Door to door massacre in Miami. (Preparation?)

JohnKSa said:
Another thought to add to the many already pointed out.
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All good points, John.

In regards to likelihoods, I'm not sure it's fully representative but according to the NRA's Armed Citizen Analysis, 52% of incidents occur inside the home and 32% in a business. It's not clear if the business is the actual person's business or just "in a business", which I would consider to be a public place. If it's the actual defenders business, it would indicate that 84% of incidents took place in what, to the defender, wouldn't necessarily be a "public place".
 
45_auto said:
Most trainers will tell you that mindset is the most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation. You'll find that neither a weapon nor the most awesome martial skills will do you any good once you've decided that you're "helpless" and all is lost.

Probably a good justification to keep a firearm on you at all times if you feel "helpless" without one.
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Don't assume my use of an adjective on an internet forum to make a point is the same as my "mindset".
 
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If bad guys are using SWAT tactics then it's a very different problem few of us are likely truly ready for, or more likely may not survive. One unique approach, and I'll look for the link, at least 1 guy in Texas has high pressure gas set to go off and ignite as a flame thrower when an intruder enters. Short of automatic or having the zoned security Michael Dell or Carlos Slim has, there are practical limits.
 
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One unique approach, and I'll look for the link, at least 1 guy in Texas has high pressure gas set to go off and ignite as a flame thrower when an intruder enters.
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I'd be interested in a link. I seriously doubt that's legal... even in Texas. ;)

Booby traps are frowned on in every jurisdiction I'm aware of.
 
Vanya said:
One unique approach, and I'll look for the link, at least 1 guy in Texas has high pressure gas set to go off and ignite as a flame thrower when an intruder enters.
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I'd be interested in a link. I seriously doubt that's legal... even in Texas. ;)

Booby traps are frowned on in every jurisdiction I'm aware of.
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Yes, I think that would be a serious problem, even in Texas.

In fact, this Texas lawyer seems to suggest that a booby trap might be okay, but he points out some very serious and important caveats:

  1. ...your booby-trap can't be "designed to cause, or known by [you] to create a substantial risk of causing, death or serious bodily injury." ...
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  2. ...use of the booby-trap must be reasonable under all of the circumstances as you believe them to be when installing it. ...
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  3. ...I’m not going to give you opinions on what kinds of booby-traps would qualify here, but I imagine that it is something that would be an annoying deterrent rather than an actual “trap.” ...
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  4. ...If your booby-trap constitutes the use of force on anyone, then you must take great care and consideration before deploying it because use of force requires that you reasonably believe that force is immediately necessary. If your booby-trap uses force on someone that it wasn’t reasonable to use force on (child wanders on your property) then you will probably have your own crime to answer for....
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So it looks like the flame-thrower trap is a very bad idea.
 
CP-TED....

I'm not a super expert on security systems or a SME on crime prevention but I have heard of what many instructors & security consultants call; CP TED or "cep-ted", which is crime prevention thru environmental design.
Bushes with thorns, vehicle barriers, open spaces with CCTVs/DV cameras, levels, locks, etc all are part of a CP-TED system.

I've brung it up on gun/tactics forums before in the past but one of the best examples I ever saw was a episode of Montel Williams old TV talk show.
A young woman was discussing how TV reporters or well known public figures can have major problems with obsessed fans or stalkers.
The TV reporter said a stalker was able to get access to her condo & the problems she had with the lax security.
Williams(an enlisted Marine who went to the US Naval Academy) cut in & ask the woman why she chose to live in such a unsafe area.
He was 100% right!
People need to be pro-active & have a security plan or system.
If a apartment bldg is unsafe or risky, don't live there! If a hotel or motel looks rough, do not stay there.
I'd pay the extra $15.00 or $20.00 to stay in a upscale chain hotel room then be at risk in a run down dump.

Clyde
 
Replace the screws

The earlier poster how inquired about steel doors being easy to kick in.

It's not the door that usually breaks, it's the door frame.

One of the best and easiest ways to strengthen the door is to replace the screws that hold the hinges and especially the strike plate for the lock.

