In the middle of the night!

In the middle of the night.

  • Shotgun

    Votes: 191 38.4%

  • Pistol

    Votes: 202 40.6%

  • Revolver

    Votes: 45 9.0%

  • Assault Rifle

    Votes: 50 10.0%

  • I wont bother, and will go back to sleep!

    Votes: 10 2.0%
  • Total voters
    498
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.
easyg wrote:
I'm very surprised that some folks say they would stay in their room and call the cops....just because they heard a strange noise.

I sincerely hope that the ones who suggested calling the cops to investigate the dreaded "bump in the night" were women and not men.
Click to expand...

There's a difference between "a strange noise" and "an intruder."

When I hear a strange noise I grab my carbine and flashlight and do a quick look-around, but that's just for safety and comfort. Most likely the cat knocked something over. In the extremely improbable event that there is an intruder, I would at least be armed.

However, if I heard a voice or obvious intruder then I'd take the safety off, point the gun at the door, and attempt to conceal myself or obscure my presence while my GF called the cops. This is just smarter tactically and I don't have anything worth getting maimed or killed over in my house.

Let's see...a 3-4 year old iMac, a $70 TV, a $20 DVD player, and my guns, which are in the room with me. None of that stuff is even very stealable, let alone something I'd risk life and limb for.

I can't deal with multiple intruders and navigate the house in a safe way, so I'll let the cops do that. Until then, I'll defend. I don't understand your position, unless you live in an area with no cops. Why would you abandon your wife/gf (if you have one) in a room while you "clear the house" and set yourself up to get killed?
 
Why would you abandon your wife/gf (if you have one) in a room while you "clear the house" and set yourself up to get killed?
Click to expand...
I just reckon that you and I are wired differently.
I was a soldier for many years, and I'm quite confident that I'm more "qualified" to clear my own home than any cop who's unfamiliar with the layout of my home.

And consider this....
You hear an intruder so you hold up in your room with your wife or girlfriend and call 911.
They send a couple of officers out to your house.
They enter the house to find the intruder.
Not including you or your girlfriend, you now have THREE ARMED PEOPLE in your home.
I don't know about your home, but the walls in mine are only sheetrock with hollow interior doors....very easily penetrated by bullets.
And the police don't know the layout of your home, and they don't really know exactly where you and your girlfriend are.
Suppose there's a firefight???
Three shooters firing in the dark....this is very dangerous for every living thing in the house!

As for my wife....
The queen of my castle is no weak and quivering damsel in distress.
She was a combat medic in the 101st Airborne during the Gulf War....and she was one of the very first (and very few) women to ever be awarded the Combat Medic Badge.
She can take care of herself just fine.
And we already have "plan A", "plan B", and "plan C" worked out, along with certain code phrases. ;)
 
easyg said:
I just reckon that you and I are wired differently.
...
The queen of my castle is no weak and quivering damsel in distress.
...
women to ever be awarded the Combat Medic Badge.
...
Click to expand...

I would submit that being married to a decorated combat verteran isn't so much being "wired differently" as it is being in an entirely different situation.

I, myself, would be required to provide 100% of the defense for the rest of my family (until any help arrived). Whereas you are just not in that situation.

Don't get me wrong... I agree with most of what you've said. - Just sayin'... We're talking about different environments.
 
I'd go with my tactical Remington 870 with all the goodies on it if it was already loaded and ready to go. (Mine's in a standing safe so I typically just have my XD40 on the nightstand) Because of the way I have it set up, I have a rail light mounted on the picatinny rails up front and with the pistol grip and collapsible stock, I can easily open doors still holding onto the shotgun with my other hand free. Clearing rooms is my specialty. ;)
 
Scenario

I voted for SHOTGUN in the scenario listed, how nice it would be to have all bedrooms/loved ones upstairs on the same floor and all you have to do is defend the stairwell to keep them safe.

My own home scenario poses some challenges, but shotgun with a handgun & light would be my secondary protection.

Now, for strategy:

1. Staying in my bedroom is NOT an option, my children are at the opposite end of the house straight down a long hallway -- I cannot leave them by themselves.

2. The positioning of their bedrooms at the end of a 40' hallway leaves much to be desired, seeing as the front door entry comes into that hallway as well. A reckless shot on my part could end up in my kids bathroom which goes between their respective rooms.

