Home Invasion.

[blouzbee]

Thank you for sharing your story and thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. it has given me alot to think about.

[krisjon]

Thank you for sharing your story and thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. it has given me alot to think about.

Most of us are aware of the potential threat of home invasion, but never think it can possibly happen to us. With one just happening down the street from my girlfriend's place the other day, it was a great reality check. The lesson is not just to think about it, but also to prepare for it. Needless to say, I'm doing a better job of that now.

[Firefox]

Bcmjunkie, thank you for posting this thread. I'm glad you and your friend made it out alive. It is one thing to read about stories like yours through the media but it's completely different to hear it on a forum like this where everything is said uncensored through the eyes of the victim. Being someone who is moving relatively soon the idea of living in a new community miles from "home" has made me think about security in the future and what I would do if situation "XYZ" occurs but I've never been in one of these situations before. Sure we've had some people break into cars and garages in the past in the neighborhood I live in but that's as bad as it got.

Something I find disturbing though is because I've never been a situation with my life on the line before I have no idea how I'll react when that time comes. I'd like to think I could pull the trigger if I had to but to but to be honest I have no idea if I would freeze up or what I would do. I know after the fact you wished you grabbed your gun in the bedroom or punched the kid in the face but do you think at the time a reason (however big or small) in not taking action was due to not wanting to take the life of another human?

[SIMBA-LEE]

I had gang-related home invasion happen to me back when I was 21-22. After that I've never been concerned about whether I could drop bad guys or not. Think of them as violent criminals, vicious savages or animals (not "people") and that will make it easier.

My advice is to practice close range (5-15 feet) fast action defense shooting a lot, and if you are ever victimized your training should automaticaly take over.

What I later learned in police work is at close range the first shot that hits center mass usally wins.

[BCmJUnKie]

Bcmjunkie, thank you for posting this thread. I'm glad you and your friend made it out alive. It is one thing to read about stories like yours through the media but it's completely different to hear it on a forum like this where everything is said uncensored through the eyes of the victim.

Something I find disturbing though is because I've never been a situation with my life on the line before I have no idea how I'll react when that time comes. I'd like to think I could pull the trigger if I had to but to but to be honest I have no idea if I would freeze up or what I would do. I know after the fact you wished you grabbed your gun in the bedroom or punched the kid in the face but do you think at the time a reason (however big or small) in not taking action was due to not wanting to take the life of another human?

Thanks buddy. I hope it can help you in some way, in preparation or the way you do things at home.

I find myself sometimes thinking about what would have happened if I did something like grab the gun or whatever, there are a thousand different scenarios I "Could" have done that night... It always comes back to the same thing....we all made it out alive.

I could sit here and say that I would have not even thought twice about putting two in his chest had I had my pistol on me...but I didnt.

Thats not what happened.

I could have grabbed the gun and punched him in the face and saved the day...but I didnt, thats not what happened.

I watch all those TV shows on TRU, I remember YEARS ago watching them and woindering how I would do in the situation.

When it was happening that night, I remember laughing to myself and thinking "Well you wanted to know dumbass!" Here it is!"

I just went with it and kept cool, didnt panic. My heart was pounding pretty hard but I wasnt all shaky or anything.

I kept a cool head and if the situation was different and I had my pistol on me, Im pretty confident I could have handled THAT situation accordingly. But that wasnt the situation I was presented with.

Guys came into my house and had guns to our faces.... Im not gonna be the guy that does this though. Sorry man.

If my situation was different and I shot someone, the story you read would have had that in there

[BCmJUnKie]

I had gang-related home invasion happen to me back when I was 21-22. After that I've never been concerned about whether I could drop bad guys or not. Think of them as violent criminals, vicious savages or animals (not "people") and that will make it easier.

My advice is to practice close range fast action defense shooting a lot, and if you are ever victimized your training should automaticaly take over.

What I later learned in police work is at close range the first shot that hits center mass usally wins.

I agree, they are animals.

I agree with what you say about practice close range, but at the same time how can you KNOW that thats what situation is going to be presented? What if your pistol malfunctions and you lose your pistol or the bad guy gets it?

My best advice is to prapare yourself MENTALLY just as much if not MORE than training.

Not only are you training yourself to deal with a situation and possibly take someones life... but what about TAKING SOMEONES LIFE!

Not only that but god FORBID anyones family member gets hurt! Are you prepared for that??

Its completely FOOLISH to assume an attacker comes in and you are able to draw your pistol and fire two shots center mass and everything works out like its a paper target.

There is a possibility there will be more to your situation

[SIMBA-LEE]

BCM.

I suspect you are still making a common mistake even though you deny it. Namely thinking of violent home invader criminals/savages as people just like us. They aren't.

[QuietShootr]

BCM.

You are making mistake #1 even though you deny it. Namely thinking of violent home invader criminals/savages as "people". That's why you are hung up on not "taking someone's life", ie, you are thinking of savages as persons/people who deserve life.

All of your "what if's" seem like excuses to do nothing to me. I don't concern myself with unrealistic make believe "what if's". But you do what you are comfortable with. My advice is for those who want to not only survive, but want to dominate REAL life/death situations.

Think about this, four officers I knew were murdered on duty. Not a one ever got his weapon out of his holster. Why not? Because each one allowed the Bad Guys to shoot first. I learned from their mistakes. You could too.

Lastly, the fastest way to defuse a life/death attack is to take out your attackers ASAP. No talking, no arguing, no begging, JUST DROP THEM IMMEDIATELY.

This.

You have to have some predetermined programs to run or you go into vapor lock (see OODA loop and Hick's Law).

You were overtaken because you didn't know you were in a fight until the optimum time to take action had passed. And you were not armed, because inside you didn't REALLY believe that you could get into such a situation.

Now you know different.

[BCmJUnKie]

How am I making excuses?

I didnt have my gun...bottom line.

It does NO use to talk about what "I would have done".

Its pointless.

I said, if I HAD my gun I would have ZERO problems taking their lives.

I woulnt have hesitated.

But thats not waht happened

[SIMBA-LEE]

BCM,

I didn't realize you were the OP. I thought your were just talking hypotheticals, so I apologise for my error.

No gun on my person: That was my exact situation with a gang home invasion when I was 21-22. My guns were in the bedroom when I answered the door in the living room, and had it kicked in, in my face, by 2 armed gang guys. Never made that mistake again.

Since then I carry a pocket pistol ON MY PERSON AT ALL TIMES AT HOME.

Like you I made a mistake years ago. I learned from it, and also from the mistakes of others. I'm not heartless, but I don't get all teary-eyed over dead or wounded violent criminals. I reserve my sympathy for innocent victims.