Home defense concepts and equipment

[Jay Cunningham]

I think it's a bit more simple (and more secure) to keep a gun *on you* as much as practically possible vs. stashing loaded guns all over the house.

[usmcvet]

Every one is different. For me eight listed with more not listed is too many guns. It is not wrong it is just not for me.

I have three kids, 2, 4 & 7 and they get into everything. My daily carry gun a G27 and G22 duty gun are always loaded and fairly accessible while fairly secure. I grew up in Massachusetts an think they have taken things way to far. There is a trigger lock on a flintlock that hangs in the state house.

I have more guns in my safe which are not readily avalible.

We all need to strike a balance. Carrying on your person is probabaly the best answer. I am willing to do that when I go out but not willing to at home 100% of the time.

[Von Rheydt]

Ok, so I am a Brit and we have a different approach. However, I think in this case and in consideration of what I have read from some folks that our approach is a tad better.

Some of you go on about preparing for firefights in the home and others go on about having had the training and being cautious. I had the training and the training and the training, we used to say "You are only as good as your last training day" ....... you don't train you don't go home.

Think to the Tueller Drill (for those who don't know: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tueller_Drill ). Now go stand by your front door and see how far you can storm into your house inside 1.5 seconds. Now when I get woken up in the night it takes me a good 10 - 20 seconds to even consider being coherent (I don't drink, smoke or take pills) and probably 40 seconds before I could react. So, do the Tueller Drill again for 10 - 20 seconds this time, with a rolled up newspaper, see if you can stick the pillow on your bed........go on, I dare you.

Your yawning now, but stick with it. I did used to be a UK LEO and I did have some experience of home security planning.........in the UK we ain't allowed to own guns for self defence. Your problems start big time once a bad guy gets in the house..........so keep the phuqers out.

Doors and windows need to be secure:

Doors need decent locking mechanisms and security features such as bolts and chains. An armoured door is nice - there are plenty of companies making doors out there that will put a steel plate or kevlar in their product along with the normal foam that is put in. If you have glass at the side of the door get it covered in security film so they can't just reach in and open the door after breaking the glass.

Windows, preferably double glazed with security glass as one layer. Or, security film over the glass and fit extra locking locks to windows - again so that the bad guys can't quietly break one piece of glass and reach in to open the window.

Active security lighting works a treat. Not the stuff that stays on all the time so that the bad guy can see what he is doing. The best ones are the ones that come on and flash and are connected to a wireless alarm. When you are placing the lights put yourself in the head of a sneaky bad guy. I particularly like the lights wired to discretely placed PIR units.

Infra red beams are good if you have a big perimeter. I know a lot of farmers that used to put them up to act as early warning systems. Placed at around waist height with a hood to hide the glow small animals will not activate them and two legged game will not expect them. With thought you can zone a property with these to give plenty of eaqrly warning and alson know the direction of trouble.

The rubber tube thing connected to a bell that garages used to put out on the forecourt works well if you have a long driveway. I have seen a few of these on bigger houses. The thing is that most scrotes are lazy and will drive as far as possible.

TV cameras are a big thing in the UK, much bigger than here in the USA. I know many people back home that have a multiple camera system set up outside and inside their homes. This is then fed thru the TV in the family room and the master bedroom.

From what I have seen of many single story houses here they would allow the fitting of an ornate style gate a few feet into the house. Lock this at night and when they kick in the front door "Oh look a gate, lets go home". UK homes, do not in the main, open directly into the home rather they have a vestibule area that can be locked giving an extra layer of security.

Two storey homes can have a gate fitted on the stairs. We had a child gate to stop our little one from walking downstairs at night. It was locked with a latch and easy to open if you knew how. But, if a burglar got in and did the Tueller Drill in my house he would have been flumoxed by the gate with me standing over him on the upstairs landing.

Fit a small independent light circuit in the house that turns on from your bedroom. Speak to an electrician. Get a flashing blue light and siren added to this circuit...........good for parties and impressing the neighbours.

No houses do not look like Fort Knox if they are well protected. Europe has been doing it like this for years. Sort out your first line protection and it gives you plenty of warning to prepare for unexpected visitors. Then when you are informed of the situation and coherent of thought you can run around with your tackle swinging in the wind wielding firearms scaring away bad guys.

Most bad guys are lazy and shit scared. If they were going to work hard they would'nt be robbing folks. They always go for the easiest target or option....... so make it harder for them. Yes, they are shit scared when committing the act ask any cop. I have visited the scene of many burglaries where the perpetrator was so scared they have pissed and/or shit in the corner of a room in the house they were burglarising.

There we go a few options for your consideration. Theres a lot of paperwork if you shoot someone, I know.

[usmcvet]

Excellent information. A hard target is much easier to defend. Thanks fo sharing a different point of view.

[Failure2Stop]

Good info there Von.
Cheers.