3. I'd be relying on my dog to let me know where the bad guy is, if it was indeed a bad guy. That will help with my decision on WHAT to do. If he is near my kids rooms, dog in tow -- then my safety becomes secondary.

I'm not sure what the right answer is in my scenario, but considering the things I put above, I'd have to cautiously figure out where the threat is and how to get to my kids and secure them. Upon meeting a BG, I'd have to place shots carefully as not to project the over-penetrating ones into my kids. Not a great, or easy thing.

Bozz
 
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ok SOOO if that was the senario and i couldnt bring both because my sling was broke or something. i would grab the shotgun. i cannot see a single 45 round having the stopping power of buckshot. yes the shotgun limits your carrying capibility to maby 15 shells (after reloading) but if you cant hit with your first 5 you should spend way more time at the range and shouldnt be the one you rely on to prtect your queen and castle.
 
Pistol for me. Glock G23 with night sites. I don't own a shotgun with a barrell smaller than 26" aside from kids single shot .410. My AR is on lock down in the safe at all times.
 
I just dont get it that revolver a very limited ammo weapon gun is tied with an assulat rifle!
 
The amount of ammo or type of gun isn't nearly as important as the tactics.

If I had to, I suppose I'd grab the rifle and secure the stairway. I would need a really good reason to go downstairs. Basically, a vulnerable loved-one would have to be down there for me to go engage. Otherwise, I'd hold the stairs. Yell that the cops are on the way, and if they enter the stairwell they get shot a few times. This is considering that the significant other is on the phone with 911 dispatch, has described the situation, and has notified them of our location in the home and the fact that I am armed.
 
High capacity, low recoil, easy to handle, for both the lady and myself.

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First of all, unless the sound was that of breaking glass or a door being busted down, I would attribute it to one of the cats or dogs.

If I did get out of bed (which I sometimes do) I used to go for a shotgun with #4 buck. However, I've since realized that turning corners in a small house makes it easier to carry a full size pistol and if I was ambushed/surprised I could retain the pistol better. These days, the Mossberg 590 stays in the safe and a full size CZ-75 with night sights sits discreetly by the bed.

However, if the noise was unambiguously that of someone breaking into the house I would grab whatever I had - even a long gun - as in this case I wouldn't be running around the house trying to flush out an intruder but rather securing the second floor while waiting for law enforcement.
 
Just because...

the 870 doesn't fit in the nighttable lockbox, I grab the glock to get to that longgun. While I'm looking for that, the dog is looking for the bg.:D
 

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I would prefer a 1911 in .45ACP with a set of night sights. A pump action shotgun is my second choice.

I am afraid a 7.62x54R would go through the walls and into a neighbors house. A little over powered for the situation, but will still get the job done.

Lastly, call the police to clean up the mess.
 
No Eaton. Under the pillow is a lousy idea. Ever turn off your alarm clock while you were still asleep? you can move around in your sleep and not realize it. I'd be really unseasy about having a gun under the pillow for that reason. Also, what's to say it won't slip behind the matress and be AWOL when you need it?

I keep my revolver in an open-top holster on the floor next to the bed. And the shotgun leaning against the bedpost on the other side. It would take conscious movements to bring them into action, but it could be done very quickly if necessary.
 
I would hide behind my bed with my cheapo Taurus 9mm, cause its the easiest shooting gun I have. If anyone came through the door, I would do my best to settle the situation, but I don't think I would go walking around in the dark. I live in a one story and I think I would probably get jumped.
 
Walking around in the dark is the fun part. You can pretend you are on the SWAT team!

Seriously, the darker the better. You know your house better than he does, so that gives you the advantage in the dark. Keep your shoes off so he does not hear you walking around. Use your ears more than anything to try and pinpoint where he is in the house. Once you locate the perp, keep low and engage from there. You may ask him to raise his hands, but if he does not speak English he won't know what to do. I would just take him out.

In my case, there is one other person living with me, so if she is in her bed, no one else should be in the house walking around but me. Anyone else is considered an intruder. No one else in my life has keys to the house or a reason to be there without me knowing about it. It is a simple process of elimination.

19-3Ben,
I see what you mean. I should find a place out of plain sight, and easily accessible.
 
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