Excitement at the GF's House

[nelson133]

I was visiting a girl friend's house today. We were sitting on the couch, with our backs to the door, watching a movie when 2 guys opened the door and walked in. I had removed my paddle holster with the Sig P220 and set in a nearby chair. When the door started to open, I was up and had the pistol out of the holster and had taken my stance with the pistol pointed at the floor, before they got the second step. I experienced the hearing loss and tunnel vision, as I didn't really hear, or at least register what they said, and I was concentrating on center of mass and didn't really see their faces clearly. They were gone in a flash. The girl friend said they said that they thought they were entering a friends house and they were told to just walk in. However they went straight back to their SUV and left the neighborhood.
The girl friend is in her fifties, as am I, and has lived their for a while, the neighborhood is not the best, and I don't believe their story, I think if she had been there alone it would have been a different story.
The positives are these: (1) she said that I moved so fast that she didn't even realize that I had left the couch until she saw me standing there holding the gun, (2) I was ready and under control, I didn't point the gun at anyone and no shots were fired, and the situation was resolved. (3) I shoot 500+ rounds a week and use my range time to train myself for such situations, I was calm and alert and felt confident in my gun and my ability to shoot quickly and accurately if necessary, (4) She was scared, but glad I had the gun and the training and will to use it, this moved her further into the progun/proself defense camp.
She said the expression on my face scared her almost as much as the guys coming in the door.
I am thankful for my concealed carry permit, I am thankful for my right to keep and bear arms, I am fortunate that I have been able to take advantage of plenty of range time at my local club. I am fortunate to have a quality firearm that I have confidence in to operate reliably and shoot accurately.

 

[TexasRifleman]

So I gotta be the first to ask......


Why the hell was the door unlocked?


Quality firearms are nice, but quality deadbolts are cheaper and much more efficient in this kind of scenario.

 

[DDrake]

Sounds like you did everything right except keeping the door lock

 

[gdvan01]

I'm afraid I'd have to jump on the "unlocked door" bandwagon myself.

 

[stormspotter]

Excitement at GF's house

All I can add is why put the gun on a nearby chair? Could have taken too long to get to it.

The only time mine leaves my IWB is if I have to go somewhere that is posted or when I go to bed. Then it is within arms reach.

 

[Loucks]

All I can add is why put the gun on a nearby chair?

Either you're single, or you have a very tolerant Significant Other.

 

[tnieto2004]

aw by the title i thought it would be more exciting!!! j/k

 

[JWarren]

Either you're single, or you have a very tolerant Significant Other.

<~~~~~ Glances over at the AK underfolder leaning against the computer desk and realizes how tolerant his wife is.


John

 

[Loucks]

<~~~~~ Glances over at the AK underfolder leaning against the computer desk and realizes how tolerant his wife is.

Good on you. I've been blessed with an astonishingly understanding partner as well, but she'd be none too pleased if I were to wear a weapon while "watching a movie." Or perhaps I read too much into things.

Regardless, locking the door is certainly a good policy, but it sounds as if the OP did very well.

 

[stormspotter]

Excitement at GF's house

Married, and wife can shoot also.

The only time my Glock is out of my IWB is if I have to go to a posted business or at bedtime. She has even asked if I had "little brother" with me a few times.

Several years ago we took a Citizens Police Academy training session, to let people better understand police duties, given by our local P.D. One evening a week for 10 weeks.

One session was at their firing range. She didn't do very well with a DA Smith, but when she fired their Sig 40 cal. she put 6 COM and 2 in the head. Her comment was "the grips a little different than your Glock". Kinda supprised the cop giving the training.

She can shoot my CZ 527 Kevlar also, but being vertically impared , its a little harder to do.

 

[Remander]

So? Why was the door not locked in this neighborhood that is "not the best"?

No answer yet.

*************

On the understanding spouse thing. We have no kids, so when we are home I often have three or four handguns loaded and stashed around the house in different rooms, one always within easy reach.

On weekends, because I like to admire my rifles, I add to that an AR-15 (with 30-rd mag) and maybe an (unloaded) Garand or SKS or Mauser or whatever I feel like getting out of the safe to lean in the corner and admire. Fix bayonets too!

The wife loves the guns. I love the wife!

 

[kd7nqb]

you guys are being way to hard on the OP. If I am at home my front door is normally open and certainly unlocked. I may not live in a rough area but certainly Portland is a good sized city. Second of all, has this inspired your lady to get her own CCW?

 

[vis-à-vis]

Good job Nelson.

 

[marklbucla]

Looks like the training paid off, good for you. I'm glad the situation ended where it did.

 

[10-Ring]

Not a good neighborhood, but the door was unlocked..hmmmm...
At least nothing bad came of it & hopefully you've learned the "keep the door locked lesson"

 

[skinnyguy]

Outstanding Nelson!!! I'm not going to get on you about the door, it's your girlfriend's house, it's her door, and if she wants to leave it unlocked while the house is occupied by her and invited guests, that is her right. You were invited there, they were not. Remember Ben Franklin's words; Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.

I think that perhaps Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, sponsor of HR1022, should receive this post. Without your gun, who knows and who wants to think of what may have happened??

Again, OUTSTANDING!!

 

[yhtomit]

Before I ever thought of owning a gun, similar happend to me ...

This was in Austin; I was at home in my apartment.

My door was unlocked; right now I can't remember if it's because I was expecting someone who I'd told to come on in, if I had walked in just a moment before and failed to lock it, or if I just forgot -- so I'll just share in the criticisms already leveled at the original poster, OK?

