I am constantly amazed at the number of people who believe they’re prepared for a home invasion who are clearly, absolutely not. Don’t get me wrong: if someone doesn’t want to contemplate the idea of bad guys entering their home, that’s OK with me. Depending on whether or not you keep an ounce of blow somewhere on the premises, the odds of a home invasion are lower than the odds of injuring or killing yourself by slipping in the bath. But I have real issue with people who say they’ve got a plan and don’t. After having a friendly chat with (i.e. interrogating) dozens of shooters on the subject, I’ve identified several common profound weaknesses. Let’s start with this: they don’t have a gun . . .
Oh they have a gun. Most have several. Know how to shoot them too. But they don’t have immediate access to a gun in their home. Which is the same as not having a gun. They all think they’ll be able to run to their gun at the start of a home invasion. That is one seriously dangerously delusion.
You think the bad guys are going to make an appointment? Knock three times? Wait while you prepare for them? Allow you to secure your kids before you get your gun? I wouldn’t bet my life on it. And neither should you.
Experience has taught bad guys the wisdom of Adam Deciccio’s recipe for personal defense: speed, surprise and violence of action. Even the craziest of them get it. Ironically enough, I can illustrate the problem with a report from wfie.com:
The victim, Tabitha Inge, told deputies she awoke to find Stevens, who also goes by the name Lorie Dunn, standing over her wielding a knife.
The sheriff’s office says the two women did not know each other.
Inge said Stevens forced her to cook a meal for her and load computers, mail and other items into Inge’s van. That’s when deputies say Stevens told Inge she was going to assume the victim’s identity and ordered her to help her die her hair.
Inge broke away, grabbed a rifle and tried to shoot Stevens. The weapon failed to fire, though, and Stevens then ran into a bedroom where Inge’s daughter was asleep. Inge followed and began hitting Stevens with the rifle. Stevens then ran out of the house, leaving in Inge’s van.
Don’t get distracted by the fact that Inge was asleep at the time of the invasion. Yes, she should have secured her doors and windows. A perimeter alarm helps me sleep like a baby (when I do).
Don’t worry about the strategic error of not fighting like hell as soon as possible. Some people can’t summon sufficient mental and physical strength when faced with a deadly threat—especially when they’re caught on the hop. Sometimes strategic concerns (such as children in the house) mean you gotta go with the flow, and wait for your chance to escape or attack.
Focus on the fact that Inge didn’t have a self-defense gun strapped to her body. Or, less MikeB302000 antagonistically, anywhere within easy access.
I highly doubt Inge’s weapon failed to fire. I bet Inge failed to fire the weapon. The rifle was probably unloaded. Or had the safety on. Or something. Again, bad planning almost cost Inge her life.
But even if it had fired, the odds of shooting a home invader with a rifle (or shotgun) are far lower that the odds of shooting the perp with a handgun. Handguns are more accessible. More wieldy. Less obvious. More versatile. Rifles and other long guns are easier to deflect and “confiscate.”
I’m down with that whole “handguns are for fighting to your long gun” concept. In that order. But the best way to think about this is simple enough: if Inge had been home carrying, this story would have had a different arc. As would the tale of horror endured by Dr. Petit.
If you’re going to rely on a gun for part of your home defense plan, observe the first rule of a gunfight: have a gun. And the second: no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
Remember: that bump-in-the-night I’ll get my gun out of the safe or grab the one by my bed scenario that most people like to prepare? It’s only one possibility of many. Unless you’re home carrying, you are only ready for a very specific set of circumstances.
There are plenty of “common sense” objections to home carry. It’s unsafe for the kids (definitely not true if you keep your gun on you at all times). I’ll look like a nutcase (who’s coming to dinner?). Etc. And there’s one common sense reason to man (or woman) up and carry a gun in your home: if you need it, there it is.
As John Lennon said before he was shot to death, life is what happens when you’re making other plans. Semper fi baby. Semper fi.
I figured this out and took the message to heart decades ago ….
I have 1911′s and 9mms and all sorts of things all around the house, but I am never without a .22 derringer in my watch pocket, or similar location, ever !
