Back-up

You guys know I'm a staunch supporter of the Second Ammendment. And I'm certain you agree that defending yourself, your loved ones and even strangers is very important.
The police can't do it, most of the time, and calling 911 is fine, but it takes time for the police to show up.
And in that time, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to protect yourself and others, whether you're at home or out and about.

Now, if at home you have far more options available, depending on the circumstances. Usually, nothin' beats a good shotgun, or perhaps a Winchester for accuracy and firepower.
Or you can use handguns. Personally, I would go for a shotgun or rifle first, but I would have a handgun or two on me as back-up, in case someone (or more) assailants were tryin' to break into the house, or my neighbor's houses.

If someone manages to break in before I'm armed (good luck doin' that because my guard dogs have excellent hearing), I have gats strategically placed throughout the house. Not in plain sight, but I know where they are.
Yes, even if I'm on the throne, so to speak.

I also have ammo in every room, so I can reload, even if I'm pinned down or isolated to one room.

Of course, if you have children, this is more problematic, depending on their age. It has been my experience (my grandparents were right) that teaching your children at a young age about fire arms, what they are, how dangerous they are, and what they are for is very crucial.
I was taught this when I was 5 or 6, taught to always assume guns are loaded and never to touch them or point them at family members or friends, and I even got to handle unloaded guns and rifles. This was drilled into me repeatedly until I was 10, IIRC.
That was when my grandparents taught me to shoot.

Today, I carry most all the time, and I only go to businesses that respect our 2nd Ammendment rights, if I can help it.
I usually carry a .45 long colt, .40 or 9mm, with hollowpoints. Hollowpoints have more stopping power, are more likely to incompacitate bad guys, and are less likely to go through a bad guy and hit someone else.
Needless to say, practice is very important. The more you practice, the more accurate you'll be in case you hafta use
a gun to defend yourself or others.

I've been wanting a back-up, smaller weapon for awhile, and since my birthday is coming up, I thought it would make a nice gift.
Something small enough for an ankle or pocket holster (yet easily concealed), and powerful enough to knock a bad guy down.
And with summer coming, it must be easily concealed with lighter clothing.

Originally, this is what I bought the 9mm for, but it's just a tad too big to easily conceal as a back-up. Plus, I wanted a revolver, because revolvers never jam up, and although I have been trained to clear up gun jams it does take a second or two.

This fit the bill for me:

A Ruger .357 magnum. Not a bad back-up or primary weapon.

The only con is it only holds 5 shots, but I can reload it fairly quickly. Not as fast as a semi-auto, but hopefully, fast enough, and hopefully, I wouldn't need more than 5 shots anyhow. Besides, it's mostly for back-up. I can easily conceal the 9mm or .40 cal in a shoulder holster, or a hip holster if I wear an extra large, short sleeve shirt that ain't tucked in.

When out and about, especially in the summer, it's a balancing act between comfort and firepower, and sure, I don't look as good in a baggy shirt that ain't tucked in, but most folks rarely give me a second glance anyhow, which is fine by me.
I hate signing autographs anyway.

Oh, I also recommend carrying a decent knife (make sure you know your state laws on legal blade length). A knife is a good last resort defensive tool, as well as an invaluable, all-purpose survival tool.

Caught in a burning car but your seatbelt is jammed?
Is your car sinking in a lake or river and you can't get the automatic windows down or door open?
Have you ever found yourself in a restaurant trying to use a super dull restaurant knife to cut your well done, even though you asked for medium rare steak?
Need to make an emergency tracheotomy? I saw one on tv, so I'm purty sure I could do it if I had to. Of course I would also need a pen or straw. Stat!

There are so many uses for a good knife.
Mushroom, aka Dwaine has a some good links at his site about knives and how to sharpen them correctly, if you decide it's a good idea to have one.

http://prudencefordummies.blogspot.com