Big Boy Toy?

Should every man have a big boy toy?

Lately, I've been thinking about buying an AR-15. Why? Just because, one of the days, "those" guys in Washington might decide I can't buy one.

I am sick and tired of people saying that "those" guns are just for killing people. No, they aren't "just" for killing people. And, yes, they can be used for that.

Do I get a "basic" model, say, for about $700?

Or do I trick it out, and maybe spend $1,000? Or more?

Then logic steps in. Just exactly when and where and how might I use it, if I had to? And here is the problem for most of us.

As with any firearm, we must think about what is behind our target?

Let's say the bad guy is breaking into our home. We hear the glass break. As a cop in Iowa told me in 1963, "If someone breaks your window at 3:00AM and you shoot him, just be sure to drag him into the house through the window."

Today you'd probably get charged with tampering with evidence...

But what if you miss him and your shot flies across the yard and hits the neighbor's house? Or someone in the house? Not good.

Or what if the intruder is already in your home, when you shoot?

If you miss him (or her), will the bullet go through a door or wall and hit a family member?

Of course, I'm not writing only about a round from an AR-15, but a round from any firearm. What will you have handy? A .45? .40? 9mm? .380? Do you know the punching power of your ammo?

Think about it. And find out about it. Try the ol' "cantaloupe-at-10-yards" trick.

And make, and practice, a Family Safety Plan. Others in your home need to know what to expect, if you are going to challenge an intruder. There are plenty of knowledgeable people around to coach you on a good Plan. And there are even more know-it-alls who will toss in their 2¢ worth. You be the judge if their "advice" is worth the price; it might not be.