WollyB,

I wouldn't like to stand in front of a shotgun at 400 yards, especially if it is firing slugs; the longest range that I've fired a 3inch chambered 12 gauge with rifled slugs is 200 yards and at that range they penetrated a 44 gallon drum that was not rusted.
Volley fire from smooth bore muskets in the Napoleonic wars was deadly at 200 yards and a musket is no different to a shotgun.

Hasbeen,

Unfortunately you are right, but there doesn't need to be any wires dangling from a backpack or a belly bag, the presence of the container could indicate explosives and it would be a reckless person who ordered or who took a shot on their own initiative when the target has hostages in a confined space.
Explosives are easy to get so if there is a backpack etc., in a hostage situation it would be prudent to assume that there are explosives.
Muslims have been known to blow themselves up in the recent past.

Here's a link to an article, including video, in the 'Canberra Times'
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/explosions-show-power-of-common-chemicals-supermarket-products-20130725-2qmu0.html

Well argued LEGO:
It's so refreshing when someone relies on facts to carry an argument.
Unlike another poster who claims that the KKK was born entirely in response to black aggression! [Oh my aching ribs!]

Like those terrible former slaves following the drinking gourd, on the freedom railway.

Similarly, the African American, was treated quite shamefully by his white military counterparts during WW1 and WW11!

Quite blatant prejudice the only real justification; and in all three services;, and on the part of some very Senior ranking officers, who ought to have been the ones setting the example and carrying the acceptable standards!

Nor was the treatment by some white soldiers of Japanese prisoners of war, by any measure, civilized!

Nor was the Meili massacre!

Simply put, nutters don't come in any particular color, but learn all their prejudices/acceptable standards at their mothers knee!?

Be they Bosnian Serbs, Nazi butchers or Russian Gulag guards.
And there was quite a warrior tradition among the Celts and the Vikings!
And not so much as a single black face among them.

The point I was trying to make earlier, [with my inimical humor] for another poster, was being black didn't automatically make one an uncivilized savage!
And nobody is born a racist!

All one needs is the culture, and cultural norms to do that.

Thus it has been so down the the ages, from the Greek and Roman civilizations, and the Huns that supplanted them.

Of course we shouldn't put guns in the hands of children or even untrained hands, (same diff/same danger)and to date that has largely all that the tougher gun laws have achieved!

The old gentlemen's agreements and honor among thieves worked far better, and not just in Britain!

Life wasn't meant to be taken too seriously, after all, none of us get out of it alive, do we?

You'll have a nice day now, Y'hear, Rhrosty.

Why not a weapon that merely disables your assailant ? There are a few but they need to be improved upon.

Arjay, unless very competent, it is hard enough to disable an attacker with a gun. Trying to disable with anything else would mostly be a waste of time. If you chose to use a weapon, don't muck around with fancy stuff, unless you are Tom Mix in disguise.

There is still one weapon available to the general public, that is definitely capable, but takes a lot of training & skill, the bow. The cross bow, that many could actually shoot accurately, is on the banned list.

You could defend yourself with that old English standby the long bow. It will do the job, once you have it strung. That is a time consuming effort, but perhaps the home invader will wait for you to do it. I personally would rather be shot with a gun than an arrow. I've seen the difference.

Upgrade a little to a modern recurve bow, & if made of steel can be left strung without too much loss of power, but it will take some training to master it. Perhaps the threat would be adequate with most criminals.

Then we have the modern bow, with pulleys & wheels & wire all over the place. They look awful, but hit with the power of the old 303.

I can still fire my 70Lb hunting bow, but can not hold a draw without wobbling. I have to snap shoot, but am still effective. I can not draw my sons flash modern thing, as it goes through a high poundage area at about half draw.

My bow is strung, always, as it would be more use in an criminal emergency than my rifle, locked in it's steel box up the shed.

Rhrosty,
Nobody said anything about the Klan's origins, everbody knows that they were a Democratic party militia with an anti Republican and anti Catholic agenda and when they did attack Blacks it was politically motivated, to punish them for supporting the wrong White man.
So keeping most Negroes out of combat in the world wars was abusive behaviour was it? Never mind that they make terrible soldiers, that they're quarrelsome, violent and dumb and would have been slaughtered if they'd gone up against the Germans or the Japanese.
You like to get your "facts" from novels right? Read Buffalo Soldiers by Robert O'Connor, it's about a drug dealer on an Army base in Germany in the 1970's, they also made it into a film but left out most of the scenes in the book where the Negro soldiers are running amok.

Oh IS MISE, you get hit 'centre mass' with your friendly 'Brenneke' 12g slug, it'll sure make your eyes water, plus a bit more ! Is it any wonder why the crooks call the 'shoty' the 'great equaliser' ! And with such a wide range of 'purpose designed' ordnance to complete even the 'fussiest' people's inventory !

'Shoty's' are so very versatile even as a secondary delivery system, proving their amazing worth, even in Vietnam and other jungle environments !