Should you carry your pistol at home?

I agree with the spirit of what Manta is saying.... there is a certain seriousness of mind that goes along with wearing a loaded firearm. It does not share the same universe with the cognitive attention given to wearing a seatbelt. Many people refer to it as being "on".. and I subscribe to that way of putting it. My home is where I get away from all that jazz and although I maintain a certain level of alertness, I am not [on] and I wont live that way at home. If a person wants to Rambo up while making a BLT in his kitchen.. have at it but we are just different kinds of people. Although I have carried a firearm for many decades and I am armed more often than not.. I have no desire to carry a gun. I do not carry out of desire, I only carry out of what I see as practical need. I think a lot of what we see in these kinds of discussions is a person constructing an argument based on what they simply want to do.
 
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Being on is not necessarily a bad thing. Lots of people amble through life with less experience than a cat. Like I said on another thread, a person's yard caught fire, and my wife and I saw it and put it out, the homeowner slept through the sound of the fire truck.

The major lightning strike happened while we were out of the home. We saw it, I did some rough calculations of angle and distance and said to my wife, "holy whatever, dear, that might have been our block!"

We got home and the house was full of smoke. How many people have the awareness to pick up on something like that? We were about four miles away, but the lines and distance were clearly understood. Seriously, how many people would have even thought to ask that question?
 
FireForged how "on" do I have to be to have a loaded, holstered 380 in my pocket or a compact 9 holstered AIWB? Is that Ramboing up? I don't give it a second thought most of the time while at home. You choose not to carry at home. Good for you. Yes, I have made a conscious decision to carry at home. Since it is not a necessity, I suppose you're right that I want to. I want to for all the reasons I've listed. Condemning someone for making that choice doesn't make any sense to me.
 
I would never condemn a person for carrying a firearm, I am simply critical of a person deciding to work the problem backwards if they are concerned with someone getting into their home. If you don't want people suddenly appearing inside your home then take steps to keep them out or at least significantly delay them. As I said in my first post, if a person can enter your home in 5-10-20-30 seconds, you have already failed to a large degree.
 
Fireforged has a point in this. I don't care if you carry in your home. I don't find it necessary and believe the reasoning can be articulated. Your welcome to your own judgement
 
Whether I have hardened my house sufficiently to withstand an aggressive attack or not, there are plenty of times when we are in and out of the house taking care of things. When the grandkids are here, they are constantly running in and out playing as children will. Living where I do, I am probably more concerned with dogs than thugs or zombies, but having made the decision to always carry at home, I don't have to worry about not having a gun if one is needed. That decision doesn't negatively impact me or anyone else, and I think it is a practical choice. Now to quote Forest, Forest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
 
Things would be bad if i felt that threatened i needed to walk around the house carrying a firearm.
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My "home" is 40 acres, and my "threats" are more likely to be animals rather than human.

By carrying a gun all the time, I'm prepared for either type without "feeling threatened" by anything at all.

The last "threat" I shot was the Fox that had been killing my chickens, and I wouldn't have gotten her if I had to go to my safe first to get my gun

People like to imagine narrowly constructed scenarios (like "hordes of armed invaders"), trying to imply that's the only real danger, when there are many other reasons having a gun on you at all times simply makes good sense.

It's not always about "paranoia"
It's about preparation.
 
If all I need is 5-10 seconds to reach my shotgun (or pistol),
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That a life time in a home invasion and you likely won't make it. Get a 380 KelTec or Ruger or a snub 38 and learn to pocket carry at home . A shotgun or pistol in closet When need NOW . Is just something else to loose in a home invasion .

I need sheriff while back 45 mins Drunk People causing trouble on my property. I live in country. By time they arrived they had moved on I gave them lic number . My Sheriff Dept has 11 people 6 work in court house
1 in office Leave 3 + Sherriff for patrol 24/7 . Thank less job they have.
 
Here's a question to those who think they can get to their firearm in 5 seconds. Can you really do that from the backyard, driveway, or garage? Also, how long do you think it takes to kick in a door? Heck, I have a brace bar on my doors and I still think it will only take no more than 10 seconds to kick it in.

Like I'd said in my earlier post in this thread - people should do what they are comfortable with.
 
If i received one of these threat notices", known as PM1 i would reconsider my security, because there was a creditable threat. At this time i am sitting in the house door unlocked guns in safe i feel perfectly safe. The tough of being constantly armed and on alert is not the way i choose to live. PS Stray dogs are not an issue here.

More people go armed as Ulster dissident threat grows
Violent paramilitary opposition to the Northern Ireland peace agreement is at its fiercest for 10 years, investigation reveals An estimated 500 "threat notices", known as PM1 forms, were issued last year by police to individuals under threat from terrorists, according to a police source.
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As the OP of this thread, it's time for me to chime in again. Overall, there have been many excellent ideas and suggestions posted in this thread.

