Late Night Home Defense

[Rivers2k]

So I was laying bed the other night just falling a sleep. Kids and wife are asleep and my Jack Russel starts growling and snarling at the front door. This is something he never does. I think my feet hit the floor twice between my bedroom and getting to the front door. My heart was thumping and it turns out it was a wide eyed pizza guy at the wrong house.

I have been thinking to myself I never reached for my gun? My guns are in a safe because I have small children. Would I have time to get the keys? I am not noobi I am Marine Corps trained and have been shooting for years.

So if I am tired and groggy and this was a real emergency this experience has taught me I probably wouldnt go for my gun first. It would be me in my underwear fighting off bad guys or pizza guys LOL.

It is easy to judge or say what we would do in the middle of the after noon when we are wide awake but I wonder what other middle of the night experiences have others had. Would love to hear thoughts or others similar experiences.

 

[TNFrank]

That's one reason why I love DAO semi-auto handguns for home defense. I can leave the chamber empty with a full mag in place and they're about as child proof as a handgun can be but I can have the gun ready to go at the rack of a slide.
Don't get me wrong, I love revolvers, especially for plinking so I won't have to chase my brass around for reloading but a good semi is hard to beat when it's 3am and it's just you in your underware with a flashlight and a handgun with what ammo you have in the gun.

 

[XTrooper]

I'd say you need to work on your mindset and your tactics. The "guns in safe" technique of home protection isn't the best solution with or without small children present.

 

[Ltlbear]

Wife likes to watch TV at night because I snore. Woke up one night reaching for the pistol in the nightstand because she had on some police show with sirens and a gun fight. I heard gun fire, I was going to get ready. No more gun shots or sirens on TV at night any more.

I have reached for my gun first when I woke up because I though I heard things go bump in the night but if I was in a dead sleep, all bets may be off. Sometime I think I could sleep through anything.

If you are worried about the kids, get a bio safe or a touch pad safe for a single gun by the bed. Learn to use it and get to it first.

 

[harleydrivinglawnerd]

I don't have kids so, fortunately, I can keep a fully loaded gun in my nightstand.

Every time I wake in the middle of the night because of some noise, the first thing I think of is the gun. Maybe I'm just overly paranoid.

 

[StatesRightist]

You had an ah hah moment. We've all had them, since mine, I do the following. I have jeans laying at the foot of the bed, pistol and earphones laying on nightstand beside me. Magnums make noise in a closed space, even though the damage won't show up for a while. 12 Gauge is in closet, loaded. Be vigilant my friend, you know all that already from your time in the Marines.

 

[Dragon88]

You can get a small biometric lock box to keep your home defense pistol in. The pistol is secure and safe from children, but can be accessed by you and anyone you choose in seconds. These are sold at Bass Pro, Gander, most large gun stores, etc.

I don't necessarily answer the door with a gun in my hand unless it's a really odd hour or situation, but I always know where the closest loaded gun is in my home and the fastest route to it.

 

[GreyEagle]

Christmas eve 2009 ... The wife and I are home alone, it's getting late, already dark outside.... She goes upstairs for something. I'm in my recliner by the back door and BAM, BAM, BAM someone's banging on my back door. I grab my gun, a Charter stub nose .38 sp and flip on the outside lights, fling open the back door and there stands my son, his wife and their 3 kids... They had driven 2500 miles over a period of 3 days to suprise us on Christmas.... We where suprised but not near as much as he was when he saw the 38 in my hand.... Christmas 2010 he called first before co ming over. Always a good practice...
We had a good Christmas that year, still have fond memories of that old Charter .38

 

[diamonback68]

That's one reason why I love DAO semi-auto handguns for home defense. I can leave the chamber empty with a full mag in place and they're about as child proof as a handgun can be but I can have the gun ready to go at the rack of a slide.

You're kidding, right? You call that childproof? Kids are smarter than you think and they get killed that way. I would never!

 

[amazingflapjack]

I suggest that you not open the door, or assume anything, regardless of the costume they are wearing. I would also suggest that you find a way to keep folks from having immediate access to your door (S). Amazingflapjack.

 

[Chuck1217]

I don't have kids- that's an important part of my 'strategy.' Just about 3 nights ago my Yorkie started growling, she never does that either. Then I noticed the outside auto-light had come one. I immediately reached in the drawer of my bedside table, picked up the SD9 with a weaponlight, and headed for the back door. As I went I walked right past my shotgun with the weaponlight on it. I just totally forgot it was there- I mean my hand was 1 foot from the shotgun when I opened the bedroom door. Anyway, no one was out there, wind probably blew limbs that rustled, and made the light come on. Yall know how the ankle-biters are- yakkin all the time, never say nothin'..kinda like my mother-in-law.

