Do you carry at home?

[1SOW]

I would respectfully suggest that if you are not home carrying, then you may want to compensate by upping your home security posture.

Yep.

I choose to accept and appreciate your statement as a concern for your fellow man.

 

[Catshooter]

I agree with post #12 (Optimus Prime) in so far as we should not have to be armed at home.

But short of heaven where is a "safe place"? There isn't one and you're fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

Shouldn't have to armed in church or anywhere else for that matter.

But I am.


Cat

 

[benEzra]

Other research indicates that the majority of home invasions are stimulated by the desire to gain dope or money. If an individual is on the side of either then by all means stay armed.

If you're not dealing drugs or flashing lots of cash, your odds are certainly lower, but I suspect not many home invaders do "due diligence" investigation to verify those facts before kicking in their victims' door.

A few years ago, there were two home invasions in the suburban neighborhood where I lived, both within a block of my house; in neither case were the intended victims apparently involved in drug trafficking and were working-class; in one case they exchanged fire with the resident before being driven off. Apparently the would-be invaders *thought* the residents were worth hitting, whether or not they actually were.

And of course this is the nightmare scenario:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheshire,_Connecticut,_home_invasion_murders

It may be uncommon, but I remember a family that was murdered in their home in Pensacola years ago when I lived there. The dad who was murdered was a model citizen, but fairly well off, and IIRC one of his friends or acquaintances decided he might have some cash at home, whether he did or not. I believe he and his wife were unarmed, and IIRC the invasion involved at least four assailants. I'll have to look up the details.

Edited to add: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Byrd_and_Melanie_Billings

 

[FAS1]

I have a P3AT, and the only reason to have such a pistol is because you can pocket it all the time. I'm in the camp that thinks the .380 is a bare minimum for self defense, but it is way better than nothing. Yes, I carry it, all the time.

Same here. I always pocket carry my P3AT regardless if I have another gun on me or near me.

 

[gamestalker]

I'm always armed. Doesn't matter if I'm in my sweats, or my birthday suit, I always have a sidearm within arms reach.

When I take a shower I keep a handgun at close proximity to the shower hidden under the towel.

When I am sitting on the pot, going to the kitchen for a snack or beverage, my side arm is with me.

I sleep with a loaded snub under my pillow, a loaded 12 ga. SD shotgun within arms reach of my side of the bed, and my wife with one on her side, and a loaded pistol in her nightstand. We both keep small flash lights on our night stands also.

My doors are always locked, day or night. When someone comes calling at my door, I never give a verbal response until I have viewed them from another vantage point, not the front door, or the peep hole, usually through a window blind. If it is someone I don't personally know, I ask them to state their business before I open the door. And when I do open the door, I keep my firearm out of view, usually holstered on my hip or in my hand, and with the door concealing it from view.

I have a small ammo bag, well not all that small, it has several hundred rounds of back up ammunition for our handguns and shotguns.

In my defense, regarding my obvious paranoid existence, starting at age 12 to present, I have been kidnapped, robbed, and assaulted multiple times, about 20 times. Some events have been more violent than others, but all have been life threatening events. Obviously, I am not the average person, but rather, I am of the less than 1% of society. So for me, it's not a matter of if, but when will it happen yet again!

"When seconds count, the police are minutes away" So I keep my handgun only inches away!

GS

 

[WestKentucky]

Rarely if ever am I armed at home, but there are loaded weapons throughout the house in case I need one. In an 1100 Sq ft house my daily carry sits near the front door tucked away out of sight, my bedside gun is bedside, and my pump 20ga is in the bathroom closet. At no point am I more than 20 feet away, and at no point am I more than 3 seconds away. When mowing I carry a 22 revolver loaded with shorts for thinning out the snakes that come in when they bush hog the field behind me. Black snakes get a pass until they get aggressive, and copperhead in my yard have a death sentence executed on site. My lawn mower very rarely back fires

 

[RustyShackelford]

Dope & $$$.....

