Thanks in advance.
ampu
I should add that I don’t know what happened to the other home that the men tried to enter. Both were too close.
Guns simply aren’t that expensive; there should not be a problem having one on each floor. 357 Cop revolvers used at gunshows are about a $250 item, as are the little Saiga rifles with 16” barrels. No criminalin his right mind would want any part of either.
Star here:
1. Put a big bright light over your doors.
2. Don’t open the door if you don’t know who it is.
1) I NEVER answer the door without a handgun on my person.
2) 12 guage shotgun is within easy reach of the door.
A gun won’t hurt, but keep the kids away. I believe I have heard experts say the best preventive is a dog, which you have already.
Your dog is a fine choice for home protection. She’ll hear stuff way before you can, from upstairs or down.
Automatic lights are good, so is a gun - choose carefully, you should get plenty of gun choosing advice in this forum.
We keep a hard-wired phone next to the bed, in case of need when power is out. And a good flashlight. Surefire makes a small, super bright one with long shelf life.
The first thing is to have enough sense not to open the door even just a 'crack'.
Do you have a Home Invasion Plan? Does it include multi- story protection. What else does it include?
And a Freeper certainly shouldn't share any defensive plans over the internet.
I'm never without being within ten feet of a gun in this house.
No, I don't necessarily recommend this course of action to everyone.
Yes, I know how kooky this sounds to people who can't imagine living in such a way.
As the Discovery show “It Takes A Thief” proved, dogs are at best an unreliable form of protection and at worst they will “point out” where your best stuff is for the thief to steal.
In addition, dogs, even trained ones, are easily defeated by an adult male human of average strength who’s thinking. Even unarmed. I’m not going to mention how or why here.
Good firearms aren’t all that expensive, and various different types of security have been invented to keep those weapons secure yet easily accessed by authorized users.
Finally, “armoring” one’s home has become more popular in recent years and no longer means ugly burglar bars on every window - in some cases the only way you know the house is reinforced is by close quarters inspection. The price has accordingly come down, and some insurance companies offer discounts for fortifying your home against burglary. The ability to come home at night, fire up the DVR, and watch some idiot unsucessfully try to break into your house is, I’m told, priceless.
Post #5 has it. Pump action shotguns are inexpensive. Depending on the number of doors, two or more and put’em LOADED and in easy reach. If you’ve got kids, teach’em gun safety (i.e. if you touch these shotguns, and they don’t kill you, then I will). Revolvers for carry on-person (the .357 mentioned is good).
We are a single story household. The only suggestion that I have is to hang a gun in your entry way closet out of sight from kids and nosy guest.
The truth is that most people won't react immediately. It will take a few seconds to come out of a sleep and figure out what is going on, then react to it defensively. I think the best defense is strong doors and stronger locks; such that it takes a few kicks before breaking. Another thing is planting sharp shrubs under windows to discourage them from being breached.
I think the best Home Invasion Plan would be to have good doors and windows, good locks, several video cameras and an intercom. Do not let anyone in, except people you are sure about. (Unfortunately, statistically people you are sure about are the most likely to kill you.)
Owning a firearm is of course a good addition to doors and locks, but in most cases a homeowner is not ready to repel the armed and prepared invaders. It is safer to not let them in, especially considering that not all your family members may be prepared to shoot to kill. If you have a handgun, and the burglar inside has a handgun, then you already lost your major advantage. Battling a burglar on his terms would be unwise, especially if the invaders are drug addicts or otherwise crazy - they may not do what is reasonable.
It is amazing what kind of doors and locks are installed in most houses. Only a most stupid criminal can fail to open those. If you are looking for fun, install a 3” stainless steel door that is sliding into the wall. The door opens into an airlock that is only 4’ deep, and there is another door of the same type on the other end. Both doors never open at the same time. If the walls of your house are similarly strong you can survive a major war inside.
A security adviser told me this list in order of effectiveness:
1. Dog
2. Alarm system
3. Handgun for home defense.
The first two options will send most criminals looking for an easier target, the third option stops the really dumb ones.
Maybe not multi-story, but multilayered, for sure. In Tallahassee, home invasions have risen 33% last year over 2006. My defense lines start with a large "Beware of Dog" sign out front and in back. If the potential home invader is a curious as to what kind of dog and comes in anyway, Dr. Remington 870 is deployed to perform gross surgery. Magazine pin removed, 5 rounds alternating 2/0 buck and a rock salt concoction that I loaded myself.
Does it include multi- story protection. What else does it include?
+++++++++++++++++++++++
I live in a townhouse complex so am close to my neighbors.
I have several pistols, one upstairs, one down. I have pepper spray (foam) canisters very near front and back doors and remote security system devices velcroed on each door to set off alarm manually if the main alarm is not armed when I am home. My alarms are motion detector types so are not generally armed until I go to bed or am out of the house. I also have two battery operated independent alarms seperate from the main system hidden but well placed in the house. All alarms are battery operated so cutting power will not disarm them and access to them is difficult (one is on the 14 foot ceiling (remote operated ) They’ll scream until disarmed remotely.
While I live in a fairly safe area I’m an elderly woman and I don’t take chances and don’t open the door to anyone I don’t know. It’s better safe than sorry.
My neighbors are fully informed of my systems and to call 911 if they hear an alarm that goes for more than 15 seconds.
I have an alarm system now. A fully fenced in yard. A better lit yard. A loaded shot gun by each of my 3 doorways (front, side, and patio). A handgun in my nightstand and in my office desk. I also have reinforced doors with multiple locks on each. I have an outdoor dog and an indoor dog. The outdoor dog is a little mixed breed stray who took up residence here a while ago. The indoor dog is a 4 yo American Pit Bull Terrier. My outdoor dog is very protective and alerts us when he senses something out of the ordinary. My APBT is a watch dog in the sense she would watch someone come in, take our things and watch them leave and wonder why they wouldn't take her for a ride. While I hope to never find out, I often wonder if she'd be protective if the need arose. I believe she would.
As far as dogs go, I fully credit another stray with saving our lives that morning. She just showed up one day in very poor health. We took her in and nursed her back to health and kept her around. She alerted me to and was very aggressive towards the intruder and kept him at bay to the best of her ability. She died in her sleep not too long afterwards. I believe she was sent to us just for that morning.
Where the heck do you people live? Move to any white New England town and you wonn’t have to worry about being invaded ever again.
Even if your state won’t issue you a concealed carry license, you are allowed to carry concealed while you are on your own property almost everywhere.
A license is the best route. If you can’t get one in your state, get a holster from Smart Carry or Thunderwear and routinely wear it, in or out of the house. When you come home put the gun in it. There is no legal penalty for wearing an empty, concealed holster.
Leaving guns hidden all over the house is not nearly as effective as just having one with you, and it reduces the chances of a kid or someone else getting one of your guns to almost nothing.