[jasonhgross]

Von makes excellent points. I think your best option is go get an early warning system, good locks on doors and windows, think about your perimiter, get good lighting, and a security system (if you arent renting), think about your neighborhood where you choose to live. After all that, finally, think about guns. I think as gun guys we all like to think about armaments first, but really, this should be the final consideration because without hardened entry points and early warning systems of some sort, the guns are much usable.

[Iraqgunz]

I'd like to hear from other members here. Please don't start pissing contests or penis measuring which makes the thread get locked. This could happen to just about anyone. How will or would you respond?

I wanted to touch on this since we just had a situation tonight. I am sure that many of you have some type of HD plan, and you have probably talked it over once or twice. But, is everyone listening? Are you complacent?

This evening around 800 PM everyone was in their mode. Dinner was over, my son was playing Modern Warfare 2 online and the wife was reading her ebook thing. I was on the computer doing my usual.

Then there was a knock at the door. She got up, looked through the peephole and saw a young male. She automatically assumed that it was one of our sons friends and opened the door. I started walking to the door when I heard her say that he had blood on his shirt and he was asking for help. I told her to shut the door and lock it now! Of course motherly instincts took over and she didn't. I went to the room grabbed my pistol and was back out within seconds.

Apparently he had been in an altercation with some other "kids" in the neighboorhood and had been stuck or stabbed with something (it wasn't very serious).

I then called 911 on my cell and stood by. My wife handed him the home phone so he could call his mother. My immediate thought was that this was a potential home invasion (a similar situation happened not far from here) or that the other party he had been involved with was nearby and might show up.

While he talked with his mother I told the police dispatcher what was happening and gave them a full description.

By the time I finished with 911, he had finished his call and said he would wait outside for his mother to show up. My wife closed and locked the door (finally).

The kid then disappeared around the corner. As I looked through the window I saw the first unit approaching. I advised the officer that he had left as well as his last direction of travel. He was located just down the street. (Their response time was very fast!)

The officer came back and took a brief statement and then began to lecture my wife about opening doors. I am glad he did that way I wasn't the only one.

So what are some the lessons learned?

1. If you have a plan talk it over more often than just once or twice. We did it again and plan on more in the future.

2. What do you do if someone knocks on the door? It wasn't obscenely late and the person was a juvenile? My guidance has been ask how or what they need before hand. If our son is home he should look and see if he knows the person.

3. Just because the person is a teenager or child don't assume there is no threat.

4. In my case I will make sure that my firearm is in the kitchen/ great room area whenever I am here.

5. Install a security door. We considered it before but it isn't easy due to the porch light that was installed in a stupid location.

[ColdDeadHands]

I'm glad everything worked out ok for you and your family!
We have fencing around the property and a Doberman running the place. I know that he will bite because the stupid UPS man while delivering a package asked me if the dog will bite...he stuck his hand thru the gate before I could answer and my trusty Doberman bit him. So I'm pretty sure nobody will be knocking at my door...if somebody knocks I know they mean harm because they must have harmed my dog before getting to the door. Inside the house I have a Pit Bull and a Lab Mix and they go absolutely nuts if somebody they don't know comes in...I have to put them in another room before we get visitors and even then they hit the door trying to get out. They are a pain in the ass when we have guests but I would not want to enter the house if I was a crook.
I highly recommend to anybody to fence their place and put a decent dog in it.

[scjbash]

3. Just because the person is a teenager or child don't assume there is no threat.

That is one simple and free thing that could save a lot of people from becoming victims. The number of violent crimes being committed by teenagers is alarming. I've also noticed that at least around here, the more senseless and violent the crime is, the younger the criminal usually is. Sadly, they all too often use someone's good nature against them, and with women, their motherly instincts.

I'm lucky in that my fiancee understands that, so it's not something I have to worry about much with her. I think if someone has a significant other or anyone else in the family who is too often over-trusting, it's a good idea to start pointing out crimes that have happened in the area, and the suspects' ages if they are young. A lot of people don't regularly watch the local news, read the police blotter, etc, so they don't have a clue just how dangerous their area has become. You can't convince someone to prepare for a threat if they don't believe a threat exists.

ETA: Listening to a scanner is a great way to know more about what is going on in your neighborhood. With http://www.radioreference.com/ people in a lot of areas don't even need to buy one. The police respond to a ton of calls that don't make the news, and it's a good way to find out what kinds of crimes are being committed in your area, suspect descriptions, vehicle descriptions, etc. I just run it in the background, and don't really actively listen to it. You just kind of automatically tune in when your ear hears a location that you know well or when something really alarming comes across the radio.

[Ed L.]

Great points, Iraqgunz.

Many home invasions begin as some ruse to get someone to open the door. Often it is someone unlikely looking. It could even be a woman with a story like someone out there is after her or she needs to get in to use your phone to report an accident or that her kid is lost, or that they accidentally hit your car parked in front.