Home defense...

[GoBrush]

Didnt read entire tread but here are my thought.

Tactics:
Awakened because of a loud noise or whatever you are already at a huge disadvantage.

1. The less noise you make the better tactical advantage you have so racking one in makes no sense keep it ready.

2. Its your house and you know every nook and cranny dont blow this advantage by breaking #1

3. During your investigation use light sparingly as to not expose yourself (from a tatical stand point I like to flash on and flash off if you leave it on the bad guy will know exactly where you are) remember #2 use these nook's and crannies to your advantage and for my southern friends I am not refering to a cranny as the place you go to releave yourself when you have had too much Coke to drink the night before.

 

[loose cannon]

Why are people using pistols for HD over a shotgun? A relatively weak pistol over the most devastating CQB weapon where concealment is not an issue?

some dont have shottys or dont want them,another reason is a handgun leaves a hand free for using a light or calling 911.

shotguns are excelent weapons for hd if used from a fixed position like ones bedroom otherwise id stick with my glock.

 

[dasmi]

Get a revolver and keep it loaded forever next to the bed, it will always be ready.

+1
I have a Service Six loaded with .38 special ready to go at all times. Easy to reach from the bed, can't be seen unless you're laying on the bed. Also in the corner next to my head is my Mosin-Nagant 91/30, five rounds in the magazine, bolt open. To make ready, close bolt. I like to have options.

 

[Cousin Mike]

Tactics:
Awakened because of a loud noise or whatever you are already at a huge disadvantage.

1. The less noise you make the better tactical advantage you have so racking one in makes no sense keep it ready.

2. Its your house and you know every nook and cranny dont blow this advantage by breaking #1

+1!!!

My 1911 stays in condition one, right next to the bed while I sleep. I'll also join the chorus with "slide operation while half-awake could be very difficult." If you don't have any kids to worry about (like myself), I say keep it cocked and locked, especially while you're asleep... You could remove the thumb safety in the time it takes to point the weapon if someone was standing over you. Also, it barely makes any noise, so you wont be compromising your position if this is not the case.. More importantly than simply being loud, chambering a round has a very distinct sound that is not likely to be mistaken by a bad guy... You might as well call out and tell him to get himself ready for a confrontation.

 

[No_Brakes23]

Why are people using pistols for HD over a shotgun? A relatively weak pistol over the most devastating CQB weapon where concealment is not an issue?

I was given a 1911 as a coming-of-age gift, I eventually bought a shotgun about 10 years later. I handled 1911s or replicas thereof from the age of 3 on, but I have less than 500 rounds of total 12ga experience. So I am far more familiar and comfy with my pistol than my shotgun.

I also don't have $235 sitting around for a Surefire fore-end, and light is a necessity. A long gun means two hands, so a weapon light is needed for night time stuff.

A pistol mounts in more places than a long gun.

And a pistol as stated above frees a hand for dialing the phone operating flashlight, moving kids out of the way, etc.

Now the Shotty has a lot of advantages over the pistol, but until I get it set up right and have a good spot to mount it, (And a lot more practice with it,) I will probably use it.

Although, the SU-16CA with 1913 fore-end is starting to look good, too.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

PDW-10 1/2" barreled AR-15 pistol, Home Defense with Style....

1.Short enough to do clearing a house with, check!

2.Enough stopping power to end the fight, quickly and decissivley(30 rounds .223 soft points), DOUBLE CHECK!!

3.Will accept a flash suppressor, flashlight, laser, or optic for night-time/outdoor use, tripple check!!!

4.Even with LED light, 30 rounder, and 10 1/2" H-BAR, still lite enough to aim/fire one handed, enabling you to hold a suspect at gun point to call authorities, check!

5.Multi use bare buffer tube/ receiver extesion(bare save for the ACE neopreen sleeve), to be used for whatever eveil purpose one could imagine, check!

6.Ability to penetrate soft armor, walls, barriers like furniture, and anything else in your home B/G jumps behind(including the Kitchen sink:evil),effectively changing everything in home to concealment not COVER, super check!

Can be used to good effect from home defense ranges(across room distance), out to SHTF ranges(muzzle to 200yds/m), and COULD be used for TEOTWAWKI ranges, to a lesser effectiveness(muzzle - beyond 200m/yds), gets a super check for that!!!!

Finally, IT"S AN AR MAN!! B/G's and ANTIS see it, assume it is a,"Gasp, A Machine GUn", drops their weapon(if a B/G) and surrenders, which is where #4 comes in above, and if it is an ANTI that sees it, they immediately drop into the Fetul position, insert thumb in mouth rocking back and forth, while saying," This can't be real, This can't be real", over and over again, check!!!!!

 

[Caliburn]

My bedside pistol has a full mag but nothing chambered. The dog will give enough warning of an intruder for me to rack it and I have also practiced doing it one handed (much easier for a 9mm or while wearing jeans).

Someone said that a guy heard the phone ring in the middle of the night, fumbled around for it, and mumbled "hello" into his gun before blowing his brains out. That may not have ever happened, but it certainly sounds possible, so I don't want to take any chances. The 2 second delay to rack it is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

 

[Dr_Pain]

I am of the opinion that a good loaded revolver is the way to go but guess what I have an auto loaded with one in a chamber. Gun is also out of the reach of the kids and the wife. I'm 6'6" and the gun resides at 7'8" on top of a ledge.

 

[old4x4]

I keep my USP 45 auto locked and loaded. Don't know why you'd keep the chamber empty. Fortunately, I have no kids. That's probably why it's loaded, safety on.

