Jeffersonwasright, I'm going to try not to pile on, but you need to revisit your mindset. If you need to shoot, plan on killing them. That is the only way to count on stopping them, and if you can't legally and morally justify killing them, you can't shoot them. Pistols suck for fighting. Anyone who takes a pistol to a fight they can't avoid is a fool. Put all your rounds in the upper body (above the horizontal and between the vertical lines through the nipples); throat, face (outside corner of the eyes to the bottom of the nose in a triangle. Shoot them to the ground, and keep shooting until you KNOW that they are no longer a threat. Ammo is cheap; your life is expensive. While some wounds may be fatal, few are immediate stoppers. If they turn and run, be grateful, and hold your fire.

First, layer your home defenses. I like having a fenced yard for a lot of reasons - 6', chain link, padlocked gates. There is also a "no trespassing" sign that even before the fence made it a crime to come to the door unless invited. We have no family in the area and no one has any reason to come to the house without calling us first; we're busy and tired and rarely socialize. In reality, the only folks who come to the house are pizza drivers, and there is an entry in their computer describing the need to call if I don't perceive their arrival in the driveway.

We have dogs. You can have any dog you want that fits your life style. We like large working breeds, and have mostly had Rottweilers. ANY dog can alert you to things going on outside. The larger dogs have more attention getting barks, so you pay more attention, and those outside are already warned. A pack is really useful - the offender might evade or stop one; three is a whole different situation. Anyone who keeps coming is either dumb or a criminal. If you have an outside door that is unlocked other than to pass through it, slap yourself. The locked door, as noted above, gives notice to all that they are unwelcome. It also prevents errors like someone walking in and meeting your stranger hating dog that thinks the neck is a nice place to hold. (We have one. We will not get to shoot anyone here unless they kill Bozo first, because he will almost certainly kill them.) At this point, with a trespass notice (see your state law to make sure you give notice correctly), barking dog(s), and a locked door, I can be reasonably sure that anyone who attempts to get in is a violent criminal who presents a serious risk to us.

Make up your mind to offend people. Their feelings mean nothing, and if you give their feelings any consideration to the detriment of your safety, you again need to slap yourself. If someone comes to the door, they need to be informed in a loud clear voice that they are unwelcome. Don't worry about using rough language - worry about not communicating well enough. My response to those folks is a verbal fireball. The number of *s it would take to enter them here would make the mods turn pale. At a minimum: "You at the door, don't move (other than as directed). Hands in the air, palms toward me. Back away from the door. The police have been called. Any action other than those directed will be responded to as an act of criminal aggression." (Or words to similar effect.) As also noted above: call 911, and leave the line open. Your words will be heard and given to responding officers, so they should know that this is important. The recording will help in the subsequent investigation. There have been two justifiable homicides in the Spokane area in the last decade in which the 911 call made it clear from to the start that the resident was in reasonable fear.

Now: Re-read the first paragraph about shooting the offender.

Avoid stupid people and stupid activities. Home invasions are not random. Don't have a pot grow, or otherwise deal drugs. Don't get involved with someone else's spouse. Etc.

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NHI, 10-8.