Am I paranoid or just prepared?

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my personal opinion....worth what your paying for it....

1. Put a hook or slike latch on the screen door. It will cause an intruder to make noise and alert you.

2. Keep the weapon loaded, and either in a holster on your person or in a quick access lock box (I love the gun vault).

Here's my reason why....

Murphey's raiders are out to get you. We all make mistakes, forget things, etc....

The more you handle the weapon on a daily basis (load, unload, chamber, clear chamber, put in hoslter, put in safe, etc....) the more opportunities you have for Murphey to bite your a$$.

Keep it simple! Keep it accessible! Keep it safe! and resist the urge to touch and handle it every 5 min.
 
I thought your story was going to go something like "I checked the weapon later on, and for some strange reason there was a round in the chamber, and I KNOW I DID NOT CHAMBER A ROUND, as I was certain to only have the loaded magazine in the weapon."

Now I'm paranoid!:uhoh:

In all seriousness, and all joking aside, I must say I agree with those who stated that you and your wife are still young. I wasn't even married until I was 23 (or 24?), anyway, it took a good ten years or so for us to be really comfortable with one another's stregnths, weaknesses.

My wife and I have been married coming up on 28 years. :)

My opinion, no you are not paranoid, but just prepared - and rightfully so. I hope your wife gets into shooting your gun a lot more.
 
Wow guys, thanks for all the replies! I read all of them and I appreciate all of the time you took to write well thought out answers. Since this incident happened the other night I have talked with my wife about what happened and I told her that it was my mistake to leave the gun on the couch and not controlled on my person. Here is a list of the mistakes I made:

1. Gun NOT controlled (it was on the couch)
2. Door NOT closed (just crank the AC or lock it instead)
3. Round not chambered

I can easily remedy #1 by carrying the gun in my belt although the only holster I have is an Uncle Mike's sig220/226 Kydex IWB holster that doesn't fit the greatest (anoyne want? lol). #2 can be solved by locking the door. I will fix #3 by getting used to carrying with a round in the chamber and carrying it in a reliable holster at home.

Once again, thank you to everyone who replied. I apprecaite it. :)
 
2) Regardless of a "cleared chamber" you broke the 4 rules with your handling methods. Keep that sucker in a holster. I would have been furious to find that a gun was near my head that whole time.
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Huh?

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it.
Click to expand...

Which one did he violate? He wasn't handling it,so finger was off the trigger, it was loaded, and he knew it, he wasn't pointing it at anything he wasn't willing to destroy (sounded like it was pointing away from people), but on that point, I bet we all point our guns at stuff we don't wanna shoot every day when we set our guns down on the nightstand or the dresser etc.

So please, tell me which of the 4 rules he violated.

FWIW, I don't leave my guns out in the open, because it does make people a bit uncomfortable. Closest thing to in the open is next to my bed, but very few people ever see my bedroom. If I want my gun elsewhere in my apartment, I'll holster and carry it.
 
I'm thinking that the main thing people are having a problem with (other than the usual internet nitpicking), is that he did not have it what some may consider properly secured (sitting on the couch cushion, out in the open).

If he were paying close attention, then I suppose he could say that it was under his strict, physical control. There were three other people in the room, so maybe they think that the presence of others posed too much risk for it to fall into unauthorized hands. I would think it depends on his situational awareness.

I'm guessing that the OP is on a budget (being young and married), but I would recommend using the money saved by keeping the door open and the AC off for buying a holster that fits. It does provide better security, and it's easier than picking up the gun and carrying it with you whenever you get up to leave the room, or just around the room. I used to just keep my gun on the end table when I watched TV (I live alone, so no danger of unauthorized use), but have since found that it's easier to just use a holster. It keeps the gun secure, and allows freedom of movement while keeping my hands free.

If your current holster is too big, you could always use moleskin on the inside to give it a tighter fit. I had to do this with my Blackhawk CQC, because my Glock is a 2nd generation (no rail) and tends to be a little loose in the holster.

Norinco982lover,

You might try signing up at http://www.czforumsite.info/ and asking them were to go for a good, inexpensive holster. I did a quick search there and found this http://czechpistols82792.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/14420
I found a Fobus (I know they are considered the bare minimum, some may even say don't get them) for about $27. That would at least give him something that fits the gun.
 
a Fobus paddle holster would be nearly ideal for carrying around the house.

Real easy to get on and off, comfortable, and you don't have to conceal in the house.
 
Norinco982lover said:
Here is a list of the mistakes I made:

1. Gun NOT controlled (it was on the couch)
2. Door NOT closed (just crank the AC or lock it instead)
3. Round NOT chambered
Click to expand...

ONE MAN'S CAUTION IS ANOTHER MAN'S PARANOIA! It is, however, important to note that real, 'paranoia' is - by it's own intellectual characteristics - always self-destructive.

:confused: How do you determine the gun was, 'not controlled'? The closest safety regulation I can come up with for this is; 'The gun should be under your direct control at all times.' and, correct me if I'm mistaken, but, it was - Was it not!

