So with all the shit going on these day, What will it take for you to make changes?

I have always felt that my bedside pistol is adequate to protect my Home/Family. The last 2 weeks I have thought maybe I should get out the AR or Shotgun but have talked myself out of it each time. I have a 7yr old boy so as respectful as he is of guns I don't trust leaving it behind the door kind of thing. Part of it is I don't think of us as much of a target at this point and part is I'm to lazy to deal with it day to day, so I leave it locked up.

What you guys thinking?

Dr. Petit knew he would never be a target of evil, they were good people.





The men that brutally raped and murdered his young daughters and wife will be kindly clothed and fed the rest of their long lives.

Use your bedside pistol to get to your safe if need be, keep your guns locked up. Its not worth the risk, if your safe is not in your bedroom get a small safe for your closet for quick reach.


This one goes in the wall, I like the idea of these. They would sit flush in a closet so they wouldn't take up room.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002TOKR6W/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1468977875&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=in+wall+safe&dpPl=1&dpID=319qXn7hhPL&ref=plSrch

As I Said there is always a bedside pistol.

I stepped up to an AR and these were my two major reasons:

Red dot sight (huge benefit IMO, considering nighttime or lowlight use, drowsiness of just waking up etc)

30rounds before reload


Also, better control considering likely state of mind/shock/adrenaline dump etc

Current events didn't really play much of a role in this decision, I just felt like it was a smart progression.

That has been the mindset at this point, the safe is close enough to get to with the pistol.

 
Not a knock on you. Just saying that there is never not a reason to take greater steps even if we don't think we are a target.


Most of us here are men, we've all woken up and taken a few late night pisses and we know how hard it can be to get it in the bowl.


The effective and accurate use of a pistol requires tremendous motor control, eyesight, and concentration.


All of these are compromised waking up to a start a 0 dark 30.


A rifle mitigates these somewhat due to pointability and how it is handled. It's definitely a more solid choice for HD, but as you mentioned presents problems with storage around the young ones.


If you don't mindthe burden of taking it out of a main storage safe every dayand relocking it, they make quick access rifle locks/mounts.

I personally think that is a bad plan. You are going to need to be on point, not thinking about getting to another weapon.

Don't assume you will be able to get there, or that getting there will be a good thing. If you know someone is in the house and you are so pumped win adrenaline you can barely breath properly, you're not going to be able to waste attention trying to get in a safe, taking out a weapon and loading it. Never mind quietly.

The more you move, the more the enemy knows where you are.

Like minded individuals around here, I spent some time looking at small rifle safes today. I would really prefer a non-key system, probably go with an electronic version. I like the in wall option, but I figure I will deal with a little less closet space and double up on space.

Definetly due for an overall security upgrade all around. I'll be spending a lot of time reading, but probably going with a 4 camera system, driveway/gate sensors and adding motion sensors to all exterior lights. I'd like to find a nice flood that'll light up the backyard like Christmas, but would prefer not to spend $500

Stay safe.

Zag
 Those are good points, thats the type of info I was looking for.

LED floods are what you seek, you can get some nice light in the 150$ range.

I just got this one from home depot. Holy shit, its like daylight outside my garage door.

My bedside choice for now is my G34 with the rmr, endo shockwave, and tlr1. With the little ones still being little there is no way I am leaving a rifle out. I have a pic laying around somewhere I think if you're interested.

Never carried a gun outside of work in 25 years, and didn't own one for most of that time ~ never gave it a thought.

I carry now; I'm not going to stand idly by and watch someone get hurt, when I might have helped.

I have kids.

I have 2 safes.  Well one is a cheap steel cabinet.

The cabinet stays in my bedroom and has minimal things in it. HD gun few mags, 22 for the yard, hunting gun if it's the fall.

Stuff I use alot.  

When I'm home I unlock it. When I leave I lock it.  When kids are running around I lock it. When I sleep it's unlocked.

Not perfect but it works for me.

And yes always have a long gun.

Bedside quick access safe.

I was looking at the tactical walls stuff, but I'm moving so its on hold.

Yep mine has certainly changed in light of recent events.
Just add a streamlight.  Leave it on the floor next to bed.  Just in case.



ETA:  I should add, I've successfully defended against a house fire with this setup.

By my bedside every night I keep a war belt that has 2 pistol/rifle tacos, IFAK, dump pouch, ear protection, gloves and holster for my G20. If I need more on a shelf there is a cheap chicom chest rig that holds 7 AR mags for the rifle that is in the safe Picked up all this stuff over time very cheaply on the EE !!!

