Home Protection/Pistol Set-Up

Sorry:
Weapon Mounted Light= WML

And Tactical Balls are just what they sound like:
http://www.brite-strike.com/BlueDot.html

Scroll down near the bottom. I see they make IR balls now for those of you with night vision. I wrote a review of them a while ago, but they are plastic balls about the size of golf balls with a couple of 2032 batteries and 3 LEDs. They light up when you press the button and you roll them into a room. They wobble around to distract but stop light up to illuminate. I found them to be a good way to illuminate some areas of my house. I tested them on some students in a classroom and some of my fellow firefighters and they did give a few seconds of distraction.
 
Sportdog
Since most home invasions happen at night I think, should I consider laser sights, use a flashlight, practice night shooting w/o using the sights at all? What do you guys and gals think.
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One consideration is identifying your target in low light or no light conditions. A laser does not help you ID your target. A laser sight is merely a targeting device. A flashlight can illuminate your potential target to reveal whether it is a friend or a target. A flashlight when used can also reveal your position.

If you choose a flashlight then you have to consider whether you use your off hand to carry and manipulate the flashlight while using one hand to hold, sight and fire the hand gun; or mount the flashlight on a tactical rail with some means of turning it on and off.

Whether you choose night sights, laser sights or regular iron sights you need to identify your target before firing. So unless you have sufficient light on in your home all night, or have a means to turn them on when and where needed. Assuming that all rooms of your home are not fully illuminated all night, I'd say you need a flashlight at a minimum and from there you can add or not as you think best.
 
I keep the light in my left hand and the firearm in my right. That way, regardless of what my light is doing or not doing, the firearm is pointed in a safe place or at the threat. For instance, shining the light into a room you know has friendly inhabitants, if the light is mounted on the gun where is the barrel pointing?

The firearm has one dedicated purpose and that is to shoot BGs. Therefore it gets a dedicated hand for that purpose:)
 
+1 to practice all of the above, commit to none of the above (to paraphrase pax a tiny bit). Realistically, none of us know how an intruder is coming in, what they want, or what it'll take to end the threat; so you need to practice for every possible contingency, and put your mind in a place where you can adapt on the fly and adjust to the scenario. Playing out your training drill without your head on a swivel is a pretty sure way to get killed. One of the smarter Corporals I ever knew referred to it as "Semper Gumby".

FWIW (and to answer the original question) I use a 2C maglight and a 4" .357 if I determine that a handgun is in order: so I can choose whether or not to employ the light without having to use my gun hand, and so I can hold it away from my body (even a blinded person can hit a bright light some of the time).

Due to my limited combat experience however, I definitively prefer a long gun (in this case a Mossberg 500) as I would almost certainly be tired, possibly intoxicated, and can use any "gimmes" I can get. I know that buckshot is far from "spray and pray" lethal, but having a weapon in my shoulder makes me a lot more comfortable when instinctively point shooting. Oh yeah, also because I live in an apartment and kinda like a couple of my neighbors:cool:.
 
no personal attacks.
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Where's the fun in that???

I have a lot of pistols, both revolvers and semi-auto's. I'm considering setting one up for my bedside personal protection.
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Have you given thought as to how you will secure the pistol when you're asleep or out of the home? What you don't want to do is provide a weapon for a teen-aged burglar whom you've just surprised by coming home. That may pose a greater risk than any lighting issue. Not to mention the risk of theft.

Since most home invasions happen at night I think, should I consider laser sights, use a flashlight, practice night shooting w/o using the sights at all?
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Apropos of the point another poster made about night vision upon awakening in the middle of the night, consider getting those electroluminescent night lights that plug into a socket. They cost pennies a year to operate 24/7/365, and they don't even look like they're on during the day. But at night, once your eyes have adjusted, they can provide a surprising amount of illumination and make it hard for an intruder to be invisible in the dark. If his eyes haven't adjusted yet, you could see him fairly well. Unless, of course, you turn on the lamp by your bed when you hear the noise!

BTW these work great for target practice in your bathroom (need to use a different kind of gun, though). When you get up in the middle of the night, no need to turn on the light. Just fire away, flush, and no mess to clean up the next morning. Makes it easier to go back to sleep if you haven't been exposed to bright light.

If I were to use a handgun for this purpose, I would get tritium night sights that glow in the dark, one where the dot on the front sight is a different color than the dots on the rear sight. Put the odd-colored dot in the middle and the sights are properly aligned. If all the dots are the same color, it can be easy to put the wrong dot in the middle (even if the front dot is a different shape).
 
My primary HD weapon is the Sig 226 .357Sig with CT Grips that becomes my primary carry weapon as soon as I put on my pants so storage is not a problem and I have a Mossberg 500 as backup. I also have a bunch of Streamlights one in the headboard below my Sig when I'm in bed.
 
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How hard is it to find 10mm ammo? I mean if you are accurate enough you can kill anyone with any ammo but as you all are saying; adrenaline, heart pounding, visibility etc would I want a 10mm if i know i won't be as accurate as i am on the range relaxed? I was leaning toward a full framed .40/.45 Glock for HD. Would that be over the top?
 
I used to use a HKUSP45C with a laser, but I've switched a few years ago to my EDC, a Kimber UCDP, as I shoot it far better, faster, and it has night sights, which I recommend to anybody for their HD weapon. I have a small flashlight next to it. My house is bathed in electronic glows in just about every room except the living room, where I would expect an encounter. The outside of my house is also filled with motion detecting floodlights that really do work to keep punks away.
 
A 12 gauge Shotgun should suffice, but I do not recommend them if you have children in the house. My nightstand firearm is my Sig Pro 2022 .40 with Siglite night sights, Crimsontrace Lasergrip and XTI Procyon Tactical Illuminator. I don't believe all of that is needed, but the night sights are a must.

1. A German Sheppard
2. A 12 Gauge
3. A Handgun
4. A Flashlight
5. And last but not least, Slient comfortable slippers :D
 
Jager 78

The German Shepard or any other dog won't work as my wife has terrible allergys. I do have a black lab that likes to bark outside in a kennel, but he is getting old and his hearing is suspect as I can even sneak up on him now and then. His nose is very good though and if the wind direction is right he picks up on it very quickly. I have plenty of 12 gauge shotguns and as I've said before, that is my weapon of choice if I decide to take cover and let the threat come to me. The handgun is for times when like a fool according to some, I choose to investigate a "possible" threat inside the house. I live in an older home and the rooms are somewhat chopped up so I am not sure the shotgun would work well manuevering around hallways. I DO need to get myself something better than my $2.00 flashlight that always ends up in my daughters room. As far as the slippers go......no, I'm not a slippers kind of guy.:)
 
My set-up is as follows. 9mmP with firstlight next to pistol as well as small leather carry bag which I would have the following inside:
1. Tourniquet.
2. Spare Mag
3. Cell phone.
If I need to go investigate, I would sling the leather bag around my neck and have everything with me that I need.
 
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