Home Invasion! Are you prepared? Really?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Today, 01:33 AM #17
MLeake
Senior Member


Join Date: November 15, 2007
Location: Outside KC, MO
Posts: 9,642 I wonder if Dr Pettit thought that, before...

... or the Billings family in Florida...

Are the odds high that an invasion will occur? No.

Does a good neighborhood guarantee terrible things will never happen? Sadly, also no.
Click to expand...

This is a very good post.

You know, really how hard is it to have a handgun on you all day? People carry their cell phones everywhere they go, even in the bathroom! People carry a wallet or wear a watch.
Lots of us would feel near naked without a pistol on or right beside us.

Some people would be shocked to know how many people really carry all day, every day. It's no big deal and not that hard.

We're very involved in our local church. I've taken so many people shooting over the years that, believe this or not, theres about 30 people who have permits to carry concealed and do, even in church. The same with family members and friends. So many were introduced to shooting the right way. And now, there's that many more responsible gun owners who feel alot more secure and good about their chances of being able to protect others.
 
(Edit: Response to post # 20) True, but do you see an advantage to being unarmed as well as surprised?

This is why layered security is a good idea. Good lighting, no good hiding spaces around the house, good locks and doors; maybe an alarm system; etc.

I have a pretty effective, furry and fanged alarm system, so nothing ever seems to get close to the house without at least some accompanying noise.
 
I don't have a pistol within arms reach or anything but I live in an econ apartment that allows only one way in and one way out safely. I have measures to slow anyone short of using C4 from gaining access. So by the time that anyone has made it inside my house both my wife and I are aware, armed and have police on the way.
 
No, due to Canadian laws all my firearms are in a safe.
To be perfectly honest even if it were legal they would probably still be in the safe.
I live in the same house I grew up in and have all the same neighbours.
I feel that my home is my sanctuary.
I even leave a window open so my cat can come and go without waking me up at 4:00AM.
Statistically in Canada home invasions are incredibly rare if you are not a drug dealer.
 
A surprising number of home invasions have occurred when the victims opened the door for strangers! :eek:

That is shocking to me. Unless it's a kid raising funds for Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, I don't open the door for strangers at any time of day.

When we moved into our new home in a very nice semi-rural area, a neighbor came by to introduce himself. I let him know that the alarm company was coming and he laughed - "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Nothing ever happens here!" Yes, he said those words. :rolleyes:

Some good posts here. I'd say I'm as prepared as possible. I work from home and keep a G23 in easy access, but I have made the determination that if I do get caught flat-footed, I'm going out using whatever is at hand - pool cue, shovel, kitchen knife, whatever. I'm not going to be the guy who gets tied up and watches my family get brutalized.
 
Layered security. One benefit of layered security is it give people time to prepare. nosy yard fence, yappy dog, storm door, etc. All good security systems have layers. I live in a decent part of town so my security is low, but I could be beefed up pretty quick.

If I ever felt like I had to wear a gun around the house I would move.
 
Some of the worst home invasions happen in the best neighborhoods. I recall one a few years ago in Connecticut. It was a horror show.

I am not paranoid, but I am prepared. While I do not expect my house to burn down, I do have homeowners insurance.
 
I live alone in a quiet neighborhood. I'm also one of those guys that refuses to carry at home. I do have guns stashed around the house, most every room, and feel pretty secure. When company comes with children the guns get put in the safe except the 1911 hidden in my coffee table. (Trust me, kids will never find it). I have been considering motion sensitive lighting.
A dog would be a good idea but I don't want the responsibility.
 
Having a dog, bars on the windows, home Alarms (even the cheap ones that you can install on your doors/windows), trim your bushes low, replace your garage entrance door with a steel door and a deadbolt (if you have a garage), Insure your exterior is well lit, Cell Phone stays on you at all times, Hidden backup weapons, Make sure the others(extras) are not accessible to someone else (locked, Safe etc), Always have a contingency plan that includes escape routes for scenarios and is known thoroughly by your family, replace interior doors with steel doors, Store and chain lock all ladders and any item that can be used for gaining access to a second story, don't even tell your children about a planned vacation if possible, have someone to mow your grass or shovel your drive as well as get your mail for you when on vacation, Have motion censored lights in addition to regular lighting, Always have a hand free when leaving or entering your home after dark as well as key out, keep mace on your key chain, Post beware of dog and home alarm signs around the yard, install the metal heavy screen doors with bars (they are not easy to get open and delay entry) and form a neighborhood watch.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, if you really need to do all that to feel safe where you live, you need to move - you might as well live in prison -at least your food and medical is free. Living in that constant state of fear and apprehension is not good from a mental viewpoint. Unless you live in a drug-infested Section 8 neighborhood, in which case you most likely would not be posting here, that is a little bit over the top and verging on paranoia
 
^ lol

Reminds me of when I lived in Central America bars on windows are standard if you do not have them you are poor and very bad things will happen to you. Never live a pattern, never let your neighbor know when your place is empty, never ending state of maximum security..:eek:

After I left I realized how much mental energy gets spend on security.. and it is just a way of life people are born and die in it. Crazy.
 