Replace those short little screws with three inch long screws. The screw size can be the same, it's the length that is important.

A three inch screw should reach and penetrate the stud that the door frame is attached to.

Even apartment dwellers can do the above. It does not effect the looks of the door.

It does make the door far more resistant to being kicked in.
 
The screw size can be the same, it's the length that is important.
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Actually, it's the shear strength.
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In my experience, screws don't break when you force a door open. They bend or pull out, or the wood breaks.

People need to be pro-active & have a security plan or system.
If a apartment bldg is unsafe or risky, don't live there! If a hotel or motel looks rough, do not stay there.
I'd pay the extra $15.00 or $20.00 to stay in a upscale chain hotel room then be at risk in a run down dump.
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How upscale are you talking? $20 isn't going to make that much of a difference.
 
As Wayne mentioned, the screws don't shear they pull out. Or the wood door frame fractures.
The three inch long screws should reach the stud the door is framed with.

I use the hardened drywall screws. Not for shear strength, just to prevent breakage when being driven so deep.
 
I disagree...

Most savvy travel or business travel people know where to stay & what to look for.
In a new city or area, you can roll around the property or check around first then decide if the hotel or motel is worth going into.
There are a few other tricks & tips but most tourists/business people spend the $$$ to get a decent stay.

A lot of it is common sense & good judgement. ;)
 
Flamethrower security link

Per my earlier post, here is the text link:
http://survivalandprosperity.com/tag/flamethrowers/


In there they note "In the meantime, Jesse and Charlie came up with two defensive features for the Willis bunker. One is a bed of metal spikes that swings down from the bunker roof into unsuspecting bad guys. The other is a handrail with a flamethrower built into it. Dastardly evil stuff."


I'll see if I can find the video on line from the referenced show.
 
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I own my home and live in a semi country setting, I only have one close neighbor. So my approach to home security is I have two doberman pinschers that are fully trained guard dogs. They alert when someone comes close to my house, even if they are walking down the street in front of the house. So I will know immediately if anyone is close. I feel that gives me plenty of time to retrieve my firearm if I need it, first the person would have to get passed the two dogs. I have two so I can at times take one with me and still have one at home protecting my house. I walk them around the neighborhood so every one knows I have them. I have not had any security problems since I bought the dogs.
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Where do you get dogs like that? My girlfriend has access to retired police dogs, but I am wary of the potential health problems with them.
 
Not all "upscale" hotels have any higher level of physical security built into their rooms than any other hotel. Many hoteliers (franchisees) buy up lesser-brand hotels, throw down some new carpet, drapes and furniture and a fabulous lobby and rebrand as upscale hotels without doing a thing to make the rooms themselves any more secure. I've stayed at a Sheraton where a stiff breeze could have knocked the door down, but also at a Motel 6 that was only slightly less well-built than Fort Knox. What an upscale *generally* gives you is a place in a better neighborhood than a cheaper place, which hopefully means there are fewer miscreants bouncing around in the lot and lobby.
 
I'm with the OP. I carry 24/7, and keep a gun near me at all times in my house. It's just a fact of life in the world that we live in these days. A threat can arise at any time, in any place.
 
IdahoG36 said:
I'm with the OP. I carry 24/7, and keep a gun near me at all times in my house. It's just a fact of life in the world that we live in these days. A threat can arise at any time, in any place.
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Thank you. I'm glad to see they're more of us out there.

And right it doesn't bother you one bit? It's like putting on underwear for me.
 
I keep a firearm on me most all the time or on nightstand at night. I fell most vulnerable when in the shower. Especially if alone. I've since started keeping a less valuable one in bathroom and I typically turn alarm system on when showering. Call me paranoid, but I don't want to be caught with my pants down. A potential burglar close to house on hill could see in lower level where I usually shower and see it as a open invitation for a snatch & grab or worse. The time you're most going to need a gun is when you don't have one with you it seems.
 
Pay attention to what is happening around you and have a plan to fight in whatever circumstance you find yourself in..(public, home, yard, office). Don't waste time, don't second guess your gut when it comes to danger. If you have to fight for your life then be a freaking tyrannosaurus until its over.
 
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