For someone who is new to firearms, putting one in your room can go wrong in so many ways that it probably decreases your chances of survival.
I agree. I’m essentially not even willing to consider getting a gun over this—by the time I’d be trained well enough to break even with it safety-wise, I expect to be out of here one way or the other. (If the house falls through, I’m going to look for another apartment. Also, I’m fairly clumsy and not good at the fine motor skills that I assume are involved in aiming.)
I am considering pepper spray, though using it indoors seems suboptimal in terms of living here afterward. A friend also suggested getting a stun gun… I’m not sure quite what to think about that one yet.
by the time I’d be trained well enough to break even with it safety-wise...Also, I’m fairly clumsy and not good at the fine motor skills that I assume are involved in aiming
For what it’s worth, you’re overestimating the difficulty of using a firearm safely.
If you’re anything like any of the people that I’ve seen pick up a gun for the first time, you really can just talk to the guy behind the counter for 5 minutes about gun mechanics/safety and be proficient enough for home defense.
It’s easy to hit your friend with a squirtgun before he can get to you. The only real question is whether your mindset allows you to do it with a real gun when it matters.
A friend also suggested getting a stun gun… I’m not sure quite what to think about that one yet.
Tasers actually fire darts up to 15 feet, and if both darts connect the person will stiffen and drop. They won’t be able to get up for 30 seconds, but they will be fine and capable immediately after the shock stops (keep pushing the button?). You only get one shot though.
Stun guns that don’t fire darts are basically toys. The current path is too short to lock up enough muscles to bring the person down, the shock stops as soon as the person moves off the end of the stun gun, and you have to be within touching distance.
For what it’s worth, you’re overestimating the difficulty of using a firearm safely.
I may be. Even so, it’s not really something I’m comfortable with (which I didn’t know before—it’s getting clearer the more we talk about it here) and I doubt I’d benefit from having one. It’s not just that I think I’d freeze rather than using it, it’s also that the idea of having one close enough to me that I could grab it in an emergency kind of freaks me out, and I expect I’d start keeping it stashed uselessly on a shelf in a closet at the first excuse.
I agree. I’m essentially not even willing to consider getting a gun over this—by the time I’d be trained well enough to break even with it safety-wise, I expect to be out of here one way or the other. (If the house falls through, I’m going to look for another apartment. Also, I’m fairly clumsy and not good at the fine motor skills that I assume are involved in aiming.)
I am considering pepper spray, though using it indoors seems suboptimal in terms of living here afterward. A friend also suggested getting a stun gun… I’m not sure quite what to think about that one yet.
For what it’s worth, you’re overestimating the difficulty of using a firearm safely.
If you’re anything like any of the people that I’ve seen pick up a gun for the first time, you really can just talk to the guy behind the counter for 5 minutes about gun mechanics/safety and be proficient enough for home defense.
It’s easy to hit your friend with a squirtgun before he can get to you. The only real question is whether your mindset allows you to do it with a real gun when it matters.
Tasers actually fire darts up to 15 feet, and if both darts connect the person will stiffen and drop. They won’t be able to get up for 30 seconds, but they will be fine and capable immediately after the shock stops (keep pushing the button?). You only get one shot though.
Stun guns that don’t fire darts are basically toys. The current path is too short to lock up enough muscles to bring the person down, the shock stops as soon as the person moves off the end of the stun gun, and you have to be within touching distance.
I may be. Even so, it’s not really something I’m comfortable with (which I didn’t know before—it’s getting clearer the more we talk about it here) and I doubt I’d benefit from having one. It’s not just that I think I’d freeze rather than using it, it’s also that the idea of having one close enough to me that I could grab it in an emergency kind of freaks me out, and I expect I’d start keeping it stashed uselessly on a shelf in a closet at the first excuse.
Useful, thanks.