Home defense options

[Cosmoline]

Then it's a moot point. The 3 AM rule still applies, since you want to have the firearm for the WORST set of circumstances not the best. It should be something you're so familiar with and have shot so much that you can use it at 3 AM in a snowstorm with your glasses off and someone shooting back at you.

I usually have the M39 handy or a levergun.

 

[Armored farmer]

12ga 870 w/o plug & #4buck...

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

Ball Peen Hammer to work my way to the .22 rifle....

 

[GambJoe]

Beratta 40 cal. Kind of like the idea of having M-1 carbine (not a black rifle). Are the old military M-1's reliable? Not to sure how well I could shoot in the dark with either but.

with your glasses off

I never thought of that.

 

[Al Thompson]

that you would reach for

Cell phone. I know exactly where my firearm is - pants pocket, so pants on, guns on. Cell phone on the other hand, has to be tracked down.

I also have the luxury of good police response time, so the sooner I can get help coming, the better.

 

[wow6599]

18" 870 with 6+1 of 3" 000 Buck.

 

[USAF_Vet]

My cell phone is usually on the charger on the desk, or in my jacket hanging on the back of the front door. Police response time for me, and I know this based upon an incident last Thursday, is about 10 minutes. EMT response was about 8 minutes longer than that. In an emergency situation, 10 minutes is an eternity, and 18 feels like a lifetime. Grab the gun first, then call 911 for the cleanup crew. Might not be the best situation, but it would be the best in my case.

 

[Sulaco]

A 12 gauge loaded with 00 buckshot.

 

[ms6852]

It all depends where I happen to be in the house when the break in occurs. It could be a 1911 or 38, or 357 or 9mm or 870 shotgun or a fork or spoon.

 

[Radium]

My dog, my 3 cats and my cellphone to call the cops.

 

[Evergreen]

Evergreen, don't the rounds defirm over time in the Saiga mags?

I never heard this, but it would somewhat defeat the purpose of using a Saiga 12 if you cannot keep a few loaded mags around. I will have to go with what Vyacheslav has said, as I never heard of this problem. However, I may want to reconsider keeping my mag in my Saiga 12 now, which I normally do. Although, I usually take the mag out when I put it in my safe time to time. Perhaps it would be a good idea to rotate mags every day, that way the one same mag isn't in the gun all the time. Also, I don't chamber my Saiga 12. However, my handguns are always chambered and ready at a moment's notice. I had a negligent discharge with my AR once and I feel safer leaving the big guns unchambered. My handguns always stay holstered until ready for use or I rigorously unload them (Multiple safety checks) before dry-firing them or handling them out of the holster.

My dog, my 3 cats and my cellphone to call the cops.

You know the old saying, when seconds counts, the police are only minutes away..

 

[Deanimator]

Handgun, 9x19mm/.38 Special or up. Long guns are of little or no utility in my home.

 

[sm]

Re:cell phone

Ya'll might do well do pay attention to Al. You see, he did not fall off the sardine can truck yesterday.

One would be wise to take preventive measures, to not look like prey in the first place, and to make it darn difficult if one was targeted for evil. Now, the way it plays is, whomever has the law contacted FIRST, is gonna look better to law enforcement arriving on scence, and if need be, in a court of Law.
(See, Al shared something important, in regard to a cell phone, after all...)

Me, well being raised as I wuz, a hand-gun is my preference. You see, my real life concerns, from the time I was a wee brat, had to do with entering and exiting a structure, and answering the door.

That ain't saying I ain't forgot how raised with a youth sized single shot shotgun, nor the fact I currently have on loan a evil black poodle shooter.


Once again for the new folks:

Software not Hardware.

 

[gotime242]

Situational awareness.

 

[VT Deer Hunter]

20 Gauge shotgun. BANG BANG!

 

[RoboDuck]

Glock 21 and Mossberg 500 close at hand.

 

[Millwright]

In NJ ? !! Are you nuts ? !!

We gotta run like hell for the cop shop - WIMC is some 12 miles away - for protection; if we can convince the duty officer to allow us in......>MW

 

[s.ken]

A chain link fence
Shatterproof windows
A 20 year old cat that I have to poke occasionally to make sure it's still alive.

If they manage to get past that formidable defense then I have a Remingington 870.
A Glock 22 for a back up (3 xtra mags)
A cold steel kukri knife (not the machete) to back up the back up
A Gerber folding knife to back up the kukri.

If I can't at least deter a would be assailant by shooting and swinging all that metal then I deserve to be robbed/killed.

 

[-eaux-]

Monitored alarm system, .38 and/or .45 in the nightstand, and ultimately:

 

[clance]

My perferred weapon for home defense if I can get to in time, is a Remington 11-87 Sportsman 20ga. with 21" barrel loaded with #4 Buck. If not, then the Spyderco that I carry all the time with a 4" blade.

 

[ChCx2744]

First thing I'm reaching for each and every time is the pistol, then I'm making my way to the carbine.

 

[WoofersInc]

First off is the 4 roving early warning radar units. Once I'm up i have a Springfield XD 45 with a light attached. I also have a Mossberg 590 next to the bed. I'm also upstairs so I have some time once the radar goes off. Another thing is that I don't have 2 legged kids so I can have the guns readily available while I'm home.

 

[Gromky]

Actually, most home break-ins are robberies and happen during the day when people are not typically home.

But in those cases people don't get to pull out their guns and prove manhood. Next you'll say that most murders don't involve being shot in the street by a stranger after they walk up and say they're going to shoot you, so you can pull out your concealed carry weapon.

Of course, I come from a small/medium town in Idaho. I've lost classmates and friends to hunting accidents, falling down stairs while drunk, and suicide (plus several to disease or other). I can legitimately say that "shot while hunting" outweighs "killed during robbery" infinitely. 1 to 0.

Edit: And I should be honest. Around here the police blotter regularly has people waking up and finding a drunk college student on the couch, because he ended up in the wrong house. We lock doors when we leave, most of the time, but the back is still open just in case.

My general feelings are that you're probably going to be killed/raped/robbed by someone you love. Preparing for the unexpected is fine, but it doesn't match the reality of crime.

 

[bigfatdave]

After some careful consideratio0n I have camouflaged my home and surrounded it with a moat full of crocogators on LSD, that should keep out the undesirables.

 

[Evergreen]

How about leaving that friendly pet boa constrictor to roam around the house while you are asleep. I hear they can be tamed and I bet they would make the average burglar crap in his pants before he jumps out of a window and runs for it.