 

[TNFrank]

You're kidding, right? You call that childproof? Kids are smarter than you think and they get killed that way. I would never!

Some small adults have trouble rackin' the slide on a full size semi. I really doubt that a 5 year old could rack the slide unless it's superman's kid. Besides, my youngest is 31 and living in AZ. No kids in the house, unless you count my two cats.

 

[pjpjr]

My strategy is simple......I have a whole house alarm with battery back up. If a door or window is breached I will know! Along with that is a pistol at the ready bedside. I have had an alarm in middle of night and it is startling to say least. I woke up to the siren and grabbed pistol with light and investigated. Fortunately was a false alarm. The "drill" allowed me to get a practice run without any danger although I did not know that at the time.
I do secure my pistol during day by carrying it!

 

[Kanewpadle]

I have a Gunvault bolted to the top of my dresser and one bolted to a shelf in the closet by the front door.

The only way for someone to get into my house is to drive through the front door. So I have plenty of time.

 

[Out West]

3rd generation S&W autos or any other pistol with a magazine disconnect safety might a better option for you. With these you can load a round into the chamber, remove the magazine, and place the pistol some place handy. Stash the magazine some place where the kids can't reach. Next time Mr. Jack Russel starts barking pick up your pistol and swing by your stash on the way to the front door.

Just a thought - maybe faster than opening the safe.

Out
West

 

[Rivers2k]

Having kids my first instinct was get between the perceived danger and my kids bedrooms. So I think I may get one of those bio-metric single gun safes and stage it someplace high enough out of the kids reach but closer to the front door. I have the other gun safe in my bedroom.

I can appreciate the suggestions about semiautos and mags I do have a 1911 with 4 full mags in the safe in my bedroom. But I prefer my revolver with crimson trace grips for HD. No safeties to worry about and with the lazer no chance of missing my intended target. Which with this "drill" I think the lazer grips are more important than I thought.

I also wont have any gun in my house that isn't locked some how. I know a kid that accidently shot and killed his best friend at 9 years old because they got his dads revolver out of his night stand loaded it and were playing with it. The risk is to great to take chances. I will also do what my dad did and taught me everything about the guns in the house. I believe this takes away the mystery and will make the kids not care about playing with it without supervision.

This also gave me a new found respect for my Jack Russel. I always thought he was a chicken dog afraid of his own shadow but that might not be the case

 

[tops]

When I was growing up Pap child proofed the loaded guns by telling us if we played with them he would hit us so hard it would take 2 days to walk back. It worked then and it worked with my son. Larry

 

[Steve in Vermont]

My strategy is simple......I have a whole house alarm with battery back up. If a door or window is breached I will know! Along with that is a pistol at the ready bedside. I have had an alarm in middle of night and it is startling to say least. I woke up to the siren and grabbed pistol with light and investigated. Fortunately was a false alarm. The "drill" allowed me to get a practice run without any danger although I did not know that at the time.
I do secure my pistol during day by carrying it!

Same here. Only difference, I wake up and grab the revolver and light. I then watch the bedroom door and listen, all the while allowing my body to wake up. I then slowly investigate, not rushing into anything. And it doesn't hurt to practice this a few times each month, simply the act of retrieving the gun and light and going through the drill (do it when the house is empty, no sense worrying the family).

 

[coach22]

Buy one of these.

Top Draw

It's the best money you will ever spend.
No batteries to fail and if you do a school project with your kids
and fall asleep with Elmer's glue on your finger,
you can forget about the ones that read fingerprints, because they won't.

 

[locapitano]

To the OP I would not suggest stashing it near the front door somewhere... Because if someone does break in you wont be able to access it.

My suggestion is the Bio Safe at bed side. It takes literally a second to open becuase its just reading your finger print. Don't worry about it being high and out of reach, unless your kids can grab you hand and put it on the safe while you are asleep they wont be able to open it.

Keep the gun chambered and safety off while in the safe. Hear a bang it takes a second to open, run past your kids room.

Personally, I'm 24 years old living on my own with a roommate, no kids in the house. My ar is in the closet against the side with a loaded mag by it, not in it.

On the bed side table I keep my Glock chambered with a flash light.

To the person that was asking if its paranoia, I would vote no! There is a significant difference between paranoia and being ready.

I have had someone try to break in my house and it is not pleasent to be in a vulnerable position.