Currently it is a North American Arms .22LR with 1″ or maybe 1 1/8″ barrel. CCI Mini-Mag .22 LR HP. A pocket sheath made from 1/16″ polyethylene packing foam and electrical tape, just enough to keep out most of the lint, pubic hair, and so forth.
Gave up discussing this years ago, too …. it’s just what I do …. even the 5-shot .38 titanium Airweight is big / heavy enough to be left behind sometimes.
flame away, don’t really care ….
For the same size, I think, you could carry a Seecamp or similar weapon with 6 rounds of .32 ACP in Winchester Silvertip Hollow Point, with a pocket sheath in the front pocket of just about any pair of pants. (No one ever noticed that I was carrying one, for over a decade.) More effective round, perfectly reliable feed, and more shots than a derringer.
If you are really worried about the danger of home invasions one of the best preventatives is a dog. The gun should be close at hand. I keep a .45 auto under my pillow. Most would be burglars won’t deal with the noise a dog will create if they want to come in, and if they do want to go through the dog this will usually give you time enough to be waiting for them with the weapon of your choice.
A dog is good. It isn’t as effective as some would trust to believe though. My neighbor across the street had a man bust into his house at about 2 in the middle of the day. There was a car parked in the drive, the dude was home and his two dogs were in the house barking like crazy. Crack head grabbed at some plates or something on the counter and took off back out the window. The police did not catch him. It happens. I should add he has ADT.
As far as protection goes it all depends upon the kind of dog you have. But as far as alerting you to a home invasion almost any breed is spectacular. They still function when the electricity fails. I wasn’t really talking about protection there, I was talking about having notice of invasion so that you could, assuming you have a gun, be set up in a position to blow the invader straight to Hell.
+1.
would bet that none of these folks who “woke up with x# number of people in their bedroom” had a dog. your local shelter has dozens of loving, faithful companions just waiting for a kind hand and a bowl of kibble; will they rip the throat out of Charles Manson if he kicks in your back door? probably not, and likely you’ll have a night or two when you’re awakened because the neighbor’s cat gets a little too close to the house, but you won’t be awakened by strangers tugging on your sheets…….dogs are also far superior as not being “in the white” in general interaction as well
True, all true. I’m just saying this guy didn’t seem to care about the dogs at all. For him it was no factor to consider at all it seemed. Some people just don’t care or are too coked out to care is my guess. The neighbor was alerted but really it did him no good as he had no defense weapon at all save the barking dogs and his screams. Intruder still entered, did what he wanted and left.
die her hair –> dye her hair
semper fie –> semper fi
NCG—you sound like a reasonable person, and even better you’re asking questions and putting your assumptions to the test. As someone who lives in a left-liberal universe it sounds to me that the hard-core left have done a number on your head: that Bubba of the MSNBC imagination may not be any more diabetic, toothless, or fat than Rachel M. But still you seem to end up with some pretty large stereotypes to describe (or account for) a reality that many here will experience as something more complex. If you’re looking for a way to lose some flab, consider starting with unnecessary adverbs: “incredibly low odds,” “highly”, and the like. Because they’re not all that low, and where they are it’s due in part to availability of handguns. North America is a major exception to the ever-rising home invasion trends seen in Europe, and not because our criminals are poorly informed. There are quite a few communities in the UK in which home invasion is something you just have to accept (if memory serves, something like two per decade per dwelling isn’t unusual even for good neighborhoods). Here, it’s a risk I can manage with relatively little effort; there, not only are the odds against you, the law is too if you try to defend yourself in any way (pull a legal gun on someone assaulting you or a third party in your own house, way out in the country even, and you are going to jail. You’ll also likely be sued—the delicate little things are easily traumatized). This is one area where a “gun culture” can make for much more livable communities, even if you don’t own a gun or even ever set eyes on one. Many/most/nearly all Brits, god love them, are horrified at the very thought of a private person owning a gun. I never, ever, mention my routine here, and when we’ve got visitors everything goes in the safe deposit box. But the price is paid in insecurity and real, statistically verifiable, levels of violence that we don’t even have to think about. Much less fantasize.
