Home Invasion / Lights On or Off?
- Thread starter AdamSean
- Start date
Double Naught Spy
New member
Um, no. It is something you learn best through actual instruction which is where I learned my insights.
This is exactly why they make tactical lights for most guns. I would highly suggest purchasing one. If I was in the situation you described, I would take this:
My Sig P226 in .40
(These are not actual pics of what I own.)
with this attached
http://www.sigsauer.com/SigStore/ShowProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=26&productid=285
My Sig P226 in .40
(These are not actual pics of what I own.)
with this attached
http://www.sigsauer.com/SigStore/ShowProductDetails.aspx?categoryid=26&productid=285
I always used to say that if any BG could get in the house without killing himself on all the crap my kids used to leave laying on the floor, well, he's a better man than I am. And if he's barefooted and can withstand the Legos and barrets, well any gun won't work against him anyway. 
Now the kids are grown, so in such an encounter, the only thing I have to do is protect the hallway where the bedroom doors are, and I can basically do that from my bedroom door. I'm not going into the front of the house and anything that's in the front of the house (living room, kitchen, laundry room), they can have.
Now the kids are grown, so in such an encounter, the only thing I have to do is protect the hallway where the bedroom doors are, and I can basically do that from my bedroom door. I'm not going into the front of the house and anything that's in the front of the house (living room, kitchen, laundry room), they can have.
troy_mclure
New member
my beretta cx4 storm is all tacticool with lights and lasers and stuff! lol
i also have glow tape on the frame corners of all interior doorways.
the dark is my friend in a home invasion scenario, i KNOW my house, an intruder will be stumbling around.
as to the giving the guy a target with a bright flashlight:
i know from personal experience that if you put an extremely bright light into somebody's eyes they will move to protect their eyes, thus giving you time to shoot.
i also have glow tape on the frame corners of all interior doorways.
the dark is my friend in a home invasion scenario, i KNOW my house, an intruder will be stumbling around.
as to the giving the guy a target with a bright flashlight:
i know from personal experience that if you put an extremely bright light into somebody's eyes they will move to protect their eyes, thus giving you time to shoot.
dabigguns357
New member
It would be hard not to see the bad guy from any point in my house.I leave an under the cabnet light in the kitchen.I leave 2 livingroom lamps on at all times.i leave night lights on in the bathrooms,and i leave my desk light on in my dining room,oh and 2 front porch lights on too.
EMB135Driver
New member
You want to clear the house out quickly....fire off a few rounds into the ceiling. Any intruder hearing gunfire will run away fast unless he is a paid assassin there to take you out, in which case you probably wouldn't have heard anything anyway, and you wouldn't have to worry about about whether or not to turn on the lights or try to clear your house solo.
With regards to house clearing, the one thing I've preached for years is...
Night lights are easily one of the cheapest things you can invest in. A nightlight in a bathroom will cast enough light out the door to illuminate part of the hallway.
If you have a two-story house, lights strategically placed on the ground floor to cast shadows visible from the top of the stairs will aid in locating intruders too.
Remember, though, that if intruders have managed to get inside, they are going to do one of two things. Listen for sounds of awakened residents OR rush through the house to locate and neutralize the occupants quickly. Having a dog or two may cause the former type to flee but only delay the latter.
If you think you hear a stealth-intruder inside, the noise you make getting out of bed and acquiring your firearm and flashlight may alert him. Also remember you won't be wearing your glasses. If Mr. Murphy is unhappy with you, you'll find one arm is half asleep, your eyes blurred by "sleep", perhaps the urge to cough and clear your throat. Even if not, your heart will be racing and the drums in your ears keeping time with your heart will diminish your hearing. Know that fear makes breathing harder and it sounds like Darth Vader breathing in your ear. When you try to call out in your best John Wayne or Bogart tough-guy voice, don't be surprised if you instead sound more like Don Knotts going through puberty. And if you've turned the heat down to 55* while you sleep it won't be very long before your body starts to shiver in the cold.
