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Title: How I Evolved on Guns During the Boston Manhunt
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URL Source: https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2013/ ... anner-manhunt/?singlepage=true
Published: Dec 5, 2015
Author: Paula Bolyard
Post Date: 2015-12-05 01:39:36 by Don
Keywords: None
Views: 7897
Comments: 52
How I Evolved on Guns During the Boston Manhunt By Paula Bolyard April 22, 2013 In the wee hours of Friday morning, April 19th, I evolved on guns. First, a confession: I’ve never owned a gun. I never wanted one in my home and, like a lot of moms, I wanted to raise non-violent children and thought keeping guns out of our home was one way to do that. When my kids were young, I didn’t want them to play with toy guns — in fact, I was rather insistent about it. Eventually, I realized that little boys will make guns out of just about anything — bananas, sticks, the dog’s paw, their fingers — nothing is safe from their imaginative minds. So I compromised and allowed squirt guns and non-gun-looking Nerf guns, but nothing that resembled a “real” gun. My sensible (ex-military) husband indulged me in this when they were toddlers, but as they grew, he convinced me that our boys needed to learn firearms safety. He took them to firing ranges where they learned to fire weapons and even to enjoy them. Our 21 year old couldn’t wait to get his concealed-carry permit the minute he reached the legal age. I'm thankful now for my husband's insistence that our children not be raised to fear guns. But I never wanted a gun in my home. It probably goes back to my childhood. My dad always kept a shotgun in the bedroom closet, along with the ammo on the top shelf. He used it for his twice-a-year hunting trip with my mom’s brothers. As a bleeding-heart animal lover from a young age, it always pained me to see skinned bunnies and squirrels on the kitchen counter. So I have some "issues" — when I saw the gun in my dad’s closet my mind went to dead bunnies. And somewhere along the way (I don’t remember a specific conversation, but he had a way of doing this), my dad put the fear of God in me about touching that shotgun. The year my brother and I peeked at our Christmas gifts hidden behind the shotgun, I was terrified the thing would go off. I never, ever touched it. Not even once. I realize it’s a completely irrational fear and in some ways I’ve always felt it was a betrayal of my strong support for the 2nd Amendment. Last year I dipped my toe in the water and experienced shooting for the first time. I enjoyed a trip to the Hillsdale College shooting range during Parents Weekend and it turns out I'm not a bad shot. Friends never understood why I didn’t own a gun and some urged me to purchase one for my protection. But still I hesitated because of my discomfort at having one in my home. The other thing holding me back was my belief that if you’re going to own a gun, you must be willing to shoot to kill. If confronted with an armed intruder or assailant, shooting to maim or firing a warning shot may not be an option, so a gun owner must wrestle with the moral implications of shooting someone to death. I searched my heart and realized that in the heat of the moment of an attack, I wasn’t sure what I would do with a gun in my hand. I knew that could be more dangerous than being unarmed; it wasn’t worth the risk. But all that changed early Friday morning. Along with 80,000 others around the world, I found myself glued to the live-action police drama being played out online. I first noticed the tweets with the hashtag #BostonPoliceScanner late Thursday evening and was soon engrossed in the manhunt, listening to the officers on the ground in Watertown and Cambridge and simultaneously following the tweets from the worldwide audience. Throughout the night, a community of sorts formed as I began to recognize Twitter handles and together we “watched” law enforcement officers create a perimeter and lay down a grid so they could search the neighborhoods of Watertown. We listened as they responded to calls from residents who “heard something” in their sheds or thought they saw a “guy with a backpack” walking down the street. This was repeated dozens of times throughout the night. When police broadcast their location, many listeners typed the address into Google Street View and so could see the streets and even houses they were responding to. It was both surreal and very real at the same time. It was a strange combination of social media and reality show with the knowledge that life and death were on the line. At one point, someone tweeted this: I’m halfway across the country but if someone knocked on my door right now I’d pee my pants. A moment of levity during a very serious, very scary night. It was the moment I evolved on guns — the moment my support for the 2nd Amendment went from abstract to concrete. Boston-area residents were told to “shelter-in-place.” We're asking people to shelter in place. In other words, to stay indoors with their doors locked and not to open their door for anyone other than a properly identified law enforcement officer," said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in a press conference in Watertown. "Please understand we have an armed and dangerous person(s) still at large and police actively pursuing every lead in this active emergency event. Please be