No. It is not legal to shoot a trespasser just for being on your property, whether in your house or not. This is true anywhere in the USA and most other countries for the simple fact that homicide is a far worse crime than trespass. The trespasser has to reasonably represent a threat to life and limb and there has to be no other plausible way of protecting yourself or other innocent individuals. Of course where property is considered more important than humanity in the dominant culture, it is inevitable that some, perhaps many, sick individuals will imagine that this is legal, or may want this to be legal. The Stand Your Ground laws that now exist in many states are proof of that moral sickness. In most states, however, it remains not a grey area under law, that if you shoot someone when it is reasonable to assume that the person was not presenting a physical threat to you or anyone else, you have a fair chance of being imprisoned yourself. If you shoot someone in the back who was trying to climb out of the window when you caught him robbing your house, for example, you are very likely to be charged with a homicide.
No. It is not legal to shoot a trespasser just for being on your property, whether in your house or not. This is true anywhere in the USA and most other countries for the simple fact that homicide is a far worse crime than trespass. The trespasser has to reasonably represent a threat to life and limb and there has to be no other plausible way of protecting yourself or other innocent individuals. Of course where property is considered more important than humanity in the dominant culture, it is inevitable that some, perhaps many, sick individuals will imagine that this is legal, or may want this to be legal. The Stand Your Ground laws that now exist in many states are proof of that moral sickness. In most states, however, it remains not a grey area under law, that if you shoot someone when it is reasonable to assume that the person was not presenting a physical threat to you or anyone else, you have a fair chance of being imprisoned yourself. If you shoot someone in the back who was trying to climb out of the window when you caught him robbing your house, for example, you are very likely to be charged with a homicide.
Pistol or Shotgun for Home Defense?
I've gone the handgun route, Newell, but only because my house is so small and cramped (sounds as though yours is too). I've walked around with smaller long arms through my house, and it just isn't practical. I feel better with the handgun. If I had a different setup, I'd definitely prefer a shotgun. You could keep both handy. Grab the shotgun when convenient, but always have the handgun on you for when you need that. Especially if you are using a double, and also if you are going bird shot. With all that stucco and such, maybe you could consider buckshot. I'm lucky. I have a garage between both of my neighbors on the sides, so no fears there of over penetration. To the back is an empty parking lot (a spot where the bad guys can come through, though have a fence there. Only the old lady across the street is a concern, but it doesn't seem to be in a spot where I would fire. You know your situation and preferences better than anyone, so consider your friends advice, then go with what works for you.
Pistol or Shotgun for Home Defense?
I've gone the handgun route, Newell, but only because my house is so small and cramped (sounds as though yours is too). I've walked around with smaller long arms through my house, and it just isn't practical. I feel better with the handgun. If I had a different setup, I'd definitely prefer a shotgun. You could keep both handy. Grab the shotgun when convenient, but always have the handgun on you for when you need that. Especially if you are using a double, and also if you are going bird shot. With all that stucco and such, maybe you could consider buckshot. I'm lucky. I have a garage between both of my neighbors on the sides, so no fears there of over penetration. To the back is an empty parking lot (a spot where the bad guys can come through, though have a fence there. Only the old lady across the street is a concern, but it doesn't seem to be in a spot where I would fire. You know your situation and preferences better than anyone, so consider your friends advice, then go with what works for you.
Do we need tougher gun control laws?
Lol maybe you should actually get informed before you form an opinion huh? No American, with the exception of a few with a class 3 liscence are allowed to own an Automatic Weapon. What you are talking about are semi automatic civilian versions of military rifles. Shouldn't you at least know what you are talking about before you rant? As for owning one...semi auto carbines loaded with frangible ammo(breaks up when it hits something solid like a wall) are excellent for self defense in the home. They are also very fun to shoot, and me and some friends go shooting at a range and have contests, rather then sit at home drinking beer and watching football. "assault weapons" are used in less then 1% of firearms related crimes. They are very hard to conceal. It is not my personnel pleasure to own a semi auto, it is my right. It is my right to have the means to defend my family at 3:00 in the morning, when the average 911 response time where I live is 5 to 6 minutes. As for the 1000's killed each year....half of all firearms deaths are suicides. Far more people are killed in car crashes each year then by firearms. 5 times more children ages 1-10 drown each year then are shot, so shouldn't we ban pools and lakes first, or at least make swimming lessons required? That would save more lives then anything. Lets put some of the blame for Pittsburg on the 911 operator who was informed there were guns in the house, yet didn't inform the responding officers. That's fair isn't it? As for VT, what might have happened if there had been legally armed students and teachers. the body count would have been far less. Why do you think that 95% of mass shootings take place in gun free zones? How about blaming the shooters parents for not getting him help? How about some of the blame going to the school system that lets kids be bullied until they feel they have no other option? A gun is a tool, just like any other tool. I could leave a fully loaded gun sit out, and it may as well be a paperweight until someone picks it up. And very few of the 20,000 gun laws we have already are enforced or people prosecuted. Why pass other laws that criminals will simply ignore. Please get the facts and educate yourself.
