Well I had my first situation at the house since I got my gun. Last night my motion lights went on and I just happened to be awake. I ran to the front door and saw 1 guy at my gate, someone must of been in my backyard in order to trip the sensors, one in my neighbors car and 2 more on bikes. I yelled out the window "freeze m'fers or I'll shoot" and they started scattering. The guy in my neighbors car fell flat on his face in the neighbors grass, and one of the guys on the bike went over the handle bars onto the pavement. I had cell in hand and dialed 911 first, made sure none of them stuck around in back, locked back up , and drove around looking for them. I went back to the house to meet the police and the one guys bike was still in the street but they were all long gone. This is the second time one of our cars was broken into in less then a week and we live in a "good area" probably why they are going through our cars. They didn't get anything from us this time but got the neighbors old cellphone from their car. I wanted so bad to run to the safe and get the gun but decided against it because I knew that they were taking off, and that I am not permited to take it on me to go after them. Do you think I made the right choice by not getting the gun out this time? Now I would've if they were actually trying to open a door or window or if they didn't retreat after my verbal warning. I almost feel like I should've gotten it but there is this voice in my head telling me that I would end up in jail if I went after them and tried to hold them at gunpoint. Let me know what you would've done had this been you. By the way I did finally get to fire the Sig yesterday morning and am in love with it already.
Let me know what you would do in this situation
- Thread starter bones06
- Start date
and to avoid escalating the situation by brandishing a firearm. In many states (mine included) that is assault.You yelled stop or I'll shoot and didn't have a gun on you? 
Were you going to yell 'bang!'
Seriously, a very bad idea.
Unless I'm gone, the guns aren't locked uo like that. What if they were trying to make entry? Would you have the time and presence of mind to get into the safe?
Maybe I misunderstood.
Were you going to yell 'bang!'
Seriously, a very bad idea.
Unless I'm gone, the guns aren't locked uo like that. What if they were trying to make entry? Would you have the time and presence of mind to get into the safe?
Maybe I misunderstood.
ezenbrowntown
New member
"and drove around looking for them"
To each their own, but probably not the wisest, or at least safest move. Are there other people in your house? Is worth searching them out to leave your loved ones without you there?
My question would be, what were you going to do if you found one of them? My fear is that one could do something to provoke you (hit your car with a rock if you attempted to tell them something verbally, or something along those lines), that might get you to exit your vehicle. Then, best case scenario you look like you're hunting them, worst case you get jumped when his buddies show up to help him out.
Not trying to bash you or anything, just my thoughts. I'd prefer to keep the home front secured and let the cops handle the "tracking em down".
To each their own, but probably not the wisest, or at least safest move. Are there other people in your house? Is worth searching them out to leave your loved ones without you there?
My question would be, what were you going to do if you found one of them? My fear is that one could do something to provoke you (hit your car with a rock if you attempted to tell them something verbally, or something along those lines), that might get you to exit your vehicle. Then, best case scenario you look like you're hunting them, worst case you get jumped when his buddies show up to help him out.
Not trying to bash you or anything, just my thoughts. I'd prefer to keep the home front secured and let the cops handle the "tracking em down".
Brian just to clarify I yelled that to them out the screen before I went outside, and they were already halfway down the street before I got off my porch. I do agree that it was a bad idea to even go out there not knowing if any others were still there. The gun has to stay locked up in the safe because I have a 4 yr old and a 6 yr old, so leaving it unlocked is definitely out of the question. My friend who is on the police dept already told me in the past that in a home invasion situation most trained people and inexperienced people rarely make it to their gun in time to defend themselves, even if it was unlocked. I have decided to get an alarm on our home in the event someone tries to get into the actual house, at least I will have some type of early warning to get me to my gun a bit quicker. I think doc540 was absolutely correct on what I should of done, and thats exactly what my police bud is going to tell me after he slaps the chit out of me for even going outside before they got here. I do believe I officially made a dumb azz move doing what I did, next time I'm getting the gun out and sitting in the house with my family till the fuzz arrives.
comn-cents
New member
IMO bad choice.
