Home defense-don't fight if you don't have to

[Jaysq]

One night I woke up to a crash with glass breaking.

Turns out a framed picture with a glass front decided to fall off the bathroom wall and smash on the floor.

Stuff happens.

I like cats better than dogs and we travel a lot and cats take care of themselves better, but there are times like that when I wish we had a dog -- or a much bigger cat.

You might want to consider putting a laser on your gun. All you would have to do is laser a burglar and your cat would attack them.

 

[DevilDog72]

If an intruder gains entry to my home.... well the phone is the last thing I pick up and when I survive the encounter it will be used to call for an..... ambulance and the police..... lawyer.....in no particular order.

 

[cmort666]

A decent list, but mine would have items 1 and 2 reversed, #3 would not be on mine.

#3 is a one time offer. There will be no "negotiations". Take it or leave it. "Leave it" is a REALLY bad idea.

If you pass on that generous offer, the odds of you NOT getting shot are less than those of Charlie Sheen adopting a life of sobriety and ascetic celibacy.

 

[Protected One]

#3 is a one time offer. There will be no "negotiations". Take it or leave it. "Leave it" is a REALLY bad idea.

If you pass on that generous offer, the odds of you NOT getting shot are less than those of Charlie Sheen adopting a life of sobriety and ascetic celibacy.

I hear you, it's just more generous than I am willing to be.
My locked doors and windows serve as the warning. Once they choose to come inside uninvited they have exhausted my goodwill.

 

[kozmic]

Our first line of defense...2 big dogs. I've told my wife if the dogs are not making a fuss when you come home, turn around and leave. If someone enters my house at any time they will have to deal with them giving one or both of us time to put our hands on a handgun or shotgun, etc. A phone is on my list, but I can't defend my family or myself with a phone. I do not envision that the person(s) who find themselves uninvited in my house are interested in waiting 20 minutes for LE to show up. I want the upper hand in anything that might happen. We've done our best to get to that end.

 

[Muss Muggins]

I hear you, it's just more generous than I am willing to be.
My locked doors and windows serve as the warning. Once they choose to come inside uninvited they have exhausted my goodwill.

I may or may not pop out with "Hey, y'all need to head on out now . . ." Again, depends on the scenario . . .

 

[StakeOut]

Most shooting will occur within 7 yards and are over in a few seconds.
The "call the police" is a nice though in some of the above stated plans but probably will not fit in a schedule of the event.
Even if the police are around the corner they most likely will arrive after the fact.
Don't miss,keep shooting until you are certain you are no longer in danger
Don't give up your gun if a loved one is hostage

You and all who were present:
Don't make any statement without attorney
Don't talk to the press

 

[Muss Muggins]

Don't give up your gun if a loved one is hostag

Well, have a plan for that event. Mine may or may not involve dropping the weapon in my hand . . .

 

[epj]

I have all types of handguns. Revolvers, autos, etc. .22 to .45 caliber. My current nightstand gun is a Taurus Judge. It is loaded with .410 buckshot. At across the room distance, it is one of the most lethal weapons I've ever seen. May God have mercy on anyone who darkens my bedroom door uninvited.

 

[Arik]

Um not concerned. Bad guys, tigers, lions, leopards oh my.....My Caucasian Mountain dog will do them all

Puppy

.......

A 250# dog that has no sense of pain and will take on a locomotive. ...that's a friend. If you think pitt bulls are mean and nasty you haven't seen a Caucasian Mountain dog.

 

[petepeterson]

My plan starts with the pistol under my pillow. It branches out from there, depending on which son(s) are home. If the upstairs bedrooms are occupied, I hold the top of the steps. That's about as far as I want to go. Anything below those steps is replaceable. I won't shoot anyone over stuff.

 

[snowman]

To EGAD & Stakeout: Thanks so much for your professional, frank advice -nothing like the voices of experience. And thank you for supporting the right of ordinary folks to defend their lives and families.

Regards,
Andy

 

[Retired LTC USAR]

Um not concerned. Bad guys, tigers, lions, leopards oh my.....My Caucasian Mountain dog will do them all

Puppy

.......

A 250# dog that has no sense of pain and will take on a locomotive. ...that's a friend. If you think pitt bulls are kean and nasty you haven't seen a Caucasian Mountain dog.

Are you sure those things are dogs?

 

[Arik]

Lol...yep!

 

[epj]

Humm. Well, I have a pair of yorkies that weigh 7-8 lb. for the pair. One will probably sleep right through the gunfight. The other will likely bark and wake me up if she hears anything go bump in the night. Those fuzzy wolves in the previous post are pretty impressive. I'll bet you don't buy the 4 lb. bags of dog food to keep it from getting stale before they eat it, like I have to.

 

[old bear]

Common theme in most of the answers, stay calm, call 911, assess threat, and only fire weapon as a last resort. The one thing that surprises me is the number of posters who have a weapon on their person, when at home. Something I've never done or considered. I do though have a ready gun on each level of the house, so there is not a great deal of difference.

I live alone and have three levels to protect. One person just can't do that. Assuming that any problem accrues at night, old bears "last stand" will be from the top the stairs shooting down. If it could be helped I would never block the B.G.'s escape route, yet if someone attempts to come to up the stairs I'm going to believe that my life is in danger and do whatever is necessary to protect myself.

 

[Protected One]

The one thing that surprises me is the number of posters who have a weapon on their person, when at home. Something I've never done or considered. I do though have a ready gun on each level of the house, so there is not a great deal of difference.

I'm guessing that most (like me) who do so are people who move around the house a lot. Even with guns on each level the possibility exist that the threat come in through a door-wall or door that puts me in a bad position to retrieve the gun. The simplest solution to me was just to put it on my hip. Problem solved!

 

[petepeterson]

I'm guessing that most (like me) who do so are people who move around the house a lot. Even with guns on each level the possibility exist that the threat come in through a door-wall or door that puts me in a bad position to retrieve the gun. The simplest solution to me was just to put it on my hip. Problem solved!

That's how I see it. If the door comes crashing in, there won't be a lot of time to go to the hiding spot. Even if it's a mouse-gun on my hip, it's better than throwing Doritos.

 

[wbraswell]

My home has solid core doors, and steel casement windows, with storm windows over them. Breaking in is going to make some noise. I will be at the end of the hall. I will be easy to find, I'll be where all the noise and flash and buckshot is coming from. A person who comes into your house, knowing that someone is there, is not a burglar. I will kill someone over stuff. To me, if you will steal from me, you will hurt me. If you would hurt me, I would kill you. That simple, no problem, no moral issue to me. A fist can kill as sure as a bullet. I would much rather be judged by a jury of my peers for killing an intruder, or someone who threatens me, than have them kill me and be on trial.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Common theme in most of the answers, stay calm, call 911, assess threat, and only fire weapon as a last resort. The one thing that surprises me is the number of posters who have a weapon on their person, when at home. Something I've never done or considered. I do though have a ready gun on each level of the house, so there is not a great deal of difference.

I think there's quite a bit of difference between having a gun on your person for immediate use versus a gun somewhere in the house. But perhaps the most important reason, at least for me, is having the gun with me going in and out of the house. Disarming myself every time I enter the home means that I must arm myself again when walking out. I'm in and out quite a lot. I know how it works... end up walking out the house without the gun.... then rationalizing it's just to the mailbox, just a walk a few houses down the street, just a quick trip to the convenience store,... on and on.

My LCP carries unnoticed as does my wallet. There's simply no reason to disarm myself whether I'm snoozing on the couch, making a sandwich in the kitchen, reloading ammo downstairs in the shop or walking behind the lawnmower.