I just keep a loaded pistol next to my tin foil hat. You guys are fancy.

Thanks I'll give it a try.  Iv'e seen them before, but figured the throw wasn't that far.  They gotta be better than the ones I have now though.  More and more break-ins and car robbers in the neighborhood lately.  Between my neighbors not locking their cars and my misc "nothing inside is worth dying for" signs they seem to leave my cars and house alone.  Who knows how long that'll last.

Hearing protection is a must to keep by whatever you are going to use, cooking off a round indoors especially from an SBR is !!!

Having 2 little kids in the house makes it tough.  I'd like to at least keep my pistol on my nightstand, but it's in a safe on the nightstand.

I'm thinking about getting one of those RFID safes that open with a ring/bracelet to gain a few seconds when seconds count.


Love to keep an AR leaning up in the corner by the bed, but that's just not gonna happen.  Maybe one of those wall safes is my best option.

Not knocking anyone's answer in this thread whatsoever, but I started thinking about this discussion.  

The whole statement "when seconds count" is pretty critical to this conversation.
It also relates to how people carry.

People carry with one in the chamber because seconds count, and if you carry with nothing in the chamber your not smart.  You will hear this statement across every gunboard on the Internet.

But at night, put your firearm in a safe, in the closet, in your nightstand....
For some reason this is acceptable, but carrying without a round in the chamber is not?
I can only hope that the preachers for carrying condition 1, are also sleeping with their HD firearm.

I'll see if I can get a good picture tonight...they aren't foot ball stadium bright (well they are but not as much reach) but compared to my incandescents and CFLs they are a world of a difference for such a small thing. I absolutely love them. The price is the best part.

I'm a big advocate for "condition 1", I use to keep my pistol in my nightstand drawer until my son started walking. Now I have a small stack on electronic safe on my nightstand for quick access. You can set a 3-8 digit code. It only has 3 bumps on the top, no numbers no key (well it has a key in case the battery dies) no BS. I love that thing.

This one...it fits my P226 with a spare mag and a little extra room

Just a handgun for me. Thinking about putting a rifle in the truck. Down graded my EDC to a shield from a full size .45 because of a job change.

I absolutely agree 100%.

What were doing is trying to gain a calculated advantage over our threat, which is completely unknown and for the most part unforseeable. That's a wide scale that goes from not carrying a gun at all to walking around with a gun in your hand. What's the likely risk, what's my likely reaction time, how will I be situated in relation to the threat etc?

If I carry, I carry condition one. I believe absolutely that every competent person should carry a gun every single place they go to potentially protect themselves and possibly others from evil. No question. But I just plain can't carry my gun some places.

We do things on the regular to better advantage ourselves, from simply not going to certain places and exposing ourselves, to carry differently (appendix, shoulder, ankle etc) to be prepared in all different types of dress.


There is no question, every fraction of a second will count when it matters. We're trying to figure how many of those tenths of a second we might have, not knowing when it's going to be.



To many people leaving a gun exposed is not on the better side of the scale for them, and that's totally acceptable (mostly kids in mind) IMO.

I personally want a rifle sized wall safe right next to my bed with TWO racked and mag'd rifles in it, Aimpoint on, safety off etc. One for me and one for her. My worst fear is a home invasion while I'm sleeping. They've got every bit of the drop on you, they could have been watching you for hours, days even. They're wide fucking awake, completely fucking alert, eyes are adjusted to the dark. Maybe they're on drugs, maybe they're just evil. They could be in the house, they could be in your room before you even wake up. It could be one or five guys, who knows. It's a fucking nightmare and if you're a deep sleeper you need the put some serious thought in to this.

You are absolutely correct, every second counts, every move counts, every thought and every variable all count. If I open my nightstand and it makes a noise do they know I'm awake now? Do they know exactly where I am? Does that change things? Damn straight it does. Everything will matter, every tiny thing, so how do you weigh all the risks and keep the scale in your favor? How do you prepare yourself to defend against  a living nightmare and not create one, physically or legally etc?






I got a dog. That's what I did. He bought me tons of seconds. If a bat flies too close to the house at night Zeke lets us know. Nobody will get inside the house without me knowing they're coming in, no matter how deep I was sleeping. And Zeke will cover any sound I make and he'll take 100% of the attention off of me if only for a second.