I started out a liberal in college. I left as a libertarian, because I met liberals there who sent chills up my spine. I’m talking about animal-rights-over-human-rights people, those who argue passionately for human extinction, folks who actively talk about murdering bankers and other businesspeople, destroying all technology, etc. This one girl FREAKED OUT when I killed a mosquito in her presence. No, I’m not kidding. Now, does this mean all leftists are whacked out sociopathic communist human-extinction-types? Of course not. But my extremely negative experiences left me with the very real and very false impression of this. Every day I fight against that stereotype. I know they’re an incredibly tiny minority, and I even know many moderate liberals who are horrified by these notions, but the stereotype is a constant burden I struggle against.
We must all fight these demons of ours. I think you will find that, like every diverse group, gun owners defy description. I’m a 23 year-old married engineer who keeps fit and owns many guns and a bookshelf full of rulebooks for nerdy role-playing and tabletop wargames. We may be unified by our love of guns, but that doesn’t mean that guns are the only things that define us. We come in all shapes and sizes.
One more consideration for shotguns vs. handguns for home defense: overpenetration.
I live in an apartment complex, and I chose a shotgun over a handgun because in the event that I found myself shooting at an intruder, I wouldn’t want to kill one of my neighbors with a missed shot.
I think you forgot a second major point, and that is actually killing another person. I have heard stories (sorry, no facts, just tidbits I’ve read over the years) where gun owners would point the gun at the intruder then freeze, because only then did they realize they were about to kill someone. Yeah, I know, the tough guys say “Oh, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second”. But I think that, after deciding to own a gun for home defense, mentally preparing for blowing a hole in another human being has some merit.
I remember reading the action report of a female ARMY MP Sgt who was awarded the bronze star for valor. she and her team fought off an attack on a convoy in Iraq. Her humvee and the other security detail humvee were carefully organized so that when she ran out of ammunition she reached into the other humvee without looking and grabbed the spare magazines which were positioned inside “just in case”. THAT was impressive to read – everything worked like it should, the teams coordinated and drove off ambushers initially superior in firepower and with the element of surprize. How? Training and preparation. No one wants to be caught exposed in a crisis – be it due to natural disaster or human perfidity.
An important note for those with children in the house: Children should be trained that at a pre-arranged signal (a shouted word, perhaps), they get OUT of the house (preferrably straight from their bedrooms if at night – rope ladders, anyone? If during the day, then by any available route while the perps are focused on the adults). Babies and toddlers should be taken out of the house by one of the adults while the other deals with (or at least distracts) the intruders. Children in a house are the main leverage mechanism whereby violent intruders take control of the occupants. If the children are able to remove themselves (or be removed) from the situation early on (like immediately), this gives the remaining adults alot more latitude. Teaching children to go to an area inside the house during an invasion plays into the perps plans (even if the area is locked – the children are still hostages).
I’m hoping this is mainly the result of the publishing date.
I’d like to suggest another reason for home carry. I find it is good practice for away from home carry. It helps make the gun familure. The gun becomes just something you wear, no big deal.
Preperation for a low probability event like seat belts in a car, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, etc are all the same as a firearm for protection. As a matter of fact the probabillty or lifetime odds of a US citizen being killed by a violent act is slighly higher than that of being killed in an auto accident. CDC data. NO one thinks it odd to wear a seat belt but why then would you think its odd to have a firearm. The best form of protection against a vioent act?
Want to talk about paranoia?
I was in Gainesville during the Gainesville Student Murders.
Half the population of the University of Florida left town about the time the second murder scene was discovered.
The rest – especially the women – cowered in large “sleepover” groups at night.
I had a dog that barked and a .45ACP at bedside. I slept well.
I can imagine you did.
I carry my SR9c at home, day and night. From the time I am dressed to the time I lay down at night, I am carrying. Next to my bed within reach is the AR-15 with a laser light combo on the lower rail, and the Ruger SR9c is within arm’s reach on the night stand near a Sure Fire tactical light.
