I have to ask this question (answering your door armed)

[agwoodard]

I understand that. Maybe you want to stand behind the door and tell them you are not interested. I want to stand there eyeball to eyeball and show them I'm not interested. It is not against the law in NH to display a firearm to a trespasser on your legally posted property. The call it the Ward Bird Law. A man was convicted of criminal threatening when he brandished a pistol when a trespasser refused to leave after ignoring signs and being asked and told to leave several times. After that, they made it legal to show a weapon to "convince" trespassers to leave. I said SHOW not point at.

The point I am making is I want these dirt bags to get the message and spread the word to their scumbag friends. I'm not going to be a victim and I am not going to hide and cower behind the walls and doors of my own home. I've done what I think is prudent. I've spent the money for security systems, put up the signs that tell them there are cameras on the property, put up No Trespassing signs in accordance with NH law, and when I am on my property, I open carry, also allowed by NH law, to reinforce that message. Any firearm that is not in my immediate control is locked in a safe, out of sight. Even though it is not required in NH, I have taken the NRA approved CCW classes. I'm not out to pick a fight with anyone, but I will defend my family and my property to the best of my ability. If the word gets out that the guy in the corner house is a little "nuts" and that keeps them away, I've won the battle without firing a shot. If not, well, it is what it is. As General Mattis told his troops in Iraq "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

These were 3 of them that got caught last year Kyle Berlinguette Archives | New Hampshire News
But they are like Cockroaches. You get one, and two more move in.

 

[Protected One]

I view that as an evolutionary positive. The one thing that would have prevented that shooting was the criminals not trying to commit the crime. The only thing that was changed by the homeowner not being perceived as being home is that someone else, maybe less prepared, was not victimized. Pigs will fly before I think such a shooting was a bad thing. American LE and private citizens do not shoot nearly as many offenders as they should.

Agreed. I possed this as a question in a thread called" The Uncle Ben syndrome". How many times do citizens not shoot when justified, beacuse they fear legal ramifications etc...? And thus, the thug is able to commit crimes against others. Crooks aren't stupid, and if enough of them started getting shot I believe we'd see a serious reduction in crime.

 

[Smoke]

I'm not going to be a victim and I am not going to hide and cower behind the walls and doors of my own home.

Why do you assume that I'm cowering ?

I have a very small apartment, if I'm in the living room and they knock I don't even get up. I deal with it from the Lazyboy

 

[agwoodard]

I respect your choice. You asked why even answer the door. I gave you my reasons.

 

[Smoke]

I respect your choice. You asked why even answer the door. I gave you my reasons.

My apologies, I tend to take the "cowering in fear" thing personally when I probably shouldn't

 

[feralmerril]

I once had a knock on the door around 11 p.m. I answered the door with my 2 1/2" nickle python kind of hidden behind my haunch. A youth around 20 years old wanted to know "If this is where the party was?" I then said something like no party here, now git! I never pointed my gun at him but did bring it in view as I said, now git. I thought I would have to shovel his eye balls off the doorstep. I think I was right in assuming he would have tried burgling the house had I not been home. Actually, I usually was never home at that time as it was a super rare time that I either wasn't working graveyard or if I ever did have a day off I usually didn't spend it home.
I have never, ever refused to answer a knock on the door and aint about to change. I dont care how most others handle it. I spent 35 years working security and 33 of them as a graveyard guard. I probley shook more doors than anyone else on earth, saving a prison guard.

 

[RevTracy]

I can give you one good reason to answer the door, at least where I live. If you don't, you are setting yourself up for a burglary that will turn into a home invasion.

This is why, as I posted previously, I have a sign by my front door that reads, "NO SOLICITATIONS! We will not answer the door so don't bother." A bad guy doesn't know if we are home or not. If they try to break in and we are home they will find themselves facing either a 9mm pistol or an AR15. As I also mentioned, we have a motion detector that alerts us whenever anyone is approaching our door. WE have the element of surprise, not the bad guy...