Do we need tougher gun control laws?
Lol maybe you should actually get informed before you form an opinion huh? No American, with the exception of a few with a class 3 liscence are allowed to own an Automatic Weapon. What you are talking about are semi automatic civilian versions of military rifles. Shouldn't you at least know what you are talking about before you rant? As for owning one...semi auto carbines loaded with frangible ammo(breaks up when it hits something solid like a wall) are excellent for self defense in the home. They are also very fun to shoot, and me and some friends go shooting at a range and have contests, rather then sit at home drinking beer and watching football. "assault weapons" are used in less then 1% of firearms related crimes. They are very hard to conceal. It is not my personnel pleasure to own a semi auto, it is my right. It is my right to have the means to defend my family at 3:00 in the morning, when the average 911 response time where I live is 5 to 6 minutes. As for the 1000's killed each year....half of all firearms deaths are suicides. Far more people are killed in car crashes each year then by firearms. 5 times more children ages 1-10 drown each year then are shot, so shouldn't we ban pools and lakes first, or at least make swimming lessons required? That would save more lives then anything. Lets put some of the blame for Pittsburg on the 911 operator who was informed there were guns in the house, yet didn't inform the responding officers. That's fair isn't it? As for VT, what might have happened if there had been legally armed students and teachers. the body count would have been far less. Why do you think that 95% of mass shootings take place in gun free zones? How about blaming the shooters parents for not getting him help? How about some of the blame going to the school system that lets kids be bullied until they feel they have no other option? A gun is a tool, just like any other tool. I could leave a fully loaded gun sit out, and it may as well be a paperweight until someone picks it up. And very few of the 20,000 gun laws we have already are enforced or people prosecuted. Why pass other laws that criminals will simply ignore. Please get the facts and educate yourself.
In Massad Ayoob's The Truth About Self Protection he says if you have one gun for home protection it should be a handgun so you can carry it while moving from room to room and while dialing police. He recommends a revolver so that an intruder can see the hollow point bullets in the cylinder and knows it is loaded and so it will remain reliable even in the face of neglect. He suggests a snub nose model so that if an intruder tries to take it away he will have little to grab at. He says that he, himself uses an auto-pistol for the capacity, because of its greater ease in shooting accurately, because he knows that he will maintain it, and because he has been trained in handgun retention (and anyways has confidence that he will not hesitate to shoot if he has to).He says that if you keep two guns for home protection the second should be a 20 gauge shotgun so that when you and any family members have gathered yourselves into your "safe room" where the shotgun is kept to make your stand, you will have six times the power and deadliness per shot. He himself keeps a 12 gauge shotgun for that role, but only because he has enough experience with shotguns to know he can handle its larger recoil.See: The Truth About Self Protection: Massad Ayoob: 9780553195194: Amazon.com: Books
In Massad Ayoob's The Truth About Self Protection he says if you have one gun for home protection it should be a handgun so you can carry it while moving from room to room and while dialing police. He recommends a revolver so that an intruder can see the hollow point bullets in the cylinder and knows it is loaded and so it will remain reliable even in the face of neglect. He suggests a snub nose model so that if an intruder tries to take it away he will have little to grab at. He says that he, himself uses an auto-pistol for the capacity, because of its greater ease in shooting accurately, because he knows that he will maintain it, and because he has been trained in handgun retention (and anyways has confidence that he will not hesitate to shoot if he has to).He says that if you keep two guns for home protection the second should be a 20 gauge shotgun so that when you and any family members have gathered yourselves into your "safe room" where the shotgun is kept to make your stand, you will have six times the power and deadliness per shot. He himself keeps a 12 gauge shotgun for that role, but only because he has enough experience with shotguns to know he can handle its larger recoil.See: The Truth About Self Protection: Massad Ayoob: 9780553195194: Amazon.com: Books