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Posted: 11/5/2015 5:10:54 PM EDT
I did the night shift, woke up around two pm to let my pup out. Not fully awake/functioning.Peek out the upstairs window and saw a red truck I didn't recognize, nor was I expecting anyone. We've had a crazy relative who believes we owe him money (decades ago, something to do with my dad and I'm the guy he tracked down, guy is unhinged). Saw two young guys crack the front door and call in 'hello.'. within about 8 seconds of all this I realized my 1911 was on a chest rig in my closet and the easiest/fastest gun was an uberti colt peacemaker clone on my bedroom shelf so I grabbed it and a box of 357 mag and loaded 6. Hands were a bit shaky as I had some fear/panic going on. Probably another 5 seconds. Finally armed I walked downstairs, the guys were gone and I assume had no ill intentions. Still, not totally happy with my response time, I have a few thoughts but what do you suggest could I have done differently? or was I totally stupid/paranoid?
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Have a gun on you that you don't have to load up. Keep your door locked.
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My carry gun is in the bedroom when I'm sleeping.
Bathroom when I'm pooping. Garage, when I'm in the garage. You get the picture? Trying to train the wife but that is a different story. |
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1. Your door was unlocked
2. Your firearm was unloaded 3. You went TO the threat Use this as a learning experience. Know ahead of time which firearm you'll use, where its at (if not already on you), and keep it loaded. |
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In this day and age i'd tend to agree, but gotta say that growing up in rural nd, locking my doors has never really been in my mindset. Not an excuse, I should lock it, just letting you know where I'm coming from
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You need an all-around better opsec routine.
Just because no malicious person ever has come onto your property, should not be be cause to ignore basic safeguards. Be a harder target. Be better prepared. Here's your homework: Visualize 5 security-related effed-up situations that "could" happen in your home. Now visualize how you would respond to each. Here's a hint: The first part of you answer probably does not require application of immediate deadly force. By the time it has come to that, you probably already failed in several respects. |
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Besides what has already been posted.....
Someone knocking on your door in no way obligates you to answer it. If you don't know who it is, why ever open the door? Of course, your door has to be locked. We get people banging on our door several times a month. If I don't recognize them when I look out through the peep-hole I ignore them. |
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Besides what has already been posted..... Someone knocking on your door in no way obligates you to answer it. If you don't know who it is, why ever open the door? Of course, your door has to be locked. We get people banging on our door several times a month. If I don't recognize them when I look out through the peep-hole I ignore them. View Quote I don't know what it is, but people around here often knock unannounced. Farmers, utility workers. relatives of the landlord who I don't know. Even if I know them it pisses me off, and if I don't know them I'm very wary. Seems calling ahead is somehow out of favor? |
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And feed that pup so he can grow up and be part of the resolution party. Hopefully he is of German descent. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Have a gun on you that you don't have to load up. Keep your door locked. And feed that pup so he can grow up and be part of the resolution party. Hopefully he is of German descent. She's 1/2 Australian shepherd, 1/2 Australian cattle dog (blue heeler). Next summer I want her outside to keep deer and coons away from the garden, hopefully she'll bark at strange incoming vehicles but we'll see |
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or was I totally stupid/paranoid? View Quote If they cracked the door open.... you aren't being paranoid. |
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If I am reading this correctly, 2 guys opened your door and called in Hello? I would have a huge problem with that.
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I work nights as well so i know where youre coming from. My EDC rests on my nightstand when im sleeping, so if someone was to bang on my door or ring the doorbell I would have it with me immediately. It stays in the holster I carry everyday so it always stays loaded. We don't have kids yet so this strategy will have to change at some point, but that's not the deal currently.
Having a weapon nearby is first priority, then worry about whether the "visitors" are entering the home or not. I grew up in the country too, surrounded by family land so we rarely locked our doors either. But times have changed and you just have to lock everything these days. Come up with a strategy for if/when something like this happens again and practice it. That way you wont be so anxious/shaky if you ever have to deploy it. It would really bother me as well if they made it all the way into the home "just to say hello." Honestly im surprised that they didn't continue inside when you didn't answer their calls. |
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As other have said;
Get up out of bed? Gun is in robe with me. Watching TV? Gun is on me. Doing laundry? Gun is on me. get the picture and I live in New Jersey! RW3 |
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I may not always lock my door, but I damn sure lock it when I'm sleeping.
