Classification Essay On Home Defense

Life or death situations can occur in any form or fashion, for instance, a home invasion. If a person is faced with this unfortunate event they may or may not be prepared. Having a firearm in this situation is a great way to ensure a more likely chance of survival. If a homeowner decides to purchase a firearm to protect their home they will need to know which firearm best suits their needs. The three main categories of firearms are shotguns, rifles and handguns, any of these can be used for home defense, therefore the homeowner will need to determine which will serve best in their situation. The first option is the shotgun. “The shotgun has always been a favorite gun for home defense. A shotgun shoots multiple pellets which are housed in

Of course, the main reason people buy shotguns is because of how the pellets are projected in a way that makes it nearly impossible to miss their target. There are downfalls to using a shotgun though, which include the length, weight, recoil and noise. “A shotgun has a very powerful recoil that can be difficult to handle and recover from to shoot a second round” (“Do You Need a Gun For Home Defense?”). A chance of survival may not be as likely if the intruder has the opportunity to rise after the first shot, while the homeowner is blindsided by the recoil. Another reason using a shotgun for home defense can be tricky is how long a person will be able to hold it due to the weight. If a woman decides to buy a shotgun to protect herself she will need to think ahead because, “If you must hold a home intruder at gun point with the shotgun for more than 10 or 15 minutes, its weight will become tiresome. So your size, strength and tolerance for recoil are very significant things to consider” (“Do You Need a Gun For Home Defense?”). Noise is another thing to consider when purchasing a firearm for home defense. Shotguns are the firearms

They are widely purchased for this situation due to several features-“They are the easy to maneuver in confined spaces, and they can be held and fired with one hand, leaving the other hand free to operate a flashlight, open doors and so on” (“Choosing a Home-Defense Gun”). These features surely give homeowners an advantage when facing an intruder because they are more allowing than other firearms, such as shotguns. Double-action revolvers and semi-automatic pistols are the two most common handguns. “Double-action revolvers have a cylinder that swings out to one side for loading and unloading and usually have a five- to six-round capacity. Revolvers are easy to learn to operate and very reliable. They do not have buttons, levers or switches. Just pull the trigger and the gun fires” (“Choosing a Home-Defense Gun”). Due to the simplicity of a revolver, almost anyone could pick it up and use it quickly if need be. If a young child is taught the basics and safety of this handgun they could be able to use it if they absolutely had to during a home invasion. “Semi-automatic pistols use a box magazine to load the ammunition. These pistols can be more complicated to operate but they have a lighter trigger pull, hold more ammunition and can be reloaded more quickly than a revolver” (“Choosing a Home-Defense Gun”). This type of handgun may require more preparation to use but the overall effectiveness is much greater. Even though