Carry enough gun. Even at home.

[VMI77]

I've got cameras all over my property so the only one taking a ride in a police car will be gun-hater.

That's a good setup I wish I had myself. I'm assuming all cameras are logged on a central device? What system do you use for archiving the recordings? Typically, if something happens, how far can you look back?

[tw texas]

I have been at home for 15 months semi retired. my house has been broken into 3 times in the last 25 years so i also carry my XD9MM. Last time i have secured the front door where nobody would be able to kick it in. Now the rest of the story. Three weeks ago i heard a slight knock followed by 1 door bell ring at 11:00 A:M on a thursday.
I have two plate windows on either side of the door with large blinds that i can see out but a person can't see in. I could see a man that by my judjment would fit a description of a burglar. I stepped into the hall were i could still watch the window and door. He rang again. About 2 minutes later he rang again then start to try to see thru the windows. I know he wasn't looking for a lost dog. I finaly decided he was fixing to try to enter. I didnt' really want to have to shoot but my adrenaline was pumping. What i decided to do was to just keep him outside so the next time he put his face to the window i parted the blinds so he could see me as i told him to get out of here. After i yelled again he turned and ran. I reported to HOA local LEO. was told we were having a high burglary rate in our neighbor hood. I was ready to do what was necessary but glad it did not come to that.
Stay on guard

[tbrown]

Kyser Miree. Vanderbilt University graduate. Engineer at Chevron. Robbery victim. Executed because he didn't resist.

In related news, it looks like Lee is a chip off the old block.

Kyser Miree's killer was sentenced today. There's speculation the judge will upgrade it to death penalty.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47896324/ns ... chael-lee/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Excaliber]

I have been at home for 15 months semi retired. my house has been broken into 3 times in the last 25 years so i also carry my XD9MM. Last time i have secured the front door where nobody would be able to kick it in. Now the rest of the story. Three weeks ago i heard a slight knock followed by 1 door bell ring at 11:00 A:M on a thursday.
I have two plate windows on either side of the door with large blinds that i can see out but a person can't see in. I could see a man that by my judjment would fit a description of a burglar. I stepped into the hall were i could still watch the window and door. He rang again. About 2 minutes later he rang again then start to try to see thru the windows. I know he wasn't looking for a lost dog. I finaly decided he was fixing to try to enter. I didnt' really want to have to shoot but my adrenaline was pumping. What i decided to do was to just keep him outside so the next time he put his face to the window i parted the blinds so he could see me as i told him to get out of here. After i yelled again he turned and ran. I reported to HOA local LEO. was told we were having a high burglary rate in our neighbor hood. I was ready to do what was necessary but glad it did not come to that.
Stay on guard

Unfortunately it sounds like you let a great opportunity to have him identified and possibly arrested for other crimes on the basis of evidence recovered from those scenes or in his possession at the time of your incident slip away.

If you had called the police and stayed on the line while he prowled around your home, they most likely would have arrived in time to make hi the star of his very own interview show.

[Beiruty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-aHcvLSggI

This is what I installed.

How about the windows? How do you armor the windows?

[johnson0317]

Unfortunately it sounds like you let a great opportunity to have him identified and possibly arrested for other crimes on the basis of evidence recovered from those scenes or in his possession at the time of your incident slip away.

If you had called the police and stayed on the line while he prowled around your home, they most likely would have arrived in time to make hi the star of his very own interview show.

I am not sure that would have been the best solution either. One modus operandi of burgulars is to ring the bell and knock on the door to see if someone answers. When they do not, they slip around the back and break in there. Here is the problem with that...then you have a guy in your house you may have to shoot. I would have let him know I was home sooner, and tried to get a decent description of him for the police. How bad would you feel having killed a guy you might well have stopped before things went bad?

You can talk big all you want about what is going to happen to someone who invades your castle, but you have to live with it too. I would want to be sure I prevented it if I could have. If I try, and he busts in, then I think I will sleep a whole lot better at night knowing he made the move that resulted in his death.

RJ

[Excaliber]

Unfortunately it sounds like you let a great opportunity to have him identified and possibly arrested for other crimes on the basis of evidence recovered from those scenes or in his possession at the time of your incident slip away.

If you had called the police and stayed on the line while he prowled around your home, they most likely would have arrived in time to make hi the star of his very own interview show.

I am not sure that would have been the best solution either. One modus operandi of burgulars is to ring the bell and knock on the door to see if someone answers. When they do not, they slip around the back and break in there. Here is the problem with that...then you have a guy in your house you may have to shoot. I would have let him know I was home sooner, and tried to get a decent description of him for the police. How bad would you feel having killed a guy you might well have stopped before things went bad?

You can talk big all you want about what is going to happen to someone who invades your castle, but you have to live with it too. I would want to be sure I prevented it if I could have. If I try, and he busts in, then I think I will sleep a whole lot better at night knowing he made the move that resulted in his death.