What if they would have reacted in another way, like rush the house, how fast can you open your safe? Now how fast under pressure?
Going after them? What were you going to do if you found them?
You unarmed. I'm not saying go after them armed but what do they have? O ya how many of them and how many of you? I just say be safe. Property is property. You got the "good" reaction out of them, they fled. You can replace property. Who did you leave home alone when you went looking for them? How about call the cops before hand and see if they could catch them in the act.
What if they would have reacted in another way, like rush the house, how fast can you open your safe? Now how fast under pressure?
Going after them? What were you going to do if you found them?
You unarmed. I'm not saying go after them armed but what do they have? O ya how many of them and how many of you? I just say be safe. Property is property. You got the "good" reaction out of them, they fled. You can replace property. Who did you leave home alone when you went looking for them? How about call the cops before hand and see if they could catch them in the act.
Since you decided to leave your home and assuming you are accurate in your knowledge of your state's law which you say prohibits you from taking your gun with you; yes, I think you made the better choice. It was better to leave the gun locked up. Perhaps still better would have been to have gotten your gun and stayed in your home until the police arrived.
You seem to have a bit of confusion going on. You shouted to the bad guys to "freeze m'fers or I'll shoot" when you were not armed. You don't want to increase the chance of some nervous "perp" throwing a bullet your way. If unarmed you might want to say something which conforms to your unarmed status and still pursues the end you seek. Such as "Hey, get away from my property." or "Get out of here; I called the police."
You also stated "wanted so bad to run to the safe and get the gun but decided against it because I knew that they were taking off,". Take note and congratulate yourself in overcoming your natural tendency to indulge your anger. You must control anger and fear in a possible shooting situation. Imagine what you might have done if you were armed and caught up to one or more of the bad guys. What would you do then?
Use this as a learning experience.
KingEdward
New member
what if while you went out the front, two of their buddies broke in the back and hurt your family? Not trying to judge, just thinking about any "next" time.
stay inside if possible.
be prepared if a threat tries to or does come in.
you generally have a broader array of options legally in your home
versus going outside and talking smack on the sidewalk to confront a creep.
Who knows what they are prepared to do or if they are trying to get into a gang and you are the initiation.
sounds like in this case, they were interested in the auto smash and grab and not the home invasion.
stay inside if possible.
be prepared if a threat tries to or does come in.
you generally have a broader array of options legally in your home
versus going outside and talking smack on the sidewalk to confront a creep.
Who knows what they are prepared to do or if they are trying to get into a gang and you are the initiation.
sounds like in this case, they were interested in the auto smash and grab and not the home invasion.
I agree.
Bluffing is not the right thing to do when confronting the criminal element.
Perhaps you could use a trigger-lock and keep the key on a neckless around your neck?
It would be faster than accessing a safe.
I think he's wrong on this one.
Yes, you should not have went outside without a firearm, but that does not mean that you should be cowed in to hiding in your home, while criminals steal or destroy your property, until the police arrive.
Tucker 1371
New member
I think keeping the gun in the safe does you little good should the day come that you need it... and judging by the activities in your neighborhood that is highly possibly if not likely.
I was 7 when I got my first gun and learned how to shoot. Before I ever EVER got to fire a shot my grandfather drilled the four rules into my head (as well as a fifth).
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
This elaborates on the 4: http://www.thefiringline.com/Misc/safetyrules.html
Make sure your kids know these rules, I don't think 4 is too young to learn the rules and understand them. Also make sure that they never NEVER touch any gun without your permission and if they do they will be in LOTS of trouble. Just be very direct and clear about what you expect and what can happen with guns if they're not careful. My younger brother and I used to get into WORLDS of trouble but we always understood that we were never to touch my grandfather's guns without him knowing.