 

[AGoyette]

I live in a good neighborhood in the burbs of Kansas City. My neighborhood is small (about 30 houses) and is filled with teachers, home health care nurses, professional musicians, etc. A little over a year ago, I was working. My youngest went to high school and worked too so she is always in and out of the house. We have 4 dogs, one very large. While I was at work one day (I worked part time) a woman was knocking on doors looking for her "friends". I know this because she knocked on my neighbors door (she is a stay at home Mom). Because I was working, nobody answered the door. Luckily, the police had arrested the woman before we had even realized that we had been robbed. Quite a few homes in our area have been robbed the past few years. The police (namely the PD daughter of a neighbor) said that thieves are hitting out of the way places knowing that the police don't patrol them and it would take them a while to get there. When we got robbed, it really scared me to think what would have happened if my daughter was home and choose to not answer the door, as she often did. We still have the dogs, but we also have a security system. I know that the police will take a while to get to us. Both the girls know how to shoot. The eldest, who's bedroom is on the ground floor, has a gun in her room. The youngest, if she is home and someone knocks on the door (we have the front door and also a glass storm door), she now answers it. We have told her to say that her parents are upstairs, in the bathroom, etc if they ask for us (and we are not home). She is also getting more comfortable getting the HD gun out of the safe on the night stand and having it behind her back if/when she answers the door. For us deliveries are no issue. The drivers either leave the deliveries in the middle of the driveway (afraid of the big dog), by the garage door or by the front door after they have rung the door bell. We live in the country and have 3 acres. So we know the sound of the FedEx, Ups, USPS trucks etc. It is the once in a while stranger that makes us go to "high alert". It does not matter if you live in a good neighborhood or a bad one. Crime is everywhere, the only difference is in a bad neighborhood, the BG's don't have to travel as far to commit their crimes.

 

[feralmerril]

I cant resist retelling this: Fifty years ago I rented a small house that was one of two alike on a lot in north hollywood. I had a old friend that showed up one day all beat up. Seldom if ever, had I seen a face as black and blue! He claimed he was beat up by a couple of burbank cops. He was a drinker and a obnoxious loud mouth when drinking. He wanted to hide out at my diggs for a few days to heal. He was living with a affluent brother that had a position in one of the biggest studios and didnt want to be a embarrassment to his brother. Somehow his brother figured out he was staying with me.
His brother came to visit and then said, carl, follow me out to the car, I have some mail that came for you. Carl followed him out. Carl was a real mess, it was a hot day and he didnt even have a t-shirt on, was all black & blue etc. All of the sudden I heard a commotion, carl came running in with my neighbor chasing him and yelling he was gonna kill him! The neighbor was a real fit movie stuntman. Carl had his head down going through his mail and walked into the wrong house! To make matters worse he had walked into the house while the stuntman was making love to his wife! I was able to calm him down and it was hilarious!

 

[Smoke]

I cant resist retelling this: Fifty years ago I rented a small house that was one of two alike on a lot in north hollywood. I had a old friend that showed up one day all beat up. Seldom if ever, had I seen a face as black and blue! He claimed he was beat up by a couple of burbank cops. He was a drinker and a obnoxious loud mouth when drinking. He wanted to hide out at my diggs for a few days to heal. He was living with a affluent brother that had a position in one of the biggest studios and didnt want to be a embarrassment to his brother. Somehow his brother figured out he was staying with me.
His brother came to visit and then said, carl, follow me out to the car, I have some mail that came for you. Carl followed him out. Carl was a real mess, it was a hot day and he didnt even have a t-shirt on, was all black & blue etc. All of the sudden I heard a commotion, carl came running in with my neighbor chasing him and yelling he was gonna kill him! The neighbor was a real fit movie stuntman. Carl had his head down going through his mail and walked into the wrong house! To make matters worse he had walked into the house while the stuntman was making love to his wife! I was able to calm him down and it was hilarious!

Write the damn bk

 

[feralmerril]

One time I had a brand new GF. I was at her apartment and someone was really beating her door. She said, Oh! Thats so and so that is always bugging me. He just wont leave me alone. Back then I was fifty years younger and thought myself tough. I walked over to the door, opened it with my left and had my right fist cocked with the idea that I would give him a real surprise. I yanked the door open and some guy that made me look small let a holler out and ran off! Lucky for me.

