I've got a wierd relationship with guns. I know this might generate a lot of a abuse, but I really don't believe they have much self defense value in the ordinary sense. You truly have to have a tremendous amount of skill to use them effectively. That means an investment of time, money and training. There's a reason why the police practice so much, and as we recently witnessed with the rescue of the two abducted girls, two officers put about seven shots home, at least two at point blank range. It sounds like nearly three times that number didn't reach their mark. The perpetrator discharged his weapon but thankfully didn't hit a thing. He was a bad guy -- an experienced criminal who unlike most of us was pumped up, ready, willing and motivated to take human life. <br><br>Having said all that, if you had the money the Springfield is an excellent time tested accurate rifle. Frankly I've always been an advocate of the "Bang Factor." The sound of any weapon discharging -- or even cocking-- is enough to scare away man or beast. I have a Mauser 48A, 8mm, cheap, reliable, and very, very loud. <br><br>You might want to consider a Ruger 10/22. Very reliable .22 caliber semi-auto. A Remmington 700 is a wonderful accurate bolt action. Both are readily available at Wal-Mart. Virtually the same 700 was used as a sniper rifle in Vietnam. One semi auto handgun worth considering might be a Makarov. It is extremely easy to maintain, has only 27 or so parts, and the 9mm Mak rounds are very inexpensive to ecnourage practice, although not generally stocked at most stores.<br><br>Just worth saying again. I enjoy shooting, but leave my guns locked up. For self defense my softball bat would be my second choice, my first choice would be to jump out the window and run to the neighbors house to call the police.