 

[grnzbra]

Since I live in one of the People's Republics, my defense gun is strictly a house gun. When I leave, it goes in the safe. I don't know if the wall of my gunsafe will stop bullets and I am not about to test it. Therefore, the gun goes into the safe with a loaded mag and an empty chamber; I don't want some fireman shot by a round that cooked off. When I am home, I do not chamber a round because that would involve excessive handling. If I need the gun in a hurry, I also have a .357 revolver that I can just grab and start shooting. However, it too has no live round behind the barrel for the same reason.

 

[HadEmAll]

I can't conceive the notion of having a pistol that's not instantly ready to fire 100% of the time. I mean no other motion necessary but to grab it and fire. Maybe wiping a safety off if it's my 1911 or HP. Knowing that all my pistols are always loaded leaves no doubt in my mind at anytime that they're ready to go. If I had to worry about others access to them, I'd get a quick access safe rather than leave the chamber empty. Chambering a round isn't 100% surefire if you fumble during the motion.

 

[jbear6]

For those who have a bedside autoloader, so you keep a round chambered? I have a CZ 75B and I leave it un-chambered with the safety off...

If I was woken up in the night and had to grab my gun, if I didnt have time to chamber a round, then I probably wouldnt have time to wake up enough to use the gun anyway.... let alone get the safety off

Plus Id imagine if someone stumbled onto the gun (no kids around but lets say one was visiting and ran off and found it somehow) it would be much harder for a child to chamber a round than to click the safety off


comments?

Since we have no children, I keep my pistol grip 410 loaded, unlocked, and ready, leaning against my night table. I can always repair the sheetrock and paneling damage.

Jbear6

 

[grimjaw]

I keep a 9x19 DAO semi-auto with a round chambered, next to the bed under some covers. I pretty bewildered when I first wake up, so the less I have to think about when reacting (safeties, racking slide, etc) the better. There's a rifle in a closet nearby ready to go, as well as a revolver with some speedloaders handy in a different closet. Both of those are out of sight, but you'd have to cross my FOV to find them.

jmm

 

[david_the_greek]

chambered or not I don't think that it is a large issue. Having the gun and the training and instinct to use it is what matters. Personally I have 2 dogs. One a 100lbs+ rott and the other a sheperd mix. alarm system check. second I doubt someone is breaking into my house with the sole intent to kill me so chances are I don't have to be that tactical. My gun racking would most likely be a deterent. Not saying that I would run down the stairs screaming (hhmm well maybe actually....), but who ever just broke into my house is not a spec ops trained attacker. they are probably an untrained thug without a gun and without the mindset to face my 9, 12, or a 30-06 HP (yeah yeah i know "over penetration", its not the first choice but I love my garand anyways). I live on the second story of my house and even if I was on the first, a perp would have to find me and unlock my door. I'm a light sleeper to begin with but even if i werent my adrenaline would cause me to be pretty alert. even if it takes my two hands to cock my gun so what I shoot with two hands, it takes only one moment to do and it is more a sure way to stop accidental discharge (even if my finger is the only safety I need, someone else may not be as smart). I'm comfortable to travel through my house with a firearm in very low light and with a flashlight (I get bored and do weird stuff like that) and an untrained perp who might have a firearm is at a great disadvantage when the cops are called, the rott is upset and my browning is cocked (loudy so they know whats up) with me behind it slinking through the dark house.

 

[Archangel]

If you're in a situation where you need to use a gun, something has already gone horribly wrong. And since we all know how Murphy loves an opportunity like that...

Potential problems with condition 3:
1. More time to bring gun into action.
2. Short stroke the slide and fail to chamber a round.
3. Ride the slide and gun jams.
4. Plain forget to chamber a round.
5. Off hand occupied with child / attacker / flashlight / sheets / sucking chest wound.
6. Mag not fully seated. Racking the gun produces mag on the floor and completely empty gun. (could happen in condition 1 too, but then at least you get that first shot off)
7. Grab gun and flashlight. Remember that the gun needs to be chambered. Trying to chamber with flashlight in hand produces 2 or 3 above. Or
7B. Trying to chamber with flashlight in hand results in dropped flashlight, which rolls under bed. Or
7C. Trying to chamber with flashlight in hand results in dropped gun. Or
7D. Pick up gun and flashlight. Set down flashlight. Chamber round. Pick flashlight up again. Do this on the clock, in the dark, and tell me how fast it is.
8. The top round in the magazine is out of spec and won't chamber period.
9. Slam fire. You now have an empty gun, a lacerated off-hand, 9 or so holes in the floor / wall / ceiling, and a bad guy who wants to steal your machine gun.
10. In the excitement of the moment, you forget rule 3. The forward inertia of the slide closing bumps the trigger into your finger. ND

Shall I continue?


Potential problems with condition 1:
1. The perception that a toddler playing with a condition 3 gun is somehow safer than playing with a condition 1 gun.

 

[cz75bdneos22]

your decision...

but me, i don't have children yet ...so, anyone in my house other than myself, especially while i'm in my bedroom and at night ...will be considered an enemy/trespasser (sp) . Time/timing will be all important..i take no chances, it may be the only chance i have to defend my life in case of a surprise (possibly) deadly attack. bad guys tend to be the sneaky type..you know.. keep it simple, under attack primary instincts take over...you may not be able to perform as practiced/trained..Fear is a Biatch!! don't ask me how i know that!! all i know is "YMMV" and i hope all that you know will help you during a crisis...best regards..