New Guy Sez... Home Def Responses?

C

cyprian

New member
So if something goes bumpity-smash in the MOTN, how do you store and access your "response tools"? Other than a gun, and what kind of gun is always interesting too, what else do you take? A light? A stick? A first aid kit? Cookies?

I'm thinking of fortifying my bedrooms with steel studs and ballistic blankets in the walls (next house, though!) And I'd think I'd need some kind of bedside safe.

I'm just throwing this out there. I can't afford a gun yet. I'm leaning toward the Wesson Pointman 10mm. Dunno though. It's expensive and I do like me some Glocks. Jes' seein what other people think.
 
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Our first line of defense has always been our Dobermans.

They'll hear and sense things long before we ever will, and we've learned to trust their ears and senses as an early first warning.

I'm thinking of fortifying my bedrooms with steel studs and ballistic blankets in the walls (next house, though!) And I'd think I'd need some kind of bedside safe.
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First off, if you seriously need this, then what you need is to move to a better neighborhood/city/country/planet. But if you only want this, then go ahead and budget for a black helicopter detector.

If you're simply wondering what constitutes being safe, I'm hear to tell you that it aint' tools--it's mental preparedness. A screwdriver does you know good if you neither know how to use it or are willing to use it. Everyone assumes and/or boasts that they'll use firearms or knives or clubs as a defense tool. Not everyone is able to back up their boasts.

A gun on the nightstand is absolutely useless if the hand is not able or willing to pick it up and use it. And you don't know if you're able or willing unless you take the necessary steps to ensure that you're mentally prepared for both the use of a weapon, and the after-effects of that use.

Jeff
 
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budget for a black helicopter detector
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You mean to say they make those now??? :eek: AWESOME!!!!! Where? ;)


For the bedroom itself, I simply sleep with the bedroom door locked. It's not the sturdiest of components, but until I can get a strong, reinforced door it's the best thing I have. I keep telling myself that if some BG gets into the house, I'll hear that door and hopefully have time to get to the nightstand gun.

OP states that he does like the Glocks. So do I, I've got two of them. G17 is my preferred HD pistol. If I'm going outside for MOTN stuff, I'll take a flashlight. I always exit a door with a working porch light so I can avoid any BG's possibly hiding by the door.
 
LOL. yeah I'll take the $400 option for protecting the 4x4' section of wall behind which I'll crouch down. Clearly (I thought) the last was a joke. I'm not going off on ya but I didn't ask for advice on mental preparedness. It's not a basic training question. That stuff is covered in early adulthood, as well as in a million other threads. What I asked was "How do you store and access your response tools" for when you think you might be invaded. (OK, I'll go with steel studs and 1/4" mild steel, covered in drywall, with fortification/mods that I see fit as I complete the welding in my bedroom :p ).

OK, what I was after was "How do you store and access your guns/accessories" I was asking in earnest, trying to find out from people who have tried different options, what works. Do you use a bedside safe with a touchpad? Or is that a useless turd? Do you keep "it" under your pillow? What is "it"? If it's a gun, what kind? Do you have a light? A tac light? Attached to a rail, or separate? A laser sight? A gas mask?

For followup, do you have a bugout bag? What kind? What works? What's your preferred loadout for it? What's your wish list for it? Finally, What's your criteria for finally bugging out?

I'm grouchy this morning! Apologies in advance but I'm only on my first cup of coffee. I know you mean well, that posting is fun, and the instinct to instruct is necessary for our survival.
 
Oh yeah, thanks

I had to settle down a minute, heh. Thanks Jfrey. We live in a "rural interface" or "RAID" (Rural Area of Intense Development". In other words, a small town! When we moved up here, we never had to lock our doors. Then it became apparent that meth was a problem. A couple years after we moved (from Seattle, puke--I thought I'd never leave Seattle or stop loving it, but now I don't miss it at all) we had a string of burglaries in town, and squatters squatted in my wife's new work building as they were in the process of buying it. This year (a year after all that) a guy was stabbed by home invaders in a drug dispute (the paper said "tools" but come on, we all know). The big employer around here is a clearing house of drug activity. That's the island's dirty little secret. I brought some concerns of mine abt a meth house with a child in it up to the Sheriff-not a deputy, but the actual sheriff during a town hall--but rather than go investigate it, or send a CPS person, or anything reasonable, he and a Lt. tried to talk me into wearing a wire and doing a buy-bust! ISYN.

But I mean, yeah, it's a nice place to live, when you compare that to other places it's nothing. I still want to know what works bec I'm getting paranoid about the direction this country has chosen to take.

