Just how ready are you at any one time in your home?

[sm]

One never knows the where or when of next encounter -CRSam

I CCW at home.

My experiences vary - from a customer - attractive lady at the car wash wearing Jlry and nice watch. One employee takes notice, goes inside and makes duplicates of keys, her home address is in the glovebox ...required license and registration papers...she lived in real nice area too. She was robbed one weekend when gone...what if the perp thought something besides robbery...she is very attractive.

Folks get followed because of Handicapped license plates, say from the pharmacy, bank. Older folks live in nice areas, answer doors to receive delivery from Drug Store " Sir/ Ma'am - you left this at the pharamacy "....

Good looking daughter catches someone attenton, follows out to car. Car has required parking sticker from Hospital and Apt complex. Stalker knows a LOT more now, just plans his attack. Stalker also know the State does NOT allow CCW in hospitals...your daughter is not able to legally CCW b/t Hospital and car.

Young Daughter caught at home, she takes the trash out at night...I heard the screams, I was her neighbor. Situation handled, I just had to grab a phone to call 911....1911 was already on my person concealed.

True stories.

My buddy Sam is right of course.

Me paranoid, nope! I CCW and think outside the box.

 

[ralphie98]

At the current time, I am not usually armed when at home except for my cheapo off brand knife. Neighborhood is very well lit, all doors & windows are locked and violent crime is very rare around here. There are times when I actually carry when at home but not often. I always have one of my guns next to me when sleeping. Maybe not as prepared as most of y'all but I feel fairly comfortable with my safety.

The only thing I see as a disadvantage would be a large park next to my house and a wooded area behind which only make it easier for goblins to sneak up on me when I'm taking the dog out at night. I am very alert when I do this and will carry with me if it's after dark.

 

[GigaBuist]

Good god, where the hell do you people live? Do you have to worry about crime that much?

I get this sometimes from people that know me if they're in my place for any length of time.

It's very simple:

It's not a bother to keep them available. There's no instrusion on my life. Why wouldn't I? Besides, I'd feel like a real idiot if I got murdered in a home invasion with all that hardware locked in a safe!

"Of all the people you'd have expected to have a gun in his hand..." Nope, nobody's saying that one at my funeral!

 

[pbhome71]

I'm with RileyMc on this one.

 

[Arc-Lite]

At one time, where you lived may have been an indication of possible crime, but now days.... anywhere you live...is a target. Just keep in mind security begins OUTSIDE...not upon their entry....spend half of what one of your side arms cost....on locks, doors and lights, and address the threat outside.

 

[FunGunner]

"Just keep in mind security begins OUTSIDE...not upon their entry....spend half of what one of your side arms cost....on locks, doors and lights, and address the threat outside."

That's a BIG Amen!!

 

[Bandit01]

All I'm saying is, when I read that people say stuff like, they walk around their homes with a pistol, that's going just way to far. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and never worried about someone breaking into my apt. nor have I ever worried or given thought about having pistols strategically placed around my apt. But, that's just me.

Anyway, I keep my pistols in a certain area in my apt. If someone breaks in and I have to defend myself, well, I ill deal with it then.

 

[P95Carry]

that's going just way to far.

''Each to his own'' ... naturally. But thing is - if a guy (as I do) carries all waking hours it is no big deal ... no different from having watch on wrist all day. No paranoia ... simply having it there - against that 1:1,000,000 possibilty things go belly up.

You do what you are comfortable with - way to go.

 

[Strings]

I've gotten the "why do you need all that?" line, and the "why aren't your guns locked up?" trick too...

What's scattered is either on display, or hidden against that 1 in a million occurance. And my office essentially IS my gun safe (gods help someone breaking in the front door while I'm in here!). I have no kids, not GOING to have any kids, and anyone else's kids that come over won't be given the opportunity to "go exploring". And neither my wife nor my roomie have any problems with having an arsenal stashed around the house...

 

[Yooper]

Loaded guns in a couple of secure places and an intruder has to get past over 300 pounds of Newfoundland and Great Dane to get to this old goat.

 

[GigaBuist]

All I'm saying is, when I read that people say stuff like, they walk around their homes with a pistol, that's going just way to far. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and never worried about someone breaking into my apt. nor have I ever worried or given thought about having pistols strategically placed around my apt. But, that's just me.

That's probably the difference, right there, between you and the folks commenting on this thread. I'm not saying you're WRONG and I'm not saying anybody else is RIGHT either. We're all of the same mindset here, just a bit different in some ways.

Ya see, Brooklyn might be dangerous and all that, but plenty of us grew up with a shotgun in the kitchen as just a normal thing. In a rural area such a gun serves dual puposes: critter control most of the time, but HD the if need be. You just always kept a shotgun handy where I grew up, just like you kept a fresh pot of coffee on. Yes, that SEEMS weird to equate the two equally like that but being invited into a country home that doesn't have means to make coffee is equally asbusrd to finding one that doesn't have the tools to dispatch a rabid racoon to me.

Now, this isn't a board just for "country folk" but a few of us came from that mindset. Since we've plunked down the money for our hobby and how have more guns than some small towns do the idea of "an 870 for evey room" doesn't seem so weird. Gun here, gun there, that's just normal for some of us.

Now, the folks that keep a pistol on their belt -- I think we all know they carry all the time. I don't take my cellphone off my belt when I get home, why should they take their gun off? When I have guests over I tuck all guns extra guns away somewhere in a locked cabinet and revert to keeping one on my belt. Concealment is desired, but not 100% required in this situation.