If you're lucky and your house has remote lighting capability, turning on kitchen/livingroom lights will typically startle anyone inside and encourage them to leave. But you can't be sure they did leave or that ALL of them left. But those lights might buy you time to secure your family in single, defensible room.
Besides night lights, First Alert makes simple battery powered alarm units that can be sticky-taped to a window or door (I've used velcro). These alarms will give you some warning before they get inside.
Never clear a house by yourself.
If you go looking for trouble,
you're likely to find plenty of it.
If you go looking for trouble,
you're likely to find plenty of it.
Night lights are easily one of the cheapest things you can invest in. A nightlight in a bathroom will cast enough light out the door to illuminate part of the hallway.
If you have a two-story house, lights strategically placed on the ground floor to cast shadows visible from the top of the stairs will aid in locating intruders too.
Remember, though, that if intruders have managed to get inside, they are going to do one of two things. Listen for sounds of awakened residents OR rush through the house to locate and neutralize the occupants quickly. Having a dog or two may cause the former type to flee but only delay the latter.
If you think you hear a stealth-intruder inside, the noise you make getting out of bed and acquiring your firearm and flashlight may alert him. Also remember you won't be wearing your glasses. If Mr. Murphy is unhappy with you, you'll find one arm is half asleep, your eyes blurred by "sleep", perhaps the urge to cough and clear your throat. Even if not, your heart will be racing and the drums in your ears keeping time with your heart will diminish your hearing. Know that fear makes breathing harder and it sounds like Darth Vader breathing in your ear. When you try to call out in your best John Wayne or Bogart tough-guy voice, don't be surprised if you instead sound more like Don Knotts going through puberty. And if you've turned the heat down to 55* while you sleep it won't be very long before your body starts to shiver in the cold.
If you're lucky and your house has remote lighting capability, turning on kitchen/livingroom lights will typically startle anyone inside and encourage them to leave. But you can't be sure they did leave or that ALL of them left. But those lights might buy you time to secure your family in single, defensible room.
Besides night lights, First Alert makes simple battery powered alarm units that can be sticky-taped to a window or door (I've used velcro). These alarms will give you some warning before they get inside.
EMB135Driver
New member
Allow me to clarify for those taking my words literally.....fire in a safe direction so as not to hit anything or anyone....into a clearing bucket in your bedroom would be best.
Cruncher Block
New member
At this point, I stop. I listen. What else do I hear? Do I hear my cats fighting with each other? Is one of my kids sleepwalking?
Do I hear adult-sounding footsteps and movement?
Did the shick-clank of the aforementioned home defense weapon being chambered cause some sort of reaction?
It's really, really hard to be totally quiet and accomplish anything. I guess the ninjas might be coming for me but, honestly, I can sit very still and quiet in a reasonably safe room and use my ears until I have an idea whether I have problem or not.
If something does indicate problem, I have thought about it a lot and I don't think stealthily sneaking up on a bad guy is the best course of action in my situation. By the time I've retrieved that home defense weapon and made it ready, I've pretty much lost stealth anyway. Instead, it's a 911 call and a very loud verbal warning to the intruder.
As far as lighting, I just want to be in a darker environment than someone who might want to hurt me. The SureFire is a good way to make sure what I think I see is really a threat. I know they are described as "bullet magnets" but I'm guessing they are magnets for where the light was when it was turned on. I will choose to not be in that place for long.
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Frank Ettin
Administrator
Nope, he'll hear you coming and just wait and surprise you. Remember, if you're hunting him, he doesn't have to go stumbling around looking for you. You will come to him, and he will have control of the situation.troy_mclure said:
Superhouse 15
New member
Lights
MY house is a split plan and I have my infant son's room and my semi-disabled mom's room across the house from my room. I have defense in layers for everything, including lights. I have "Tactical Balls" for clearing certain areas of the house. (scroll down a bit, yes I'm serious)
http://www.brite-strike.com/BlueDot.html
I own a glock 17 dedicated to HD, with night sights from Tru Glo and a Procyon light:
http://www.insightlights.com/products-procyon.htm
I carry a Surefire L1 everyday, and it usually rests beside the bed at night. I also put a G2 with a 120 lumen P61 bulb in it for a bit more power. If I need a walk-to-the-fridge light I can use the L1, and it goes from 10 to 65 lumens. If I need a repel boarders light, I can grab the G2.