So, last week a drunk kid tried to get in our house in the MOTN. It was obvious he was one house away from where he meant to be, but he didn't even knock, he just kept trying the door, so of course we called 911 and I stayed in the back to watch the windows and protect our little sleeping guy. So our dog, who's 85 lbs and who can be very vocal, didn't even bark at all! Bastard. No killer instinct in that dog, but he's cute. I mean, this dog caught a vole, so what does he do? Does he shake it and carry it around? NO! He lets it go! I'm getting a God-damn Malinois.
 
I keep a Kimber with CT grips in a cabinet next to the bed and a surefire next to it. I, for me, don't like the idea of keeping the pistol in a manor that I can grab it without being more awake than not, thats why it's behind a door.
For me I don't like my white light attached to my gun, don't like having to point the gun at someone to see them.
Cell phones on both sides of the bed so either my wife or I can call for help.
Keys are on the night stand so they can be handed out the window to LE if needed.
Solid core bedroom door with metal facings and a dead bolt.
Exterior security doors and window bars.
If someone gets in they can have the house, but the bedroom is mine and my plan is to hold it.
 
MOTN Defenses

This is a fun thread. I'm by no means a defense expert nor does my family live in an "undesirable" area, so our choices are simply that - our choices.

We have a local, reputable home security system, 2 dogs, 60 lb and 80 lb, that bark at unusual noises, cellphones on nightstands and a Taurus Judge in a thumb break holster mounted to the headboard loaded with a variety of stopping options. I enjoy some range time with the Judge, so it's a familiar HD tool. :)
 
Cool

Thanks guys. Oh, how's the Judge? That's a Taurus right? Looks intimidating if, as Chairman Kaga says, memory serves me correctly.
 
Cyprian,

If your dog is cute, loveable but doesn't bark, you need a better watchdog. +1 to TexasSeaRay's idea.

Doberman-Pinscher.jpg


Extremely good watchdogs and protective of their family. Bring them up like a member of the family and you'll get a 70-lb guardian who thinks he's a lap dog. :D Very affectionate and the 5th smartest breed too (though most Dobie owners claim they're #1 in smarts :p).

Step number one is to layer your defenses. Sturdy locks are no good unless the door frames are sturdy too and the lock components use long wood screws. A motion detector light front and rear will help deter prowlers.

If they get in (force them to be noisy about it), never go out of your room looking for trouble - you might find it. You want a good defensible position. The only exception is if other people in other rooms need protection.

Inside the house, in the MOTN, is your house as dark as a coal-mine at midnight? Install night-lights in the bathrooms and in a few strategic places around the house. These will, ideally, provide you with a silhoutte or shadow to detect an intruder's location.

As far as tactical response goes, I keep a snubby .357 near the bed with .38 +P Gold Dots in it. It's backed up by a 9mm with nightsights if I know someone is in the house. A Surefire 6P tac-light is used for TID&A (target id and acquisition).

Fear and adrenaline can tense you up pretty good. We all want to sound intimidating when we yell for someone to get out of our house. Unfortunately, many of us will hear our voices break, so we sound like Don Knotts going through puberty.

Then again, sometimes a few simple signs are enough...
DobieSign28.jpg
 
HA! That is a great sign, Bill. I couldn't agree more about the nightlights. It is your house, and you can have every advantage or disadvantage you plan for.

I keep a loaded P345 beside me, and my carry on a table across the room. Motion sensors inside the house and door open alarms on every door plus open door alarms on all the windows that are hidden from the street. All of this has been prepared with every scenario of MOTN breakin in mind. If I am not home, it is in the cop's hands to respond to my alarm.
 
The Judge - My Observations

http://www.taurususa.com/products/product-details.cfm?id=198&category=Revolver

We have the blued 3" bbl, chambered for 2-1/2" shells. With .45 LC, it's a very manageable revolver, with moderate kick. To me, the recoil isn't sharp like a .40 or .357. I do ok with it out to about 7 yards grouping about 8 inches or less, which is plenty for HD. I've learned to use quality range ammo, though, or the barrel can lead up pretty fast. Maybe that's because I shot it too much!

.410 shells make a much bigger boom than the .45s. I usually shoot #6 shot for practice. As many have said and you'd expect, the shot pattern spreads out fast. To me, the upside is that gives MOTN good coverage for point and shoot. And it's fun to see all those little holes shining through the target! :D

At first, the ribber grip felt too big and cumbersome. I adjusted in the range until I found my fit. Although it's a large, heavy gun, I think it's well balanced and easy to handle.

For me, it's an absolute blast to shoot! :p
 
Home Defense?

