According to ABC the days of grabbing a baseball bat and heading to the door are over

[Nnobby45]

Actually, the experts who recommend taking up a defensive position and calling 911 rather than trying to confront an intruder include all of the well-known instructors, trainers, and writers in the field of home defense.

Taking up a defensive position and being willing to fight, if necessary, IS confronting an intruder. Best time to do it is before they get in. The safe room is the next place to make your stand if they are in.

Perhaps what you mean is that going out from your position of cover to confront them once they are in your house is not recommended. I agree.

 

[OldMarksman]

Posted by Nnobby45: GUARD THE DOOR! That's when Bubba and his friends are most vulnerable.

I suppose one might be able to try that if there is one and one and only one door, the invasion attempt has been detected before it occurs, there is no other possible point of ingress, and that door can be defended from a safe place.

 

[Nnobby45]

I suppose one might be able to try that if there is one and one and only one door, the invasion attempt has been detected before it occurs, there is no other possible point of ingress, and that door can be defended from a safe place.

Thanks for pointing that out, Marksman. I hadn't realized that defending the door they were trying to break through was so complicated. Now I've got to consider that the front door is just a diversion to the main attack coming through the back door, at least one bedroom window, and maybe a garage doggie door simultaneously.

 

[CaptainObvious]

I can't see any other option but going on the offensive. The distances involved in your house are not hundreds of feet, but a matter of feet and the intruder in those videos is moving fast. They will get to you in a few seconds. You probably wont have time to grab your pistol or even make a phonecall. Will you have time to run into the bedroom and lock it? You might be able to throw on the privacy lock which is on most bedroom doors, but that is not going to stop anyone. They will kick that in easily and then what?

Lets talk real tactics. You throw whatever you can at the attacker and scream profanity and threats. For example, I see a mug, a small table, a chair and some books in the room I am in. Grab and throw right at the head. Landing a blow on the body won't do anything but delay their forward momentum.

If you have a pistol, then get behind something to conceal yourself and get into a low profile position covering the open area. If you can retreat out of a door or window then do it but chances are the intruder will be moving so fast you wont have that opportunity. Once you see them, you can go ahead and yell a warning, but if they had enough courage to come through the door then they are probably armed and will ignore your shouted warnings. Then its time to lay down a triple-tap and open fire.

The woman in the video did make a mistake. She shot one round which didnt stop the attacker so she had to hit him again. If you intend to shoot, then do a double or triple tap. No matter what caliber you are using one round isnt going to stop anyone unless you get lucky and hit them where it truly counts. If a burglar hits my house then they will be lucky if they come out of the house with just one round. Im going to triple tap and most likely they will be leaving here in the Coroner's wagon. Thats not my fault though. If someone breaks down the door looking to rob and hurt me then they came looking for trouble and I am going to defend myself.

I respect all of the well know trainers, but this is the real world I live in. I am right now sitting a matter of 10 or so feet from the entrance of my home. If someone comes through that door right now then there is certainly no way I will have time to run to the bedroom. More likely, this notebook computer Im typing on will be the first object thrown at their head.

 

[old bear]

Well, getting into a defensive position and letting the perp come to you has been shown time and again to be the most effective strategy by far, and I do not know why anyone would call it "insane".

All real experts I know of recommend that approach.

AA +1,

I've decided, if possible my "last stand" will be at the top of the inside stairs. If needed I can prone out, stand, or kneel behind a corner wall which has a triple stud support corner.

If I can't pick the time of the fight at least I can pick the place.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

You probably wont have time to grab your pistol or even make a phonecall

There is a misperception going on. First, some folks are talking about hearing an intruder and having time to respond. Thus, you hunker down as compared to going house clearing while racking your shotgun repeatedly (sly wit).

If the door crashes in and it is deliberately targeting you - throwing mugs won't do squat or will charging like Tarzan.

Lots of folks carry a gun around the house. Silly not and easy to do with today's compact guns.

But to repeat, if you face a crew and you have time to retrieve a gun and you then go looking for them - that is not advised.

 

[CaptainObvious]

This is what we teach in self defense classes around here all the time. If someone is coming at you then you use whatever object you can grab and throw it at their head. This will cause attacker to throw up their hands or duck which will distract them for a second or two. During that crucial time then you can manuever out of the way. You want the attacker to lose their line of sight and slow their forward momentum.

The command voice is the first line of defense for everyone and will harden you as a target. It will also help pump that needed adrenaline into you to prepare for a physical fight. Yelling might scare or distract them. It will let them know that if they come in close their will be a fight. Sometimes yelling the right words can make the attacker think twice.

