Pet Peeve of mine. Hearing people say if you use X gun for self defense, or if you use X ammo, or modify your gun, and at some point you shoot somebody in self-defense the DA will hang you for the gun you used.
How stupid is this? If the gun works, and the ammo works, there shouldn’t be an issue. If you’re defending your life in court because of a defensive gun use, hire a good Lawyer. Ask around and get the name of a lawyer who specializes in gun laws and keep their card in you wallet.
I personally don’t carry handloads, not because I’m worried about prosecution, but I know the ammo company has done a LOT more work optimizing that load and bullet combination than I could ever likely do. If I had a gun I otherwise liked but it had a magazine disconnect, or a DA trigger with an extraneous safety, I’d have no qualms about removing or disabling features that make the gun more dangerous, or might allow it to fail when my life was on the line.
My J-Frames are no-locks, but if I had one with a safety lock that I carried (especially a light-weight model) I would certainly glue the lock in place, or remove it.
I feel that I can explain these reasons why I’d do this to a jury of my peers, I imagine a lawyer who knows guns would do even better.
I’d much rather carry the best gun and ammo for the situation than compromising because I was concerned about a lawsuit.
Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6!
“Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6!” THAT is the bottom line… everything else is extraneous to the argument!
The DA will hang you regardless. As per Martha, “We discourage self help.”
Hell Weerd- my home defense gun is a 10.5″ AR (Colt lower/Noveske VLTOR upper) running an AAC M4-2000 suppressor and loaded with 55gr TAP. The secondary HD weapon that the wife runs is an HK UMP SBR clone with an 8″ barrel running a Gemtech UMP suppressor and loaded with 230gr Gold Dots.
I’ve had people say “Oh my God- if you actually use that the DA will hang you because these are assassins weapons.” Puh-leese… I’ve had these weapons for over a decade now and other then the range or training I dont carry them around looking for a fight.
WHat I DO want is a level of firepower over and above what the typical bad guy carries when he breaks in the door. If the suppressor makes them confused as to where shots are coming from or lets me drop two BGs for the price of one then bonus- when I’m fighting for my life or for my family I want every advantage I can get up to a certain price point. I’d do full auto if I could but thats out of my price range.
And do I feel that the DA can put me away? If its a good shoot I doubt it- everything is legal. I have rey to read about a conviction regardless of weapon used so long as its justifiable. Look up Gary Fadden (now the president of Al Mar knives) or Harry Beckwith- both used full-autos in defense of their life and were cleared.
Hell just put your NFA paperwork on the damn bench. If they raked you over the coals so you could build an SBR and thread a can on it, I suspect they can trust you to use it.
Just an anti-rights DA will simply attack anybody for exercising their rights.
Plus isn’t .223 from a 10″ barrel considered less-than-lethal force? 😉
If you havn’t already done so read some self defense articles by Massad Ayoob concerning defensive shootings and court testamony. Educational and informative.
Paul in Texas
Yeah the best info I learned from him was cooperate, but overall shut-up and lawyer up. Post fatal shooting there is no information that can’t wait until the morning.