I can tell you from experience that bad guys do NOT like houses with dogs. Any kind of medium sized, barking dog will make them hesitate at your door (or window) while alerting you at the same time. They are burglar alarms that - 1) work even when the power is out
and 2) are protective of their home/family.
A phone is you next most important item. Followed by a handy shotgun. (The bad guys are much more afraid of a shotgun than they are a handgun) Whether you have a handgun or shotgun or rifle- it must be safe and handy.
Just remember NOT to shoot if you don't know what you're aiming at! Too many people have shoot family members in the dark!
 
My plan is simple... But not the best. It could and will be improved on in the future but it's better than nothing for now.

My head board on my bed is one those ones that has 3 seperate spaces for stuff... Like books, remotes, what ever. One big rectangular box in the middle, and 2 square boxes on each end. Then stuff on top of the head board, alarm clock, and other "trinkets".

In the middle compartment, I keep my Ruger Mark II 10 shot .22 with a loaded mag in it's snap release holster. I dont keep one in the chamber. My big upright pillow is in front of it (use it for sitting up and watching TV/movies) So I'd have to reach back behind the pillow in to the space, grab the holstered gun, remove it from the holster, chamber a round, and then make sure I know whats going on!
I keep a mag light right there too (actually my mag light is inbetween my mattress and the sides of my bed "used to be a water bed but I put in a mattress" in a vertical position to grab easily) I also have a huge Bowie knife right there by the mag light, and a quick flip out pocket knife on my night stand right next to my bed.
I dont have a lock on my door (that needs to change) my .22 just has black metal iron sights, so that would be bad in the dark. But we have motion detector lights in the front and on one side of our house, but we should really have them at every exterior door.
What I'd like to do is replace my .22 with my S&W 9mm for my out of the safe HD gun, then put on some tritium night sights so I can see my front sight in the dark, or maybe put a surefire flashlight on it's rail. The reason I dont is I live with my parents and they dont yet know about most of my guns. (My grandpa gave me the Ruger .22 so I can keep that out)
There are lots of good things to do to keep you and your house safe.

Having a cell phone by the bed is a good idea, sturdy locked bedroom door is also great, a barking dog, motion detector lights. And like said before, front door keys so you can throw them out the window for the cops to use to come in and clear your house, so they dont have to break the door down.

Also different types of signs out side your house might help (Although I wouldent suggest anything advertising you own firearms) and a relatively open yard is good. Too many trees bushes and stuff in your yard will help a criminal feel safe and give them more confidence to approach your house, knowing that your neighbors wont be as likely to spot them.

AND! you could even leave one or two lights on in your house, maybe a different room every night. and preferably in a room that people cant see into at night, or keep the shades closed, to keep them guessing whether or not someone is inside and awake.

Good luck... You can put up bullet resistant walls if you'd like. But chances are you wont need them unless you go outside your room to investigate, and a shoot out starts and you need to retreat back to your room. If they are at the door of your room, and your waiting inside with your gun, I suppose you could shoot through the door knowing your somewhat protected behind your steel plated wall. But I dont know the legality of shooting people through your bedroom door. I'd guess it would be ok, since they are already in your house. And I've read stories of people doing that. In which case the bad guy got hit and ran away, died or got picked up at the hospital.

All in all, get yourself a pistol or shotgun, practice practice practice. Have a plan. And go as far as you would like with the different types of optional security. Most criminals are easily intimidated and will always find the weakest target. But for those who just dont care, and are out to prove to them selves and others that they are Bad, and ready for anything. Well, just be ready to prove them wrong.

Also, dont stress out about it, and dont forget to enjoy life. Meth addicts are people too:D

I dont have a bug out bag right now. But it couldent hurt

Also, I've never been a fan of keeping my mags loaded, because of the idea that your mag springs will eventually go bad (I should ask Myth busters about that one) But Maybe I'll order a bunch of AK-47 mags that I can keep on hand specifically to keep loaded for "emergencies"
 
Whatever gun you are comfortable with along with a very bright flashlight and a cell phone should be in your bedroom.

I have a small combination lock box with a pistol in it beside my bed. I also have a spare mag there.

If you are concerned about sacking out the springs in your mags, download them by 1 or 2 rounds. That will take a lot of the pressure off of the spring.
 
First a big dog who knows every sound tha should be there. Next motion lights around the house. Streamlight and Surefire flashlights in every room. Loaded Det Spec in quick open safe next to my bed. Cell and landline for 911.
Colt M-4 in closet.
 
another vote on dogs as sentries. German Shepherd and a King Shepherd here. Our King Shepherd is basically a big 150 pound German Shepherd mixed with Malamute on steroids. He is strong as a horse and fast as a running back. "I pity the fool" who comes up against him and his Jumbo German Shepherd brother with me backing them up with my Auto Ordnance Short Barrel M1 Thompson and 30 round stick magazines!.
 
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