Frank Ettin
Administrator
Probably not the best idea for a young woman who might well be disinclined to want to close with an attacker.AndersonG22 said:
My young wife home alone...
- Thread starter Cycrops
- Start date
Onward Allusion
New member
Or, if she's carrying on her person, she can draw and shoot the BG trying to break in. If the OP has 2 babies, it will be pretty difficult to round 'em up and bring 'em into a safe room....etc...etc...
Yeah, I know. It takes a dramatic shift in mindset to carry at home.
TheGoldenState
New member
Revolver, .38 special.
No safeties, no jams, racking the slide, no magazine.
Simple, plain, point and pull the trigger.
Train with snap caps/dry fire.
Seems to be the best option in your case.
Can't keep her from answering the door or talking to the public for the next 18 years.
What happens when she's out, alone with the babies?
EDIT:
LMAO
No safeties, no jams, racking the slide, no magazine.
Simple, plain, point and pull the trigger.
Train with snap caps/dry fire.
Seems to be the best option in your case.
Can't keep her from answering the door or talking to the public for the next 18 years.
What happens when she's out, alone with the babies?
EDIT:
LMAO
+1 about corner'd cat's web page. I recently read the article about the polite/societal rules and I couldn't agree more.
Our latest house is not the most secure (a lot of windows/doors) but the previous owner did put in motion-sensitive outdoor lights all around and a solid wood front door. I wouldn't know how to install those myself (yet). So my contribution has been battery powered devices from Walmart. I found these cheap (but useful) door/window alarms that go off when the magnetic portion of it is separated from the main body. I put them on our most vulnerable windows, and set some to ring a friendly but loud chime on all of our doors that lead to the outside. Also from Walmart (or was it lowe's?) I found some sliding locks that were easy to install. It took a tiny bit of getting used to but now my wife and I are accustomed to sliding the bolts closed/open every morning. Those went on the front door and the bedroom (also our fall back room). If it came to a chain vs. a decent sliding bolt, I'd choose a bolt. The sliding bolt is closed at the same time the doorknob is engaged which would combine their strengths or at least overlap a bit better. That is unless the knob is turned (but ours is kept locked) - and even then that would mean whoever is battering the door would have to keep one hand on the doorknob which would limit momentum. With a chain a potential habit would be to open the door for everyone and only have the chain as protection. Or if the door were being pushed/battered, the doorknob would fail and then the chain would have to work alone. A sliding bolt directly into the floor is typically stronger than one that engages a metal loop screwed into the door frame. I wasn't able to do that with my sliding bolt (metal plate was in the way) but it's easy to engage/disengage with a foot before going out. But yes, these just buy time. Maybe that rubber door stop isn't a bad idea even if you do other things as it would engage if the door were still to open and buy you even more time. (these ideas of course or just in theory, who knows how it will pan out in real life)
This is just an opinion, but I still feel it's better to speak through the door for the first part of a greeting if anything is in question. It's only as rude your voice is - no more so than speaking through an intercom at an apartment complex. Doors aren't soundproof - they can probably hear you just fine. Any family/friend probably wouldn't mind, and they already have your phone number and wouldn't have a problem identifying themselves. If it's a friend you next fling the door open wide and it's all smiles. But if it's a stranger the closed door gives you time - to think, be mentally prepared and make a decision. Even if it's just to say "sorry I think I'll pass on the Super Concentrated Enzymatic Cleaner today (for $80 cash), but thanks and good luck!"
The habit of flinging the door open first thing (some still choose to because of odds or they're armed) - puts you behind the curve as you'll have to identify who it is/isn't and what's going on, and then decide what to do. And if they can see you they know exactly who/where/how many you are and what you've got.
Think of it like being able to screen phone calls with caller ID - same principle and enjoyed by many. But with a more serious second function too.
I was going to suggest roleplaying but that might feel a bit too condescending. A milder version would be to ask her to help you with an experiment - something like:you're curious to see how well people can hear from outside the front door. Start a back-and-forth conversation about something as you go outside and while still talking shut the door and continue the conversation with her. She'll at least have had an exposure.
It sounds like you have a Beretta handgun already.