I choose to have the AR there instead of the 870 tactical, because of the nature of home invasions in my particular area. Home invasions have become more common here in recent years, and the invaders tactics more brutal. There are organized home invasion gangs wearing body armor, and some carry AK47’s, making entry from multiple points simultaneously. They arrive 6 or more at once and overwhelm the home occupants. Most of the time, they arrive during the early evening when the occupants are sure to be home. They will knock on a door, showing a picture of a dog or cat, claiming they lost their pet. They will stage a fake flat tire in your driveway, and ask for assistance. They show up at the front door calling someone’s name. When the resident opens the door to say they have the wrong house, 3 or 4 invaders force the door open and in they go. In the mean time, another 3 or 4 have broken in through the back of the house.
We (myself, wife and 6 year old boy) have a plan that includes use of a safe room. The safe room is our garage, which has only one way in from the house, and no other doors leading to the outside. The one entrance from the house provides a fatal tunnel where BG’s will surely die. We can work the tunnel from an angle and still be out of the natural line of fire from an invader. We manually lock the garage door with deadbolts (it has a garage door opener) and it is re-enforced heavy guage steel for hurricane protection, so it’s tough to break into from the outside. When police arrive in the driveway and tell us to open the door, we will know it’s really them because we will see the lights and hear their radios.
My wife is armed also (little Ruger .380) and is full on board with the plan. Our 6 year old boy has already become familiar with firearms safety, and always accompanies me to the range. He loves shooting the AR on a bipod. We have looked at our home from a tactical perspective also. We have identified fatal tunnels, concealment and cover, and will shoot right through concealment to get to the BG. When the AR is not near the bed, it is in the heavy safe, which is also bolted through the floor into the foundation. I travel all over the world for months at a time for my work.
While I am gone, my wife will have the 870 tactical 12 ga. with Knoxx stock and grip near the bed along with her Ruger .380, as she is not as comfortable with the AR. Take advantage of everything you can. BG’s may have advantages from the beginning, but our advantage is that we know the tactical layout of the home, and have plan.
Radiowave, Ammotogo carries armor piercing 5.56, as does cheaperthandirt. Also, 12 ga lead rifled slugs penetrate most body armor. Just a thought. A thought too-how about a nightly couple of tripwires inside your doorway-to actually trip invaders.
The discussion on this website was reasonable and civil. Even from the people who question the focus on home protection.
I have to agree with the blogpost that having a gun handy is necessary. I have had a German shephard in the house for years and even at night she slept in my room, She would wake me up in time to get a gun. Kept one in the bedroom. Gun in the closet when the children was small and under the pillow when they were old enough to handle guns responsibly and with accuracy. By that time the children kept their own shotguns with ammo handy and a handgun. Even if it was just a target 22 caliber.
I moved to my parents house, much larger and more isolated. The dog is older and may not hear as well. The house is large enough that distance from a handgun is farther. But the chances of home intrusion is lower. In the summer we do not use AC so windows are open and so are the screen doors.
My son has friends coming in a late hours so doors are unlocked, so security is less.
However the last time we had an issue in the neighborhood we had cops everywhere. The suspect was seen by my sons girlfriend The suspect was not dressed or looked like the people who live here. She thought he was in for a drug sell. I found out fast enough and had the shotgun by the bed and then loaded Kept my handgun on me. Then I went out with the dog to walk around . My neighbors, especially women, were very concerned with a shooter suspect hiding in back yards that had heavy forest. The helicopters were there for hours. They caught the guy the next day.
I have to admit that the county had cops who were using their personal cars and called in on Sunday. I live on a peninsula surrounded by water with one road in and out unless on knows the paths. The poor suspect had no idea of the layout when he wandered in the neighborhood.
However if he had ventured onto my property I was willing to let the dog have some ass. She has been known to do that in the past. I would have followed up with a gun if he stood his ground or shot at the dog.
I know a person that has an apt and in his living room there is a gun in every seat and hidden all over. It never bothered me. He had dozens in his safe also. I just had to watch where I sat so I would not sit on a gun. Since he knew we didn’t mind, he would show off his collection when we were there.
If any fool broke into his house he would have ended with lead.
Being prepared is a mindset. I was involved with boyscouts for years and all the boys knew if a disaster happened, where to go. Even if their parents were leary of weapons the boys knew in a disaster that they could come by and they would talk about it.
