Pro's and con's of announcing to an intruder that you're armed

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We have a home defense plan that includes retreat to a position of advantage. If we make it there (there's enough ammo stashed there to conduct a seige), I'm perfectly fine advising the intruders they can help themselves to what little is available to them. They will be advised, however, that if so much as a foot appears in our shooting lane, the barrage begins. Advancing to that point can only mean they intend harm.
 
So when can we get to the part where the poor intruder doesn’t speak English?

How do you say “YOU BETTER GET THE **** OUT!” in Spanish? Portuguese?
 
Pros: none
Cons: giving away position and letting the intruder know that you aren't really wanting to use the weapon. If he's smart he knows where there's a free (probably loaded) gun.
 
Shawn Dodson said:
Every negligent "home defense" shooting of a loved one could have been easily prevented by a verbal challenge.

A verbal challenge helps prevent you from pointing death at somebody you care about in a high stress situation in which fatal mistakes can be made.
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Good point. One that I don't consider since I'm the only human in the house
 
Kleanbore said:
To decide how to best defend, one "weighs options".
That is irrelevant.
There is nothing "passive" about defending oneself with a gun without firing, and that strategy provides a much greater likelihood of still possessing a firearm should it be needed again.
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I guess we are just on opposite sides of the fence with this topic.

J
 
In this scenario, I am reacting and defending- which means that I am losing. I wouldn't do anything that I could avoid to FURTHER compromise my tactical status- such as my presence, my specific location, what I have, noise/light discipline, and so on. The principles of a raid (which is what I am experiencing in this situation) is speed, surprise, and violence of action. I am already behind the power curve and trying to catch up, by exploiting/captalizing on any advantages I can find in order to regain initiative and momentum- with the first task to figure out what is happening in the first place and the best way to work the task at hand.
 
South Prairie Jim said:
No one wants to shoot anybody, but when a man kicks in my door to harm my family I will not give him a second chance.
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Understand that you may use reasonable force to defend yourself and your family, against an attack that is occurring or is about to occur, but you may not do so unless you have reason to believe that is is immediately necessary to do.

I doubt that you have any real appreciation for what doing so can mean to you, even if you prevail in the legal aftermath.

One other thing: should the evidence remaining after the fact cast doubt on your account--for example, should there be any indication that the entry, even if forcible, had been innocent--your having posted that you would intend shoot if faced with an intruder could be used against you with damning effect. We have a sticky in ST&T about that.

I have had a very bad man break the door; another pushed his way in and tried to kill me; another jimmied a lock and entered. They understood the point of a gun. Had I fired, my entire life would have taken a different path, about which I can only wonder.
 
If I were a man, I would yell at them to go away while they're still outside. I doubt BGs would be dissuaded on hearing that from a female voice, I guess I might try to do it in the deepest voice I can manage.

I have no family living with me, so thankfully I don't have to worry about shooting a loved one by mistake.

Somebody at my front door allegedly thinking it's someone else's house can't push open or kick in the steel security door in front of the wooden one. (I have these on all my exterior doors.) I can even open the wooden door to talk to them with no danger of that allowing them to enter.

My house is well hardened. As long as they're outside trying to break through the security film on the glass I'm just waiting, in my defensive position. If they continue until they manage to break it, I think that's a clear indication that they are seriously intent on breaking in, and not for any beneficent purpose. At that point the option of persuasive conversation no longer exists IMO. The good thing is that the first success at breaking through (which takes ~1½ minutes even if they use a gun to accomplish it, longer if they keep trying by other means) does not result in an opening big enough for a person, so I have the advantage. I will add that I am an over-70 under-5-feet woman, so I don't see how allowing them to complete entry would be good idea.
 
Kleanbore said:
Understand that you may use reasonable force to defend yourself and your family, against an attack that is occurring or is about to occur, but you may not do so unless you have reason to believe that is is immediately necessary to do.

I doubt that you have any real appreciation for what doing so can mean to you, even if you prevail in the legal aftermath.

