Homestead Firearm

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From Mother No. 67

by Gary Kent

"The Homestead Firearm "first appeared in the January/February 1981 issue of THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS, prefaced with an editor's note saying, in part, that " . . . this has always been a magazine devoted to presenting alternatives rather than to preaching. That's why we can run articles praising vegetarian living and stories describing how to raise meat animals in the same issue . . . . If you are confirmed in your choice never to own a firearm, be assured that MOTHER respects your decision. On the other hand, if you think you should own a gun, we respect that decision too . . . and suggest you read what Gary Kent—experienced shooter and regular contributor to outdoor and firearm-enthusiast publications—has to say."

Today—five years later—our feelings are exactly the same.

When a family moves from the city or suburbs to the country, its members will quickly recognize the need to buy, swap for, or otherwise acquire tools that they aren't necessarily familiar with. Some of the items are simple . . . others are complicated, powerful, and perhaps intimidating. In either case, the family must first choose which tools are truly necessary, and then learn to use them safely. Many country dwellers soon find that one such necessary implement is a firearm.

Tools, of course, are devices that help men and women do work. And a gun is a tool that's uniquely suited to three specific jobs: protecting people, protecting crops and livestock, and putting food on the table.

In the Home

The decision to keep a gun for home protection should not be made lightly. Before making up your mind, you'll have to face squarely the idea that—if you do keep a gun for self-defense—you might someday (although the likelihood is very small) actually have to shoot someone. And if you think the matter through and come to the conclusion that you couldn't fire at another human being, even if he or she were threatening your life or the lives of your family, then don't keep a gun for protection. Bluffing with an unloaded firearm, or with one you don't intend to use, could very well cause a tragedy where one might not otherwise have occurred.

If you do decide to keep a gun for defense, however, it's critical that you select the right kind of weapon and that you know how to use it well and safely. Such a gun must meet several criteria. It must be simple to operate, easy to shoot with accuracy, and powerful enough to stop an attacker instantly. Equally important, it must be safe to keep in a house where children live, but also must be capable of being brought into action quickly. Finally, the weapon shouldn't have enough muzzle velocity (the speed at which the projectile leaves the gun) to shoot through walls and perhaps endanger your family or neighbors.