Typical human, preparing for a crisis AFTER it happens.

The odds of your house getting broken into hasn't changed, and yet only now do you feel like a gun is necessary.

Smith & Wesson Military & Police Issue, if you want a pistol.
Otherwise, an AK-47

Top tip: Don't get a gun.

@Fasces

You're quite wrong. The odds of being broken into increase significantly after you have just suffered a break in. I blame Tolkien and his glorification of life as a burglar.

You didn't say where you live, so I assumed somewhere like Cambodia. Can I recommend a Cold War era T-55 main battle tank, for home defense it really does the job well.

Cambodians usually rely on landmines...

I'm glad your brother is OK, SG.

I know almost nothing about guns. But those of my friends who know awe-inspiring amounts about guns, including working professionally on guns, have largely recommended a Glock 9mm.

You know, a baseball bat/cricket bat/crowbar works very well for home defense. If you really want to get a gun though, I've always said that if you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun.
You don’t need an AR-15. It’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and in fact, you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun.
If anyone invades your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.
You know, people have made fun of my saying about how to use a shotgun if someone’s invading your home – guess what, use a shotgun on someone invading your home and you don’t kill your kids – use an AR-15, it goes through your wall and it can kill your kid in the bedroom.
Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun.

Shotgun spray has too much collateral property damage.

You ought to not give a shit about collateral property damage when someone's life is apparently in danger (assuming you don't shoot someone if that's not the case).

steephie, collateral damage in a house can be a RELATIVE.

Get a handgun and **learn to use it** properly.

Sandgoose -- what was your stance on guns PRIOR to these events?

You should get a revolver, by the way - simple mechanism, less likely to suffer any problems firing like a semi-automatic, and if you need more than 6 bullets you are a dead man anyway.

I feel like it bears mentioning that you're much more likely to shoot yourself or someone else in the household before you ever need to use the gun against an intruder.

That being said, you're far better off with a different kind of weapon, especially in close quarters. I recommend a baseball bat covered in broken nails and barbed wire, a spear, or an animal that would deter an intruder, such as a large dog or tiger.

"You should get a revolver, by the way - simple mechanism, less likely to suffer any problems firing like a semi-automatic, and if you need more than 6 bullets you are a dead man anyway."

So, having endured many rants on this subject from experts, I'm relatively certain this is spectacularly false nowadays. I can't provide any sources really, though a quick google search confirmed that this is not really true. Do your own research on it, as I can only pass on second-hand opinion. But it's highly qualified opinion (e.g. a gunsmith).

Believe it or not, large dogs aren't required. Small dogs do just fine. Especially if they sound like a large dog. When we first got married, we had a shih tzu and they sound like big dogs when they bark (and are mean as fuck to anyone they don't know) Between him and our miniature beagle, when the thieves came calling, they skipped our house. They hit the ones on either side of us, but not us. Neither of those houses had dogs, we had two. I doubt a couple little yappy Chihuahuas would have stopped them, but at east one dog of unknown size can be a deterrent.

Semi autos are fairly reliable nowadays, but nothing is simpler than a revolver except a single shot weapon muzzle or breach load where you load it yourself (ala an old fashioned shot gun without an automatic or pump feed).

And steephie. Thieves are there to steal shit. If you are just going to shoot the shit they were going to steal, what's the fucking point?

Whatever you get, if you get a firearm, keep it unloaded and keep the munitions hidden, not right next to the weapon. In reach, but not obvious and right there. You want it convenient for you, but not for the intruder should he come across it before you.

"I feel like it bears mentioning that you're much more likely to shoot yourself or someone else in the household before you ever need to use the gun against an intruder. "

Bullshit.

My position on guns was so so, I've never been the guy that said we need more gun control by any means, all I know is this, if my wife and I were home, I probably would have stuck to the bat. The gun is more in lines for if I don't handle it on my own and my wife needs to shoot and kill the bastard. I know I can take someone in hand to hand, it's the simple fact of if I get best that my worst fear comes true, which is someone raping my wife. Just thinking about it makes me sick.

There's also concealed weapons, with all the shooting and shit going on, I think it might be wise *to* carry to kill the son of a bitch before he kills students or people with a shotgun (see spu details).

Luckily we are alright because we weren't home, there were renovations going on at my house that my contractor was taking care of. I think I am rambling....

Did they break and enter or did the contractor leave a door unlocked or, worse yet, was there an open door/wall due to the renovations providing easy access? Renovations draw thieves because they figure if you can afford to renovate with a contractor, you probably got some worthwhile shit in there. And let's face it, most home invasions are about theft and thieves of that nature are looking for easy and convenient. They hit the soft targets with the best RRR (return to risk ratio).

Contractor left 2 windows open and the sliding door unlocked. I gave him a big piece of my mind and a cut from his check. Bastard walked right on in

The Glock 9mm is an excellent choice. A home security system is also a wise investment and would be a quicker deterrent. When thieves hear that alarm they tend to run.

He was probably the one stealing your shit in the first place. Or orchestrating it.

Retards helping retards. Your brother was involved in a shooting and that makes you want a gun. This is so fucked up. If you do buy a gun you deserve to be shot in the face.

I was thinking the same thing, party. The contractor contracted the thief and split the loot.

"
"I feel like it bears mentioning that you're much more likely to shoot yourself or someone else in the household before you ever need to use the gun against an intruder. "

Bullshit. "

Draug, why do you say that? It's statistically likely.

Don't advertise your home security system though or the guys who can crack it will be that much more attracted to it. You got an alarm so you must have something worth protecting...

Show me the money, ckr. I have never seen a valid statistic that includes the number of times the thief has run off when the homeowner came out with a gun in hand. The gin control crowd always leaves that number out because it skews the statistic *in favor* of owning a gun.

Either the house where the work is done is being hit, or one close by that could easily be observed during the course of the construction work. We had stuff like that around here some time ago. The police usually knows the suspect companies, but proving what they are doing is quite another matter. Especially if they hire out.
And, since nothing is proven, the police can not warn officially because if they do they get sued for harrassment. :D

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrybell/2012/02/21/disarming-the-myths-promoted-by-the-gun-control-lobby/

Ridiculous stats claiming guns more often used on self, etc. These libtard statistics are skewed and intentionally biased, and only count “shots fired”, as opposed to “weapon used in any way”…i.e. weapon brandished to thwart a crime without being fired. But moronic libtards will be moronic libtards. That is, they will be willing victims, and the rest of us can laugh at them.

I honestly couldn't give a shit whether a crime is "prevented" or a criminal is deterred in any way. The point is that having a gun in your house makes it far more likely that the gun could be used to hurt someone in your house - accidentally or on purpose - and there's no way in hell you can argue that having a gun protects you from being an idiot, much like the guy who pulled a shotgun on his neighbor teaching his daughter how to ride a bike:

http://www.startribune.com/local/south/261609161.html