When defending yourself hand to hand then you have to remember the goal is trying to get away. Its not a prize fight and the goal is not to knock then out. Simply put, you are basically trying to distract and disorient to buy a few seconds so you can escape. There are some great self defense classes out there which are designed for women, but men can take away a lot from them. I paid to take this course out of my own pocket and learned a lot from it. It also teaches you how to handle multiple attackers in an ambush situation.

http://www.rad-systems.com/

If someone came through my door right now while Im laying down on the couch with my laptop I know I would not be able to escape nor would I be able to go for my pistol or make a phonecall. The only thing I could do is throw whatever object I have in my hand and yell at the top of my lungs then try to escape. The general idea is evade, escape and resist.

There are specially built security screen doors with deadbolts which make home invasion more difficult. I have these on my home making the frontal attack on the entranceway less likely. Of course, there are other ways in like a rock through the window, but the security screen will at least close the entranceway loophole.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/cat...d=10051&catalogId=10053&Ns=None&Ntpr=1&Ntpc=1

 

[L_Killkenny]

I have no problem with the advice of locking your door and calling the fuzz and obviously they can't cover every scenario for every individule in a 5 min news clip. Personally I think some of us gun nuts can be a little thin skinned and some think any advice that doesn't include the words "shoot and shoot again" is anti gun. Run away and live to run away another day is a creedo I'd like to live by. Clearing houses is dumb. Clearing your yard is dumb. Both of which I've done for what ever reason crawled into my behind. I was dumb.

LK

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Why not wear or carry a gun? Simple question. As I said, a serious attack isn't going to be deterred by yelling and screaming and charging right at them.

They have broken in noisly and probably expect such. That's different from a H2H mugger on the street.

If you are seriously considering a violent break-in, carry a gun and cut the coffee cup gung fu.

 

[OldMarksman]

Posted by CaptainObvious: Lets talk real tactics. You throw whatever you can at the attacker and scream profanity and threats. For example, I see a mug, a small table, a chair and some books in the room I am in. Grab and throw right at the head. Landing a blow on the body won't do anything but delay their forward momentum.

And then what?

That seems like a losing strategy to me.

I am right now sitting a matter of 10 or so feet from the entrance of my home. If someone comes through that door right now then there is certainly no way I will have time to run to the bedroom.

Some years ago I was sitting in the living room looking at the front door, which is at the bottom of the stairs, and it occurred to me that I would be unable to get to the firearm in the bedroom if someone were to come in through that door.

I had been reading a couple of discussions here. One was about stashing firearms in more than one location. The other was about carrying at home. At first thought, the latter idea seemed preposterous, so I was contemplating the former.

It occurred to me that a home invader might suddenly and violently breach that front door, cutting me off from the stairs. I realized that there were other possibilities. One was that an intruder might enter through either of two back doors on the first floor; depending upon where I happened to be at the time, I would either be cut off or engaged in a footrace to the bedroom, perhaps leaving my wife in danger. And than there was the possibility of an sudden entrance into the first floor area from the door to the basement. And there are windows to take into account.

The more I reflected upon the possibilities, the more I realized that (1) the firearm in the bedroom would likely be of little use to me unless a break-in occurred while we happened to be in the bedroom, and (2) here were no desirable and effective ways to stash other firearms here and there.

There was one obvious answer, suggested here by Glenn E. Meyer: "Why not wear or carry a gun? Simple question".

The place from where you may have to defend yourself could be anywhere in the house.

 

[MLeake]

To add to that thought, stashing guns around the house means leaving weapons around that could be found and used against you by an intruder; stolen by a thief; or, God forbid, found by a kid and used to injure or kill a child (the finder or a friend).

The gun on my person is not only handy for me, but it's not easily available to another.

 

[C0untZer0]

^ I agree stashing guns all over is a bad idea, but I think having a gun bedside and a gun in your closet (not accesable to children) is not a bad idea.

I think it may be that some people do this anyway, they may keep a handgun by the bed and a long gun in the closet.

 

[OldMarksman]

Posted by MLeake: To add to that thought, stashing guns around the house means leaving weapons around that could be found and used against you by an intruder; stolen by a thief; or, God forbid, found by a kid and used to injure or kill a child (the finder or a friend).

The gun on my person is not only handy for me, but it's not easily available to another.

All very true, and considered in my decision process.

Posted by C0untZer0: I think having a gun bedside and a gun in your closet (not accesable to children) is not a bad idea.

I think it may be that some people do this anyway, they may keep a handgun by the bed and a long gun in the closet.

What is embarrassing to me is that I relied exclusively upon that approach from 1967 (and earlier, during periods in which I was home from college) through 2008, until it finally dawned on me that the firearms would only be useful if an intrusion occurred while I was in or near the bedroom.