patient and use common sense until this person(s) are apprehended. I realized at that moment that the police cannot protect me from the Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs of the world. The best they can do is tell me to lock myself in my home while they search for the bad guy. Though the residents of Watertown (and the surrounding greater-Boston area) were held in a state of near-martial law, the best most of them could do was huddle in their homes, hoping the police would take their 3 a.m. call and come running to rescue them before the terrorist killed them. Chris Wallace interviewed Dianne Feinstein on Fox News Sunday about the Boston lockdown and asked her if the million people locked in their homes in Boston might have felt safer with guns. "Some may have [wanted guns], yes," Feinstein said. "But if where you're going is 'do they need an assault weapon?' I don't think so." Wallace pressed Feinstien on whether citizens should be able to decide the best way to protect themselves in their homes: "How about a machine gun then?" Feinstein asked. "We did away with machine guns because of how they're used. I think we should do away with assault weapons because of how they're used...you can use a 12-gauge shotgun and have a good defensive effect and there's the element of surprise." "Now you've got police all over the place in Watertown, so I don't really think this is applicable. I think there are people who want to make this argument," she added. As I listened to the police scanner during the Boston manhunt, I wasn't thinking about "police all over the place" in the "personal security guard" sense that Feinstein seemed to be implying. Instead, I imagined a mother huddled in the nursery with her baby. Her husband is out of town and she is also listening to the police scanner, praying the terrorist doesn't burst through her back door. I imagined an 85-year-old World War II veteran living alone. He fought the Nazis on foot across Europe and his government just instructed him to "shelter-in-place." He turns out the lights in his home and hunches over his radio waiting for updates though the long night. I wondered if they could protect themselves if the worst happened. In the middle of that night listening to the Boston police scanner, I evolved. I realized right then that if I were holed up in my house while a cold-blooded terrorist roamed my neighborhood, I wouldn’t want to be a sitting duck with only a deadbolt lock between me and an armed intruder. There are not enough police and they cannot come to my rescue quickly enough. They carry guns to protect themselves, not me. I knew at that instant if Dzhokhar Tsarnaev showed up at my door while I was “sheltered-in-place” and aimed a gun at my head and only one of us would live, I could pull the trigger. I’m shopping for guns this week. I’ve been told a 12-gauge shotgun is a good choice for home protection, but I’m open to suggestions.
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#13. To: Fred Mertz (#1)
Dogs are ok. Cops love to shoot them. Be sure to get some good training for them if you want a guard dog. Don't trust on a barking session to scare away the bad guys of today. A shotgun is good. Once again, a little training is in order. Shoot the different calibers to make sure you can use it effectively. The 12 gauge is good if the recoil doesn't bother you. Up close, I suppose a field load might be okay, but heavier loads are better. There is the penetration in walls to consider, but that goes for any firearm. The bad guys won't worry about such considerations. The bottom line is use what makes you comfortable to shoot ACCURATELY. And, don't worry about taking a life. Shooting someone had better be a necessary thing so don't play games. Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
The Remington 870 12 gauge Riot Shotgun is good. The extended magazine is also good.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Well, I've been around firearms most of my life in the military and out, and I'm not a kid so maybe I'll be ok. What about you?
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Depends on the "shot shell" you plan to use. You can go from bird load to magnum load and your shotgun better be able to employ it. Moreover, you should know the length of the shotshell, gauge and shotsize when selecting shotgun ammunition for your shotgun. You have a large job ahead of you. All my shotguns are 12 gauge t keep it simple.
I've haven't really checked into the matter, but I suppose the 12 gauge shells are more common than the others, i.e. easier to find.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
It isn't just about "gauge" it is the amount of "shot" in the shell that plan to use. As an example, "bird shot" is an exceptionally light load whereas "magnum shot" is one of the heaviest; you can buy all kinds of "shot" in between, too. So, your firearm MUST beable to handle the various loads. I have a number of shot guns. I have semi-automatic/pump action that works perfectly with magnum load and is acceptable with "heavy field" for operating semi-automatic. Try an use "heavy" or lighter loads, it is worthless. I also have pump actions; using magnum load is not recommended. Additionally, I have others such as O/U. You must match your shotgun with the load you expect to use. Be careful!
I rekon I'll take the fifth.
Eli, Eli, nai erchomai Kurios Iesous.
