Home Invasion.....

[JackRydden224]

About 5 years ago I was living in an apartment that was the top floor of a house. There was only one way in or out - down of slight of stairs to a door. One night a man started trying to break in at about 3am. In that situation, you can't retreat.

In my current house, the bedroom is in the back and there isn't a retreat option there either. IMO if I can I would rather retreat then face an attacker but you don't always get that opportunity.

Now honestly, I think my alarm system in my house is my primary line of defense.

I would think so as well. If you end up having to shoot the guy after the alarm comes on I think your case for self defense just got that much better. Anybody who is determined to continue the intrusion after the alarm comes on needs to be dealt with force.

[TeddyBallgame]

I see a ton of threads talking about which gun to use in case of a home invasion, but I would like to know if this is even a major concern. Of course it's nice and all to have the peace of mind, but what are the chances? I mean how many of us here have had to USE a gun on somebody who broke into their house? Or better yet, will you be able to shoot and kill someone who happens to come inside or will you point the gun at them and tell them to get on the ground until the police arrive? Do you have the "killer instinct"...do you really?? Are you ready to deal with taking someones life if they were just a kid screwing around for fun?

I'm really wondering what the frequency of this situation is. I highly doubt many of us here have or ever will face this situation.

I'd love to hear from people who have faced this situation....anybody??

I see my firearm as something that will save my life, not take someone else's...that means they are threatening me, or my family, not just some kids out fu**ing around in the neighborhood

we've had our fair share of kids/people tooling around late at night, doing crazy kid stuff, even caught one neighbor kid in my pool one evening as we got home from an evening out...so, im not just ready to pull out and blast any silhouette I see in my yard, and, even in my home, im always entertaining the thought that "maybe" its not what it seems...therefore, using those thoughts, and, forever trying to keep a level head, one can only hope to get it right, if it ever comes down to an actual lethal force situation...I wouldn't necessarily say I have the "killer instinct" to do it, more of a "survival instinct" that would see me through

one plan I have thought out to better my chances is, that, if ever my home is broken into while im in bed, im basically calling 911, and STAYING THERE, with my wife...whatever I have in my home is replaceable, but, if there is intent on their part to do me, or my family, bodily harm, they have to come to me...once they enter our bedroom door, the rules change...that door wasn't there to protect me, it was there to protect them...

[PowMeow]

For the best (and by best, I meant most informative as to how things can go wrong and how to keep your head) account of an actual shooting I've ever read on calguns, see the thread linked below.

A member here was at work when someone came in and took him and others captive. He goes into great detail about how it all happened. The story starts on post #24.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=46699http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=46699

Edited because I said "page" 24 when I meant "post" 24

wow that was intense. I cant believe the perp got a payout...what have we let the legal system evolve into... what a shame.

[Wild West]

Other than the "your trolling" guys, this has been a good discussion so far.

If you think I'm a troll, good for you... But I dont play the internet troll game. I'm a member of many different forums and have never ever been labeled a troll. If that's how you'd like to label soneone for asking a sensitive question or two, go for it. But I won't be lured into that childish bull****. Does it make you feel like a big internet hero calling people names ??

If you'd like to discuss things like an adult, them I'm all for it. Otherwise..have a nice day.

[IVth Horseman]

I've been at home when someone forced entry. It was the catalyst to gun ownership. It really happens and you must plan accordingly.

[voiceofreason]

Why bother owning a gun at all? The chances of needing it are slight.

Except anyone that understands violence knows that however slight, once engaged, you're in the fight whether you volunteered or not.

Most people don't expect to get raped. But it happens.

Most people don't expect to get their house broken into. But it happens.


Is it better to simply say "the chances are slim" and just not bother?


12:30am on a weekday night

the front door of our house was partially broken one night; they attempted to kick it in, but it is reinforced (yes, I am that paranoid and it payed off); 2 separate alarms went off

1 to my security company
1 that is a $15 door alarm with 2 prongs that go off when they're not touching


2 guys ran and jumped into the backseat of a silver car that was waiting at the curb


IMO, the security company wouldn't have made any difference to actually help us in a home invasion, though police did roll up in under 8 minutes


3 adults in the house armed with pistols upon hearing the alarm and executing as we've drilled before worked better than I would have thought.

The only thing we didn't take into account was how loud the alarms were and that we basically lost the ability to communicate verbally.






it's a PITA, but 3 sets of these is far cheaper than a whole house alarm and simply arming them before going to bed is better than nothing.

http://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-driveway-alert-system-93068.html

even better are the ceiling mounted motion detectors for about $35 at Target, armed with a keyfob, they cover a whole room at once





Own a gun with a light. Get training. Alarm the entrances of your house.

Run drills so your subconscious can carry your body while your mind is free to take care of higher level thinking.

The gun manipulation, movement, position, communication aspects should all have been worked out prior.

[Hoshnasi]

Other than the "your trolling" guys, this has been a good discussion so far.

If you think I'm a troll, good for you... But I dont play the internet troll game. I'm a member of many different forums and have never ever been labeled a troll. If that's how you'd like to label soneone for asking a sensitive question or two, go for it. But I won't be lured into that childish bull****. Does it make you feel like a big internet hero calling people names ??

If you'd like to discuss things like an adult, them I'm all for it. Otherwise..have a nice day.

You were called out as potentially a troll because you have little posts on this board -no one cares how many posts you have on other boards- and you used loaded comments, which many of us hear from the anti-gun crowd... Such as:

you shoot first and ask questions later

Of course it's nice and all to have the peace of mind, but what are the chances?

