For the Firearms guys

Gaiiden

No one has mentioned the fact that while a .22 has less stopping power, a 9mm or higher will punch through walls and easily kill anyone in the vicinity if you happen to take a crazy shot and miss the perp before hitting him/her. Do you have any children in the house? Are you in an apartment complex or have neighbors nearby? If so I would recommend just a shotgun, as that is strictly a close-range weapon that won't cause too much collateral damage outside of the immediate room you are in.

Furthermore, saying that a .22 will only piss someone off is a bit of Hollywood if you ask me. Given that the majority of crooks are just normal people down on their luck an desperate (not career criminals) anyone getting shot with anything would be enough to incapacitate them.

Finally, if you're going to shoot someone in your house or on your property, make sure you kill them. I know it sounds harsh but really there should be no reason to shoot someone unless your own life is in mortal peril (i.e. s/he also has a gun or other deadly weapon with imminent threat to use it). If they're still alive when the police recover them they could potentially sue you for damages, and you would have to then prove that you were within rights to shoot them. It's just additional legal stuff to deal with. Note too that even if they're dead the cops can bring charges against you as well if they suspect the shooting was more than just self-defense.

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Drew Sikora
Bullrun 2009 participant