Always careful.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Unless it is a off-brand,chances are it will still work fine today if you put fresh bullets in it and it's not rusted stuck. Unlike autoloaders,revolvers don't have any springs under tension when it is just sitting around loaded. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Nothing personal Bob,that that has to be one of the widest and tallest stacks of BullBush I have ever heard. Autoloaders/automatics are the absolute WORSE choice for people who don't have extensive experience carrying and shooting guns,and that old "racking sound of a pump shotgun being cocked" nonsene has no doubt gotten some dummies killed. ALL you do when you make that loud macho sound is give away your position to any home intruder,and told him you are armed at the same time. If HE is armed,he is going to blow your ass away in self-defense the minute he hears the slide working because he know knows where you are,and he thinks you are getting ready to shoot him. PLUS,it is not unheard of for people who have never been in that position to have the adrenaline pumping so hard they short stroke the slide or/and forget to take the safety off. Pump shotguns are HORRIBLE self-defense guns for the house for inexperienced shooters. Even a autoloader is better if you can convince them to keep one in the chamber and the safety on. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Depends on the "shot shell" you plan to use. You can go from bird load to magnum load and your shotgun better be able to employ it. Moreover, you should know the length of the shotshell, gauge and shotsize when selecting shotgun ammunition for your shotgun. It makes practically no difference at all at bedroom/living room ranges because the shot will still be in the shotcup when the intruder is hit. It is effectively a plastic slug. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
The revolver is a Colt .38 Police Special and in a handy place. I just oiled it up at buckeroo's urging. What do you mean by fresh bullets? You've got me wanting to go outside and pop one in the dirt - but I have neighbors. For point of reference I'll guess the bullets have been in there 8+ years. I have 'fresh' ones in the box of the same age. Thanks in advance.
What 12-gauge shotgun shell do you recommend for home intruders?
I meant to include buckeroo on my previous reply/comment.
Well Mom is 87 & I'm 63, so I guess I should be grateful that she doesn't take me to soccer practice anymore.
Oh, I guarantee you there is a difference ... figuratively speaking, you can not escape death with the pulverising, multiple shot of magnum load; hence a semi-automatic complete with magum load is a handy way of ensuring the life is completely sucked out of an opponent. There will be all kinds of secondary damage, too. Ears, hands the entire intestinal tract of a human being will be pinned to the walls, floors ceiling so you have to be prepared to perform a "wee little" klean-up. And you may have to replace some of the flooring, walls and ceilings but, that can be done on another day as a matter of home improvement.
Soccer is a dangerous sport, almost demonic.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Get a new box of ammunition.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Why? I'm certain they'll fire. We fired WW2 ammo, .45 cal, when I was in the service.
I have a Winchester "defender" that is fairely good. It has lasted with over one thousand "heavy" shot used. Still looks good, too. I tried skeet with it a couple tymes. It actually works @close range.
If you want to bet your life on it. Ok. I carry a 9mm. I periodically change out the ammunition just to make sure it will go bang when I want it to. Oil might get into the primer or maybe not. Good modern ammunition is sealed around the primer and probably the bullet where it fits into the case. But, there would be nothing worse than getting into a pissing contest and having your whatever go "click". What would you do? Yell, hey wait a minute, man, stop shooting! I gotta run and get some new ammunition! Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Okay, now you pushed me to test it (38 cal) in my flower bed. I was gonna fire all six rounds, but one was loud enough for the time being. So I've put a fresh 8+ year old round in to replace it. Hope the neighbors don't call the cops - quick, give me a cover story! Thanks, it works fine and loud. Fred
Tell the cops it was the guy down the street and hope they believe it.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
I've got a crazy neighbor, Skid Row Joe. I'll point the finger at him. Edit: Dang! I forgot to put on a glove. How do I get rid of these invisible powder burns on my hand?
Good thinking. That's bound to work.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Well, you can try alcohol and lots of soap? On second thought, you were out and just got home. You didn't hear anything.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
But then they'll feel the hood of my car for engine heat. I gotta go start it up and let it idle for a while. These criminal acts are a pain in the neck. Fortunately it's hunting season and I'm in a rural residential area - not in town or a city.
Ok, that might work. I could never get away with that. I'm in town, but I have a range pass at the local range. The life of a criminal is always very trying.
