I remember being a kid in Portugal. Some of the older people were illiterate and very poor. Some made it a habit of coming to our house and rumaging through the stuff we (me and my brothers and any of our friends who were all 6-7 yr old kids) might have left outside. Jackets, toys, plates and forks, any of our dad's tools, it was all fair game.
The next day we'd usually see some old wrinkled face wearing one of our cotton coats, wondering in the streets with his toothless, wrinkled face. Our parents learned where these people usually lived, and any time anything disappeared they'd drive up to the guy's house - chances are our lost stuff was there - including our dog Fluffy (who had a very bad habbit of sleeping in the MIDDLE of the road and run after any cars that drived through. Needless to say we eventually found lying in the middle of the road in a pancake with his brown/black/yellow fur, very tragic).
Anyhow, our dad was in the US most of the time, and he didnt like these people wondering around eyeing our house. He thought someone might try to break in and steal some more of our coats and dogs named Fluffy. So he taught our mom how to use his two HUUUUGE rifles. And I mean HUUUUUUGE. I cant tell if they were used for hunting, or if maybe he kept them when got out of the Army, but those rifles would scare anyone.
The bullets, if you wanna call them that, were 2-3 inches big and contained many many many little lead spheres inside - me and my friends used to break these bullets (or more appropriately cartridges) apart and keep these tiny little lead spheres to play with.
Anyhow, one day the old wrinkled face decided he needed a few more Kid-sized cotton coats and dogs named Fluffly (maybe a plate used to feed Fluffy too). Our mom got up picked up one the two rifles -which again, must have been 5 feet or so - and shot a few of these cartridges.
Guy never showed up again. Just goes to show Shotguns and bums dont get along too well.
Interesting. Bizarre coincidence that I was recently wondering what I would do if some punk came up to play thief on my house/turf at night.
First thing I thought, not just a warning shot in the air, but a shot in the foot (or very very near). If hes a dipshit, hell run away and never get back or try again (and maybe warn his felon buddies). Worst case, Ill have a firefight. But then again, hes on MY turf. Bad starting place for him when the cops will get here.
Oh well, dream on. I am sure a lawyer will pop something up to burst my balloon. That would be educative. Comments welcome. =0)
If you wanna get technical then the bullets are called shotgun shells and the spheres are called BB’s. Just thought I’d chime in since I own and hunt with a bunch of shotguns. I guess there is a chance they could be called something different where you live.
I'd say Paul is right. A bullet is the part of the cartridge that kills you. A shotshell is analogous to a cartridge. The lead shot is made of bbs. But who really cares.
Shooting an intruder in the foot is about as stupid a move as I’ve heard. Do you want to spend years in prison, get sued in civil court for all you have, and for all intents and purposes screw your life up?
Mind you, this is a best case scenario. Shoot the wrong guy in the foot and his gangbanger scroat friends will come back and make you watch while they rape your wife and daughter.
If someone tries to break into your house, get your gun, call the cops, and attempt to hold the intruder until they arrive. If you have to shoot them, then so be it. But you’d better be damn sure that you understand the force continuum and your legal rights BEFORE you pull the trigger, or you’re going to go spend time, including shower time, with the exact kind of dirtbags that break into people’s houses.
Mind you, in a perfect world you’d be able to dust off anyone for B & E, but our courts seem to have a problem with that idea.
I have now seen the light.
God help us all if we dont know the proper technical terms for guns and bullets. Oh the pain and the agony.
Posting these threads pokes these jackasses out like poking a stick in a snake’s ground hole - they always bite.
Next time, keep out of my threads will you? Spare yourself some cortisol and frustration and spare me the pain of having to answer your very annoying replies.