answering the door armed

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beex215

New member
someone suspicious comes to your door and you answer the door with your weapon holstered. its clearly in view but you are still at home. it that considered brandishing?
 
Not around here it isn't. The best answer for whatever your location is, is to ask the local prosecuting attorney's office. I have a hard time imagining getting prosecuted for having a holstered handgun inside your own home, provided there was no overt act or threat made.

If I answer my door thinking anything is suspicious, I have a weapon in my back pocket. They can't even see it. I am always polite but firm.
 
Just hold it out of sight until the time comes to brandish it.

Hopefully that time will never come, but don't count on it.
 
Too many variable beex215, you need to mention you're state and property type. It take a visitor over a 1/4 mile to get on my front porch, all on my property, so in my state of Virginia then no.
 
I understand that brandishing is displaying the gun in a reckless or threatening manner.

And,
In Texas one may open carry on their own property. Your state might be different, check on it.

It certainly cuts short the sales pitch of knock-on-the-door “we were making our meat deliveries and have some left over” or the “we were repaving your neighbors driveway and have some asphalt left over” salesmen.

Shot up targets and drinks cans laying all over the porch has the same effect.
 
im in phila, pa in the city. its just that there has been an increase of these type of characters knocking. i just had 3 30 minute intervals at sun down asking about comcast orders and peco energy. people like that come around in trucks in daylight. sometimes they are frauds too. some are offering low 1$ sales so you can let them in. peco so they can "look" at you meter. i firmly believe they are seeing who is home or not. 3 tries later, its safe to say no one is home and they might just break in. from what i just read its probably best to keep it on my back side.
 
open and concealed carry here, so no problem.
some time ago i ended a threat by opening my jacket so the guy could see i was carrying.
the companion of the guy complained that i threatened them with a gun.
i pulled and held my jacket back behind the gun, but never put my hand on it.
local LE did not feel i was brandishing, but the local anti gun group pushed it into the court and cost me $1000 for the lawyer to get it thrown out.
i only mention it to show there is a grey area when it comes to brandishing and my idea of it and other's might be very different.
be safe
 
i do come across that site alot from my searches. i dont have an account there yet but i will make one very soon
 
Unexpected door inquires will find me with my left foot six inches from the door, left hand to open, and right hand is full of PT-145 behind my hip.
 
Ward Bird... a man here in NH who was convicted of criminal threatening for confronting a tresspasser in his driveway while holding a pistol. What exactly occurred is a "he said, she said" thing and the jury believed her.

Anyhow, if somebody sees your gun and decides they don't like you, they might just call the police and make up a story about the "lunatic" who threatened to kill them when they knocked on the door to ask for directions. If they can give a reasonably accurate description of your gun, it adds a lot of credence to their lies. For that reason I prefer to keep it concealed.
 
A suspicious person at the door, . . . I haven't answered the door with my 1911 in my hand yet, . . . but it has been very close and easy for ME to get to it.

They also have to go around one door and through two to get to me, . . . and when they step through that last door, . . . it may be a 1911, . . . .44 mag, . . . or any of several other large bores, . . . including shotgun and/or rifle. Believe me, . . . it will not "make their day".

May God bless,
Dwight
 
I live in a very rural area. No houses within a mile at the time. At midnight there is a knock on the back door, all metal, no window. Got my gun & held it behind my leg. When I asked who it was he said,"Sheriff's Deputy." Anyone can say that. I opened the door & saw the uniform. I said," I guesss I don't need this." & turned & layed it on the table. That young Mexican officer was white with fear & had his hand over his heart. He said,"You scared the s**t out of me!" He was lost by a mile. No charges. He didn't see the gun until I turn away.
 
When I feel that a door ring may lead to bad events, I keep my handgun folded in a newspaper. I can keep it concealed, I can flip one side open to display the butt if I want to show that I'm armed, and I can grab it and drop the paper if needed.

Once, quite a few years and a couple of houses ago, I was confronted by a guy who was kicking the screen door (was the inner front door) until I just flipped the paper fold to show the grip of the S&W revolver that I was holding. He exited stage left very quickly.
 
I live in town....
1. Check window to see if I know the car.
2. Check person to see if I know the person.
3. Make sure foot is behind the door as a stop.
4. Check that Handgun is hidden, but available. You never know what I might be wearing when I answer the door. ;) - If it is two in the morning, somebody better be hurt, bad or the house better be on fire.
 
beex215
answering the door armed
someone suspicious comes to your door and you answer the door with your weapon holstered. its clearly in view but you are still at home. it that considered brandishing?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be opening the door for a suspicious person in the first place. If I don't know you and I'm not expecting you, the door doesn't get open and I basically tell you good bye and have a nice day. Hand would be on weapon, BTW.
 
I do the same as danny in post #17. A news paper covers the gun and they don't know that the gun is there. Finger is off of trigger, am ready if necessary.
 
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