break ins. - Page 2

Guns are very very heavy and I am really wimpy. I cannot even hold a gun, much less shoot one.

I think I'll stick to my big bronze lamp.

I need to update my weapon skills... I learned how in basic training and am comfortable and know where all the guns are ... As for self defence I would also be no match .... so the guns dog and phone are allies..

Just tagging since we are talking about guns rofl...

Ok me and the hubby had some roommates and we lived in an apartment complex at the time. Well, it was laundry night and what we would do is all take turns going and checking on the laundry. We lived in and upstairs apartment and you can see the laundry room from the balcony.

It was my turn to check on the laundry so I went, it was about 9 at night. Comming back I decided to scare the group, so I grabbed a rock and threw it at the sliding glass window. I just meant for it to tap the glass, but instead it hit the glass, spider shattered it and the window collapsed. ROFLMAO, I ran to the front of the apartment(running from the scene of the crime) and my husband was running out of the apartment looking for me because he thought someone had shot into the apartment. The roomies were hiding in thier bedroom.

I will never live that day down and they have made sure of that hehe.

I agree. I grew up with Rifles in the house. My Dad taught me that guns kill by making me watch Bambi...then took me deer hunting with him.

Even though I grew up around them, I would feel more comfortable doing what marie-p plans on doing and going crazy at them with a knife.

B does own a gun (his fathers) but I have never touched it except to put it away after a move...and its still in a box. Heck I don't think I know where it is anymore...and I don't want to.

I hate guns so I would never get one, let alone use it. I want to get another dog when my FH and I get married. I'll let him give them a scare.

I'm scared to death of guns. But I have 3 large dogs and a small noisy one. I sleep with my cell phone on the nightstand and I have a very loud voice and neighbors that don't hesitate to call the cops when something is out of order. So I'm not worried. Not to mention I don't have anything worth stealing. No money, no valuables (even my computer is obsolete and not worth taking), and most theives aren't going to brave a house full of dogs unless they know darn well there is something worthwhile inside. And if they do, they are probably going to be bitten multiple times.

I don't own a gun, nor do I think I would ever own a gun. I probably should get some sort of personal alarm because I work the graveyard shift. I'm not scared in my apartment, because I live in a security building and I have bars on my windows. However, I am scared at work, being the only person in the building all night long with a not very strong door, and an less than good lock.

I have always been one to hate guns. Im not sure why, I just dont like them. Hubby had guns when we met and still does......and they are locked up in a gun cabinet. I would use one if I absolutely had to! Hes been trying to teach me how to use one, ya know, just in case....

Not all guns are heavy. I'm very petite- and i can still shoot very well with the right size/weight gun. I prefer small semi- automatic hand guns. You just have to find the right gun for your size. Also you want something that will fit right in your hands- some larger guns aren't a good idea for women with small hands. You want to be able to have full control over the gun at all times. You should always be comfortable with your weapon...if it isn't comfortable and you can hold it for long periods of time and aim accurately, then it isn't the right size for you. For instance, i can bairly even aim by boyfriends large rifels- they are way too large and heavy for me (i'm only 4'11'' and pretty small), but give me a light weight handgun....and i'll hit that target every time. There are many guns that are lightweight and women-friendly. Also you can always get a customized gun. So don't feel that just because some guns are heavy, that you automatically can never use one. With the proper size gun and handeling techniques- you are as capable as anyone . You just have to find something your comfortable with.

StarryEyedTiger, while I very much agree that there are woman friendly guns, I must respectfully disagree with you on the semi automatics for petite women with small hands. While obviously there are women such as yourself that have the confidence and strength in their hands to use one comfortably, my problem with them is loading the magazines and chambering rounds, especially in stressful situations.
I am a fairly large, strong woman with strong hands, (I am a massage therapist) with a high comfort level around guns, and automatics for home protection make me nervous. I have found my comfort in Ruger revolvers, or Smith and Wesson's LadySmith. My carry gun, when I feel the need to carry one, is a Ruger SP101 with a customized bobbed hammer. It is a small, 5 shot revolver that shoots .357 or 38 Special bullets. It is point and shoot, no chambering a round, releasing the safety, no time wasted that would give a potential attacker opportunity to get to you and take it away. I can shoot it accurately with one hand if necessary, as can my friend that is a petite girl with tiny hands.
Please understand that I am not debating you, or saying that you are wrong, (there is really no right or wrong here, just opinions) just offering a different perspective to someone that may be considering their first gun for home protection.

