When things go BUMP in the night. What kind of person are you?

B

bu-bye

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I have spent much time at this site and other gun sites reading past and present posts and have noticed three kinds of people. There are those that will rack a shotgun very loud in hopes to scare the stuffing out of the intruder. There are those that see the element of surprise the key advantage and make sure they see the BG before they make them selves known. And the last class is just protecting the door to your room waiting for them to leave. What class do you fall under? Do you want the BG to hear your 12g and your anouncement that the cops are on their way....or do you try to get the drop on the BG ending things with "freaze or I will shoot"....or are you the kind to just wait in your locked room with gun in hand letting them take what they want and leave?

I seem to feel I would tell my wife to call 911 very quitly while I made my way slowly around each corner. To some this seems crazy and stupid but making myself known just gives me a chill and I know that if the guy (or girl to be PC) had a weapon he or she would be getting ready to use it now. But, if I see the BG with my TV in both hands I know that there is little chance for him to have a gun in hand ready to shoot. Once I see the first guy I just site back and wait to see if there is a second guy coming back from the car. Just sitting and watching and listening. Not knowing the full situation can be more dangerous. I also have kids in cribs in other rooms of the house. Protecting just my bedroom door is not an option.


Now lets not have any flames here please. I feel this is how I would handle things. My logic comes from history. All through out history we see that getting the drop on your enemy wins battles.

So lets hear what kind of person you are.
 
I would:
#1-- protect my family and my self by ANY means possible. Material things can and will be replaced.
#2-- notify the police.

I've read the threads also with the comic book hero's saying that they would do this and that.... A man's got to know his limitations, Clint said it right!

I would not want to imagine the legal ramifications for a civilian shooting, justified or not. Be that as it may, I defend my family to the end.

Best burglar alarm in the world is a dog! You know he just wants to lick your face and play, but B&E Johnny aint thinking 'bout that when your 100lb pooch sounds off in an alert bark at 2 in the morn...!

Good topic BU-bye!!
Chris~
 
i'm a combination of 2 parts...for one, i sit back quietly for a few minutes, trying to determine what i heard, and if i keep hearing it. then i slowly make my way around the place.
i keep a pen-laser around the house, works great in the dark, and would also be very useful in case of fire, better than a flashlight in a smoky room, imho.
 
Geez, if I actually heard something? I mean, there've been plenty of nights when Mrs. W has 'heard' something, and wakes me up, and I listen to the cats sleeping for a few seconds, and then get up and walk through the house to reassure her (she also regularly wakes me up with dreams she's choking on inexplicable objects such as a handful of tacks or a patch of carpet. Gotta love her).

But if I *actually* had cause to think there was someone in the house? I don't even know if I've ever thought that through. I spose I'd get up, reach up to the shelf where my house-gun is (G17, so no dramatic noises to make with it), and edge out of the room real quietly. Yeah, my instinct would be to want to see what's up before I announce my presence. Criminy, it's awful to think about having to make instantaneous decisions about what's happening and how to react. I can imagine getting really jumpy on the trigger in the close quarters of the living room--I don't wanna lose my advantage by letting him/them actually get on me, at least not without being diligently perforated first. Sure as Hell hope it never happens--but I'm glad you asked. Good to think about, and I look forward to hearing people's thoughts.

cw
 
Protect the family at all costs! I have to do this drill monthly it seems. The Mrs. sleeps very lightly and is always waking me to investigate a "noise downstairs". I rack the .45, grab a MagLite(un-lit) and begin the "tip-toe routine".
We've discuused where to stand behind the bed (as a barrier) if someone's trying to break into the bedroom (when I'm out of town).

Failing to plan is planning to fail! (yet another saying by my old High School Coach).


Lexter

PS- I pray to God that I never have to defend my home/family against a Bad Guy.
 
Sounds like many of us are in the same boat. The Mrs. wakes us up and says "I heard something downstairs!" and we have to do something about it or we`ll never get any sleep. I do the ol grab the Maglight/impact weapon and pistol and tip toe around the house listening for every creak and movement thing just like you guys. :rolleyes: In a perfect world you`d know the BG was down there and barricade the bedroom while you dialed 911 etc. But in reality if you did that the cops would get tired of the wuss who was always "calling wolf" in about a month. Come to think of it in a perfect world there wouldn`t be anyone breaking into your house anyway! :p Marcus
 
Of those three I'd most likely be in the group that "make sure they see the BG before they make them selves known". But even more likely is that I'd sleep through the whole incident.
 
If I am rather confident that someone is in our home, my first and foremost thought is to insure the safety of my wife and then myself. If she lost me I know how her life would be and if I lost her......., just don't like thinking about.

So, I would not light off a maglight or flashlight announcing my position. I would have the Mrs. call 911 and would take a tactical positon within our bedroom to defend both of us. I will not shoot to protect material items. I made that promise to myself a long time ago and will stay with it.

I will not go rooting around corners looking for an intruder. It is too easy to get nailed. Sometimes having a small home is an advantage.

What ever any of you decided to do, please protect yourself as well as your loved ones as they would have a hard time without you.