The door was open - So what? You have a right NOT to live in constant fear inside a, 'locked box'. Criminals are supposed to be locked up all the time, not homeowners! Now, the pistol not having a chambered round is a mistake? What are you talking about?

(I'll be perfectly honest with you: I think you're spending too much time on internet gun forums.) :)

I've been handling weapons for more than 50 years. I don't carry chambered around MY FAMILY because THAT would be disrespectful of their safety. And, before somebody chimes in with the usual internet sophistry; 'If it ain't chambered, it's only a rock!' argument: You be amazed at just how fast and how well I draw and fire a pistol. No matter how I carry, I'm faster and more accurate than, at least, 50% of the people I regularly shoot with.

(This is how I personally justify to myself the hundreds of dollars I spend every month on ammunition.) :D

As far as I'm concerned shooters who fall back on this argument are little more than, 'internet experts'. Anyone who truly knows how to defend himself with a gun is always going to be more dangerous than someone who is only partially skilled and gets all of his strong opinions over the internet; and, I'll just bet ya, has never had to actually defend himself with any sort of weapon in his life.

Perhaps it's time for you to do a reality check? Frankly, I don't see where you did anything wrong; and, I've got a pistol lying on the desk next to me, right now, along with an open and unlocked screen door behind my back! If you want an example of doing, 'something wrong' well ..... that would be my neighbor across the road. He owned a gun; he had a guard dog; and, he had (very annoying) unshielded high illumination security lights. A lot of good all of these things did him, though.

Less than 2 years ago someone walked up his well lit driveway at 1:30 in the morning, knocked on his dining room window, and got his attention. Then, as he walked across the room to see who was there, he took five 40 caliber (?) JHP rounds through the window and into his torso!

That guy made a mistake! He, also, survived; and is, now, an older wiser man who's going to be carrying two, 'souvenirs' around with him, next to his backbone, for the rest of his life! (He's only one of several druggies we've got in the neighborhood.) :(

If you want to talk about mistakes, THAT was a mistake! If he, and I talked - which we don't - I'd ask him whether or not he was carrying chambered that night; I mean I'm curious and would like to know; but, common sense tells me the question is moot! Chambered or not, nothing would have saved this guy from his own criminal lifestyle and personal carelessness.

Look at it this way: You were alert; you were prepared, and appear to have been reasonably observant. It's seldom mentioned; but, before you can bring the OODA loop into play, the first thing you have to do is;

ANTICIPATE and, you did that! ;)
 
Being prepared does make you look as if you are paranoid to the unprepared.

If you're worried about break/enter keep in mind that thieves don't go into occupied dwellings; they want your stuff, not problems.

The firearms should be kept in safe and accessible places.

just my opinion
s
 
Sean Dempsey: I thought it was pointed at his wifes head?
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Negative, there is a slight indention between the back of the couch and the cushion (cushion attached to couch) and the muzzle was pointed directly down in between 2 cushions...the perfect couch holster if you will. Nobody even noticed the gun sitting there the entire movie. I didn't touch it but It was inches from my hand and I knew where it was. I should have placed it in my waistband/holster when my wife came up to sit with me.

Ghost walker, colinthepilot, poor_richard, and mr.72 thank you for your posts. I will see if Fobus makes a holster that fits my pistol:D
 
I don't carry chambered around MY FAMILY because THAT would be disrespectful of their safety.
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Ghost....

I respect the opinion you stated in your post about respecting others safety and agree that the "internet zombie shooter" mentality is "incongurent" with the real world.

Still, I choose to carry chambered (DAO pisotol, holstered in well fitting leather, with thumb safety on).

For me personally, these three safety precautions make carrying with a chambered round safe around my family.

Sometimes I carry in the house. Usually I don't. When I don't, the gun stays in the holster and either goes in the gun vault by the nigthstand....or if I'm burning a flick with my wife and I want to be comortable on the couch, it goes on top of the hutch.

IMHO, attitude is the key element of safe gun handling. And like my first XO drilled into my head years ago, "Murphy is the enemy" and my job is to "not give Murphy the opportunity to bight us in the a$$".

This was one of the most valuable lessons I've ever learned in my life.

Yes, I make my kids wear life jackets in the canoe. And I wear one myself, to be a good example.

I still have a hard time with the bike helmet thing, but after my youngest recently fell out of a wagon and cracked her head on the pavement, that's another safety rule that's likely going to get etched in stone.
 
Am I paranoid or just prepared?
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Prepared. What's the sense of having it, if it's not there when you need it?
I do the same thing. We've had a few (kick in's) in my neighborhood. Even my wife is now willing to learn how to shoot.
 
I have three broken bike helmets, each of which from a wreck that would likely have killed me if I weren't wearing the helmet. Trust me, it's worth it.

I know this is OT ... back to the normally scheduled paranoia vs. preparedness.
 
My wife is a fresh air freak.