 

[sac-gunslinger]

I have a sign by my front door that reads, "NO SOLICITATIONS!

I have one too. Those who come to the front door refuse to read or to comprehend. This has given me the opportunity to offer some stinging suggestions about their intelligence. Made me feel good, doubt that they understood what I said.

 

[feralmerril]

I like the sign that says: All unattended kids will be sold into slavery.

 

[Kentucky Dave]

I view that as an evolutionary positive. The one thing that would have prevented that shooting was the criminals not trying to commit the crime. The only thing that was changed by the homeowner not being perceived as being home is that someone else, maybe less prepared, was not victimized. Pigs will fly before I think such a shooting was a bad thing. American LE and private citizens do not shoot nearly as many offenders as they should.

Amend that to shooting them dead IF justifiable. Only the correct side of the story gets told at the lawsuit. Don't try to dress up the situation or alter evidence, but if you have reason to shoot, shoot in a way that the "STOP" is permanent. It cuts down the rate of recidivism really well.

 

[Smoke]

I have one too. Those who come to the front door refuse to read or to comprehend. This has given me the opportunity to offer some stinging suggestions about their intelligence. Made me feel good, doubt that they understood what I said.

When I sold meat we made a point of ignoring the signs.

If anyone gave us a hard time we just said we assumed the previous owner left it there

I had a partner that said those signs told him the people were easy marks that couldn't say no. The guy was total prick, we went to one house and the kid let us in and when we got to mom she actually started crying and said " I can never say no to you guys please don't ask me to buy anything. " He sold her 3 cases

 

[Smoke]

Amend that to shooting them dead IF justifiable. Only the correct side of the story gets told at the lawsuit. Don't try to dress up the situation or alter evidence, but if you have reason to shoot, shoot in a way that the "STOP" is permanent. It cuts down the rate of recidivism really well.

Wow, just wow.

I shoot to stop the threat if death is a secondary outcome I'm really sorry for the necessity. There's no way in Hell I would advise anyone to deliberately try to kill someone.

 

[shouldazagged]

Amend that to shooting them dead IF justifiable. Only the correct side of the story gets told at the lawsuit. Don't try to dress up the situation or alter evidence, but if you have reason to shoot, shoot in a way that the "STOP" is permanent. It cuts down the rate of recidivism really well.

Stop the threat by whatever means gets it done. If it inflicts a wound that causes the assailant to run away, or drops him but leaves him alive, the threat is stopped. If the bad guy dies, as far as I'm concerned that's a tragedy that was unfortunately unavoidable. He may have been a piece of excrement, but there probably were people who loved him.

I for one would have some pain knowing that I killed another human being, however justified it was or however much of a slimeball the deceased may have been. And I don't see myself as responsible for recidivism reduction or cleaning up the gene pool.

Maybe my values are outdated. Or at least unfashionable.

 

[RevTracy]

When I sold meat we made a point of ignoring the signs.

If anyone gave us a hard time we just said we assumed the previous owner left it there

I had a partner that said those signs told him the people were easy marks that couldn't say no. The guy was total prick, we went to one house and the kid let us in and when we got to mom she actually started crying and said " I can never say no to you guys please don't ask me to buy anything. " He sold her 3 cases

Shows how wrong some sales people can be. I did have a persistent salesman at my door, along with two of his buddies. He was selling roof repairs...I talked through the door, but he wouldn't take "no" for an answer. So, I opened the door and let the 9mm do the talking for me. He saw it, and couldn't get off my front porch fast enough.

 

[RevTracy]

I like the sign that says: All unattended kids will be sold into slavery.

My granddaughter's pediatrician has a sign that reads, "Children left unattended will be given an ice cream cone and a puppy."

 

[Rastoff]

It's exactly this kind of attitude...

When I sold meat we made a point of ignoring the signs.

...that generates this kind of response...

So, I opened the door and let the 9mm do the talking for me. He saw it, and couldn't get off my front porch fast enough.

RevTracy,
You do realize that that is a clear case of brandishing, right?