I can't say all "home invasions" or "robberies" are drug/gang related but in my metro area, a large # involve either drug dealers, stash houses or "red on red" incidents.
In the late 2000s my county's sheriff's office had one of it's worse documented gun battles with over 300 rounds fired(total from both sides). It started at home(residence) in a nice area, that's was in fact a stash house.
My sister resides in a upscale area near several top rated golf courses(PGA events held there). Even her community had a "home invasion/stash house" event.

Now, don't get my wrong, there are 1000s of crime victims in these incidents who aren't mixed up in drugs or gangs it just seems to be a target when junkies or gang members say; "hey, these people over at __ have a lot of $$$ or dope and no one is there, let's go take it.".

 

[Hangingrock]

I walk the back roads. Going past a house I noticed a sign "If You Can Read This Your Are Within Range". That said we are all responsible for our own security. The level of security is up to the individual. I don't believe there is a one size fits all approach in regards to security. Firepower is but one facet of security.

 

[Fiv3r]

I rarely carry at home unless I am going for a walk later.
I really like bigger guns, but most of the time I've been switching to a basic little LCP. Even then, I don't keep it on me most of the time. I usually head to my room and stash it in the safe.

That said, I always have a knife on me. It's not like i'm coming home and stripping nekid

I have a 4 year old little girl. I would do anything to keep her safe, but I have to understand that statistically I will be more likely to give her unwanted accidental access than I will need it during my waking hours when I get home from work until I hit the sheets.

I'm always close to something though.

 

[Old Dog]

I guess I live in one of the few areas of the country where law-abiding citizens are victim of home invasions. Simply because we seem to have so many gang-bangers and tweakers who like stealing other peoples' stuff. I am starting to think that the greater Pierce County (WA) region is leading the country in dead or seriously wounded would-be home invaders, though ...

I learned the hard way that bad guys can randomly choose one's own home ... No one in my family has ever dealt drugs, flashed cash around or has been known to own lots of expensive jewelry, yet our home was picked for invading. For those of you that think this sort of thing only happens to criminals or the ostentatiously wealthy, I can't change your mind.

I, and my wife, are always carrying at home.

 

[Kayaker 1960]

I live in a middle class, blue collar neighborhood, at the end of a cul de sac, with a retired man on either side of my house. I guess a home invasion is possible though probably less likely than winning the lottery. I hope I never feel the need to carry inside my home.

 

[xXxplosive]

YES.............

 

[Geno]

Yes, most of the time. When not carrying on my person, I have it within reach. It is so easy and comfortable to carry a small 9mm (say a Glock 26) on one's ankle. Why not carry it?

 

[shiftyer1]

Something is always close by, if i'm working in the yard or walking around my property i'm armed. Mostly for snakes.....

 

[Seanpcola]

RE: Post #53

BenEzra, that happened a block fro my house and in fact on the day I closed on it. According to sources in the know, there was a LOT more in the background that prompted the invasion.


The relevance to the discussion is that it appears most home invasions have a prior history leading up to the decision to invade and the choosing of a target. That's why I research who is coming to my house, people such as air conditioning repair, plumbers and such.

 

[HRnightmare]

For the most part I do not. however my Safe in the office with a multitude of guns, and loaded mags for all the hand guns and rifles up front are sitting on a shelf on top of the safe, I have a gun in my nighstand, MP45 always loaded and chambered and my concealed carry (Kahr CM9) is typically sitting on the counter also always loaded and chambered.

My house is laid out in the way that I am always within about 15 steps of a gun.

If I am working in the garage or front yard I always have a gun on my workbench or on me.

If I am in the garage working on / cleaning / building a gun I am ALWAYS carrying. Eitehr on the bench or on my person.

 

[HRnightmare]

So this may set people off BUT here goes:

"I sleep with a loaded snub under my pillow"

You dont have a nighstand to set it on or one of those bedside holsters? Under the pillow seems reckless! For several reasons, Don't you turn over at night, move around, move your arms? Is it still in the same place in the morning?