No offense taken at all . I respect your different opinion. What may be right for one woman, may not be for another. When using a gun, the main things to remember are your comfort level using your weapon and proper training. If you're more comfortable not using a semi-automatic, then it's definitely safer for you to use something different. I second you on the Ruger- it's a good gun. Personally i like the semi automatics, but i've been trained and to me, the gun is small , lightweight and very accurate.How are you loading in the magazines? just out of curiosity...for me it was fairly easy, but my boyfriend also made me spend an afternoon on the couch just loading in the rounds into the magazine so that i would build up some speed. (not using the gun) I can chamber a round pretty quickly and the safety is no problem for me...so if i were in a situation where i would need to use it quickly and accurately, not a problem. Also, different semi-automatics are designed differently, so maybe the one you used was more difficult to handle. My boyfrind has a SIG-sauer that i personally hate because it recoils something aweful and i'm just not comfortable with it! So i do understand how some guns just aren't a "good fit" for some people. But for you, chambering a round and messing with the safety might be more difficult if your nervous or need to need to do it rapidly, so i definitely understand you prefering a different type gun. It's all about what your comfortable shooting . So definitely non offense taken from your post. I like getting different perspective from different people so if you have insght that might help someone who's looking into getting a gun, then that's good. But i also want to encourage people not to shy them away from semi-automatics eithor....they are excellent guns, you just have to find the right one for you , and the right one that fits your hand and skill level.
Oh, and out of curiosity, how do you like your Wesson's LadySmith? I was curious about looking into one a while back and never did. Is it pretty accurate?

I get nervous even holding a gun I have seen be unloaded. I even get nervous around people who are cleaning guns! My dad took my mom out to teach her to shoot at a range, and she started crying and couldn't pull the trigger.

Needless to say, I should never own a gun.

What do people recommend for someone who will be living alone in a not-very-great urban neighborhood in an apartment, without much extra money?

And obviously, not a gun.

Should I get some sort of fake alarm that goes on the door, that would sound like a regular alarm? A personal alarm? Pepper spray? Any recommendations on good brands / types?
An alarm sounding would be nice because the building manager will live below me, so he would hear it.

We do own guns, handguns rifles and shotguns. Anyone who breaks in is going to be looking down the barrel of one of them.

Many of these break ins occur during the day, when know one is home. Many break ins also occur, because the doors were left UNLOCKED. I know this, I dispatch for police, fire and 911. Very few happen during the night, that is, unless someone is breaking in for other reasons other than theft. You are better off getting a good security system IMO. Think of it this way. If you are sleeping and someone was breaking in, would you have time to wake up, find the gun and know what you were doing? You would have to keep the gun loaded, because if it wasn't, you would not have the time to load it if someone was already in your home. Keeping a loaded firearm in the house is very dangerous, especially if you have children. This loaded firearm can also be used against you. Good locks and a security system are the best prevention. No system is 100% however, but I feel this is better than having a gun in the house. More injuries and death occur by accident with guns in the house.
Actually, I feel you are a little safer in your apartment, than in a home. For one, there are very few entry points into your apartment, unless you are on a ground floor. A good dead bolt lock for your door will help and don't open the door for anyone, unless you know who they are. Do you have sliding glass doors and a balcony? You can put a bar in the track of the sliding glass door, so that it can not be opened. Even with windows that open up vertically (double hung) you can put a bar on the sides, so that the windo can be opened up only so far.

Both myself and DH grew up with guns in the house. Right now we have a 22 and a 410 plus I think 2 shot guns-but one had firing pins cut off. They shells and the guns are not in the same room as we have them for "varmit" shooting.
I have never fired the 410 even though its mine and its been a while for the 22.
My dad owns a handgun that we should probably get from him one of these yrs.
Would I use to to protect myself-no it would take too long to load and I think I would be better with a knife.
Livin out in a rural area someone is usually shooting (esp evil neighbor who has a large number of firearms) but on the other hand there are many noisy neighbors so an unusual person hanging around would be reported to police.
I would like to learn how to shot a handgun though I don't know what kind my dad has. I would like to learn how to skeet shoot too (another item on my to do list)

Exactly...Can all of you with guns please tell me just how you would be able to use them in the midst of someone breaking in if they are locked up and unloaded??

Thank you, amberthebobcat. I'll be on the third floor, and the back window is gated and the front one is a regular window, but the door and that window are visible by every other tenant (two small rows of apartments facing each other). Now if only I could convince my mom I'll be okay! I feel a little better about you saying it's mostly in the day.
I will make sure to keep everything locked up tight!

I own several firearms. Started hunting when i was 11 years old with my family members. Also i have done alot of competition shooting. Picking up a firearm to protect my family or house would be no issue.

But if people only want one to guard aganist a break in, then i would suggest you get a BIG dog, some mace. and or a big bat unless you want to take the time to learn to use the gun.

also for someone who does not want to spend the time needed to learn to use it, but still wants a gun to protect there home, then get a shotgun not a hand gun.

LOL as a side note my family moved out intot he middle of no place, when i was kid to keep me out of trouble. houses where about 100 yards apart from each other whith nothing but a big huge emptry field behind are house, Me and some friends used to spend hours in the back shooting skeet, and are house was the only one not broken into on are street......

I used to hunt when I was younger. Never owned a gun for protection. Got rid of all the guns when we had kids. Don't really want one in the house now. I have no problem with people that want to own guns just as long as they are responsible enough so they don't end up in the hands of the punks down the street as they shop the dressers and beaurows of gun owners while they are in work. Stolen guns are a big problem. I think a shotgun is a more sane choice for up close and personal encounters of invaders of the home. Better yet, Get a dog with big teeth.