Crap happens in life, see Japan. You can talk and prepare all you want but generally something else will happen that you did not anticipate. The best preparation is fast thinking and knowing where emergency supplies are. Determination and adaptability will help in most cases.
The tragic case of the Petit family showed that the father had that mindset. Regrettably the mother did not or did not have the chance. They were taken by surprise which counts a lot in military and home invasions.
The daughters were probably not trained with the mind set to fight all out if attacked.
At some point a person has to figure out not to surrender and allow bad people to do things without resistance. I saw a case this morning of bank robbery where the robber was tackled by a 66 year old women who held the robber until police came. The old women did not have a gun but she had the right attitude. The robber was the one who was surprised and lost. Turns old the 66 year old women has case 4 cancer and figured it was Gods choice when she died, so why let someone get away with robbery.
So really the best defense is the mindset and then the tools to help.
I actually find myself in agreeance with Magoo. Going through life in condition yellow will drive you insane. I’d rather secure my house in a manner that would make it impossible to come in quietly so that I can relax and have my guns readily at hand than prepare for someone to attack me at point blank at any given moment and having to actually wear my guns 24/7/52.
That’s great, Derek but to each his own. What you call condition yellow that would drive you insane I call normal and love it. I won’t go insane anytime soon or maybe I already have
I am a doctor, living in a nice neighborhood. In the past 2 years, a car was parked in the cul-de-sac where I live that looked like it didn’t belong there (older model, beat up), and not parked directly in front of a neighbor’s yard or driveway. I was walking my dog in my backyard when I saw it. The car started up and drove off. Several months later, a guy shows up at the front door and says he was with my alarm company and says he needs to change out some equipment from the house. No van or other vehicle in sight. I tell him to get lost and shut the door. Both times I am wearing a concealed pistol. I have not had a car accident in 20 years, but I always wear a seatbelt. I have never had a fire in the 15 years of owning my home, but I have 4 fire extinguishers. Now, tell me I’m paranoid for wearing a pistol. And now, tell me not to wear a seatbelt or tell me to throw away my fire extinguishers because the chance I will need those items are “extremely low”. And finally, please tell me now who lives in a “fantasy land.” I have a wife and child at home. I have a lot to lose if that one time I’m unprepared when a home invasion happens. You may not, I don’t know. But don’t you dare tell me that I should do this or that. You have no right to tell others what they should or shouldn’t do just because you don’t understand us. We all have different reasons for carrying.
I thought the vibe of NCG’s comment was more along the lines of the amount of time, effort and money committed to defending one’s self and family as opposed to time, effort and money in other protective endeavors. I think some took offense to some of the words he used, but I think there is a kernel in there that deserves some thought or reasoned response to NCG.
I’m a gun owner. I have a Les Baer in my nightstand. I’m a member of a gun club and shoot twice a month. I have applied for a CCW and have a SIG P238 waiting to be carried.
I have a fire extinguisher but honestly I don’t know what class it is, I think C. I have never practiced setting grease fires and testing the extinguisher. I don’t frequent websites and discuss the merits of atomizing revolving ejector extinguisher nozzles (I just made that up). I sure people geek out over that stuff but I’m just not that interested.
There is something primal about defending oneself from animal or human threats. I have spent a few nights looking into the best weapons to use against grizzlys but there are none within probably 1000 miles of where I live. I’ll admit it, I have a passion for guns. I don’t have a passion for the type of airbags that are in my truck.
I think that is what NCG is getting at. For me as a gun enthusiast, I’m going to spend more time, effort and money on guns. I like guns. I also want to be able to defend myself and my family and that is a very fundamental facet of the whole thing.
I am somewhat fascinated by how well armed some people are. I have the 1911 and have thought about getting a holster for bringing it hunting but man, some people schlep those things every day. That thing approaches 2% of my body weight. Knowing my own passion towards the things, is it just possible that some of us are so well armed because we just like the feeling of it? Maybe I’ll get there, I’ve already spent hours on researching the effectiveness of 380. My point is what other things beyond
self defense are in play for people that carry. Be honest.
Jason
“My point is what other things beyond
self defense are in play for people that carry. Be honest.”
