What is your preferred first line of home defense?

Did anyone read that book - "A Stranger In the Woods" ? It is a tue account of that guy that terrorized the people who lived in cabins around his camp that was hidden in the forest - by breaking into their cabins and stealing food and stuff - and he did this for 18 years!
He claimed (and I believe him) that he never carried a gun or knife during his break ins - he just hoped nobody would be home.
He may have been just a "harmless thief " like he claims, - but he had those cabin owners afraid for their lives because they thought he might kill them while they were sleeping. Some of those cabin owners probably slept with guns by their beds.
In that situation I would have kept a baseball bat by my bed and that is what I keep now.

Dr.Rob said:

A gun is never your first line of defense.

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Very good notion. In most modern countries that have functioning government with law and order people lock their doors and go to bed.

TeaCoffee.Guy said:

Did anyone read that book - "A Stranger In the Woods" ? It is a tue account of that guy that terrorized the people who lived in cabins around his camp that was hidden in the forest - by breaking into their cabins and stealing food and stuff - and he did this for 18 years!
He claimed (and I believe him) that he never carried a gun or knife during his break ins - he just hoped nobody would be home.
He may have been just a "harmless thief " like he claims, - but he had those cabin owners afraid for their lives because they thought he might kill them while they were sleeping. Some of those cabin owners probably slept with guns by their beds.
In that situation I would have kept a baseball bat by my bed and that is what I keep now.

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I was once in an internet discussion with a Brit who had a low opinion of us Americans and our customs. He once asked me, "If someone broke into your house at 2 AM, would you shoot him in the head?"

I replied, "No. I'd aim for center of mass."

And I may add here, "And I wouldn't waste any time checking to see if he had a knife or a gun. He's in my house at 2AM and that's good enough for me."

Dr.Rob said:

Sadly my budget restrictions make that challenging.

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What? Do you mean The High Road Moderators and Staff Members don't get paid all that well?

The first line of defense is to live in a safe environment. Location, location, location....I would spend more to live in a better area. The second line of defense would be a pistol I was comfortable using and practice with often.

Laura

Mastrogiacomo said:

The first line of defense is to live in a safe environment. Location, location, location....I would spend more to live in a better area. The second line of defense would be a pistol I was comfortable using and practice with often.

Laura

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Yes, it's nice to live free ie be safe even if one forgets to lock the doors. There are great schools excellent healthcare with quick help if needed. Reading some of the posts I can honestly say I do not know how they do it. I do not think I could cope with being a prisoner in my own house.

paulsj said:

Yes, it's nice to live free ie be safe even if one forgets to lock the doors. There are great schools excellent healthcare with quick help if needed. Reading some of the posts I can honestly say I do not know how they do it. I do not think I could cope with being a prisoner in my own house.

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I never forgot to lock the doors. Being safe also comes from developing good habits early; always locking the doors, not shopping during evening hours, parking near the store, being alert when walking and not lost in your cellphone, ipod, etc.

Where I live, we never lock our doors.

Of course, Arkansas has a law that says ANY force used by a homeowner to repel an invader is considered reasonable. Just a few months ago, someone forced his way into a home near here and was carried out in a PRH. No charges.

Vern Humphrey said:

Where I live, we never lock our doors.

Of course, Arkansas has a law that says ANY force used by a homeowner to repel an invader is considered reasonable. Just a few months ago, someone forced his way into a home near here and was carried out in a PRH. No charges.

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I'm glad there still people out there living normal lives. Thanks for not bringing up stuff like "perimeter razor wire with empty cans hanging". If I go someplace far out of the way I obtain percise map with directions so I don't get lost where there may not be net service. I would not want to pull into strangers driveway and ask for directions.

A dog and a P-229. I don't lock my vehicle or my doors. Where I live you would get shot pronto by about 50% of my neighbors.

Do you feel lucky?

Outside dogs (plural).

Yes, someone could take them out, but they would have to do so quietly enough not to alert me. Possible, but not likely.

The more uncertainty that can be created in the mind of the intruder the less likely they are to intrude. Once their element of surprise has been lost their chances of success plummet.

When I owned a retail business, people who were interested in starting their own business would ask me, "what's the most important thing you can do to stay in business?" I would always say, "lock the door when you leave at night." I wasn't kidding. What I was really saying was get your priorities straight - security and safety first. Everything else was subordinate to that.