The few times I have fallen asleep with my glasses or a book or cellphone on the bed, it is NOT were I left it in the AM, most of the time it's on the floor somewhere. What happens when you hear that bump in the night, shove your arms underneath you to pick yourself up and knock the gun behind the headboard? Not only have you just made alot of noise to tell the burglar where you are, but now your fumbling for your gun.

OR what happens when you grab the gun incorrectly and have it pointed at your partner or the dog and didn't know it?

My gun is in my nightstand always pointing AWAY from both of us, always loaded and always in the same place each and every time.

 

[Warp]

Not typically, no.

And a loaded gun under the pillow, IMO, is an incredibly...let's call it "bad"...idea

 

[Kynoch]

The only thing I carry from room to room at home is a half-empty glass of scotch. Home is where I let my guard down completely. Heck, sometimes I even sleep here!
Honestly, we should feel 101% safe and comfortable in our homes, that's the point isn't it? With about 10 seconds warning from a napping position I should be ready for any mix of zombies, and I'm betting that my dog and my door locks and my environment give me that reaction time.
Now, that's just regular mode. There's been a couple nights where I slept on the couch with a revolver under my pillow because we saw something odd, and there's been a couple afternoons where I carried Mr. Glock on my hip becuase there was some "stuff" going on, but those occasions were rare and fleeting and probably the result of an overactive imagination. But that's ok; the antenna was up so we took it another step. But for the most part, 99%, I would rather not have to carry at home.

Great posting! I agree 100%

 

[tuj]

I was worried about the home invasion scenario. I kept one loaded pistol in a position in my living room that was within arm's reach, but still concealed. I practiced routinely drawing quickly from that location and aiming at the front door. I also kept a loaded pistol in the bedroom along with a bright tactical flashlight, both again within arm's reach from my sleeping position.

We also strengthened our doors, locks, doorknobs, and increased the lighting outside our house.

 

[Mr.510]

If I'm awake and not either in bed or the shower I am carrying a pistol and my cell phone. My favorite 'house robe' for lounging about has a custom RH pocket with a Kydex holster sewn into it. I had a housemate years ago that was a clothing designer and manufacturer. I've got a bunch of custom one-off clothes with holster and mag pouches sewn in that he made for me.

 

[mgmorden]

Generally not. I'm very, very picky about what I keep on me. I won't even carry my cell phone when I get to the house (and usually, jeans a belt get switched out for gym shorts).

I basically have two options available: a small keypad safe on my nightstand by my bed upstairs. Downstairs, I have a small wall safe with a couple handguns inside (my rule is that all guns in theses safes are loaded - everything in my big "storage" safe is stored unloaded).

I would prefer to leave the guns - at least upstairs - just on the nightstand, but my two nieces live with me (4 and 6) and its just not an option for now so I keep everything locked up. Like many when I was a kid my dad never kept his guns locked up (99% of the time they were sitting in a corner fully loaded), but I just don't trust it. The older of the two has gotten pretty good about it though. If she even notices a stray round of ammunition somewhere she knows to not touch it and immediately come tell me about it.

 

[CWL]

Perhaps here's an illustration why many should consider home carry.

Just popped on CNN.com, woman at home alone has front door kicked-in by intruder. She jumps out window and hides on roof while calling 911. Neighbors record the event on cellphones.

Luckily, police showed-up in 2 minutes and arrested the BG.

This picture is quite disturbing with terrified woman hiding, and BG searching for her. (also note that side windows have bars on them)

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/25/us/california-venice-roof-intruder/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

I don't think I'll change the way I live at home, but then again, I've got 3 dogs.

 

[Warp]

Lesson from there...make your front door harder/take longer to kick in. Buys you time. You probably don't need much.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Take-away....

It's interesting how the woman's neighbors apparently did nothing to help her or aid her escape from the violent felon.

A few months ago a video/media clip was online of a young woman being savagely beaten & stripped nude. The crowd(urban area) surrounded the fight & victim recording the incident on their DV/cell phones.
No one helped or contacted 911.
Even the city's police chief remarked how cruel & inconsiderate it was.