http://www.surefire.com/Flashlights#battery-led
If for some reason I needed a long gun, my Stag 2TL has a Pentagon light and laser. I hardly ever use the laser, but the light is pretty powerful.
http://www.pentagonlight.com/item_detail.cfm__id.434
I am also having the house rewired so that a switch near the bedroom door can control all the house lights. a friend at work who moonlights doing such things will do it for beer. I love the Fire Service. I have family downrange, I want there to be no doubt as to what I'm shooting at and I can't afford to paly in the dark. There is nothing subtle about my approach to lighting.
MY house is a split plan and I have my infant son's room and my semi-disabled mom's room across the house from my room. I have defense in layers for everything, including lights. I have "Tactical Balls" for clearing certain areas of the house. (scroll down a bit, yes I'm serious)
http://www.brite-strike.com/BlueDot.html
I own a glock 17 dedicated to HD, with night sights from Tru Glo and a Procyon light:
http://www.insightlights.com/products-procyon.htm
I carry a Surefire L1 everyday, and it usually rests beside the bed at night. I also put a G2 with a 120 lumen P61 bulb in it for a bit more power. If I need a walk-to-the-fridge light I can use the L1, and it goes from 10 to 65 lumens. If I need a repel boarders light, I can grab the G2.
http://www.surefire.com/Flashlights#battery-led
If for some reason I needed a long gun, my Stag 2TL has a Pentagon light and laser. I hardly ever use the laser, but the light is pretty powerful.
http://www.pentagonlight.com/item_detail.cfm__id.434
I am also having the house rewired so that a switch near the bedroom door can control all the house lights. a friend at work who moonlights doing such things will do it for beer. I love the Fire Service. I have family downrange, I want there to be no doubt as to what I'm shooting at and I can't afford to paly in the dark. There is nothing subtle about my approach to lighting.
FireForged
New member
If I suspect someone is in my house, I am not going to investigate anything.. If they make it to my bedroom, then I will respond. Until that happens I will have called 911 and laid the phone down.
When we built our current house.. I did have a master pannel installed in the bedroom that allows me to operate all the lights in and outside the home. I have once or twice poped 2 or 3 interior lights on when the dog was alerting to something outside.
When we built our current house.. I did have a master pannel installed in the bedroom that allows me to operate all the lights in and outside the home. I have once or twice poped 2 or 3 interior lights on when the dog was alerting to something outside.
I have noticed that quite a few people have this opinion, and I don't understand it. I have searched buildings and residences in the dark for various reasons and employers, and have never seen a situation where a handheld or weapon mounted light was more detrimental than not using one at all. (When the proper techniques were used)
While clearing anything, If the bad guy chooses to attack, he is going to have access to his target regardless. If used properly, a powerful directed light source can be an extremely useful weapon multiplier.
A little over a month ago, I had a hard time accepting the logic that many share during these discussions concerning holding up in a safe room and awaiting for the cops to arrive. I have come to believe in that tactic, when I can also place the rest of my family in that safe room with me. (Which if I understand correctly, is what most believe also).
Having said that, I do not believe that you will always loose if you encounter a bad guy while searching a residence or building alone. Although this does give the bad guy a distinct advantage, it does not grant him immediate victory. I realize that a one person search should be avoided if possible, but sometimes life makes life is interesting.
Sorry If I got a little off target
Firing warning shots is always a risky choice...far riskier than its worth. Why would you shoot a warning shot when a verbal warning could be just as effective? And it is quite possible that in your locality that if you fire a warning shot, you could very well be charged for illegally discharging a weapon. Besides, have you ever fired a shot in a confined space without hearing protection? It is quite the ear-splitting experience. I would prefer to keep my sense of hearing during a home invasion as sharp as possible.
It really does depend on the layout of the home. The bedrooms are separated across the house so their is an urgency to check on the other rooms. I like the idea of having a light switch to turn on the livingroom lights from my room. That may be enough to send the BG out the back door.