Paranoia? No. I find zero burden in holstering a good weapon on my belt when I have guests over. Usually I'd just have a pistol laying on the counter (just a tool) but when others are over I holster it. I'd feel like a real idiot if I was caught without a gun if I had friends and family over for a pasta dinner and was caught without ANY gun on hand.

Unlikely as it may be I will -NOT- consider the possibility of being unarmed when I have guests in my home for fear of what might happen to them if I'm unable to act.

 

[colesteele]

Both 1911's w/ 5 loaded mags and 9mm w/ 4 loaded mags ready to go. At least 1 1911 within reach. 12 loaded mags for the AR in assault vest and 6 loaded mags for the CETME, all in Ready Reaction mode. 12 ga rounds close to the Shotty if the need calls for it. Yeah, I think i'm ready for the SHTF mode.

ETA- It's called paranoia when nothing is happening, but it's called prepared when something does.

I'll settle with being called paronoied as long as no one ever has to say "well, he was prepared".

 

[Walter]

I carry my regular concealed-carry weapon on me almost a hundred
percent of the time I am at home. I have a Colt 1911 with three or
four loaded mags in a camera bag in the closet in my bedroom. I also
have four 'motion-sensor' lights around my house. I have two mini-
cameras placed where they need to be, so I can monitor the outside
on my TV.

I don't consider myself "paranoid". I just think I am "defense-oriented by
virtue of experience". I spent two tours in Viet Nam as a Grunt Marine,
learning how to survive. One of the most important lessons I learned
during my military experience is that when you "NEED" a gun, you need it
"NOW!". When trouble finds you, you may not have ten seconds, or even
five seconds to get to a weapon. A 'Smash the Door In-Home Invasion" may
not give you more than five to ten seconds to react before you are a
victim. If my CCL weapon is in my waistband, all I need to draw and fire
is three to four seconds.

I think of my neighborhood as a pretty safe place. But I still carry. Why
take the chance?

Walter
:

 

[Third_Rail]

Sadly, I'm not ready at all. To get from where I usually am (my bedroom, upstairs) to where my shotgun is (in the basement) would take me 50 seconds, I timed it.

To open my safe will take me 10-15 seconds, then I need to load the shotgun. 20 seconds or more, since the ammo is in a box still.

Basically, by the time I can get to whereever, it'll already be too late, if I could even make it to the basement at all.



Man, will I ever be glad when I can get a shorter bbl and a folding stock on my shotgun and actually keep it where I need it.

 

[Ben_Tucci]

Always have gun nearby

When I am at home I am either carrying my ccw (glock 30) or it is within arms reach. I don't consider myself paranoid but no matter where you live or how safe an area is there is always the risk of home invasion. Being prepared doesn't make me any less comfortable and if anything just increases my peace of mind. My wife used to be less than comfortable with me having a firearm until she started seeing all the stories in our local paper of armed robberies and home invasions. Now if she is home alone she always has my Taurus .357 with her and feels much more safe as a result.

 

[Ivy Mike]

My home defense setup goes like this.

1st line is locked doors and windows. I can't imagine why some folks woul leave doors or windows unlocked. In any area, no matter how crime-free you think it is, you can never be sure. Leaving them unlocked is just asking for trouble. (my new place also has bars on the windows.)
2. My alarm dog. Granted, he is only a 38 pound Beagle, but he sure lets out a loud bark.
3. My carry piece of the day is always on me or nearby. Either an FN Forty-Nine (.40S&W) or my Makarov (.380)
4. The guns are in a safe with various pieces loaded.
A. The other carry piece mentioned above
B. CZ75B - loaded with empty chamber
C. 12GA. loaded with empty chamber
D. Mosin Nagant M44.- Loaded, empty chamber
E. all other guns sit unloaded with ammo nearby.

If I have to go past C. I'm in deep s**t.
The cops will have been called as my cell phone is in my pocket and I havpe land lines throught the house.

 

[OrvilleYertleson]

Bandit01: No, they don't. There is no reason to worry unless you are unable to protect yourself.

Oh, but we keep a Makarov next to the bed (mostly for the girlfriend when I am not home), and I generally keep my USP on me when I am not sleeping. When I come to bed it joins the Makarov. in the closet (a walk in closet that has been converted into a gun/reloading room) immediately behind the bed is a shotgun.

If I had not just come home from an IDPA/Battle Rifle match, I would have my AR on the wall next to the shotgun.

Generally my pistols are loaded, while my long guns simply need to have a round chambered.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Bandit01
Good god, where the hell do you people live? Do you have to worry about crime that much?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heck No I don't worry about it at all.

Right now within reach is two Red Dot equipped 12 ga shotguns, a Taurus PT99, a CZ83 (9X18), a S&W Model 60 W/laser grip, a Makarov, a Bond Derringer 45ACP, a Winchester lever action 22 and about 15 foot away are a couple 45 Kimbers, another laser grip equipped S&W, a.........well you get the idea.

Why should I worry about crime?
Let the people that are too stupid to protect themselves worry.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

When I'm home for any length of time I keep my CCW on my person, and 1 rifle and I shotgun ready at all times. I also keep a 72hr. bug out bag ready 24/7/365.

Some say this is a little overboard. I don't think so.

So far I've been shot, stabbed, and ran over. And I'm only in my 30's.
I've even found a way to safely CCW while I sleep, so I'm covered on those 3am potty runs. No kids in the house to woory about gun access issues. And they all get locked in the safe when I leave.

Think I'm a little paranoid? Ask the guy at my work whos buddy had his front door kicked in & was robbed at gunpoint with his pants around his ankles late one night. YMMV