We live in Dallas, in a fairly nice neighborhood, but what does that mean anymore? When she insists on leaving the back door open, I usually have a LOADED pistol or revolver within reach. We're older. Both know to treat every weapon as if it's loaded. No children at home.
She's gotten used to it.
I'd rather be a live paranoid than a dead or injured non-paranoid.
 
I'd say that no, you definitely were not paranoid. People SLEEP with loaded guns next to them, in houses with 2 locks, and an alarm system, and that's still just being prepared. If someone broke in, then would you be paranoid to non-gun people? No, you'd be a hero. Remember, crooks go to nicer places to steal good stuff.
 
Norinco982lover said:
Ghost walker, colinthepilot, poor_richard, and mr.72 thank you for your posts. I will see if Fobus makes a holster that fits my pistol.
Click to expand...

:) You're welcome! However Ghost Walker does not recommend Fobus holsters because he's owned a few, and they've been hard on the finish of his pistols. To return to the first person: :D As far as I’m concerned, even Uncle Mike’s would be an improvement.

SSN Vet said:
IMHO, attitude is the key element of safe gun handling. And like my first XO drilled into my head years ago, "Murphy is the enemy" and my job is to, "not give Murphy the opportunity to bite us in the butt.".
Click to expand...

:) Well, that was polite! Listen, if I really wanted to, I could get into this internet argument everyday of the week. I’ve been handling firearms for more than 50 years. During that time I’ve been hit twice by AD’s. (Doesn’t matter whether they were mine or someone else’s.) Mitchshrader over at GT once said to me; ‘I think you’re someone who’s loved guns too well, too often, and for way too long; and, that’s why you’ve had more problems with guns than me. I don’t love them that much!’

Know what? I wasn’t happy to hear that remark; however, at the same time, I recognized a certain, ‘wisdom’ in the comment. I’ve handled guns when I’ve been awake, half awake, in good health, and sick as a dog. I’ve handled them when I was paying careful attention, and when I’ve been rushing to get dressed and out the door.

I’ve, also, been knocked off my feet or stumbled and fell while I’ve been carrying a firearm. I’ve had holster failures, hang fires, accidental discharges, non-intentional discharges, and have been swept more times by other peoples’ muzzles than I care to recall.

It’s not enough to say that, ‘attitude is important’ or that, ‘attitude is the deciding factor’. Sometimes your own brain or your own reflexes aren’t going to react in the precise manner you expect. Emotions like impatience or impulse can color reason, affect your attitude, and influence your behavior. Your hands can fumble; you can get distracted; lots and lots of unexpected things can – and do – occur.

The gun is always loaded; we, all, know that! Nevertheless, the safest semiautomatic pistol to keep around yourself AND your family is one that you carry in C-3. The only gun that could, in any way, be safer than this is the one you keep empty and locked inside the safe. The tradeoff is increased vigilance on your part, a greater sense of self-awareness, quicker personal anticipation, the use of two hands, and the addition of anywhere from .30 to .65 second on the draw.

You CAN carry a semiautomatic sidearm in C-3 and still be safe. I do, and I have. With me it’s always come down to the simple fact that I’ve been, either, one step or one moment ahead of the other guy. I’m able to read other people and anticipate well. My personal habits are, also, difficult to get around. In my experience these are the real things - the real precautions - that keep you safe!

When you have all the right habits and genuinely know what you're doing it isn't necessary to force your loved ones to have to, 'live under the gun'. ;)
 
every night before I go to sleep I have a firearm in my room ready incase anything happens, I dont have it chambered but I have the mag full and the safety on
 
As you asked...

I can not tell.

I think intent determines it not the actions. The same actions can be either it depends why you did them. Prepared implies you did actions for the right reasons, paranoid would imply the actions were unnessecery.

You left a solid door unlocked and open. Then had a pistol within reach becasue you felt there could be a criminal threat. Then you left the pistol unloaded (not chambered) to counter the threat.

That makes no sense at all. :confused:

You intended to allow easy acces to your home, but were prepared to use deadly force, taking additonal time to chamber a round.
 
I read all of these responses, and for the most part I agree with them. However, I saw no mention of the obvious missing step; MOTION DETECTORS!
 
Without reading thread...

I'd say you were under-prepared based on what you said about the upstairs robbery. (By the way, did you mean burglary?)

From the beginning, keep the pistol on your person in that situation. A pistol stuffed in the couch while others are around is a disaster waiting to happen. For the situation you described, I recommend for you a Smart Carry holster and a relatively small pistol (e.g., Glock 27).

Regarding the reaction of your wife, I feel sorry for you. One thing I can't allow is a woman of mine who takes a swing at my manhood in front of others. As viewed from the outside world, your ability to protect your family is an aspect of your manhood. If a robber overtakes you in that situation, you would be the first person to be criticized. Your wife is hindering your efforts to do your job as a man. She could have handled the situation with more tact.

That's not to say that women can't protect the family. It's just that you, as the man, will be first to be criticized if the protection is not there.
 
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