Most of the burglaries in our area (and perhaps, most everywhere) occur during the daytime. The majority have involved rear entrances or side windows.

All four that I have experienced did occur after dark. One, which involved a third floor fire escape, happened just after my wife had driven away. In the other three, the invaders knew or should have known that the residences were occupied; of those, two were violent. In none of those did firing become necessary.

 

[Frank Ettin]

...stashing guns around the house means leaving weapons around that could be found and used against you by an intruder; stolen by a thief; or, God forbid, found by a kid and used to injure or kill a child...

Our solution to that issue is to use a number of lock-boxes. Theses are stashed around the house -- hidden but readily accessible. Only my wife an I have the combinations, and each contains a loaded gun, extra ammunition and a Surefire flashlight.

Wherever we are in the house we're only several steps away from a readily accessible, but secure, gun.

 

[Darren Roberts]

Locked boxes, great for storage, but do you think in reality you can get to unlock and prepare the firearm for firing in any reasonable time in a home invasion situation? Locked boxes, gun safes, etc...are for keeping your guns away from children or thieves. A locked up gun is useless in a home invasion...unless you take the reports suggestion and get to a safe place.

I think almost everyone is reading way to much into these reports.
Obviously what happens and individual reactions are going to depend on the specific scenario. Anyone who gets on here and says..."I will do this" or "I will not do this"...is foolish. You may sit here in front of your computer and tout your defensive genious and go on about how you'll double tap or triple tap the invader..but what situations have you been in to measure your abilities to
1. Recognize a threat
2. React to the threat
3. Fire accurate rounds at a target
And lets not forget the largest factor in the scenario...THERE IS A BAD GUY COMING AFTER YOU!!
Its amazing how many people get a gun and think they are John Wayne. Good way to get yourself or your family killed.

The reports gave great general advise for the general public. Evade...get away...RUN!!! Anything else is putting yourself and possibly your family at risk.

If you can not get away, then by all means defend youself how you can with what you can.

 

[Frank Ettin]

Locked boxes, great for storage, but do you think in reality you can get to unlock and prepare the firearm for firing in any reasonable time...

The Lock-boxes we use have a touch-key combination and can be opened without looking in less than one second -- and yes, we practice. The guns require no preparation for firing. They are loaded and ready.

 

[C0untZer0]

I just remebered the case of Hale DeMar - his defense of his home is responsible for the Hale DeMar law in Illinois which precluded towns like Chicago, Wilmette and others from punishing a person with municipal ordinances:

http://reason.com/archives/2005/06/01/self-defense-vsmunicipal-gun-b/singlepage

One of the things that the Wilmette Chief of Police said is that DeMar should have stayed upstairs with his son and his 8-year-old daughter, Madeline, instead of seeking a confrontation.

Our culture seems to define the family protector's role as seeking out the enemy, or the intruder," he says. "What we tell people is: You're the last line of defense. Don't leave your family

.

DeMar explains his actions this way:

"I suppose some would have grabbed their children and cowered in their bedroom...praying that the police would get there in time to stop the criminal from climbing the stairs and confronting the family in a bedroom, trembling, dreading the sound of the door being kicked in. That's not the fear I wanted my children to experience, and it is not the cowardly act that I want my children to remember me by."

^ not necesarily good tactics but a pretty cool quote.

 

[Frank Ettin]

"I suppose some would have grabbed their children and cowered in their bedroom...praying that the police would get there in time to stop the criminal from climbing the stairs and confronting the family in a bedroom, trembling, dreading the sound of the door being kicked in. That's not the fear I wanted my children to experience, and it is not the cowardly act that I want my children to remember me by."

^ not necesarily good tactics but a pretty cool quote.

Or someone might withdraw with his family to a defensible positions and wait, armed, prepared and ready to engage, if the intruder is unwise enough to enter.

Assuming that the defender, having taken a defensible position, will be waiting trembling with fear is completely unwarranted.

 

[MLeake]

fiddletown, while I agree with you in principle, I do have to point out that kids might not be able to tell the difference between trembling in fear, and trembling due to an adrenaline overload from the fight or flight response.

I also have to point out that courage isn't an absence of fear, it's doing what needs to be done even when one is terrified.

 

[Frank Ettin]

fiddletown, while I agree with you in principle, I do have to point out that kids might not be able to tell the difference between trembling in fear, and trembling due to an adrenaline overload from the fight or flight response.

I also have to point out that courage isn't an absence of fear, it's doing what needs to be done even when one is terrified.

That's all true.

But the points we all need to keep in mind are (1) doing what is tactically appropriate is not a display of cowardice; and (2) the mission is to secure the safety of one's family, not make a grand gesture.