My favorite is that it makes little sense to defend your household with guns if you do not have your doors and windows reasonably secured first. Absolutely, I agree. First things first, and I am now considering replacing my doors with stronger, reinforced ones. (My window are reasonably secure).

Also, it makes more sense to me to carry a loaded pistol on my person around the house than it does to leave loaded guns in every room. As FireForged pointed out, "Common sense dictates that a person can more easily control less material in less space than they can more material in a greater space." Bravo.

Several members, such as K_Mac, carry their guns with them at home, which I think is fine and there are many valid reasons to do so. But as I pointed out originally, I am not comfortable doing so (and neither are the other members of my household). However, every member of my household, including me, is comfortable carrying pepper spray (or gel or foam).

The latter is why I started this thread in the first place.

One last thing: michael_t misquoted me and mislead this forum with his post #129. While I agree with him that 5-10 seconds is a lifetime in a home invasion encounter, my statement was contingent on the idea that I have a cannister of pepper spray on my person -- and by using pepper spray, I can buy the time I would need to acquire the firearms I might need. michael_t completely left that part out when he quoted me.
 
May I ask if you have ever deployed pepper spray in an enclosed area?
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I brought that up earlier. I used it once on a dog with a very bad attitude on my porch. I had the door open and enough wafted into the house that my wife and I about choked to death before we could get rid of it. I am told that foam is better for inside use, but is much harder to hit your target. I carry pepper spray most of the time, but I am not using it in my house unless it is a last resort, knowing it may do more harm than good.
 
That a life time in a home invasion and you likely won't make it
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How do you make that determination having no idea what the circumstances are or how my home is constructed?

If my doors were left standing wide open, a person could not get to me sitting in my easy chair in 5 seconds. If they had no barriers to breach, knew where they were going and did so at a full run, they might make it to me in 10. It takes me 8 seconds at a full run to get out of the house and that is running down stairs and no locked doors.

I would like to here how I am not "likely" to be able to arm myself at the onset of a home invasion with people who don't know where I am, have never been in my home, have to breach at least 2 doors(maybe 3) then defeat (2) 90 pound dogs. I can casually arm myself at a walk, in 5 seconds. I doubt a home invader is going to swing into my den on the second floor through 2 panes of glass.
 
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I can casually arm myself at a walk, in 5 seconds. I doubt a home invader is going to swing into my den on the second floor through 2 panes of glass.
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That's one of those narrowly constructed scenarios I mentioned.

You're implying you'll always be upstairs with your doors locked when in reality people go in and out of their houses at various times, and are in different rooms doing different things.

Many spend a lot of time in the yard with no doors to slow anyone down, and no gun "5 seconds away".

There is no one correct answer, and there are no places truly "safe" all the time
 
a "home invasion" suggests that I am inside my home. Its not a home invasion if I am in the driveway shooting hoops.

My home is the common layout all over the South East. Maybe what you are envisioning is a hollow core door on a 500 square foot studio apartment. That is what I would call a narrowly constructed scenario.
 
I don't normally carry my gun in my home is not the same as in my yard. If I am in my home the doors are locked and bolted
 
K_Mac, you've been a key contributor to this thread and I appreciate your input and respect your experience, but I have to ask for clarification on something you said in your last post.

You said you would only use pepper spray in your house as a last resort, citing that you and your wife nearly choked to death after spraying a belligerent dog.

So here is what I ask for clarification: would you rather have shot the dog? Or moreover, if it was a human being instead of a dog, would you rather shoot or spray the perpetrator, even though spraying means you and your wife might feel discomfort?

Please clarify.
 
Pep, that is a good question. If I had the incident with the dog to do again I would have used a shovel or broom to get the dog away from the door, closed the door, and then sprayed it to prevent the overspray from entering my house. I did not want to kill the dog, just wanted to let it know it wasn't welcome and I was not going to allow it to be aggressive with me. If the dog had continued its aggression I would have shot it.

A human aggressor threatening me on my porch would be a very different situation. Whether I used pepper spray or a gun would depend. Is he armed? Is he bigger than me? Has he threatened me or mine? Am I afraid of getting a black eye, or in fear of my life?

The problem with spray in an enclosed space with a human attacker is multilayered. First, it may not stop the attack. Second, it will almost certainly reduce your ability to defend yourself. I am not talking about a little discomfort. I am talking about being unable to breath and see well enough to function. Third, it may give a sense of security while not actually giving any.

I carry pepper spray regularly. I think it is a good option in some situations where lethal force can be avoided. If someone is attacking me or my family on my property I am probably not going to use pepper spray. Inside my house I am definitely not using it. I am afraid for me and my family, and I have responsibility for their safety. It is the reason I carry a gun.
 
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