bababooey32
New member
Just to be clear, when you say you'd "open up"?????
Doorbell rang after 1am in the morning...
- Thread starter Glockar-15
- Start date
Just to be clear, when you say you'd "open up"?????
Glockar-15
New member
I guess it seems that most of you would not have called 911 either given the circumstances. Would you have armed yourself also like I did, or do you think the situation didn't merit that?
Man, it must really suck to live in a country with no right to bear arms. I would have felt very vulnerable. Yes...before you ask...I am NRA.
Man, it must really suck to live in a country with no right to bear arms. I would have felt very vulnerable. Yes...before you ask...I am NRA.
I only had to open, late at night once for a girl that had crashed her bike along the rural road that runs next to my single street subdivision. She had rang at 3 or 4 houses before I answered. I got her a phone and she called her grandma for a ride home. I did not let her in until I checked the porch for others, but being I am a very large and she was not I was not too worried. My wife had a guy stop by claiming his mother was having a baby and needed help. My wife would not let him in but did offer to call the police for him, at that point he left. I think our difference response was because of the hinkiness of the visitors, my wife was saying he kept elaborating his story, whereas mine was pretty straight forward about her troubles. Also barring a weapon, she posed no threat to me and the guy did pose a potential threat to my wife.
Depends on how I was woken. If it was a doorbell like this scenario, I would automatically reach for my handgun like you did. If it was someone banging on my door like they were trying to break it down or if it was a huge crash, I'd reach under my bed and pull my AR-15 out before I did anything.
Longdayjake
New member
If your town is small just call the fuzz. They have nothing better to do at 1 am and would love to go look around for some thieves. Unless I can hear someone in my house I don't open the door for anyone at 1 am. If they are breaking in then the door will open but at 1am it only opens from the inside out and it comes with some buckshot.
2cooltoolz
New member
Mostly I think the OP did good. You turned on the outside lights and didn't go out. Don't call 911 right away, but have the phone in hand (or her hand).
I keep a SIG P226 and a flashlight in my bedside lockbox, as well as a J frame .38 for my wife. I don't really like mounted lights, but I have bright flashlights stashed all around the house.
I have a little, nervous dog to sound the alarm, and a big dog to back it up.
I keep a SIG P226 and a flashlight in my bedside lockbox, as well as a J frame .38 for my wife. I don't really like mounted lights, but I have bright flashlights stashed all around the house.
I have a little, nervous dog to sound the alarm, and a big dog to back it up.
orionengnr
New member
Is there any other kind of 1 am?
Okay, re: the GunVault...are you saying your 3-year old can get into it? If not, why is a round not already chambered? Don't you think the GunVault slows you down enough to begin with? You feel the need to handicap yourself further by having a locked pistol in Condition Three? Really?
Hmmm, maybe you want to add a trigger lock and slow yourself down a bit more, what say? How about having your wife handcuff you before bed (no, not for that
) When the BG comes through your window, how many layers of self-imposed "safety" do you want to struggle through?
Guess you could always move to DC or Chicago and only own a weapon that is disassembled and locked up...or you could live in Britain and have to leave your firearm locked up at the Gun Club.
I guess I just don't understand your logic.
Yeah, I'm being kind of rough on you, but you really need to think about this a bit more. Please do so....soon.
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Pbearperry
New member
I would arm myself and go to the door and yell out loud"What do you want."
If nobody answered me I would be vigilant for 5-10 minutes and go back to bed.Why dial 911 just because the door bell rang? It may just be someone needing help or maybe the Cops themselves.
If nobody answered me I would be vigilant for 5-10 minutes and go back to bed.Why dial 911 just because the door bell rang? It may just be someone needing help or maybe the Cops themselves.
Well, only a quick study of "game theory" would show that
Armed+Badguy= probably best you were armed and prepared.
Armed+Neighbor in need = No harm, no foul
Unarmed+Neighbor in need = no harm, no foul
Unarmed+Badguy= serious trouble.
out of all those possibilities the only one that leads to trouble has "unarmed" involved.
Glockar-15
New member
orionengr, I see your point. I have thought long and hard about that decision. The honest truth is that shortly after getting my gunvault and glock, I got home from work one night and noticed that I left the door open on the safe. My heart sank and I got sick to my stomach. I totally did not remember leaving it open and I have never in my life done that with my rifle safe. The only solace I had was to know that the chamber was empty and that it would be close to impossible for a 2 year old to rack it. My fault I know... I still can't believe I did it. I am so thankful nothing happened and I will never let that happen again.
