Do you answer the door or not?

[P12]

So do you answer the door when you don't know the person or not?

A common M.O. for burglars is to ring the door bell to see if someone is home. So if you answer the door it could be a ligit person or he could come through the front door. If you don't answer then you might find yourself suprising a buglar when he comes through your back window or door.

So what do you do?

My wife had this happen Tues. right after I left to return to work from lunch. The turd was watching the house for me to leave. He freaked out when my wife opened the door. He heard the unlocking of the door and tried to split. He was almost at the end of the sidewalk by the time she got the door opened. She asked him what he wanted. He had some lame "ah, you or someone got a car for sale?" bit after some stammering. She got the plate # and vehicle discription for the cops. The turd was parked in my driveway.

So after this event we discussed whether to open the door or not. My suggestion was to answer the door with pistol in hand.

What do you think?

 

[Mulliga]

So after this event we discussed whether to open the door or not. My suggestion was to answer the door with pistol in hand.

This will work if you have the gun out, close to your body, with safety off, and ready to fire. It won't make you very good friends.

Opening the door for a stranger literally means conducting a Teuller Drill, except with the distance from BG shortened to 5 feet. In a split-second after opening the door the stranger could nail you with a sucker punch or even stab/shoot you. Thankfully this doesn't happen very often, but it can happen, so you must be absolutely ready.

I try not to open the door for any stranger. Anyway, 9 times out of 10 it has something to do with selling something, whether it's a product, religion, or a politician.

No thanks.

 

[Parallax]

I check the peephole, if I don't recognize them I usually don't answer the door, or I yell out "I'll get it!" (even if I'm the only one home), and only open the door a crack, with my gun in hand behind my back. My front door opens out, so they can't kick it in or anything like that.

 

[DRZinn]

Look through the peephole. Anyone you don't recognize, either don't open the door or do so cautiously with gun behind back. If you don't open for them, watch to see what they do. Usually they'll just move on to the next house. Occassionally they'll move to the backyard...

 

[Texian Pistolero]

I do not open my door anymore.

What I do is to look out the windows at the street or parking lot, to see if there is an appropriately marked Crown Vic. If no appropriately marked Crown Vic,

It is:

a) some girl selling girl scout cookies,

(I buy six boxes at the office),

b) some time-waster selling useless crap,

c) Jehovah's Witnesses,

d) some scrote trying to take me down.

I do check the peephole to make sure it's not a friendly neighbor telling me I left my car lights on.

Beyond that,

anything that busts open my door will suck 00 buck.

Next question?

 

[Maxinquaye]

Reading this thread brings up a question.

My door is glass...you can see right down the hallway. Good thing is I can ID someone from down the hall. Bad thing is they see you too. Any tactical suggestions?

 

[DRZinn]

Get another door.

But seriously - maybe there's somewhere else from which you can observe the porch?

 

[RandyB]

Rule #1. It depends on the situation.

If it is someone I do not know. Do they look like a threat? I also remember that I am the weappon, everything else is just a tool and I tend to keep such tools available when I answer the door. When I do answer the door I keep the door frame covering most of my person and have an exit route is needed. Of course with a wife a two kids at home the escape plan doesn't bode too well. If it is late at night I will typically make sure the Mrs. knows whats up (with the phone to dial 911), get the kids away from the door, and open the door. The door is opened a wee bit and the storm door (which has iron grating and opens out and is always locked) is open even less. The nice thing about the way my front door is designed is that it is not easy to access with any speed from the outside.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I would suggest getting some type of lock that allows you to open the door a bit, but provides some physical detterent.
A sliding chain type would work or at least buy you a few seconds. Peepholes are a must-have as well.

Another good security system is a big dog. Or perhaps a smaller, bully breed. Good pit bulls are available at your local pound for great prices. Train em well and you'll have a great anti-bad guy device for many years.

 

[itgoesboom]

We have a small window right next to the door, so we can see out, and they can see in.

The best part of this is that as soon as someone knocks, rings the bell, or jiggles the handle, our German Sheperd is at the window and door growling, barking, and just acting like she is going to break the window to get to whoever is outside.

Its quite a show and a wonderfull deterent.

I.G.B.

 

[fjolnirsson]

My door is glass...you can see right down the hallway. Good thing is I can ID someone from down the hall. Bad thing is they see you too

Me too.
But they'll see my dogs, too. All 270 lbs of 'em.....
It tends to make people beat feet fairly quickly.
For some reason, a dog head at chest level freaks people out.

 

[TheFederalistWeasel]

It’s a testament as just how far we as a society have slipped when we must have discussions such as this one in the name of our very own safety.

I am one of those the sheep might call paranoid and yes I take a gun when answering the door. I live well off the beaten path, my friends always call prior to showing up and the neighbors keep to themselves for the very same reason I do.

Knocks at my door are usually in two forms folks I care not to talk to and folks up to no good, fortunately both are few and very far between, might have something to do with just how far off the main road I live.

 

[Sean85746]

We have an enclosed porch area, with a wrought iron security gate out front and a decorative wrought iron gate as our screen door. Both open out and cannot be kicked inward.

We also have Twyla Von Puppymonster, the rottweiler that always gets to the door before we do!

Not to mention the gun at my right side. I am not too worried.

If anyone knocks on my back door, it means they have jumped the fence, and the dog will already be outside through her dog door eating them.

Same for the side door...it means someone has broken into my garage.

Yeah, we answer our door.

 

[P12]

Thanks for the replies.