When you saw the unknown vehicle in the drive was the time to quit looking and arm up, since you weren't already. Generally, home invasion type criminals don't announce their presence, though an opportunist might. Having somewhere to retreat to and ability to arm myself once there, I would've hollered back to ask them who they were and what the hell they were doing when they poked their head in. Any chance they knocked or rang the bell and that's what's woke you? I've tried a door before when I didn't get a response, of course I had arranged to be there. Things to do better, have an accessible loaded/rapidly loaded firearm available in arms reach if not on you. |
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Others covered it but you lock outside doors, keep a gun on you. If you want to go a step up install heavy doors and better locks so they are less likely to be kicked in, maybe some motion activated external lights, and then get some cameras and a DVR. I have been thinking about this allot lately as we have had three home invasions on my street in the past few days so the ar15 has been watching tv with us.
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Sometimes I don't lock the front door.......but I never have a unloaded pistol.
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Bedside gun is a .40 . 9mm on the coffee table now as I sit watching tv. Others "hidden" but accesible. Always loaded. Doors stay locked at all times unless I'm out doing something and can see doors. In this day and age along with the rise in home invasions, home security opsec is a must. Also, as previously stated, don't go to the threat. You wait until you can verify it, secure it, or eliminate it.
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Every outside door (that opens inwardly) should have one of these. Cheap insurance, less than $20, and demonstrates to a prosecutor or jury (if it comes to that) that you were serious about keeping people out.
As a side benefit it makes the door harder and noisier to kick in, which gives you a lot more time to react. |
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In this day and age i'd tend to agree, but gotta say that growing up in rural nd, locking my doors has never really been in my mindset. Not an excuse, I should lock it, just letting you know where I'm coming from View Quote I live in the National Forest twenty miles from town. No FSA population. 5 hour drive to the nearest city. I lock my doors. When I leave, when I'm home. Always. Why? Why not? The locks are paid for. |
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1st and foremost, keep your doors and windows locked...........all the time!!!
2nd, carrying your gun on your person is always faster than having to go get it. 3rd, an unloaded gun is nothing more than a hammer if and when you need it. 4th, consider stashing loaded firearms in strategic places around the home that are readily available if needed. |
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SHOOT THRU DOOR, go back to posting on arf while watching midget tranny porn
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SHOOT THRU DOOR, go back to posting on arf while watching midget tranny porn View Quote Jesus thats terrible advice, but I do admit I chuckled. Then again, Im typing this from my iPad while I poop. I live in an apartment and I keep several firearms strategically placed in my home. Granted, they aren't very well hidden and most people could 'accidentally' stumble across them, but most people I know and trust already know I carry (because I got them into carrying or we talk guns) or if Im not that comfortable with the person, I keep very keen eyes on said areas or just put them away in my room when they come over. I keep a gun in the truck, one in the kitchen, and one in my living room. I used to have one at my desk, but its close enough to my room and kitchen that its a redundancy. Get in the habit of locking your doors. Period. Every time I go to open a door, I look around me first, then take out the keys and go inside, and I ALWAYS turn around to close it, ensuring it closes all the way and lock it. None of that swinging it shut behind me without turning back to verify. Carry a gun on you always. If its not a habit, make it a habit. |
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Exactly. Lock all doors behind you when you enter. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Have a gun on you that you don't have to load up. Keep your door locked. This. Create positive habits. I look every door in my house, even if I'm going to cut the grass, and you better believe that I'm carrying. |
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You should have logged in to ARFCOM before taking ANY action at all.
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probably burglars honestly, and if they had been the confrontational type you would be in a bad way since you don't lock your doors and you don't keep a loaded weapon handy. They probably took off when they heard you fumbling all around inside.
Thats pretty common for burglars, middle of the day when most folks are at work, they innocently cruise a neighborhood and check doors. Also, guys will walk around with BS fliers for their "business" doing the same thing, checking doors. |
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If your weapon isn't handy then always bark and growl like a pitbull.
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