A Home Defense Followup; You don't need an AR...

[Panzercat]

...Or a shotty or an autoloader of any sort, apparently.

Home of WWII veteran, 92, who coolly shot intruder dead with .22 rifle from his armchair had been targeted THREE times in August

Jones is adamant that he was within his right to shoot the intruder at the home. 'I didn’t go to war for nothing. I have the right to carry a gun. That’s what I told the police this morning,' according to the Enquirer newspaper.

Personally, I think the last word on home defense is not the caliber or round count, but the willingness to use it.
Good on him.

[rjohns94]

Amen

[Ysabel Kid]

Chalk one up for the good guys!

[Griff]

Amen

+1.

[MrMurphy]

The fact he shot him in the heart or close enough also helps. And at 92, he's probably got 80 years of shooting .22s.....


Still, stack the deck, not all .22 hits are lethal. A .22 got it done this time, but a .357, .44 or 5.56mm would be even better.

[guido4198]

It's a shame the P.O.S. put Mr. Jones in that situation. The burglar was found DEAD in a car with 2 accomplices....NOT in Mr. Jones' house. While I congratulate him for taking the only action that P.O.S. left him with,I have 2 words for Mr. Jones:
12-Gauge.

[Dave]

The 22 rifle is no joke. Not all agree but for people who are not gunny I think the Ruger 10-22 with one of the factory high cap mags is a viable HD gun. Not loud, no recoil, but enough firepower to run someone out of your house.

[dogngun]

The 22 rifle is no joke. Not all agree but for people who are not gunny I think the Ruger 10-22 with one of the factory high cap mags is a viable HD gun. Not loud, no recoil, but enough firepower to run someone out of your house.

Actually, the .22 is no joke, period. I have 2 1950's High Standard Sentinel revolvers, one 2 1/2" and one 4" , both DA 9 with shot aluminum frame. I load them with Federal Auto Match ammo, a very accurate and consistent solid lead standard velocity round, the same as I use in my S&W .22 auto pistol. I would have no problem carrying these .22's, especially since HKS makes a speed loader for them...It's really a matter of shot placement and being cool in stressful situations.

Might not be the ideal defense round, but if that's what you have, use it.

I just turned 65, and I never leave the house without a handgun...older people are seen by some as easy targets.


mark

[mohavesam]

First man I ever saw shot was shot with a 22LR. A little Jennings pistol. The guy was hit just below the sternum and dropped like a wet dishrag. He died an hour or so later.

No one I know is lining up to get shot by a 22 "mouse gun".

[DixieBoy]

Not trying to be argumentative, but I agree with the old boy's choice of a .22 rifle. He's 92 years old now, same age my Dad was when he died. Dad was tough, but getting older stinks, and I think this old boy knew that he could always put his rifle skills to work (very well) with his very familiar .22 rifle.

Since the cops had taken his rifle after he reported the incident, a bunch of the guys on the Ruger forum were getting started with a collection of $20 apiece to get him a new Ruger 10/22, but then a local from where the old boy lives chimed in to the discussion. It appears that this old guy has a lot of friends, he is not unarmed now, and he has a few more of the good locals keeping an eye out for him now, given that bad guys are sometimes known to seek revenge.

I think the old boy did just fine. He knows how to use that .22 pretty darn well. - DixieBoy

[gamekeeper]

I agree with DixieBoy, I can't imagine too many guys at 92 years old being as quick with a heavy hard kicking gun as they would be with a lighter .22 rifle, I know if I ever get to be 92 I will not be practicing much with a 12 gauge if I still have my 22.

Mr Jones did a fine job on that scumbag..

[mikld]

The .22 lr has put a lot of folks to rest (dead!), and from what I've read it's a nasty round to get shot with (as if any aren't). But, the .22 lr usually isn't a fight stopper; the bad guy can continue to be bad and die later...

[Sixgun]

You gotta remember, a 92 yo dude does not get excited and blow his shot as a guy who still has 40 years ahead of him......... the old cat ain't got a whole lot to lose.

He did fine and I commend him for it. I'll still stick with a shotgun and a 1911.----I don't want to see the perp slowly drop, I want an instant "to the ground reaction"---------Sixgun

[1894c]

It's a shame the P.O.S. put Mr. Jones in that situation. The burglar was found DEAD in a car with 2 accomplices....NOT in Mr. Jones' house. While I congratulate him for taking the only action that P.O.S. left him with,I have 2 words for Mr. Jones:
12-Gauge.

actually i was thinking .410... :O

[PMWIZARD]

You know what they say, NEVER TRUST A PERSON WITH 1 GUN, HE WILL DEFINITELY KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

[Panzercat]

And honestly, look at those pics. I'm pretty sure that was a single shot something something.

[AkRay]

I don't see a rear sight on the barrel. It looks more like a single shot shotgun than a rifle to me.

[deafrn]

You know what they say, NEVER TRUST A PERSON WITH 1 GUN, HE WILL DEFINITELY KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

I've shot with a couple of people who - for one reason or another - ended up using one firearm for most of their recreational shooting, even when the gun wasn't the theoretical best choice from among their gun cabinet. Most of those people really did know how to use their favorites- even when they were not particularly gifted marksmen.

One of my old shooting buddies (far and away the wisest one) had a sizable collection of working firearms, all of which he could use competently; one day he said to me while looking over one of his rifles, "I don't shoot this thing enough to remember how to shoot it well." We both came to the conclusion that we had probably been better practical shots back when we each had fewer guns but were more familiar with them. For me, a familiar firearm (or car... or even computer) really does improve my effectiveness.