I did fail to mention that we have a high quality glass storm door (wood filled metal frame) with a dead bolt. This door stays locked at all times. So communication can be made with some (be it low level of security).

We put a 38 snubby on top of the china hutch, which is about two steps out of the way to the door.

Of course this is not the only gun that could be put to use.

 

[Kamicosmos]

I have foolishly opened the door a couple times. Twice it was kids selling those overpriced and never arriving magazine to help them through college and win a trip to Paris. Once was some shaddy looking guys looking for a fix...that could have gotten bad quick.

That said, normally I never open the door. Friends call to let me know they're enroute, and unless I see the UPS/FedEx/USPS/Police man, or I recognize a neighbor, I don't open the door. Usually I am in the basement or garage, and never hear the knock anyway.

This is reminding me to once again upgrade my locks and think about a sturdier front door. Current one is a hollow core on a weak frame...

 

[Mulliga]

I have foolishly opened the door a couple times. Twice it was kids selling those overpriced and never arriving magazine to help them through college and win a trip to Paris.

One of those idiots stopped by while I was cleaning my guns (we knew they were in the neighborhood for some contest). Needless to say, there's nothing like an AR-15 (albeit broken open) to make 'em beat their feet.

 

[JohnKSa]

First line of defense is a "No Solicitors" sign.

That really narrows down the possibilities when someone DOES knock.

How about:

NO Solicitors!
This door is opened only for Friends and Emergencies.
If you are not a Friend and there is no Emergency,
An Emergency Will Be Provided.

 

[SMLE]

I have a stout, steel security door with expanded metal over the bars. It's locked with a deadbolt into a solid frame. I have no worries about answering the door. If they get through that security door, they'll be meeting up with ten rounds rapid from a Lee Enfield followed by 17 inches of Wilkinson steel bayonet.

Of course if they try to force entry after bedtime, the sight of a 300 pound nekkid redneck waving a bayonetted rifle around would very likely preclude the need to actually FIRE the rifle.

 

[JohnBT]

"First line of defense is a "No Solicitors" sign."

My first line of defense is a doorbell that is disconnected. Friends and neighbors know to knock.

John

 

[Shovelhead]

I always answer the door armed.
We have a bay window in the living room that overlooks the front stoop area.
If I recognize the visitor, gun stays IWB.
If not recognized and is a possible threat, gun is in hand, safety off, behind back when I turn the knob and step back.

PS I like the sign John.
Mind if I "borrow" the idea?

 

[TallPine]

We live about 1/8 mile off the county road, so we usually (but not always) hear vehicles drive in. I always check the drive first to see if I recognize the vehicle. Usually that tells me who is at the door, though normally we don't get unexpected visitors.

We have 3 doors: a patio door, a steel door with a window, and another door (the "front" door) on the back (away from the drive) side of the house, which has a large window next to it. I NEVER open the door until I can see who it is.

Occasionly, if a totally unidentified person(s) comes up to one of the doors on the driveway side of the house, I will slip out the opposite door and come around the corner of the house to "greet" them Makes some people nervous, I suppose - but who cares? "No, this isn't so-and-so's place - you need to go up the next driveway, bye."

Twice now, someone has come up to our door on foot without even alerting the dogs The first time was a sort of scruffy looking couple who said they had a flat and their spare was flat also. I talked to them on the deck (my 357 ruger on my hip ), and let them use the portable phone. They seemed okay enough, and I even offered to go get their spare and bring it back and air it up with my compressor, but apparently it needed more than just air so they declined.

The other time about dusk somebody showed up at the back door (the patio door has a blanket hanging over it this time of year). He was young and clean cut (cowboy hat is always a good sign). I answered with my hand on my holstered revolver. Turned out he was the HS friend of the son of some good friends of ours. He had run into the ditch nearby. I offered to try to pull him out, but the vehicle was damaged, so he just called for a ride.

I tend to be super-suspicious, friendly and helpful at the same time.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Nope, don't answer the door.

We answer the GATE, which is a bit more than 50 yards from the front door.

lpl/nc

 

[sturmruger]

I usually do the gun behind the leg thing if it is in the evening. During the broad daylight they are usually selling something and are pretty harmless.

 

[bean357]

I don't answer the door if I am home alone and it is someone I do not know or am expecting. We had two experiences with unwanted "salesmen" that led to this. One was a guy who pulled up in a white van. I was outside at the time. The driver stayed in the van and the other guy came up and said he wanted to give me this great deal on boxes of frozen meat. I expressed I was not interested went in the house (hurriedly). The guy followed me into the house! My husband was at the kitchen sink, and the guy started telling my husband about this "great deal". My husband told the man he was way overpriced and that we were not interested. He then became very defensive and began to get angry. My husband first asked him, then told him to leave. He eventually did, but not without expressing his extreme dislike for us. The second episode was a guy selling books to "finance a college trip." Our lab normally would lick a person to death before ever snarling or biting. She would NOT stop growling and barking. My husband talked to the man but would not let him in. Same as first mentioned "salesman", this guy got immediately hostile when he was told we were not interested and was asked to leave. He even tried to hold the door open when my husband was closing it. I was standing next to the entryway (with a S&W) The guy finally stomped off the deck, jumped in his car, spun gravel all over and tore out the driveway. I tried to get his plate #, but it was too dirty. I called the Sheriff's Dept and informed them, along with a description of the man and his vehicle. Tuned out he had been reported numerous times with in the same day. SO, NO, I don't answer the door.

 

[Wedge]

Check the peephole. I usually just speak through the door if I don't know the person.