Two guys of student age (this was a student-heavy apt. building, and I was a student at UT at the time) just *walk in*, talking to each other, and by the time they realized they were in the wrong apartment, and by the time I was de-astounded enough to say (rather snottily, in retrospect) "*EXCUUUSE ME?!", it had become rather awkward. They mumbled apologies (probably nicer than I'd been towards them) and sheepishly left. I wonder what tipped them off ... the guy they don't know tapping on a computer? The furniture? The carpet?

And Yes, I then locked my door!

It seems crazy, but it's easy enough; I've been on the other side of that at least once, too -- I came home from the D.C. metro to a commuter lot in suburban MD, and though I was scanning for "bad guys" was not scanning for a whole lot else very well. I unlocked my car (so I thought) and swung into the driver's seat. This was a maroon 1995 Ford Escort Wagon, stickshift with cloth interior-- a low-end car, but one I really liked pretty well, until the electrical system eventually gave out a few years later. 4-cylinders, great mileage (and weak pickup), it hauled me many thousands of miles and was cheap to buy.

So, I'm sitting there behind the wheel, and I get a weird flash of incongruity. Huh! It looks like someone has played a little trick on me, by breaking into my car and leaving one of those plastic hula girls on the front dash. eh, no harm done, I guess, everything else looks normal. Strange prank -- I don't want my car broken into of course, but this is better than having it stolen, I guess. Then, the darn key won't turn the ignition. Dead battery? Hmmm. Some details pop out; the fabric seems just a bit different in its shade, though I thought at first that was just because of fading daylight.

Then ... well, let's say I felt a bit silly when I looked out the window the car next door. Which happened to be ... a maroon 1995 Ford Escort Wagon, stickshift with cloth interior -- and no Hula Girl. The ignition key worked on car #2, which, of course, was actually car #1 the whole time. I considered getting a hula girl for a while to remind myself of how easy it was to see the thing I thought I saw and ignore other inputs. Glad the owner of the other Escort evidently wasn't on the same train as me

And now I drive a black Subaru wagon on which I've installed a wire roof-rack; in Seattle, it was a handy thing to look for the roof-rack sometimes, rather than look for "the black Outback wagon."

timothy

p.s. guns guns guns

 

[Fulcrum of Evil]

Ford only makes so many key combos, so there's a good chance that your keys will open a For in any given parking lot.

 

[BigRed]

A 50 year old moving at the speed of light would have been enough to scare me away!

 

[Ala Dan]

Simple Message Here

I teach and preach, " Always be aware of YOUR surroundings, and DO NOT let anyone invade your personal space"~!.

You did really good here, I'm glad that NO physical force was needed
and that no one got hurt. Always make sure that entrances are secure;
even if you don't expect trouble~!

 

[nelson133]

It was a warm day for Michigan, so the door was open and just the screen door was closed, wouldn't have provided much of a barrier. She had intended to lock the screen door but had forgotten when I arrived. The gun was in a paddle holster and I was sitting on a soft couch and I am not small, the gun wouldn't have been very reachable on me. I had my Kel-Tec P3-AT in my shirt pocket, but It never crossed my mind at the time. My reaction was fast because it was automatic, just like I had trained for. I went for the gun I was confident in. I didn't make a conscious decision until I decided not to pull up and shoot. The scenario I had run played out without my needing to think, and this is the most important lesson for me. I used to feel a bit foolish for mentally running through situations of self defense. It felt a bit "mall ninjaish", somewhat over the top, i know better now. Now I think that mental prep is more important than physical prep.
As far as her, she had wanted to learn to use a gun and I had taken her to the range once and she had had a good time. ( My other gf is much more enthusiastic about shooting) She is motivated by the fact that an 11 year old girl broke into her house at night about 1&1/2 years ago, when she discovered her, the girl nearly killed her with a box cutter. Yeah, that's right 11, there probably a sociological epic family story there. She has the usual media propaganda in her head, but this latest incident is helping me clear it out.
I'm not a hero, I'm not one of Clint Eastwood's movie characters, but when it hit the fan, training and practice made the difference. I don't regret any of the time or money spent now and I have further confidence in myself and how I would react in a similar circumstance.

 

[Geno]

This happened in Michigan? "Liar!"

The following are just a few of the lunatic statements that I have heard lunatics say while they were cowering in the safety of the home…doors shut, locked, cabled, chained, boarded...

“Michigan is a safe state! This isn't Iraq! It's not a war-zone!”

“Live by the gun; die by the gun!”

“They're not 'criminals', they're just misdirected souls.”

“Pistols are for police! You’re not a police, are you?!”

“Criminals just need a helping hand to turn it around!”

“How can a 10-year-old be criminal...they just babes at that age!”

“We don't need guns! Just cooperate and you'll live!”

“Don't resist...you'll just get yourself killed!”

“The streets will run crimson from blood if we issue MCPLs!”

“The streets will run crimson from blood if we adopt 'Castle' as legislation!”

Good job nelson133! Re: the pistol on the chair...mute point...you had the P3AT in the shirt pocket. I suggest an ankle holster. Re: the door being opening, you have the right to live in comfort. If you want the screen door open, do so, but have your arms at hand. Well-done, my friend!

Doc2005

 

[FCFC]

Nelson133, what did you say to the walk-ins?

 

[Arkie]

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa,,, Your Other gf?

Just how many to you have?
How do you keep up with them?


LOL. J/K.

Sounds like you did good. I'm glad that you a prepared enough to act that fast.

 

[nelson133]

Just 2 girl friends now, the other one "wasn't comfortable" with me carrying a gun and didn't want a gun in her house, she's history.
I didn't say a word to the intruders, apparently I didn't have to, the expression on my face must have said it all.
Anybody who thinks that Michigan is a safe zone isn't paying attention.