Gun possession

• Spartaaaaa wrote on 2011-07-28 00:04

  Quote from Chillax;528300:

  Unless your state has the Castle Doctrine in place, you would probably be forced to pay reparations and be put in jail for shooting the burglar if no direct threat to your life was made. As I've said, you only have jail time and fines holding you back from shooting if there was no threat to your life.

  
  
  If a guy breaking into your house is not considered a threat, then that just means there's a problem with the law and not with gun ownership
  
  

  Do you really have the time or the ability to judge that in the heat of the moment? If the burglar also has a gun, he/she might panic and shoot you if the burglar sees you have a gun and are aiming it at him/her. Plus, if the person actually was trying to kill/abduct you, there's a good chance that that person is prepared, and that even a gun wouldn't be able to save you.

  
  
  The burglar would be reluctant to shoot me for the same reasons I would be reluctant to shoot him. If a guy with a gun breaks into my house in the middle of the night, I would probably panic just as much as the burglar would if he saw me with a gun. The "Castle Doctrine" aside, the burglar will in most cases have no advantage. If the intruder is prepared, then that is even more of a reason for me to be prepared as well.
• Chillax wrote on 2011-07-28 06:47

  Quote from Spartaaaaa;529290:

  If a guy breaking into your house is not considered a threat, then that just means there's a problem with the law and not with gun ownership

  
  
  Unfortunately the law isn't perfect and can't cover all scenarios. While your judgement may be better than most, the same can't always be said for others, who will shoot at "trespassers" with less provocation.
  
  

  Quote from Spartaaaaa;529290:

  The burglar would be reluctant to shoot me for the same reasons I would be reluctant to shoot him. If a guy with a gun breaks into my house in the middle of the night, I would probably panic just as much as the burglar would if he saw me with a gun. The "Castle Doctrine" aside, the burglar will in most cases have no advantage. If the intruder is prepared, then that is even more of a reason for me to be prepared as well.

  
  
  It is because the burglar feels threatened by your gun that if he/she has a gun, there is a much higher chance the burglar will fire it. I would be more focused on getting the hell out of my house or hiding until the police come. Chances are, the burglar would be more skilled than I am at using weapons or have more buddies with him/her.