There have been several threads where the topic of "Giving Away Your Position" by racking a shot gun slide has been mentioned. Not wanting to drift those threads, I thought I would start a new one on that subject.


Faced with unexplained noises in the house, one would have to determine if these sounds were caused by an intruder. The question is, at what point would you be more or less forced to "give away your position?"


One would assume that morally and ethically, (not to mention legally) a home owner can't just start blazing away when he thinks he determines the source of the sounds. This is especially true if there are multiple residents of the domicile.


I am assuming that no one here would want to shoot his neighbor who happened to come home drunk, lost his keys, and mistakes your house for his and comes in through a window. Or even shoot some 14 year old who made a really bad decision about how to pick up some easy money and would surrender immediately if confronted.


But then, if you employ a flashlight, doesn't that "give away your position?" If you give verbal commands / warnings, turn on lights, even the act of dialing 911, same question.


I look forward to thoughtful answers on this one.

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