If you have to retrieve the gun from a safe when you're in a pinch it might prove to be a critical handicap. This is your decision as the head of your house, if you think getting to your gun in time is not a problem then the extra safety is probably worth it, you must be pretty darn fast though. I would definitely suggest drilling your kids on gun safety though regardless of where you decide to keep your guns. Just my $.02
As for this situation I would definitely have had the gun at least within arm's reach and I would probably have stayed inside my house, but yelling at them is probably alright, just be prepared to back it up if push comes to shove. Again just my $.02
I was 7 when I got my first gun and learned how to shoot. Before I ever EVER got to fire a shot my grandfather drilled the four rules into my head (as well as a fifth).
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
This elaborates on the 4: http://www.thefiringline.com/Misc/safetyrules.html
Make sure your kids know these rules, I don't think 4 is too young to learn the rules and understand them. Also make sure that they never NEVER touch any gun without your permission and if they do they will be in LOTS of trouble. Just be very direct and clear about what you expect and what can happen with guns if they're not careful. My younger brother and I used to get into WORLDS of trouble but we always understood that we were never to touch my grandfather's guns without him knowing.
If you have to retrieve the gun from a safe when you're in a pinch it might prove to be a critical handicap. This is your decision as the head of your house, if you think getting to your gun in time is not a problem then the extra safety is probably worth it, you must be pretty darn fast though. I would definitely suggest drilling your kids on gun safety though regardless of where you decide to keep your guns. Just my $.02
As for this situation I would definitely have had the gun at least within arm's reach and I would probably have stayed inside my house, but yelling at them is probably alright, just be prepared to back it up if push comes to shove. Again just my $.02
comn-cents
New member
get a little gun safe with quick access. They work really well.
Doc Intrepid
New member
Bones,
Consider one of these:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t.../search-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1
Compatible with kids.
Faster than accessing the safe, etc.
attaches to frame of house with a steel cable.
Worth pondering...
Doc
Consider one of these:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t.../search-box.jsp.form23&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1
Compatible with kids.
Faster than accessing the safe, etc.
attaches to frame of house with a steel cable.
Worth pondering...
Doc
I can speak from experience in terms of keeping guns in a safe or unloaded.
I used to keep my gun, which was my only handgun at the time, under my bed with the ammunition nearby. I thought that was the "safe" thing to do. One night I was deep in sleep and I heard a horrible crash and glass breaking. My wife and I immediately jumped up, and the dog began barking and growling.
Lesson #1: Make sure your "safe room" doors lock. If that's your bedroom, so be it. But make sure they lock. Mine did not. My 100 lb. wife leaned against the door while I loaded my .357 revolver. Not a good idea.
In my horrified state, I shook constantly and it took what seemed like an eternity to load the gun.
Lesson #2: You're almost better off without a gun if it's not loaded and close by; at least then you can try to dive out of a bedroom window instead of wasting your time trying to load a gun!
When I finally got it loaded, I went room by room, closet by closet while my wife sat in the bedroom with her cell phone in hand, 911 keyed in and ready to hit "Send". I shook as I walked through the house.
Lesson #3: No matter how brave you *think* you are, without tons of practice and preparation, you'll panic when it matters most. There's a reason Marines train nonstop.
I did not think things through beforehand. I did not use my critical thinking skills ahead of time; and, unfortunately, in my terrified state my skills were reduced to a dangerous point. I'm just glad I didn't hurt myself or anyone else that night.
By the way, the crashing sound and glass? A shelf fell in our lazy susan and broke a bunch of glassware.
I used to keep my gun, which was my only handgun at the time, under my bed with the ammunition nearby. I thought that was the "safe" thing to do. One night I was deep in sleep and I heard a horrible crash and glass breaking. My wife and I immediately jumped up, and the dog began barking and growling.
