Practical Home Defense Discussion Thread.

[BennyAdeline]

Most discussions of home protection on gun forums go two ways:

1) Mall Ninja competition where everyone shows off their "tactical" gear instead of staying on topic.

2) Arguing over everything and personally insulting each other.

I'd like to start a place where calgunners can discuss this topic in a friendly manner so we can all improve and learn together.

Please feel free to post questions, tips, ideas, and photos. What do you protect your home with? What are the "rules" of your house? Is there anything you are concerned about?

Noobs: no question is too dumb. Post away and we will help you out.

[kenl]

...

[Corpral_Agarn]

Off the top of my head:

1. Harden you home.
All you have to do is be a more inconvenient target than the next home.
Security doors, ADT stickers, etc.
A simple dog dish by the front/rear door (even if you don't have a dog) is a good (cheap) first step. Maybe a "I love Dobermans" sticker by the back door.

2. Get a dog.
Serious. Great deterrent and early warning detection. Doesn't have to be a big dog, just one that barks.

3. Get a good flashlight.
Rule #4 of firearms calls for "Know your target and what is beyond it." I would rather get got shot myself than shoot the wrong person.

4. Keep a phone by your bed.

5. Have a plan
This one is #5, but it not because it is lower priority. Know what you are going to do in the event of a home invasion. Train your family what to do. Treat it just like a fire drill.

6. Firearms (If applicable)
If you are going to have a firearm for this purpose, get training. If you are not the person that could bring themselves to USE a firearm on another person (that's fine) then don't count on one. Use something else (bat, pepper spray, dog, golf club, taser, etc).

7. Non Firearm
Get training. If a bat is your primary tool, know its limitations and how to swing/jab with it.

8. Draw the line.
Know when and how you are going to act.
It will be different for everyone.
Define, as best you can, what the limits are. Maybe somebody rummaging through the garage is a 'call the police and wait' moment (other action not required). Where as a kicked in door is a 'direct action required' moment.
I, personally, will announce my presence and issue a warning to an intruder. Maybe its my dopey neighbor or someone I know that needs at some weird hour of the night.
Examples:
(After issued warning) He steps through the window, I act.
He kicks open the door and charges in, I act.
I hear someone in the garage, I call the cops, prepare for encounter (should one arise), then wait.


There is probably lots I left out.
Looking forward to reading the responses on this thread.

I have always been a more 'practical, less tactical' kinda guy.

[RandyD]

If you are going to own a firearm for self defense, you owe it to yourself to know and fully understand the laws pertaining to the use of deadly force. If you were to use deadly force, you need to be able to articulate and justify your reasons within the law. As Corpral_Agarn said above, have a plan, train yourself by contemplating contingencies that you may experience and have a tactical and legal plan to counter those contingencies.

[xSlapshotx]

Great idea for a thread! I hope it remains civil and practical.

[BennyAdeline]

Good input guys!

Having a plan is really important IMO. My wife and I have gone over the specifics quite a bit and I hope we would keep ours wits enough to act on them.

One thing I've noticed too: don't be lazy. If you home carry, then home carry. Don't leave the gun in the safe because you hit the couch a second after walking in the door.

[Corpral_Agarn]

If you are going to own a firearm for self defense, you owe it to yourself to know and fully understand the laws pertaining to the use of deadly force. If you were to use deadly force, you need to be able to articulate and justify your reasons within the law. As Corpral_Agarn said above, have a plan, train yourself by contemplating contingencies that you may experience and have a tactical and legal plan to counter those contingencies.

+1
Yes the Laws!
Foolish of me to leave that out.

The use of deadly force can get tricky.

A good rule of thumb is the '3 part test':
1. Opportunity
2. Ability
3. Jeopardy

The bad guy must have both the opportunity to hurt you, the ability to hurt you and you must be in jeopardy of great bodily harm/death.

If they have the ability to hurt you (knife in hand) and are threatening to kill you (read Jeopardy), but are on the other side of the locked door they do not have the opportunity.