To answer your question ( I speak for me and my family), self defense/defense of my family are the only reasons I am armed. I don’t feel more adequate with a gun at my side, I don’t feel like a tough guy. Frankly I would rather not have to have it but this isn’t the society we live in.
Lets talk about the hero stereotype (I wonder if this is what you are asking about). So some people wear a gun to be the hero when the need arises (or at least that’s what the anti’s tell us we where guns for). Again, I speak for me and my family, the hero doesn’t exist right here. Me? Not your hero. Nope. Not gonna happen. I have stated this numerous times. An example: If a riot breaks out and I have the ability to stop someone from harming another but me or my family are put at risk in the process I am not going to be anyone’s hero. Sorry, sounds cowardly but it isn’t in my families nor my best interest to stick my neck out for anyone else in a time of crisis.
To be armed is a necessity I fulfill in order to keep me and mine safe, nothing else.
Buuurr
“I think some took offense to some of the words he used…”
Jeez, so it seems. For a site chock full of Liberal-bashing (and stereotyping) and a fair amount of whining about “political correctness,” a lot of people here are mighty sensitive to a little bit of mildly provocative language when it comes to their own proclivities.
And I’m a guy that agrees with most of the people here on the core 2nd Amendment issues.
“…and a fair amount of whining about “political correctness,” a lot of people here are mighty sensitive to a little bit of mildly provocative language when it comes to their own proclivities.”
Of course, Dude. Who are you to question? Why do you think anyone here has the need to explain anything to you? Maybe some folks on here have you pegged. Just saying.
Buuurr, I thought we were reaching some kind of understanding.
I have no special standing to question. You have no need to explain anything to me. I’m under the impression that this excellent blog is a forum to talk about guns. So I’m talking about guns. I like guns. I’m pro-gun. I’m asking honest questions about guns, and the different ways in which people use them.
I certainly don’t presume to have anybody here “pegged.”
Perhaps this should just be an echo chamber for a very narrow orthodoxy. If that’s the case, I guess I’ll eventually STFU and go away. But I’d rather have a dialogue.
Just saying, Dude. There are an aweful lot of posts in here with anger directed at you. That doesn’t mean everyone in here is filled with anger. It means there is a reaction to someone or something that is annoying them. I see you are saying you have no one pegged but an aweful lot of people seem to feel pegged.
Apparently, I have touched a nerve. Which means the nerve was there to be touched. It truly was not my intention.
I’m new to Internet opinionating. Work is slow and I have too much free time. I will never stoop to the sort of juvenile flaming that permeates so many sites, left and right.
Funny thing is, we don’t even disagree about the topic at hand. I totally support your choice of the means to defend yourself.
So clearly there’s some other problem.
A long time ago in People Magazine there was an article about a female Los Angeles prosecutor who hated guns until she was mugged. She went out bought about twelve handguns and stashed them all over her apartment. That’s all I remember. I wish I still had that issue.
My 2 cents: I grew up with having 9 break-ins, thugs shooting at anything that moved from the woodline, having 1 dog sprayed with ammonia, later-having one dog stabbed with a pitchfork and first having to shoot back at criminals at 14 years old. I served in the Marines,Navy and Army. I worked contract security for the government and 3 L/E agencies. As a cop, I had an attempted home invasion and later had a drug dealer’s contract on me and all in my home. I have lived and accepted “reasonable” paranoia. Here’s my bit: 2 dogs are the best-indoors and big enough to be dangerous, and smart enough not to eat an innocent plumber. Steel core doors, deadbolts and night locks or bolts-not whimpy chains are the best. I also have the cheap battery alarms on doors and windows. Well placed flashlights, cellphones, fire extinguishers are just as vital as some hidden weapons, and I mean shotguns, handguns and edged weapons. The handguns are stoked with fragmentation rounds for the first few shots. All shotguns save one have 00 buck, a semi has all slugs to go through the door if needed. Here’s a tip-you won’t hear the shots and won’t feel the recoil when it really counts! Also, buck shot can go through sheet rock too, and I don’t believe in bird shot! I also have “old painless” the RPK, stoked with 40 rounds of ruskie hollow point, just in case. That all helps me rest!