I compare that feeling I got to the half a second it will take me to rack it if necessary, and I'm confident in my decision. If I wake up with a BG on top of me, there's no way I'm going to be able to open the safe anyway. Spyderco is on my nightstand though...Powerlifting and martial arts helps too.
I compare that feeling I got to the half a second it will take me to rack it if necessary, and I'm confident in my decision. If I wake up with a BG on top of me, there's no way I'm going to be able to open the safe anyway. Spyderco is on my nightstand though...Powerlifting and martial arts helps too.
orionengnr
New member
Fair enough.
I don't know where you live. Is having a CHL an option?
For me, any loaded pistol that is not in the safe is never more than arm's reach away (when I'm asleep). If I'm awake, it's on my person, so a lot of variables are eliminated.
Also, don't count on "half a second to rack" unless you are exceptionally well-trained and all goes in your favor. Files are rife with examples of people who forgot to disengage the safety while the adrenaline was flowing.
In the end, it's your call. As long as you are really thinking through the possibilities (especially the less attractive ones) and are comfortable with your conclusions, you will rest easy (and you will probably be fine). It is not my place to say you are wrong, only to give you something to think about...
I don't know where you live. Is having a CHL an option?
For me, any loaded pistol that is not in the safe is never more than arm's reach away (when I'm asleep). If I'm awake, it's on my person, so a lot of variables are eliminated.
Also, don't count on "half a second to rack" unless you are exceptionally well-trained and all goes in your favor. Files are rife with examples of people who forgot to disengage the safety while the adrenaline was flowing.
In the end, it's your call. As long as you are really thinking through the possibilities (especially the less attractive ones) and are comfortable with your conclusions, you will rest easy (and you will probably be fine). It is not my place to say you are wrong, only to give you something to think about...
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I do not keep a round chambered in my safe for one reason, I figure the most likely time I am going to grab the gun and grab the trigger is pulling it from the safe, by the time I get to the safe, open it and get the gun and spare magazine out, another second to rack the slide is not going to make a difference. When holstered, I would have a round in the chamber.
Late night doorbell...
Last time that happened to me I was just getting ready to hit the sack. My wife was out of town. Doorbell rings, I stick the J frame in an IWB and answer the door. It was the police, so I am glad I didn't call them.
They were looking for my son, which is a long story. He now has his DL changed to his correct address.
Someone was trying to jam him up and the address on file for him was ours, not his.
Officer was not concerned at all about my being armed, which was good.
Last time that happened to me I was just getting ready to hit the sack. My wife was out of town. Doorbell rings, I stick the J frame in an IWB and answer the door. It was the police, so I am glad I didn't call them.
They were looking for my son, which is a long story. He now has his DL changed to his correct address.
Someone was trying to jam him up and the address on file for him was ours, not his.
Officer was not concerned at all about my being armed, which was good.
Glockar-15
New member
Btw, when carrying a handgun I DO keep one in the pipe. Just not in the safe. If I didn't have kids I certainly would though. I appreciate everyone's opinions...thank you guys.
I wouldn't call the police just because someone rang my doorbell after 1 am, but I'd go to the door armed and with it showing.
Anyone coming to my door after midnight can expect to see me checking the door with a loaded (in the pipe) gun.
My wife would do the same thing, but would not open the door, but would speak thru the door.
Luckily we have some glass in the door, large enought to see thru, but not large enough to get thru ... if you know what I mean.
Anyone coming to my door after midnight can expect to see me checking the door with a loaded (in the pipe) gun.
My wife would do the same thing, but would not open the door, but would speak thru the door.
Luckily we have some glass in the door, large enought to see thru, but not large enough to get thru ... if you know what I mean.
I didnt know BGs knocked.. Regardless I do not answer the door with a handgun in my hand. I have a kid or two and at times wierdly enough, their friends may drop over at odd times. Now that isnt to say a weapon isnt close to me, I just dont have it in my hand ready to shoot until I know it is needed.
Geez dont anyone have perimeter defenses and bouncing betties ready to deploy?
I keep my gun in one of those minivaults, and I don't keep a round chambered. Why? Because it's a Glock - if it was a DA/SA I'd keep a round chambered. I shoot it quite a bit, put it in my car, pull it out of my car, put it back, bang it, drop it...- lots of handling. It's just safer for me to never keep a round in the chamber - too easy to NDS.
In fact, this is the reason why I want a different gun for Home Defense - I want a DA/SA that holds 20 rounds and is every bit as indestructabel and reliable as my Glock. If My Smith 659 held 20 rounds - I'd have the backstrap professionally shaped and go back to that.