Gunsmoke-Thanks for what you did. I hope that if my brother(a LEO) ever finds himself in that situation someone like you will be around.
As for me answering the door:
If I don't know you, I won't answer the door period. I'm not paranoid, I just value my ME time. I work a long six day week(60+), every week, so my private/recharge/down time at home is needed badly, and I won't interupt it. Everyone I know knows I am always armed so it's no biggie to them.
As for the tactical end of it here's a short explanation of one instance that I was glad I carry at home:
Across the street neighbor A has a lot of youngsters(I call them the brady bunch) and all the neighborhood kids hang out there, nieghbor B has a very large german shepherd.
One day I hear the dog really getting after it, so I'm thinking I better check it out. Just as I hit the door I hear a kid scream in absolute terror. So I run out to see what's up.
The dog has gotten loose, and has one of the nieghbor boys(7 yr old) pinned to the ground on his back, one arm under each front paw, and the kids neck in his mouth!! Meanwhile all the other kids are standing there screaming.
Friends, that 357 came out quick and I headed across the street at a dead run. I knew it would have to be a "contact shot" so I wouldn't endanger one of the kids. Luckily the dog saw me coming and let go of the kid and jumped back through the shrub that separates the 2 front lawns.
The kid was lucky- the dog was is territorial mode, not fight mode, and had just clamped down enough to leave marks and hadn't broken skin.
Had the dog been more agressive, and had I needed to take time to go back for my gun? Luckily I'll never know.