Lesson #1: Make sure your "safe room" doors lock. If that's your bedroom, so be it. But make sure they lock. Mine did not. My 100 lb. wife leaned against the door while I loaded my .357 revolver. Not a good idea.
In my horrified state, I shook constantly and it took what seemed like an eternity to load the gun.
Lesson #2: You're almost better off without a gun if it's not loaded and close by; at least then you can try to dive out of a bedroom window instead of wasting your time trying to load a gun!
When I finally got it loaded, I went room by room, closet by closet while my wife sat in the bedroom with her cell phone in hand, 911 keyed in and ready to hit "Send". I shook as I walked through the house.
Lesson #3: No matter how brave you *think* you are, without tons of practice and preparation, you'll panic when it matters most. There's a reason Marines train nonstop.
I did not think things through beforehand. I did not use my critical thinking skills ahead of time; and, unfortunately, in my terrified state my skills were reduced to a dangerous point. I'm just glad I didn't hurt myself or anyone else that night.
By the way, the crashing sound and glass? A shelf fell in our lazy susan and broke a bunch of glassware.
Honestly, Original poster you are lucky you didn't get yourself killed. The idea of yelling something like that out a window and then not having a gun on you or your doors locked is pretty nuts. I would agree that calling the cops would be a much better play because the cops may have gotten to them before they left but by scaring them off you impeded the police from doing their job. Understandably they may have gotten away anyhow but giving the cops more time to get there and getting yourself armed before confronting them would have been a WAY BETTER MOVE. Next time do this.
I don't really think there is a perfect order to doing these three just because you may be in different positions of the house trouble comes but here are the main three.
Secure family/self (in safe room)
Call police (cell phone by bedside is good)
Get Firearm handy (this usually should be kept in the safe room)
Whatever order they happen in all of the above should be done in under 60 seconds in most cases.
If you must "check the doors" do it last, after family is secure and police are already on their way and you have your gun out and ready. In reality the doors and windows should be always locked every night anyway so checking doors should be unnecessary.
I don't really think there is a perfect order to doing these three just because you may be in different positions of the house trouble comes but here are the main three.
Secure family/self (in safe room)
Call police (cell phone by bedside is good)
Get Firearm handy (this usually should be kept in the safe room)
Whatever order they happen in all of the above should be done in under 60 seconds in most cases.
If you must "check the doors" do it last, after family is secure and police are already on their way and you have your gun out and ready. In reality the doors and windows should be always locked every night anyway so checking doors should be unnecessary.
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Wildalaska
Moderator
Cower, cover, cell phone 
WildthethreecsAlaska TM
WildthethreecsAlaska TM
Lost Sheep
New member
Really?
Cell phone makes sense. Cover does, too. Cower does not fit the pattern.
Lost Sheep (also in Anchorage)
I missed your point.Wildalaska said:
Cell phone makes sense. Cover does, too. Cower does not fit the pattern.
Lost Sheep (also in Anchorage)
My biggest mistake was not me yelling without the gun but the fact that I left my wife and kids in the house alone. I should of called police and sat with my family gun in hand. There were 5 of them and I could account for all but one, but that one could've hid out back and tried to get into house. The only reason I went after them(not a good one obviously) was to try and keep a tab on them till the cops made it. Our police dept recently lost alot of cops due to budget loss so their response times are not what they used to be. Being the fact that they were not trying to break into the house the dispatch automatically puts other priority calls first. They did respond to my call very fast so I cannot complain, especially when 4 units were out front of my house within minutes. So in hindesight I know now not to try and play cop unless they are entering my home, and next time I WILL STAY PUT. Besides having an alarm installed on the house, we are going to be adding lighting to the side of the house and upgrading all the other lighting on the exterior. We luckily have not had major crime in our neighborhood yet, just young punks breaking into cars on a sporadic basis, but I don't want to wait to see if we will be the first major crime here. I want to be prepared, and prepared the right way if it should happen.