Home Invasion / Lights On or Off?

I use night lights myself. I don't want to be too visible to his buddies outside. I will be in the dark and wait there while being able to see down the hallway. the people who are important to me are all around me and I'm not leaving them to search the house.
 
I say leave the lights off. I want the only light to be from my flashlight. I'd prefer the dark. I know the layout of my home. The intruder does not.
 
fully loaded short barrel shot gun and GF on the phone calling 911. If BG in the house I hall wait in the defensive, once he enters the hall, lights gun and action! If multiple BG then they wouldn't dare enter the hallway to my bedroom after they saw there buddy guts get blasted.
-disadvantage to this is they shoot you through the walls of your house. (make sure you pump the first BG with 3 fast rounds blitzkrieg attack if not he may shoot you too)

Now if the BG isn't in your house but you hear unusual sounds at night outside, then let the dogs out listen for the barking and sneak towards it. Prior to investigating outside have GF or wife armed in the bedroom with phone AND IF SHE DOESN'T HEAR MY VOICE THEN SHE IS TO CALL 911.

K, so while outside if you can't ID the target sit and wait for their movement because you are setting them up for the ambush and your eyes are still adjusting to darkness. Once again Lights,gun and action you are the hero!
-disadvantage is a legal matter, you have to find a defense team that could prove you weren't just outside looking for somebody shoot like an alley bum.
 
Lights off... I have the advantage as I not only live here but practice my dark o' night mobility.
Brent
 
I say leave the lights off. I want the only light to be from my flashlight. I'd prefer the dark. I know the layout of my home. The intruder does not.

The intruderS may not know your home as well as you, but when you only see one with your light, the other definitely will be seeing you. Then what?
 
With multiple intruders, the first light they see with be a muzzle flash. I can see pretty good in the dark and we have a few dim lights from electronics and stuff so I should be able to get a target.

Most likely we will all be blinded by that and they will be "less one". Mabey its just me, but If I'm a robber looking for crap to hock at the local pawn and I just saw my friend get vaporized by Mossberg 500, I'm thinking maybe I picked the wrong house and I beat a retreat.

If the dude wants a fight and decides to open fire, then all bets are off I guess. I still have an advantage without my light on IMO.
 
I would probably turn on my bedroom light and wait while I called police. because only 2 things will happen when he notices the light shining from down the hall, he will leave immediatly or he will get curious. if he decides to get curious id already have the doorway covered so he wont be getting the jump on me, even IF he had a firearm.
 

Heres my thinking:

1.) Warning shots are a waste of good ammo.
2.) It gives your enemy your position.
3.) In a home, where are you gonna fire a warning shot? the floor? Your TV? I DON'T want to be patching holes in my roof dang it! (I hate heights)
4.) Its probably gonna deafen and blind you temporarily.
4.) I'm guessing that some weasel of a lawyer could turn it around in court somehow.

I'll pass on the warning. If you are in my home un-asked and a threat you deserve no warning and ye shall receive none.
 
I dont think its a good idea to clear the house, but it would be good to flip on as many lights as you can in the house. Lets say you are at the top of the stairs. I think it would be good to flip some of the downstairs lights on without going down there.

I also think its better to yell in a loud, mean and angry voice something like this: "Who is there? I have called the police and armed with a pistol. If you do not get out of hear right now, then I will fire down at you. Get out now!"

I dont believe stealthy and sleak is the best way to go in these scenarios. Lots of yelling letting them know someone is home and lights on to make it more clear.

Whoever is in the house will then make a choice to either fight or flight. I believe the choice will be flight. If you were a burglar and all the lights came on with someone yelling in a mean angry tone that they have a gun and called the police, what would you do?

From a legal standpoint, I think its best to give someone fair warning before firing so it looks like you gave them a chance. You turned on the lights so you didnt blindly fire into the darkness. You yelled a warning that you would fire if they came up the stairs and allowed the burglar to exit. etc...
 
I have always thought that if someone was downstairs, instead of a flash bang, why not throw down a firecracker and let them know whats up.
 
No personal experience in this one but my guess would be off, especially in my case because I would have to move toward a BG's point of entry to turn the lights on. Also I have to agree with those who say that you know your house better than an intruder can, use the dark to your advantage and buy night sights for your gun. Speaking of which, does anyone know where I can get night sights for an AK74?
 
In todays electronic world, it is not difficult to have lights turn on when motion is detected in the room. Not having this in the sleeping quarters would help keep the intruder highlighted and his/her whereabouts known. A noise without motion detection would be just that.
 
IR-Sensor Lights

We have sensor lights all over the place except the bedroom. So whoever moves at night in our home, stands in light. Only the bedroom (from which I will be aiming at the bedroom door while calling 911) will stay dark. The only light in there will be my tritium sights. :cool:
 
The sensor lights mentioned before...

here it is. Just plug it in and it works for you. Costs about EUR 10,- (yes, Europe so U$ 15,-) and can be found on this webiste:
(I'm sure you have that in the US as well)
http://www.pentatech.de/fr_sz.htm

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