RJ

I see your line of reasoning and that's a fair point as well.

Most burglars make a quick attempt to see if anyone's home and then get right to the breakin part.

From your account, it sounds like the actor in your case was having trouble making up his mind to go ahead and provided an opportunity to use that time to have him intercepted.

I realize I'm looking at that through my LEO background. The way you handled it was by definition fine because it had a wholly successful outcome - your home was not broken into and you didn't have to use deadly force.

[kjolly]

Alarmed 24/7. Do not have any trust in the alarm company only serves as warning that someone is coming in.
all guns fully loaded with one in the chamber and safety off.
Living room 9mm
Bedroom 9mm
Office 9mm carbine
Bedroom 410 shotgun
Truck 9mm

no childern in the house and rarely invited vistors.
This being said I would perfer helping a thief load the TV in his truck than taking a life however as bad as things have gotten you cannot know their intentions. you have to assume the worst.

[NEB]

With a toddler running around the house, I've had to think about this, and will have to continually re-evaluate to make sure he doesn't have access. At night, I keep a 4" .45 1911 with 100 lumen light within 18 inches of my hand when in bed, all doors locked, shutters closed, alarm on. There is a 20 gauge (so the wife isn't afraid to shoot it) loaded with buck/slug alternating on the top shelf of the closet. During the day, when I get home, I either stay heeled or disarm to our high kitchen island which is inaccessible to our little fella. It's 5 seconds max to be armed from anywhere in the house. All doors stay locked when we're at home.

My biggest contemplation has been what to do at night if the alarm goes off. I have the zones memorized so a quick glance at the panel can tell me where to expect problems. However, our son's room is across the house, and you have to pass through an area that opens into the wide open living room/kitchen to access his room. The options I have considered at this point are:

-Grab gun, race to son's room, grab him, race back to bedroom to make a stand while wife calls 911. Avoid contact unless directly confronted.

-Grab gun, systematically clear house, leaving son in his room while wife calls 911.

If I didn't have my boy to worry about, I would call 911, and conceal myself behind the bed with my wife with a lot of firepower trained at the one door into our bedroom. However, staying put cannot happen with my son potentially in danger, so I would be forced to either run and grab him or try and deal with the invaders first. My only qualms about dealing with the invaders first is that they might somehow get to him first (i.e. break into the extra kids room which is connected via jack/jill bathroom to my son's room) and cause harm or use him as a hostage.

What are your thoughts?

--NEB

[johnson0317]

Just food for thought. Toddlers are amazingly crafty and figure out how to use objects as make-shift ladders while still very young. You may have to be continually re-assessing your plan.

RJ

[NEB]

and will have to continually re-evaluate to make sure he doesn't have access

Yes-sir...I am doing that.

He's only 16 months at this point, and he doesn't yet have the capacities to climb something that he can't get worm his body onto; however, you are right in that they are wily little creatures . As it is, I am always extremely aware of where my firearms are at all times so that he doesn't have access. The kitchen island solution is only temporary, the nightstand gun is only there when I'm in bed next to it, and all other firearms are secured in the safe except for the closet shotgun. As my son gets older, I'll have to even re-evaluate that as well until he has demonstrated safe and conscientious handling and competency with firearms.

[johnson0317]

As my son gets older, I'll have to even re-evaluate that as well until he has demonstrated safe and conscientious handling and competency with firearms.

Those may be the wisest words in the whole thread.

[10001110101]

I always have my XD40SC on me at all times. I have my XD9 in the bedroom loaded and 4 spare magazines ready to go (2 for each weapon). I have a Malamute, but she would go home with the guy that just murdered me rather than defend or alert me. The only thing she has going for her is the fact she looks like a wolf, but Malamutes are poor watchdogs.

Now that I think about it, a shotgun would be a nice addition to home-defense.

[gringo pistolero]

If four criminals burst into your home RIGHT NOW to rob and murder you, what do you have on your person to resist? Does that comfortable .32 or .380 or .38 have what it takes? You don't have to reply but be honest with yourself. The life you save may be your own.

That's a great point. There's a lot of bravado and bragging on the internet but in the comfort of our own homes, we should be honest with ourselves about our skills, our tools, our habits, and our risks.

[johnson0317]

Glock 30 with an extra mag at all times. If clothing permits, KahrPM9 in cargo pants pocket with spare magazine.

I had a dream two nights ago about four or five men trying to break in to my house. Although the setting in my dream was not actually my house, I still knew it was my house. You know how it goes. I managed to get a shot into all of them, and even did a tactical mag change (I promise!). The only thing that bothered me after it was over was that these "men" were probably all in their 70's, and mostly naked. Not sure if I accidentally stumbled into a steam club in Brooklyn, or what. Strange.

RJ