If that's true you can purchase snaps caps and get her started practicing safe gun handling, function, loading/unloading, and dry firing (and safety again). Even malfunction drills. She can pretty much learn everything short of experiencing the recoil/blast, looking at the groups to verify good sight picture, and re-acquiring the target. You may have already started on this. But even if the range were available to her, it helps a new shooter to learn everything first without the confusion of the explosions going off all around and trying to hear instruction through ear muffs+plugs. Then later just add ammo (at the range of course). To an extent you can even check her trigger control by watching for front sight movement towards the end of the break. One drill I've heard/tried is to balance a quarter/penny/dime on the front sight and dry fire without it falling. (except the front post on my revolver is massive so it's not very hard)
It can be a fun time together. Even though I had been shooting quite a while I went to a short NRA pistol course (just a few hours long) with my wife and we had a good time. (well, I did for sure)
That's just about everything I can think of.
Our latest house is not the most secure (a lot of windows/doors) but the previous owner did put in motion-sensitive outdoor lights all around and a solid wood front door. I wouldn't know how to install those myself (yet). So my contribution has been battery powered devices from Walmart. I found these cheap (but useful) door/window alarms that go off when the magnetic portion of it is separated from the main body. I put them on our most vulnerable windows, and set some to ring a friendly but loud chime on all of our doors that lead to the outside. Also from Walmart (or was it lowe's?) I found some sliding locks that were easy to install. It took a tiny bit of getting used to but now my wife and I are accustomed to sliding the bolts closed/open every morning. Those went on the front door and the bedroom (also our fall back room). If it came to a chain vs. a decent sliding bolt, I'd choose a bolt. The sliding bolt is closed at the same time the doorknob is engaged which would combine their strengths or at least overlap a bit better. That is unless the knob is turned (but ours is kept locked) - and even then that would mean whoever is battering the door would have to keep one hand on the doorknob which would limit momentum. With a chain a potential habit would be to open the door for everyone and only have the chain as protection. Or if the door were being pushed/battered, the doorknob would fail and then the chain would have to work alone. A sliding bolt directly into the floor is typically stronger than one that engages a metal loop screwed into the door frame. I wasn't able to do that with my sliding bolt (metal plate was in the way) but it's easy to engage/disengage with a foot before going out. But yes, these just buy time. Maybe that rubber door stop isn't a bad idea even if you do other things as it would engage if the door were still to open and buy you even more time. (these ideas of course or just in theory, who knows how it will pan out in real life)
This is just an opinion, but I still feel it's better to speak through the door for the first part of a greeting if anything is in question. It's only as rude your voice is - no more so than speaking through an intercom at an apartment complex. Doors aren't soundproof - they can probably hear you just fine. Any family/friend probably wouldn't mind, and they already have your phone number and wouldn't have a problem identifying themselves. If it's a friend you next fling the door open wide and it's all smiles. But if it's a stranger the closed door gives you time - to think, be mentally prepared and make a decision. Even if it's just to say "sorry I think I'll pass on the Super Concentrated Enzymatic Cleaner today (for $80 cash), but thanks and good luck!"
The habit of flinging the door open first thing (some still choose to because of odds or they're armed) - puts you behind the curve as you'll have to identify who it is/isn't and what's going on, and then decide what to do. And if they can see you they know exactly who/where/how many you are and what you've got.Think of it like being able to screen phone calls with caller ID - same principle and enjoyed by many. But with a more serious second function too.
I was going to suggest roleplaying but that might feel a bit too condescending. A milder version would be to ask her to help you with an experiment - something like:you're curious to see how well people can hear from outside the front door. Start a back-and-forth conversation about something as you go outside and while still talking shut the door and continue the conversation with her. She'll at least have had an exposure.
It sounds like you have a Beretta handgun already.
If that's true you can purchase snaps caps and get her started practicing safe gun handling, function, loading/unloading, and dry firing (and safety again). Even malfunction drills. She can pretty much learn everything short of experiencing the recoil/blast, looking at the groups to verify good sight picture, and re-acquiring the target. You may have already started on this. But even if the range were available to her, it helps a new shooter to learn everything first without the confusion of the explosions going off all around and trying to hear instruction through ear muffs+plugs. Then later just add ammo (at the range of course). To an extent you can even check her trigger control by watching for front sight movement towards the end of the break. One drill I've heard/tried is to balance a quarter/penny/dime on the front sight and dry fire without it falling. (except the front post on my revolver is massive so it's not very hard)
It can be a fun time together. Even though I had been shooting quite a while I went to a short NRA pistol course (just a few hours long) with my wife and we had a good time. (well, I did for sure
)That's just about everything I can think of.
Justice06RR
New member
Please NO KNIVES for HD unless she has had proper training with them.
