriff will take at least fifteen to thirty minutes to get a response. Defending my family from the terrors society can present is simply up to me. How do I do that?

Well, first off, am I willing to kill someone breaking into my home intending unknown harm on my family? Yes I am. That being said, what's next? I need some tools I guess. There are certain tools I want to have in case I need them to defend my home and family. Here is what I have and what I think is a good idea for everyone to have.

Number 1: Shotgun. You have to have a shotgun as the first line of home defense. There is simply no other weapon more capable or better suited to home defense than a shotgun. I don't have a fancy pistol grip shotgun or anything, I hunt, so I use my Springfield model 67 pump action 12 gauge shotgun as my home defender. When not in the field this shotgun has it's magazine tube loaded with alternating rounds of 00 buck shot and slugs. I have it locked away from the kids, but quickly accessable to myself.

Number 2: Pistol. Simple is best. I know the trend is double action double stacked 9mm and .40 cal. Glocks, Springfield, Sig, S&W, etc... but really, for home defense you have to consider the idea that you may not be in a position to reach the weapon. The weapon you use needs to be simple enough for your significant other to be well versed on. Revolvers work great here. Less moving parts, simple action.

Number 3: Rifle. Well, a rifle isn't necessarily necessary for home defense, but hey, what IF the economy collapses and you have to defend your home and family from multiple attacks. A good rifle will help you out immensely. It is important to be able to reach out and tap someone at a distance if that is what is necessary. Besides, if there is no economy, getting groceries might mean you need to take that rifle and shoot game. I recommend common calibre's. Such as: .308 (7.62x51), 30-06 (7.62x39) or .223 (5.56). All these calibres are readily converted to military rounds and can be commonly found.

It isn't going to take a lot of money to plan your home defense properly. Just think of what if's and create a plan for them. Don't be the only defender of your home. Train as many people as you can. Your spouse, they could save your life instead of you saving them. Your kids. They absolutely need to be trained on the dangers of weapon handling. I suggest every child be trained in safe weapon handling, consequences, and shooting skills with every weapon you have. Do not shy away from this. Before curiosity gets the best of them, make them aware of what you have and what it means. I kind of thought ten years old would be a good time to start with this. But my 4 year old is extremely curious and asks 20 questions every time I take them out to clean. So, she knows the basics, Don't touch, they can kill you. Soon, I'll give her an advanced course.

Contributing Author: Mike McAlpin

Thanks to saxon for the use of the photo.

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