Home defense concepts and equipment

[rob_s]

As an aside, how do you secure your rifle? I've been looking at options to discreetly secure a rifle or shotgun in the bedroom without having to mangle walls or furniture. I've looked at Life Jacket type setups and a few other things.

This is what I want, albeit not what I'm currently doing. I currently have vaults on keys.

http://www.gunvault.com/55005900.nxg

[Failure2Stop]

Not to get too sidetracked, but I think the "hide guns all over the house game" is borderline criminal negligence. If you feel the need to be armed, be armed, or have a firearm in easy access close to you.

I think that we, as firearms owners and users, are responsible for taking appropriate and reasonable steps to avoid arming criminals with our weapons. Personally owned weapons are highly unlikely to be legally used against another person to preserve life, unfortunately, stolen guns are virtually guaranteed to be used against another person in a criminal manner. Do your part, lock up guns not in your immediate control.

. . . and knowing is half the battle!

[Thomas M-4]

I keep everything secured, even the bedroom rifle and pistol.

I had a scare a few years ago when my apartment was broken into. The one thing of value they took was my shotgun which was the one gun I left out of the safe thinking it was "hidden". It didn't dawn on me until later that if I had come home while they were there, they could have used my own gun against me.

rob_s when your aparment was broken into were you gone for hours or did you just go down the street. If iam gone just for an hour or less I leave the TVs on to give the impression that I am coming right back [in the hope that it will cause the robber to rush and look over stuff] Home was broken into a couple of years ago and they rushed right over a glock 17 that I had hidden under a bed pillow [ I know I was very lucky because robbers usually take pillow cases to hall lute in I havent hidden a pistol there since].


My gun locker has keys so its pertty quick to secure the fire arms up.

[Zhurdan]

Not to get too sidetracked, but I think the "hide guns all over the house game" is borderline criminal negligence. If you feel the need to be armed, be armed, or have a firearm in easy access close to you.

+1
Not to mention, that there's virtually nowhere you can hide something in plain sight where a criminal won't look. I'm very much an advocate of "if it's not in my control, it's in the safe".

Seriously though, deterrence is a great ally. The home automation system I use is great. I've got motion sensitive lights outside, and I can activate any lights in the house individually or all at once. I think it ended up costing me about $500 overall, and I pieced it together over about 2 years.

robs, I like the idea of reinforcing corners, but you'd have to use some heavy duty stuff to stop rifle rounds, pistol wouldn't be all that hard to do. Expensive, but interesting idea.

Also keep in mind that those lifejacket type locks are great for stopping someone from using a weapon in short order, but they do very little to deter theft. A rifle with a lifejacket lock on it can be carried as easily as one without, then cut off at their leisure somewhere else. A good, big safe can be had for the price of just one of the rifles in many of our collections. It's far better to pay off that than try and replace everything, not including arming criminals as F2S stated.

[dbrowne1]

Anyone taken the time to harden portions of their dwelling to make hunkering down or moving around safer? I've thought about hardening a couple of the drywall corners in the house to give myself vantage points to move between if need be. I'd pull the drywall and build up the wall underneath before replacing the drywall so that it wouldn't be obvious that the area was built up.

I think armoring walls in anticipation of your house turning into an IDPA stage is probably over the top and, in any case, would only be useful in a very select few scenarios of an already unlikely event.

I do think that if your main strategy is "the Alamo" in the bedroom, that having a reinforced door and doorframe and some heavy duty locks (deadbolts) on the bedroom door would be worthwhile. Sort of a "panic room" concept. Include a peep hole if you want in order to identify people outside if they claim to be police or other friendlies.

[dbrowne1]

+1

Also keep in mind that those lifejacket type locks are great for stopping someone from using a weapon in short order, but they do very little to deter theft. A rifle with a lifejacket lock on it can be carried as easily as one without, then cut off at their leisure somewhere else. A good, big safe can be had for the price of just one of the rifles in many of our collections. It's far better to pay off that than try and replace everything, not including arming criminals as F2S stated.

My thinking with the life jacket was to bolt it to a wall stud or bed frame. Obviously if I'm out of town for a while I'd stick the gun back in the safe.

[Littlelebowski]

I have a G17 with light attached in a safe attached to the bed and a Sabre middy in the closet. On perimeter outside of the bedroom is a German Shepherd who usually sleeps inside the house. I am of the firm belief that a good dog is a force multiplier.

[ToddG]

If I'm wearing pants, I'm wearing a gun. Life is simpler that way. I choose carry modes that allow me to sit, lie on the couch, and generally lounge around the house.

If I'm not, I'm in bed and the same gun is sitting on the nightstand next to me.

[Iraqgunz]

All weapons are secure in the safe when no one is home. My wife isn't real comfortable with the AR, but the Glock is handy when she's home.

I keep everything secured, even the bedroom rifle and pistol.

I had a scare a few years ago when my apartment was broken into. The one thing of value they took was my shotgun which was the one gun I left out of the safe thinking it was "hidden". It didn't dawn on me until later that if I had come home while they were there, they could have used my own gun against me.

[QuietShootr]

I
As an aside, we charge our cell phones in the bedroom rather than somewhere else. It'd pay to have access to a phone that isn't wired into a wall.

This is a big +1. Wife and I both have charging stands on each side of the bed.