As we all know knives are mostly short-range weapons and can be hard to use for an amateur/inexperienced person. it should be used as a last resort IMO, either if you run out of ammo or just don't have a firearm.
Plenty of good advice already given. Install heavy-duty door chains on your doors; that should be rather cheap and easy to install. Install 2 of them on each door for added safety and extra time. Also Those rubber door stops that other people suggested may be a good idea too, i've never heard of them but they seem to be a good idea.
If you can squeeze in even 1 or 2 hours a week without the babies then take her to the range or have her take a class of some sort. Then buy a revolver and keep it at home loaded and ready to go, after teaching her how to use it of course
As we all know knives are mostly short-range weapons and can be hard to use for an amateur/inexperienced person. it should be used as a last resort IMO, either if you run out of ammo or just don't have a firearm.
Plenty of good advice already given. Install heavy-duty door chains on your doors; that should be rather cheap and easy to install. Install 2 of them on each door for added safety and extra time. Also Those rubber door stops that other people suggested may be a good idea too, i've never heard of them but they seem to be a good idea.
If you can squeeze in even 1 or 2 hours a week without the babies then take her to the range or have her take a class of some sort. Then buy a revolver and keep it at home loaded and ready to go, after teaching her how to use it of course
Regardless of what kind of firearm you get, make sure she has input on it too. Some women will learn the basics then never touch it again for a year or two. With a semi-auto, that lag time can translate into "which thingie do I have to push first?" Revolvers are simpler, but slower to reload which is an area for practice. And with two young'uns it won't be too long before you'll need to secure any handgun in a secure place.
Re: Opening the door.
I don't know why no one suggested this.. Wireless Intercom
Any intercom system will work - wired or wireless - it depends on how much work you want to do to install one. This allows normal conversation between the occupants and the visitor. It's best if the indoor unit is not very close to the door so you can be safely back from the door while talking.
Combine with a larger wide-angle viewer lens on the front door (one with a cover inside or use a small cork) or an inexpensive video camera that can feed a computer or TV screen.
Re: Opening the door.
I don't know why no one suggested this.. Wireless Intercom
Any intercom system will work - wired or wireless - it depends on how much work you want to do to install one. This allows normal conversation between the occupants and the visitor. It's best if the indoor unit is not very close to the door so you can be safely back from the door while talking.
Combine with a larger wide-angle viewer lens on the front door (one with a cover inside or use a small cork) or an inexpensive video camera that can feed a computer or TV screen.
Shadi Khalil
New member
Do you have an idea how difficult it is to defend yourself with a knife? That right, you don't because you have no training or experience.
The knife idea is awful and the last question is just absurd.
Remember, any door device is only
as strong as the jam of the door,
the floor or anything you attach it to.
If you have a steel door, now you have to
deal with the "pullout force" of the
screws unless its bolted all the way thru.
But there are so many windows, living space and cellar.
The cellar door/bulkhead.
If somebody strong enuff wants to get in
for some reason.
They will.
ps I like the idea of the window alarms and
intercom but also an untrained woman or man
could defend themselves better with 2 tasers,(the intercom
and the window/door alarms ) because they know, they're not lethal but effective.
as strong as the jam of the door,
the floor or anything you attach it to.
If you have a steel door, now you have to
deal with the "pullout force" of the
screws unless its bolted all the way thru.
But there are so many windows, living space and cellar.
The cellar door/bulkhead.
If somebody strong enuff wants to get in
for some reason.
They will.
ps I like the idea of the window alarms and
intercom but also an untrained woman or man
could defend themselves better with 2 tasers,(the intercom
and the window/door alarms ) because they know, they're not lethal but effective.
Last edited:
Pond James Pond
New member
Couple of points:
I did read a post about getting a dog as part of the list of defences in the home. Don't.
Not unless you actually want a dog in the first place.
Dogs are a big expensive, an added responsibility and getting one purely as a biological alarm system is not ethical in my view, unless you are going to give them the care and time they deserve.
If you are prepared to do so, then they are, of course, a great addition to any family...
Meanwhile, there are plenty of man-made alternatives if you are not, many of which have already been mentioned.
As far as I can tell no one has mentioned pepper-spray yet.
Surely, at least in the interim where training is not yet available, that is going to be effective against most people and can be held in in the hand very easily...
Just my 2 €c
I did read a post about getting a dog as part of the list of defences in the home. Don't.
Not unless you actually want a dog in the first place.