Now, in my honest opinion, not having a faithful and reliable dog is as crazy as not carrying condition one.

For me I've always carried condition 1, atleast since after the first week of carrying.

I also have a mobile little son, and another on the way. So nothing can be off out and accessible. I have a gunvault pistol safe mounted to the frame of the bed. Inside is my wife's pistol (her choice) a full size M&P 9 with a veridian C5L, three 17 rounders stoked with 115 grain +P+ gold dots. It's the gun that she shoots the best, and I shoot pretty well.

I work some strange hours so safety for my wife is our primary concern.

If she is home alone she is to get the gun, get the baby, hit her panic alarm which is linked to the monitored home security system and bunker in place covering the only door to that room.

I try keep fresh batteries in the safe and she will practice retrieving the guns safely from time to time. She's a good shot..

I have my cell phone so I can call 911 and wait for the cops.

I also have a single shot shotgun so I can fire a warning shot in the air.

Don't you guys learn anything from our country's leaders? Fire a warning shot and call the cops. What more do you need? You guys are all scary gun nuts.

  Interesting you bring up the dog, I had a "guard" dog that passed away about 2 years ago. We discussed not getting another dog as we have a little French Bulldog(heart of a Lion) but will sleep through a train wreck. He gives ZERO notice of someone on the porch. After much convincing we got a german shorthaired pointer, he'll do exactly as you said, take 100% of the attention off me. He may not attack and take them out as Zeke will but he has a very big dog bark that will get me moving before a bad guy can get to me or my family.

Damn... some of you guys sound like you're living in Fallujah. Bridgeport maybe?

I've got a lot of REALLY bright blue and red lights outside that are triggered by the alarm system. You can see it from space.

More important than gear is a plan to locate family and hunker.

Although there's nothing wrong with the .50 Barrett at the top of the steps. Just remember though, no API rounds in CT since it's for the chirren.

Until I move to Bridgeport I find a well worn pistol somewhere close at hand to be sufficient.

 
+1, this

I have a shotgun in the bedroom closet and a pistol, flashlights and muffs in the nightstand.

Home defense set up consists of alarm system (Chihuahua) followed by angry Russian who was just awakened from her sleep (wife).  Invaders will be BEGGING for me to call the cops when she's done with them.

Rather wake up and look like Tackleberry from Police Academy movie than be sorry

I was in an apartment that belonged to one of my Army Reserve unit members, when I noticed a SIG on the end table.  When I made mention of it, his reply was " I use the pistol to fight my way to the shotgun, then use the shotgun to fight my way to the carbine (M4)".  Since we where in the Kingstown area of Alexandria VA, his comments made me smile.  I asked what kind of neighborhood he lived in back home in CT!

(I'm thinking of getting a belt-fed on a tripod to mount at the top of the staircase since I already have the links)


We have a BINGO,




Ok, I was laying in bed thee other evening and thinking about this exact thought of someone coming in. Well I'm a heavy sleeper but with a light sleeper wife and three dogs I think it would give me a sec to grab the G19 and squash the bug. Isss gonna fcuk you up mother fcukrer. Waking my a$$ up bitch. You loose.

Lol this fucking forum. Didn't we just have a thread that proved we can't have a serious thread?

Don't you have goats with lazers !?!?

Night Stand pistols for me and wife. With the shotgun very close by.

Waiting on the day my daughters are old enough and trusted enough to have keep something in their room as well.

Thanks again for teh suggestion, I went with its big brother to light up the backyard.  I think the one you listed might be perfect for the garage, if I put the bigger one up my neighbors might think a UFO was landing outside.

Here is what I went with

Nice, glad it worked out for you. I just installed another one today on the front of my garage, the price can't be beat IMHO. The previous one is on the side in the back yard. I'll see how it works tonight.

This is a rheotorical statement not a question.

Do you have deadbolts? Reinforced door jams? Are bushes and debris trimmed from the side if your house?

Do you have good lighting on your property?

Windows with locks even if they are open 2 inches"?

Safe words for communications with family, and plans fir shelter and egress?

Fire prevention and suppresion gear and plans? More likely than a break in.

Ct rural areas have money. Cities are filled with broke ass shitbags. Just cuz youre in a good neighborhood dont think you are immune. Guess where the hood rats from Waterbury go by the bus load on Halloween?
Thats righ, cuz we gots da big ass Snickers! Same logic applues to your stuff.

Double mint