Become a great witness and Stay safe.
 
I would follow the sound of the screaming as my two big dogs jumped all over whoever it was in my house where they don't belong.
 
Let's see I was a, how do you say, TERRIFIED type of person. Did not do the GSC "rack the shotgun and become a target" drill because the shotgun is loaded. I got behind cover, identified my target, and called for help.

The study of tactics is more art than science. I don't know if there is a stock answer as each situation is different. Making noise may scare them away, maybe not. If not you have just told them where you be and BGs don't have to follow Rule #4. Thus, Iraqi offhand may be just fine for them.

Study and education will help you decide for your situation. A lot of luck helps too.;)
 
For a while, my wie is the kind of person who would bolt out of bed willy-nilly yelling for me to get the gun an looking for the phone. In time, I've calmed her down. Now, when one of us hears a noise, we make sure the other is awake with a quiet nudge or whisper and we take a few seconds to gather our thoughts without moving to determine what we're listening to. Then, if anything is needed, she gets on the phone (cell or cordless) while I simply make sure that nothing comes down the hallway where all of our bedrooms are. That way, I know the family is safe and the police are called. Hell, they can take anything they want from the front of the house, but they're not coming back where my family is. That's where I draw the line.
 
This would've made a great poll

I would roll quietly off the bed, reach for the flashlight and the ready-to-roll 12-guage under the bed, crawl to the bedroom door and listen. Carefully. If all's quiet, then do the housecheck. If the bumps keep bumping, locate where it's coming from approach cautiously, then act/react if need be. Scary stuff to think about. But oh so necessary.
 
If I know someone is in the house, then I am all for bugging out as best as possible without being detected. For potential life and death situations, no being there is a good idea, or rather, be where the bad guys aren't. Being confined within the walls of my domicile with bad guys is not idea.

Unlike KSFreeman, I have little actual cover within my home. Thus, locking my family and me in a bedroom probably isn't the greatest of ideas as nothing will prevent the bad guys from shooting through the walls and getting lucky.

If we can't vacate, then I would prefer the first notice to the bad guys that someone is home is the first shot of 00 Buck into the closest bad guy.

The wife and I each have specific duties and we each know what the other is supposed to be doing. Additionally, we have a set of known and agreed upon places to meet if we do vacate and have to do it individually and not as a team. We also have a set of voice commands (very limited) for certain locations and for individual identification (aka passwords) beyond, "Honey, it's me!" "Honey, it's me!" actually means I am screwed and am not in control of my situation (such as if I have been taken hostage) and so she will know that whatever I say next is under duress and that she is not to follow any coaxing I may try to get her out of her location. If either spouse is being held hostage, we have agreed that the free spouse is NOT to give up his/her guns. One armed and one held hostage is infinity worse than none armed and both held hostage.

Lexter, unless you have a water bed with heavy wood supports or some other shielding, behind the bed probably does not represent actual cover for your wife.
 
HOOO--YA JOHN K.!!!!!!!!!!!! Let 'em at 'em!!!
There aint nuthin' an angry set of teeth aint biting!!!!!


God bless a dog!
 
Grab the Mossberg 500.
Take a defensive position.
Call 911
Wait. (My dog's a Golden Retriever, so he's still asleep)
If necessary, initiate body disassembly procedure by kinetic energy.
 
one, my outside doors open outward. hard to crash them in.

two, if the lock is picked quietly, there is a shelf above the doors with a line attached and a double stack of empty pop cans on it. open the door, string pulls simple prop under shelf. ever hear a dozen empty pop cans drop six and a half feet? a simple burglar would depart at this commotion. "honey, did you remember to hook the strings".

three, the woman's Rottweiller sleeps on the floor beside her. that dog sounds like someone taught a lion to bark.

four, woman slides to floor behind the waterbed and aims her handgun du jour at the door.

five, i try to go back to sleep. the situation is under control.



.
 
I don't sleep at night. Take right now for instance It's 3:30 am and I am in my living room typing this post. So in my case it is unlikly the burglar will get all the way into the house before he is looking down the barrel of a gun. I also have two dogs who will hear anything I don't. For someone to get into my house without me or the dogs knowing, they would have to be very quiet. I realy on the dogs to alert me during the day while I sleep. I would never make myself known until I was in a position to shoot. I don't see any good reason to let a BG know whats comming.
 
Dog would react first, she's faster and a damn site meaner than I am. I take the maglight and the Steven's 12ga from my corner and go to see what she is chewing on. The Wife takes her maglight and .38 snubby to the lateral corner to call sheriff. Teenage son is upstairs, you have to open a trap door to get into his room. If by some act of God he actually wakes up he secures the trap door. No one moves but myself until I give the all clear. My stuff is MY STUFF, I work hard to get it. You want stuff, get a job and buy your own stuff. Besides, my dog is out there and they might hurt the delicate little thing. Then I'd get really mad.
 
Greting's All,

If things go BUMP in the middle of the night, I'm
wide awake, attentive, aware of my surroundings,
and ready for action. Armed with a "multiple choice"
selection of firearm's!:eek: :cool: :D

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
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