An 8 year old and his brother about a 1/2 mile from here was at their grandparents playing. Found the shell's and shotgun loaded it, playing cops and robbers and blew half his brothers head off. His grandfather committed suicide a few month's later. If he'd have obeyed that 'liberal feel good law' :roll: the child would still be alive today and so would the grandfather. So yeah I'm for gun safety. Where do you keep your weapons? A secured gun cabinet? What's the difference between the two? Or are you one of those responsible adults who has them laying around locked and loaded?

Above and beyond that, what if these guns w/o trigger locks make it out on the streets? Trigger locks are a must not only for the above story and many like it, trigger locks prevent more killings and robberies when they get into the hands of the theft that stole them from the home.

I shot a man who was trying to steal my computer. I'm not joking, either.

He broke into my vacation home in the US and tried to take it while I was sleeping. As a bachelor, I knew I wasn't expecting anyone, so I pulled out a Smith&Wesson .34 Special I'd bought just about a month earlier and loaded it with 2 bullets, both hollow point. Went into my physical entertainment room (that holds my game collection and my computers) and saw a guy in a ski-mask standing there with my computer in his hands... so I shot him both times and accidentally killed him when one shot went through his neck. Well, it was cleared up in practically no time (I was in Corpus Christi, Texas at the time) and my computer was safe, even though the bastard dropped it about 2 feet...

Quite true, Chock. Texas rocks.:up:

Heh, reminds me of Family Guy:

JOE: "So I jumped on his back and got him down and accidentally broke his spine."

PETER: "Hehe, looks like you've got a buddy."

JOE: "No, he's dead..."

PETER: ":o"

If they'd have kept the 8 year old strapped inside a straight jacket until he was 18 the accident wouldn't have happened either.

There were two big parental failures here. First, the child was not educated to differentiate between a toy and a real firearm and second, the child was left unsupervised in the presence of a firearm for a considerable length of time.

August already stated the 2 main reasons why this event occurred. But I'll rebut as to WHY gun-locks aren't advisable:

1. A gun lock on a gun means I cannot use it when I need it.
2. Gun locks can be defeated by anybody with a dremel and lots of time.

Firearm safety is a great concept:

-Firearms that are used as a PDW are kept on your persons at all times.
-Firearms that aren't used as a PDW are kept in the safe, gun locks (A.K.A. trigger locks) are absolutely worthless. The firearm can still be transported out of the home and into "the streets".

People still question the right to self defense in this thread? Amazing. Maybe we should put some people here in a room with one of these whacked guys and see if they actually will defend himself against being totured / raped / killed. This thread would be dead shortly after, regardless if they survive, or even if they don't.

What I think this has come down to is trying to justify ones own governmental position. They are trying to say that their governments idea of not protecting ones self is the right thing to do. Sadly, it is not. The right to protect ones self and loved ones is a basic human right that is above all laws.

-S

I don't think anyone is questioning that right, the discourse leans towards what is and isn't excessive force.

If you enter my home and are stealing from me and have damaged my property and possibly entered with the intentions of injuring me or my kin, I should be allowed to kill you. This case is so damn stupid. It's like a worse image of that case where a burglar fell through a woman's skylight and landed on a kitchen knife AND SUED HER, successfully (might I add), FOR $30,000 IN PERSONAL DAMAGES. Just goes to show how corrupt the law is.

Yeah, right, and back to the real world? Trigger locks serve a purpose.

Edit: Not against home defence but am for common sense.

You are arguing that basic right - 100% arguing. If someone breaks into my home, I have no idea why he is there (assuming it is a he). He didn't send me a telegram prior to doing it saying that he is just going to take my stuff!!! The only excessive force plausible case you have here is if you shot him another 500 times after he was dead - and maybe this is not excessive if you had a belt fed M-60 doing the job - and it is legal to own an M-60 in the United States, so don't say this is not possible. You can have a mini-gun if you want it and have the $$$ for it - 100% legal.

So i don't buy your argument - it has no weight.

-S

Yes they do - around children only though who are unaware or undiciplined. No children, no reason to have it.

Properly training a child also can suffice for a trigger lock. We had a rule in my house when I was young - you never go into your parents room for any reason. Period. A loaded gun was the reason. We knew what it was, and we knew never to touch it ever, and guess what? We never did.

-S

I'm hardly arguing anything, Subman. I was correcting what I saw as a mischaracterisation, that you made. So there's no argument for you to reject. At least not of mine. I've posted here about five times, haven't gotten past two sentences. Nothing that could convincingly be called an argument.

Way to go Stealth Hunter.......Probably helps to be in Texas.........:up: :up: :up: :up: :up:

Here you would be in prison for that. Maybe i should move to Texas.

I made no such mischaracterization. That is where you are in error, or are you? If you are not arguing against my point, then so be it.

I am probably mixing you up with P-Funk.

I agree. I have two pistols, and both are locked, the revolver has a trigger lock and the .40 semi-auto in its case. I just couldn't live with myself if one of my kids or their friends got hurt in an accident. They have been taught, told, and warned not to screw with the guns unless I am in attendance, but I've heard sometimes children don't always do what they are told. I'm not taking any chances with my kids.

If I need to handgun to protect myself, the combination lock will only slow me down for about 6 seconds. That's cool with me, it gives the home invader a sporting chance. I'm a really good shot (ask the Subsim guys who came to the 2006 Texas Sub Club meeting) ;)

One thing people should keep in mind before opening fire in their home if they think they have a home invader.... when you wake up and you're groggy and disoriented, don't shoot your wife or kids by mistake...


Don't blame you one bit. Where did the other shot hit?

Very strict gun laws over here.

Mainly only criminals carry them now. Our police force still use revolvers while the crook is likely to have a nice 9mm pistol.

When it comes to Texas and hand guns....the state is in a league of it's own. From what I understand it is perfectly legal to carry one. At any rate and a true story:

Buddy of mine in NY had a home invader. He clocked him on the head while the intruder was in the house. The intruder was hit hard enough to kill him. He called the police who arrived as requested. Before the investigators arrived, the police told him to put the bat away. The police dragged the intruder to the front porch. They then advise him to fill out the report with the investigators stating the intruder ran out the front door, tripped and hit his head thus killing himself. Case closed. True story!!!

When I lived in Austin (72-73)you could carry a weapon as long as it is visible as is not concealed. You could not take it into a store etc. Things might have changed since then.

Not really. You can pretty much carry one in almost every state as long as you have a permit, or they have open carry.

In Washington for instance, you can open carry any time you like.

-S