[ProtectThe2nd]

Tag

[BennyAdeline]

+1
Yes the Laws!
Foolish of me to leave that out.

The use of deadly force can get tricky.

A good rule of thumb is the '3 part test':
1. Opportunity
2. Ability
3. Jeopardy

The bad guy must have both the opportunity to hurt you, the ability to hurt you and you must be in jeopardy of great bodily harm/death.

If they have the ability to hurt you (knife in hand) and are threatening to kill you (read Jeopardy), but are on the other side of the locked door they do not have the opportunity.

Good advice! I am sure for many, it will be a challenge to analyze and manage a situation where someone is in your home/gaining access to you home. Stress and fear will be doing a lot of the thinking for you.

I've put a lot of thought into when to actually press the trigger. Seconds matter and giving someone the chance to surrender could mean they get a shot off or gain time to pull their weapon. Spooky stuff and a delicate balance.

[Corpral_Agarn]

Good advice! I am sure for many, it will be a challenge to analyze and manage a situation where someone is in your home/gaining access to you home. Stress and fear will be doing a lot of the thinking for you.

I've put a lot of thought into when to actually press the trigger. Seconds matter and giving someone the chance to surrender could mean they get a shot off or gain time to pull their weapon. Spooky stuff and a delicate balance.

Agree.

It is a quite a challenge, but one that needs to be done to the best of your ability.
Sometimes, like you said, it is a natural thing that happens as a reaction (I am on the ground, guy is on top of me beating my face in... hey, all three parts!).

The trigger for me to look into this in detail was having a guy (didn't know him) threatening to kill us while beating against a cheap window (apartment living for ya!) that a person could step through if broken or opened.

I woke up, I was armed. The cops were on the phone and on their way.
I told the guy to leave, only made him more irate.

He kept threatening and banging on the window. All I could do was stand there and wait. Spooky feeling for sure.

Cops eventually showed up and took the man away. He was on something and had the wrong apartment.

Trying to prepare yourself, on the spot, for the unthinkable is a lot to take in. I knew what I would do if I had to.
Afterword though, when I had time to think about it, it was unnerving. Just waiting there preparing to do something that I had never considered before.

I think this will be a good thread, I look forward to reading more replies.

[ChuckDizzle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKk4woC6ZqM

[Lonestargrizzly]

I keep 3 guns around my new apartment. If I was to have people over I would store them of course. But I keep one in the bedroom, one in the kitchen, and one in the bathroom. I currently don't have that much ammo, probably 37 rounds between my 3 guns. I guess I would have to use my bedroom gun to fight to the kitchen gun and from there I would escape through the sliding glass door in my living room.

[ChuckDizzle]

Good advice! I am sure for many, it will be a challenge to analyze and manage a situation where someone is in your home/gaining access to you home. Stress and fear will be doing a lot of the thinking for you.

I've put a lot of thought into when to actually press the trigger. Seconds matter and giving someone the chance to surrender could mean they get a shot off or gain time to pull their weapon. Spooky stuff and a delicate balance.

You should draw the line in your head before the event ever happens.

If someone is attempting to force entry into my home I'm prepared to arm myself and issue them a challenge. They will be warned that I'm armed, and the police have been called. If they have not been deterred by this warning, and force entry I will shoot them without hesitation, by that point it is safe to say they are hell bent on doing myself and my family harm.

[dozer wright]

Make your house a harder target to get into reenforced door jambs , glass laminates , flood lights my security screen has a standard dead bolt latch one side key out side my interior door has key on both sides we don't use it when home but makes getting in or out harder . Also drill the hinge side of exterior doors and slide a short piece of rebar in the frame and door keeps it so the door can't come off hinges think like a safe . I routor my exterior door frames add a 1/4
Inch X2 inch pice of plate into to the jamb sink 5 inch screws counter sunk into the frame . And a good solid metal door . Most people's weakest Pont is the garage . I weak large door with self tapers holding the lock . With tons of tools to help get in the interior garage door .

[Corpral_Agarn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKk4woC6ZqM

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