Dogs are a big expensive, an added responsibility and getting one purely as a biological alarm system is not ethical in my view, unless you are going to give them the care and time they deserve.
If you are prepared to do so, then they are, of course, a great addition to any family...
Meanwhile, there are plenty of man-made alternatives if you are not, many of which have already been mentioned.
As far as I can tell no one has mentioned pepper-spray yet.
Surely, at least in the interim where training is not yet available, that is going to be effective against most people and can be held in in the hand very easily...
Just my 2 €c
Pond, good point on the dog, but I have much less faith in pepper spray.
Buzzcook, have you ever heard of windows? Or hammers and crowbars? Most homes have the former, and many would-be intruders have the latter.
And sometimes the cops take over 20 minutes to arrive - look at the OK single mom incident last month.
In that same example, she had an infant, plus minimal training with the pistol and none with the shotgun, and he had a hammer (for forcing entry) and a knife.
With regard to training:
A. There have been no significant differences reported in results between states where a CCW requires training, and states where it doesn't;
B. It takes a while to train a good shooter, but it takes maybe an hour to train a safe handler and good-enough-until-time-allows-more-training shooter; and
C. OP, who decided YOU had enough training to handle a gun? If your wife wants familiarization and access, who are you to deny it to her?
Buzzcook, have you ever heard of windows? Or hammers and crowbars? Most homes have the former, and many would-be intruders have the latter.
And sometimes the cops take over 20 minutes to arrive - look at the OK single mom incident last month.
In that same example, she had an infant, plus minimal training with the pistol and none with the shotgun, and he had a hammer (for forcing entry) and a knife.
With regard to training:
A. There have been no significant differences reported in results between states where a CCW requires training, and states where it doesn't;
B. It takes a while to train a good shooter, but it takes maybe an hour to train a safe handler and good-enough-until-time-allows-more-training shooter; and
C. OP, who decided YOU had enough training to handle a gun? If your wife wants familiarization and access, who are you to deny it to her?
Pond James Pond
New member
Mleake: may I ask why?
To my mind, it is much, much easier to use than a gun for the untrained. It will incapacitate someone, unless they are high as a kit on uppers.
By all accounts we also know that such people won't always respond to a gun shot wound, unless it actually kills them, and I think someone is less likely to miss with spray: for one thing you can see where it is going.
It is not absolutely guaranteed, but for me I'm weighing up the likelihood of someone untrained, and under stress, missing with a handgun against the likelihood of someone aggressive being so high they would not feel being sprayed or shot. Then there are the legal ramifications, risk of stray bullets etc.
So, could I ask: Why do you not have faith in spray?
Because of all the documented cases where it has not stopped a person from fighting multiple cops, let alone pressing the attack on a lone female.
Because if it doesn't stop the guy(s), it will really annoy him (them).
Because if the person turns out to have a gun, too, one has brought spray to a gunfight.
Spray is good to have in addition to a gun, for handling lesser threats. It is not a good replacement for a gun.
Edit: A potential example, Pond... I am a trained grappler (wrestling, jujutsu, and aikido). I have been exposed to CS spray in military training. Miserable, and it seriously impairs vision. But, if I get a hand on you, I don't have to see you. I know where you are, and now I am that much more motivated to inflict some damage.
Because if it doesn't stop the guy(s), it will really annoy him (them).
Because if the person turns out to have a gun, too, one has brought spray to a gunfight.
Spray is good to have in addition to a gun, for handling lesser threats. It is not a good replacement for a gun.
Edit: A potential example, Pond... I am a trained grappler (wrestling, jujutsu, and aikido). I have been exposed to CS spray in military training. Miserable, and it seriously impairs vision. But, if I get a hand on you, I don't have to see you. I know where you are, and now I am that much more motivated to inflict some damage.
hangglider
Moderator
What about tasers?
I have faith in engineering.
There is a tendency in threads such as these to impute to the bad guys special powers and or to equip them with all the tools necessary to do anything they want.
Don't you folks realize that people have been working for thousands of years to develop doors that can resist just the kinds of attacks you describe.
Google security doors. There are doors that you could attack with a sledge hammer all day long without breaking through.
"Oh wait..what if the bad guy has a bulldozer". Geez
If your wife uses pepper spray on someone pushing their way into the house, you can be assured that she will suffer the effects as well, not to mention the two babies in the house. Pepper spray has some applications in police work ie crowd control or a barricaded BG, but I don't see it having much utility in SD situations.