Pros and Cons of Gun Ownership for Home Security Purposes

21 April, 2011

About 80 million Americans own a gun of some kind--and many of these people own more than simply one gun. There are currently more than 223 million registered guns in the U.S, and likely countless more that are unregistered. And with so many guns floating around, it brings up a lot of debate on whether gun ownership is an essentiality, or an impracticality that actually brings on more danger than protection.

Some people think that the best way to protect themselves is to have a gun. Whether they carry this gun on their person or they keep it in their home, many people think that having a gun is their first line of defense against burglars and other criminals. While there is indeed a sense of protection that comes with having a gun, do the pros of gun ownership outweigh the cons?

Pros of Gun Ownership

Even though owning a gun is sometimes seen as a scary thing, there are many home security benefits of owning a gun if the proper precaution are taken. Understanding what you are getting into is a key factor of safe gun ownership.

One major pro of owning a gun is that it gives you a real sense of security and protection. You know that you have a way to protect yourself if your home should be burglarized or if you get attacked on the street. With a gun, you will better be able to protect yourself and your family and you may even be able to scare away potential burglars or attackers just by the fact that you have a gun.

Cons of Gun Ownership

However, there are also disadvantages of owning a gun that people need to be aware of. First of all, having a gun can put you at an increased risk for accidents inside the home. If you have children inside the home, there is a possibility that they will get a hold of the gun. Even if you think that the gun is secure, children are crafty and it will amaze you at what they can get into. Children often don’t understand the risks associated with guns and they might accidentally shoot a friend or a sibling, thinking that that they are playing.

There is also always the possibility that you will harm a friend, neighbor or family member by accident if you have a gun in the home. Someone might enter your home unexpectedly and you grab your gun, thinking that it is an intruder. You fire without thinking and you might end up harming someone that you know. Incidents such as these happen every single day.

Owning a gun is a personal decision that every person needs to make for themselves. Carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of gun ownership and make the proper decision based on what is best for you and your situation, not based on what someone else says.