I am scratching my head, trying to figure out how stashing guns around the house is less labor intensive, risky, or stressful than simply carrying one on one's person.

Like I said, I don't even think about it, just like I don't think about seat belts or motorcycle helmets. I just put them on as a matter of course.
 
I am scratching my head, trying to figure out how stashing guns around the house is less labor intensive, risky, or stressful than simply carrying one on one's person.
Click to expand...

Most of my handgun with bullets weight around 3lbs, I don't want to carry that around all evening.. Throw in some speed loaders of mags and that's about the weight of a half gallon of water.
I was a carpenter for years, I hate lugging around tools and weight on my belt. Their is no way I want to do that every night.

If I was really that worried about security I would create 5-10 layers and lean an AK with 2 mags in a handy place which is more firepower and secure then carrying a handgun and 3 layers of security.

It's nice to have security but I live in Denver Colorado not Syria or Colombia.
 
I just put them on as a matter of course.
Click to expand...

My alarm system is a 80 lbs German Sheppard and a compact 45 ACP that is on me 24/7. With the right holster and belt you don't even know it is there.

Jim
 
I live in a very safe suburban area; and I am not about to carry a gun at home, even though that is the only place in NJ I can legally carry one. That said I think I am fairly prepared. I have a very good alarm system. In addition to that I have two Siberian Huskies that stir and let me know anytime anyone gets close to the house day or night. Further, we have a child gate to keep them out of our bedroom. So, in the middle of the night the alarm and dogs would sound before anyone got in. The gate would further delay them. By that time I would have my fully loaded G22 out of the biometric safe that is three feet from my bed.

Now I did wonder a little when that was my only weapon what I would do when I was on the third floor in my office if someone broke in. Now my 1911 is in a small drawer safe in my desk two feet to my left.
 
The "living in a constant state of fear" language is not an accurate description of how most of us live.

Perhaps this will help clear things up:
"I just don't understand carrying a wallet at home. I don't live at the store. I won't need to whip out my driver's license and debit card. Wallets are bulky, and I can't sit right with one in my pocket. It's uncomfortable."

Same thing.

I put on my EDC stuff as part of my morning routine. I carry keys without expecting to drive in my living room. I carry a wallet without expecting to be pulled over at home. I put on a firearm without thinking, "alien robots are coming!"

It's a very relaxed morning ritual. No stress. No fear. Because of my carry system, no discomfort. This set-up is comfy enough that I have taken naps on lazy Sundays without taking it off.

This is not "living in a constant state of fear".
 
Ha...funny thread. I worry about a lot of you.

My gun is on my person..ALL THE TIME. Jammer Six
And If I needed to carry at home, I'd move.
Click to expand...
Not going anywhere ;)

It's on my 4:00 at all times. When I'm showering or asleep, it's the farthest from me. A whopping 2ft.


Am I normal? I don't know...but it doesn't bother me at all. Never even think about it.
 
RBid covered it fairly well.

It's (my 642) is just part of my everyday pocket carries, wallet, pocket knife, keys, etc.

I live in a rather safe place, long way from town. But I don't have to worry about forgetting my gun if I go somewhere just like I don't forget my wallet and keys.

I've run across rattlers in my yard every now and then, I don't have to go find a gun to dispatch them.

A couple years ago I came out of the shop and noticed a fox was crawling under the wire to my chicken pin, I didn't have to go hunt up a gun.

I doubt I'll have to deal with a home invasion, but if I do, I wont have to hunt up a gun regardless where I am in the house.

Another thing, we keep talking about living in a safe rural area. If you turn on the news and do a bit of research the safe rural areas are the places where there is a lot of meth activities, more so then in the cities.

Not too long ago there was a nice safe rural community area just north of Cody WY. No need to carry there right.........well that was until these too guys decided they wanted the guys Mercedes, to get the keys they went in the safe rural house and killed three people.

Its not about being paranoid, its about being ready, no different then seat belts, MC helmets, life jackets in a boat.

My truck has an irritating buzzard that drives me nuts if I don't buckle my seat belt, I don't have such with my gun so I just keep it in my pocket.

After over 40 years or so of carrying, I never notice it. I would if I didn't.
 
True; at any given moment, unless I am in PT gear, I probably have:

wallet;
truck or motorcycle keys;
cell phone;
folding knife;
and gun with mags.

The knife sees most use cutting twine on hay bales.

Then again, I prefer cargo pants and shorts, and I have good belts and gear.
 
I also live in a low crime area. That doesnt stop me from being prepared. I have a large caliber pistol at arms reach every moment my eyes are open. When I sleep, its under my pillow. Having a pistol, and not being able to have instant access to it, is simply foolish.
 
I don't usually carry at home. I tend to just wear gymshorts and a tshirt when I'm lounging about the house, so it really wouldn't be convenient. I don't carry my wallet or phone around the house either.
When I'm coming inside for the night my gun goes in the safe, my knife/wallet/light go onto the top of my dresser (next to the safe), and my phone goes on it's charging pad.
We have two large dogs though, and live far enough out in the sticks that somebody would have to try pretty hard to sneak up on the house before I could get my gun from the safe.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top