BiggerPockets

First of all, why would you put yourself in a position where u would need a gun to enter a vacant property? Not saying nothing will happen but I try not to go to vacant properties/war zones (if I go there) after 12pm the latest, I have been there before where everyone inside was sleeping and I surprise them quick enough so that cant pull anything and I never go alone. But not to jack this thread, I carry a baseball bat in the trunk and I have a gun license and I have been a blackbelt since I was about 15 so I am well qualified/prepared.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to tell anyone not to protect yourself. I have a few properties in the south side of chicago in the ghetto so I completely understand the need to protect yourself. but there are smart ways to do it is all I am saying, and the gun I like best is a glock 21. Well whatever anyone can do to stay safe is fine by me.

Typerider - fyi, baseball bat is about all you're allowed in the People's Republic of Cook County.

Exactly, City of Chicago DOES NOT allow anyone to have hand guns in there homes unless its grandfathered in and even thats a problem. So yeah protect yourself as best as u can. But when it comes to investment properties theres no reason why anyone should be going to low income neighborhoods at times when it could be dangerous. I am not telling anyone how to do your thing but come on knock out the property before 11am-12pm so its not even something to think about. I am usually at low income areas around 7-9 am so that I dont have to worry about any problems 99% of the time.

Hmmm 1 hour traffic or my life being gone or injuries......... Which would you like to keep???

But when it comes to investment properties theres no reason why anyone should be going to low income neighborhoods at times when it could be dangerous.

If I knew when one of the many drug dealer scumbags that I have evicted will appear and want revenge, then I wouldn't go there at that time of day. If I knew when a tenant I evicted and made homeless would be at Walmart, then I wouldn't go there at that time. If I knew when some unstable mail delivery guy was going to go postal at McDonalds, I would pack my lunch that day. Unfortunately, I don't get the schedule of dangerous times and places, so I carry my gun anytime I'm working. When you're working in low-income neighborhoods, any time could be dangerous. You never know when some hopped up meth addict will be walking down the street and decide that he needs your money.

I carry a Baretta 3032 (32 cal) Tomcat with frangible rounds for added safety in apartment buildings and other close quarters. It is a semi-automatic, 8 shot pistol, double action on the first shot. It is remarkably accurate for such a small gun. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's a little difficult to decock after you've fired that first shot (due to the small hammer). It has a very unusual barrel which tilts up, allowing the chambered round to be removed and I usually acutate that before attempting to decock it.

I would like to carry something with a little more power, but it is difficult to conceal anything larger and still work with it (doing the maintenance, climbing on roofs, etc). I also like the reliability of the Baretta, which has never misfired and is very well built. My wife and I both have Baretta trap guns and I have found their performance to be outstanding.

I wear mine with a belt type holster (on my side during the winter, under a hooded sweatshirt and a little farther back during the summer, under a hawaiian shirt. My wife and I do go to the range occassionally. We usually make a day of it, shooting some targets and then dinner. What could be better?

And hey, if you'd like to bring up some legal issues that would be great

Legal issues? There are plenty of them. However, as they used to say in the military " it's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6" !

Mike

Excellent point about frangible rounds, MikeOH. No one wants a slug to go through a wall into another apartment.

Yeah, the legal issues get complicated in this overly-litigious society of ours. I read somewhere that even if a shooting is perfectly righteous, one can expect to spend at least ten grand in legal fees for defense.

Hey - can you deduct those trips to the range? You should be able to, maybe continuing education or something?....

Not sure what you can legally do in California James but I would certainly get her some pepper spray and basic defense training. Preferably something taught by women (male instructers don't have the same center of gravity) and not overly stylistic. I've known women who really like Krav Maga - developed by Israel for it's military. Also never hurts to have a dog.

This just got me thinking is all.

From what I can tell, California is a " may issue" state, meaning that you may be allowed to get a concealed carry permit IF your local sheriff allows it. So, you could certainly check with your sheriff. In addition, tasers appear to be legal in the People's Republic of California, except in municipal buildings; at public meetings; and in sterile areas of the airport. These are the same tasers that the police use and they even have smaller tasers that fit in a woman's purse.

I read somewhere that even if a shooting is perfectly righteous, one can expect to spend at least ten grand in legal fees for defense.

I agree, and I'd much rather write a check for $10,000 than be dead!

Mike