Same at home. It seems like a no brainer, but when your kids are 10 or 11 years old, they can forget even the most basic rules, even if you've been drilling them for years. Wives, too. We keep the doors locked even when we're at home, even during the day. I carry at home, too. Right now I'm wearing a Ruger SR9c and an LCP, and upstairs I have another four handguns easily accessible...and a really wicked looking "sword" that I bought for 12 dollars at BudK Knives. One look at that sword would send most people running

First line of defense? A locked door.

My choice is a .300 blackout SBR with a light mounted. My best defense, however, is my 96 pound German Shepherd. She will let me know when it time to be alert to danger. Without her, I'd be walking around with the damn rifle all the time like I was still in Iraq. I can relax a bit knowing she is on duty.

Pete D. said:

First line of defense? A locked door.

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Yes along with sufficent lighting outside after dark this is very sensible approach.

Those that say, "I never lock my doors, where I live," I always say, why invite trouble? I live in an area where that is somewhat the norm, but NEVER has been for me. Maybe it's just that I am a child of Detroit, but I have ALWAYS, even up here, locked my doors, AND have had security lights, and other means of alarm and protection. The break-ins of late around here, that have been caught, have been mostly performed by, you guessed it, Detroiters, et al, that have been looking for an easy mark, and are willing to go the distance for an easy score. No matter where you live, I suggest locking your doors.

Aside from all the usual safety precautions I live in a small town every one knows everyone's business opsec is key .I have a dog I have a gun on me all the time,ccw so does the wife and so do all the neighbors we watch each other's stuff when out of town and several of us have keys to each other's place so it looks like some one is home . Self policing community is a nice place to be.

I am as pro-Second Amendment as you can get, but my first line of defense is a dog.

Not only because they can bite, but they act as an excellent early warning system. They will alert you to things you have not heard.

A relative of mine once attended a presentation by a reformed cat burglar to a murder-mystery writer's group. He described how he quietly broke into homes and robbed them without waking anyone up. He also said that when he cased the home ahead of time he did not waste his time if they had a dog...

TheSquire said:

I use whatever I have to hand. Our old deaf and near blind sheepdog is no warning / defence any more and my guns are all locked away safely so an intruder can't get them ...

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You might want to consider keeping one handgun near your bed. If you have children you can get fast-action safes that open when they identify your fingerprint.

Vern Humphrey said:

I was once in an internet discussion with a Brit who had a low opinion of us Americans and our customs. He once asked me, "If someone broke into your house at 2 AM, would you shoot him in the head?"

I replied, "No. I'd aim for center of mass."

And I may add here, "And I wouldn't waste any time checking to see if he had a knife or a gun. He's in my house at 2AM and that's good enough for me."

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Yes! Absolutely, I agree with you 100%. If a homeowner is in a fighting situation with a intruder - the homeowner should always use their
weapon with maximum efficency to stop the intruder and protect themselves.
When I read book "A Stranger In the Woods" about that guy breaking into people's cabins at night - it sent a chill right through me.
I can definetly understand why someone who was in their cabin at night and heard an intruder breaking in - would think this person must be
very dangerous.

Flechette said:

You might want to consider keeping one handgun near your bed. If you have children you can get fast-action safes that open when they identify your fingerprint.

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I'd love to but most handguns are illegal here in the UK with a 5 year spell at Her Majesty's pleasure if caught with one!

TeaCoffee.Guy said:

Yes! Absolutely, I agree with you 100%. If a homeowner is in a fighting situation with a intruder - the homeowner should always use their
weapon with maximum efficency to stop the intruder and protect themselves.
When I read book "A Stranger In the Woods" about that guy breaking into people's cabins at night - it sent a chill right through me.
I can definetly understand why someone who was in their cabin at night and heard an intruder breaking in - would think this person must be
very dangerous.

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In UK law I believe the phrase used for self defence in that situation is 'reasonable force'. Depending on the judge, that usually means you will be OK if hitting an intruder with a cricket bat if he is coming towards you, but not if he is running away or on the floor from the previous time you hit him.
Very rarely are intruders shot, (well at least when its reported, which is not the same thng at all!), home-owners are frequenlty but not always released without charge.

TheSquire said:

I'd love to but most handguns are illegal here in the UK with a 5 year spell at Her Majesty's pleasure if caught with one!

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That's the difference between being a subject and a citizen.