Psalm 37 PRAY FOR PARIS
Fred,keep it oiled and 200 years from now it will still pop a cap. What do you mean by fresh bullets? Powder and primers deteriorate over time unless they are sealed up as is done in military air tight battle packs. Plus ammo kept in magazines and cylinders can sometimes have oil that penetrates the seal between the bullet and the case,and/or the case and the primer. Depends on the crimp and depends on the oil. You've got me wanting to go outside and pop one in the dirt - All that will tell you is the one you just dropped the hammer on fired,didn't fire,or just went "pop" instead of "BANG!" If the ammo was factory new production ammo and not reloaded ammo,even ammo reloaded by a "factory",it should be all good even ten years after you bought it,provided it wasn't stored in a place that got too hot or too cold for extended periods of time. We just used to periodically take all the ammo off the line at the berm in VN,and take it to the dump and blow it up and replace it with ammo fresh out of sealed cans. It does you no good to have ammo that fires 10,000 times in a row if you needed round number 10,001 to save your life and it just went "pop". It is not even unheard of for a weak round to only go part way down the barrel and then stop,plugging the bore. Ugly things happen fast if you pull the trigger again and that round goes "BANG!". Soooo,my best advise to you is to set your current ammo aside to use as target practice ammo when you go to the range,and buy a new box of factory loaded 38 Special ammo for self-defense. Do NOT buy or put your faith in handloads done by anyone other than someone you know VERY well that is known to be reliable and knowledgeable. One reason for this is the storage factor. People that handload shoot a LOT of ammo,so they don't bother sealing the primers or the shell case where the crimp is to keep out moisture. I used to shoot a lot of 45 ACP ammo,and keep 500 empty cases that had already been tumbled,deprimed,and deburred sitting in a cardboard box by my chair,and would hand seat new primers in the cases while watching tv. Once I had done this I would take that box to my press and load the powder,load the bullets,and crimp and inspect them. I kept 500 loaded,500 primed,and 500 in the process of being prepared to be reloaded pretty much all the time. Sometimes I would shoot up a couple of hundred rounds a day that were custom tailored to shoot in that particular handgun. I built it myself,and built it to suit myself. Factory 45 ACP rounds wouldn't even cycle the slide enough to eject the fired case,and my loads were robust enough you could actually hear the slide banging back against the stops if fired in a factory 1911A1. Don't ask for load data because I won't tell you. For point of reference I'll guess the bullets have been in there 8+ years. I have 'fresh' ones in the box of the same age. If they are 8 years old they are not "fresh" ammo. They are target practice ammo. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Depends on where you live and how you use your shotgun. If you live in a rural area and have the occasional bear or other dangerous animal passing through your yard,you will want a magnum loaded round of buckshot or a slug,depending on the potential danger. If you live in city and your shotgun is strictly for self-defense inside your home,the cheapest standard load you can buy by a major manufacturer. If you are in a standard room 15-20 feet long or wide,the shot will still be in the shot cup by the time it hits a intruder,so it doesn't matter if it is buckshot or number 8 dove loads. Shoot him in the center of the chest and he is done. I keep number 4 buckshot magnums in mine,but nobody is likely to try to break into my house while I am here,and chances are any confrontation will take place out in the yard if I catch someone stealing antique car parts. Or I run into that black bear that likes to walk through my yard at night while I am walking from my workshop to my house. I have guns in most calibers from 22 to 45 caliber placed in various places inside my house,and they are all loaded and ready to go,so I really don't worry about what gun to use. Especially since I will shoot a intruder in the head. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Not really. All you can kill anyone is dead,and a low brass field load will do that at living room distances just as well as a magnum buckshot load, For example,I have seen a 20 guage shotgun loaded with number 8 dove shot shoot the plastic wad right through a galvanized steel trash can. Guess what that would do to your chest cage or your stomach. There will be all kinds of secondary damage, too. Ears, hands the entire intestinal tract of a human being will be pinned to the walls, floors ceiling so you have to be prepared to perform a "wee little" klean-up. And you may have to replace some of the flooring, walls and ceilings but, that can be done on another day as a matter of home improvement WOW! You must buy your ammo from Rambo and Bruce Willis. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Of course not. Let's just say, don't wave your hands and legs aloft in the aire in from of a shot gun. You may be known as "stubby" thereafter. Moreover, as a function of "load," you may not even give a damn afterwards; you went to se your maker.