One other thing: should the evidence remaining after the fact cast doubt on your account--for example, should there be any indication that the entry, even if forcible, had been innocent--your having posted that you would intend shoot if faced with an intruder could be used against you with damning effect. We have a sticky in ST&T about that.

I have had a very bad man break the door; another pushed his way in and tried to kill me; another jimmied a lock and entered. They understood the point of a gun. Had I fired, my entire life would have taken a different path, about which I can only wonder.
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You are putting words in my mouth. Shame on you.
im done
 
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Lots of variables here. Watched the video.

First point I'd like to make. Many say if you get involved in a shooting you need a gun lawyer. WRONG! Gun lawyers are for when you live in a restrictive state and the state is trying to deny you your 2A rights. If you're involved in a legitimate shooting you need a good criminal defense lawyer.

Mt situation, no one but.me in the house. I once had someone knock at 3 in the morning, talked.to.them through the door (gun in hand), called.911, and let the police settle it.

If I'm sleeping and there's an intruder in my house I'm probably going to shoot. I'm a 100% disabled veteran. Spent over 30 years in LE. Never had an issue with use of force. But I know I can't roll in the mud and the blood and the beer like I used to
 
If the intruder is not rolling in on me all “John Wick” I’m probably going to speak. I know of several cases where an intoxicated or confused person entered the wrong house or apartment mistakenly.
I know the bought and paid for argument once he’s inside but some actions carry weight.
I want to be right. You do you.
 
A lot of variables.

From a legal perspective, it is best to announce.

As soon as the person starts to make a force entry, it becomes a tactical perspective.
 
First we have to define our terms. The video states "Home Invader" in the title but then they start talking about a burglar.

Regardless of time and place whether I'm in bed or sitting my living room watching TV if somebody kicks down my door and comes in (Home invasion) my first priority is going to be getting ready to fight. If I have time to let them know I'm armed I will if I don't, oh well.

"Manos Arribas you sons-a-beachballs"

If I wake up in the middle of the night and I hear somebody burglaring their way into my house then yeah I'm going to let my wife know to call the police and I'm yell as loud as I can "I'm armed and we're calling the police get out."
 
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Like most cases it seems to me to be very situationally dependent.
Obviously you have to identify the person, if during that identification you see they are armed, I could potentially understand not giving any announcement.

However if you have had decent look and do not immediately see that they are armed, as in hands are empty and no visible weapons, then an announcement while drawn and at ready may easily be the best course of action.

Really, always and never are very, very big words that shouldn’t be lightly used imo, they get thrown around a lot and I genuinely hope people are being somewhat hyperbolic much of the time.
 
old lady new shooter said:
I have no family living with me, so thankfully I don't have to worry about shooting a loved one by mistake.
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Still, be very careful. In a town near where I grew up a cop that lived alone shot and killed his son who was in his 30’s iirc. The son apparently had a gas leak at his house and decided to go to his dads, apparently not wanting to wake his dad he got the hidden key, opened the door and immediately got shot.

Moral of the unfortunately true story, Always identify the target.
 
In 1976 or so I was living in NY’s East Village with a girlfriend.
Back then it was a very high crime area.
Our apartment had a loft bed and I kept a Mossberg 500 loaded but chamber empty.
Late one night someone was trying to jimmy our apartments door open.
I told him numerous times that there were people inside and to go away.
This only encouraged him to jimmy harder.
Finally I picked up the shotgun, chambered a shell and shouted for him to get the F$&$ out of here before I blasted him.
I heard a voice crying, “Oh crap!” followed by feet running downstairs.
Does this qualify as announcing that I was armed?
 
DeepSouth said:
Still, be very careful. In a town near where I grew up a cop that lived alone shot and killed his son who was in his 30’s iirc. The son apparently had a gas leak at his house and decided to go to his dads, apparently not wanting to wake his dad he got the hidden key, opened the door and immediately got shot.

Moral of the unfortunately true story, Always identify the target.
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Tragic story.

I have no children, and also have no relatives at all in the state where I live.
 
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