Here is how I feel. If I get to the point that I need to walk my house armed during the day then it is time to sell and move! So no I do not want to carry in my own home.
Depends on if you live in an urban apartment or a fairly large, multistory property in a very suburban or rural setting.
Apartments, especially budget ones, are easy to manage. Layout is practically right there in front of you. Large rural properties, not so much. Imagine living in an Edwardian house. You go downstairs into the basement to check the steam furnace...You are easily now isolated from the rest of the house. You hear a suspicious noise coming from an upstairs landing, and realize that your Sig P226 is in the master bedroom. Only problem is whatever is making the noise is between you and the bedroom, somewhere in one of the halls or stairs.
A lot of popular Web-based horror fiction and creepypastas often feature realistic depictions of what home invasions look like. They are quite...silent and unnoticeable in multistory houses until they are heard creeping up stairs or running into something. By that time, perp or perps are deep inside the property and room clearing might be necessary. I had to read "A Clockwork Orange" in high school AP English class. HATED it. Because when the "droogies" burst into F. Alexander's house, I kept hoping he would ventilate each and one of them. But the book got me into studying the tactical procedures behind home defense and the proper weapons, calibers, ballistics etc... Often here and on other gun boards when the issue is discussed I often use the "old surprise visit" from that book to illustrate how fast, violent and silent a home break in can be.
I live in an apartment so I normally don't go around the rooms with a holstered handgun. But the pistol is always within reach near my desk when I am writing or on the computer. Rifle is in the bedroom closet. Neighborhood is pretty decent. No violent activity aside from drunken fights and undocumented day laborers urinating and defecating everywhere. I am not too concerned about actual psychos or escaped convicts/hardened killers roaming around. Too urban a place for urban legends to actually happen.
But I have went with friends out to the countryside and spent nights in rented villas, usually for birthday parties and such. Large properties with lots of rooms and lots of hallways. Always carried my hunting revolver loaded with flat points and hollow points. Never worn it on a holster inside the properties, especially with numerous other guests and parties going on, but always had it in a haversack that I carried around with me, even to the bathroom where it would be sitting on the floor near the sink garbage pail while I am taking a shower. No one is going to question a crumpled old looking army green canvas haversack being toted around. Just think it was toiletries or changes of clothing. But if something bad happens I can access my firearm readily. Guess I read too much creepypastas but still like to be prepared. Better safe than sorry!