Tell the cops it was the guy down the street and hope they believe it. -- Don I've got a crazy neighbor, Skid Row Joe. I'll point the finger at him. Edit: Dang! I forgot to put on a glove. How do I get rid of these invisible powder burns on my hand? -- Fred Mertz Lots of cities now have 'shot locating systems'. You better hope yours doesn't.
A spider in the barrel gave you a death threat, so you let him have it! Self defense. Thanks petey for your detailed responses. I guess I'll go out and get some new 38 ammo soon. I don't shoot often at all, but I guess I'll check my aim on my old 38 ammo. And purchase some 4 buckshot magnums (12 ga), whatever they are. I'm sure you will tell me that shotgun shells have a shelf life too, right?
Yup. Primers and powder can always deteriorate if exposed to the tiniest amount of moisture,including sweating and chilling from extreme temperatures. It can still be used for target practice for decades,but can't be trusted to protect your life. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
I keep my stuff in the home, in a closet and a dresser drawer, so they aren't exposed to the weather in any manner.
Fred,it is entirely up to you to you. You can continue to rely on old ammo to save your life,or you can spend 20-30 dollars every couple of years and shoot up your old ammo for target practice. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012) American Indians had open borders. Look at how well that worked out for them.
Okay, petey. I guess I'll have to buy targets, a staple gun and staples. You're gonna send me to the poor farm:( At least I'll know that I'm still deadly.
#14. To: tpaine (#6)
#15. To: Willie Green (#12)
#16. To: Don (#0)
I’ve been told a 12-gauge shotgun is a good choice for home protection, but I’m open to suggestions.
#17. To: buckeroo (#16)
#18. To: Don (#17)
#19. To: tpaine (#6)
#20. To: buckeroo (#18)
#21. To: Fred Mertz (#8)
That was my first handgun purchase; at a Sheriff's sale of confiscated weapons 20+ years ago. It works fine although I haven't fired it in years.
#22. To: BobCeleste (#11)
Auto is good if your first choice of action is to kill them. But, if you want to give them a chance to leave, nothing beats the sound of an 870 being pumped.
#23. To: buckeroo (#16)
I’ve been told a 12-gauge shotgun is a good choice for home protection, but I’m open to suggestions.
#24. To: sneakypete (#21)
...chances are it will still work fine today if you put fresh bullets in it and it's not rusted stuck.
#25. To: sneakypete (#23)
#26. To: buckeroo (#25)
#27. To: Don (#15)
Well, I've been around firearms most of my life in the military and out, and I'm not a kid so maybe I'll be ok. What about you?
#28. To: sneakypete (#23)
#29. To: Willie Green (#27)
#30. To: Fred Mertz (#24)
#31. To: Don (#30)
#32. To: Fred Mertz (#26)
#33. To: Fred Mertz (#31)
#34. To: Don (#33)
#35. To: Fred Mertz (#34)
#36. To: Don (#35)
(Edited)
#37. To: Fred Mertz (#36)
#38. To: Fred Mertz (#36)
#39. To: Don (#38)
#40. To: Fred Mertz (#39)
(Edited)
#41. To: Fred Mertz (#24)
The revolver is a Colt .38 Police Special and in a handy place. I just oiled it up at buckeroo's urging.
#42. To: Fred Mertz (#25)
What 12-gauge shotgun shell do you recommend for home intruders?
#43. To: buckeroo (#28)
Oh, I guarantee you there is a difference .
#44. To: sneakypete (#43)
WOW! You must buy your ammo from Rambo and Bruce Willis.
#45. To: Fred Mertz (#36)
#46. To: Fred Mertz (#34)
quick, give me a cover story!
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#47. To: sneakypete (#42)
I keep number 4 buckshot magnums in mine,
#48. To: Fred Mertz (#47)
I'm sure you will tell me that shotgun shells have a shelf life too, right?
#49. To: sneakypete (#48)
Yup. Primers and powder can always deteriorate if exposed to the tiniest amount of moisture,including sweating and chilling from extreme temperatures.
#50. To: Fred Mertz (#49)
I keep my stuff in the home, in a closet and a dresser drawer, so they aren't exposed to the weather in any manner.
#51. To: sneakypete (#50)
#52. To: Fred Mertz (#51)
t I'm still deadly
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
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