Do you have the "killer instinct"...do you really??

Are you ready to deal with taking someones life if they were just a kid screwing around for fun?

Anti's have started similar threads here to rustle jimmies, from your initial posts, you didn't stray far from their recipe.

[TheExiled]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=907671

[DennisCA]

Shooting/killing someone is easy part - Living with it is another

[Rickrock1]

I would rather be safe than a stat

[Supertac916]

I have an alarm system and a German Shepard, which are my first lines of defense. If they are in the mindset of getting past those and wanting to come into my home, where my family and I are. Than I will not try to reason with them because no reasonable person would put themselves in that situation.

Home invaders are different than burglars, where they know that there is a high likelihood that they will encounter the persons living inside. Burglars wait, until after you leave for work or are on vacation and aren't looking for confrontations. Home invaders are much more likely to be armed as well.

I haven't had a personal experience and hope I will never have one. The likelihood isn't high, but it happens and has happened to one of my Great Uncles and Aunts in San Ramon. They were not shot, but pistol whipped, tied up, and pillow cases put over their heads. The teenagers ransacked the home and left with valuables. It's been several years and they still haven't caught them.

As the other guys mentioned, you probably won't see guys posting who had to shoot someone in self defense. They are on this forum, but from my encounters with them they don't want to talk about it and rightfully so. The vast majority of us do not want to kill someone or use our firearms in self defense. It's the very last resort we will use to protect ourselves and our families.

[CBruce]

I see a ton of threads talking about which gun to use in case of a home invasion, but I would like to know if this is even a major concern. Of course it's nice and all to have the peace of mind, but what are the chances? I mean how many of us here have had to USE a gun on somebody who broke into their house? Or better yet, will you be able to shoot and kill someone who happens to come inside or will you point the gun at them and tell them to get on the ground until the police arrive? Do you have the "killer instinct"...do you really?? Are you ready to deal with taking someones life if they were just a kid screwing around for fun?

I'm really wondering what the frequency of this situation is. I highly doubt many of us here have or ever will face this situation.

I'd love to hear from people who have faced this situation....anybody??

U.S. Department of Justice - Victimization During Household Burglary reported that between 2003 and 2007 there were ~3,713,000 burglaries each year. Of those, 27.6% occurred when one more member of the household was present. And of *those*, 26% became the victim of a violent crime.

That equates to 266,560 *per year* who become the victims of a violent crime in their own home during a burglary. IE, the "violent home invasion" scenario that many gun owners anticipate.

CDC - Table 18. Number of deaths, death rates, and age-adjusted death rates for injury deaths, by mechanism and intent of death:
United States, 2010

* Suicides - 19,392
* Homicide - 11,078
* Unintentional - 606

Which means you are 8 times as likely to be the victim of a violent home invasion than you are of being killed by a gun under any circumstance; including suicides, homicides, and deaths caused by unintentional injuries.

With 606 deaths attributed to firearm 'accidents', you are almost *440 times as likely to be the victim of a violent home invasion than you, your family, or your children are of dying from an unintentional gun-related injury*, within your home or outside of it.

But let's compare apples to apples: Injuries to injuries.

FIREARM INJURY IN THE U.S
> Nonfatal Injury
While many people are killed each year by firearms, even more are injured non-fatally. In 2008,
there were 78,622 nonfatal firearm injuries in the United States, 73% of which were the result of interpersonal violence.

That leaves approximately 21,228 firearm injuries that were not the result of interpersonal violence. Presumably self-inflicted (failed suicides, playing stupid games, etc.) or 'accidental' shootings (I thought it wasn't loaded).

Which makes you almost 12 1/2 times as likely of being the victim of a violent home invasion than being 'accidentally' injured by a firearm.

All told, you are at almost 2 1/2 times as likely to be the victim of a violent home invasion than you are you are of being shot, fatally or non-fatally.

[PutTogether]

Other than the "your trolling" guys, this has been a good discussion so far.

If you think I'm a troll, good for you... But I dont play the internet troll game. I'm a member of many different forums and have never ever been labeled a troll. If that's how you'd like to label soneone for asking a sensitive question or two, go for it. But I won't be lured into that childish bull****. Does it make you feel like a big internet hero calling people names ??

If you'd like to discuss things like an adult, them I'm all for it. Otherwise..have a nice day.

Did you read the story I linked?

Like I said, I think that is the best story you'll find here. He kept his head, kept everyone safe, probably even prevented the bad guy from dying.

It's a model for how we all prepare to react if god forbid something that terrible happened around us. Like Teddyballgame mentioned a few posts above.....a firearm is a tool to save your life, not take someone else's.

[Sharp Shooter]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=907671

Well played.

[geoint]

I see a ton of threads talking about which gun to use in case of a home invasion, but I would like to know if this is even a major concern. Of course it's nice and all to have the peace of mind, but what are the chances? I mean how many of us here have had to USE a gun on somebody who broke into their house? Or better yet, will you be able to shoot and kill someone who happens to come inside or will you point the gun at them and tell them to get on the ground until the police arrive? Do you have the "killer instinct"...do you really?? Are you ready to deal with taking someones life if they were just a kid screwing around for fun?

I'm really wondering what the frequency of this situation is. I highly doubt many of us here have or ever will face this situation.

I'd love to hear from people who have faced this situation....anybody??

What alternative would you suggest, o wise one?

Let the invader have my wife and daughter? Give him my money and my pride?