Owners assaulted while unarmed...

[Gunblade]

I've read numerous threads where people say they carry in their own home, and seeing as I'm going to have my first handgun fairly soon this got me thinking:

About how often are gun owners assaulted while they are unarmed in their home?

I remember seeing an episode of Unsolved Mysteries a few years back where a man was answering a knock on his front door at night and was shot twice with a .40 caliber handgun when he opened the door. At which point he stumbled back into his house and grabbed a pump action shot gun. I think he survived, however it occurred to me that the assailant could have just finished him off if he wanted to.

I forget the rest of the details, but that is the part that stuck with me all this time.

 

[jlbraun]

Soon to be followed by That Guy saying how he wears a holster in the shower...

 

[Tommygunn]

About how often are gun owners assaulted while they are unarmed in their home?

Well, just what is meant by that? A "gun owner" maybe someone who owns one shotgun because he hunts doves every year, and nothing else.
Or do you mean people who are into self-defense, have CCWs and carry every day even when they just walk outside to get the mail?
Frankly, I'm not sure it's going to be easy to find an answer to this.
The guy in the TV show you mentioned was lucky if he lived. While it might be convenient to have a shotgun, it really didn't help him, since he was busy opening a door and had either put it down, or never picked it up in the first place. The BG got a drop on him when he opened the door.
He'd have been better served with a handgun in that precise moment, IMHO.

 

[Notch]

I dont take off my holster when I get home. Why would I?A "house gun" does you no good at all if you are in one end of the house and it is in the other. Not much different than locking the front door but not the back. I also do not answer my door without knowing who or what is on the other side. Security begins at the home, otherwise it is nothing more than a false sense.

 

[Geno]

Well-said Notch! I too wear my CCW 24/7 everywhere is it is legal. When in the restroom, I still have it at hand.

 

[Zoogster]

....

 

[romma]

I more often than not have my Keltec or Kahr on my person at home, or available near our bed at night. There are times for practicality purposes I have it locked in the safe.

Sometimes after a shower, I leave it in the safe if I am puttering around the house. Not too often though, I prefer to stay armed where we live!

One home invasion is all it takes to end it all.

 

[Houston Tom]

if you can't get to it; it is no good to you

 

[Cacique500]

If it's not on me (which it usually is) it's within hands reach at all times.

And +1 to what Notch said.

 

[Big Calhoun]

Since I can't carry at work (not even in the car), I tend to take my weapon out once I get home and it moves from room to room with me. If I'll be doing a lot of running back and forth, then I just strap it on.

Last year we had an incident at my complex which reinforced the importance of having a firearm ready and within reach. A pair of teenagers was wanted for an armed robbery of a Gamestop over in Arlington. While Irving PD and a few other orgs were getting ready to flush them out, one of them bailed and tried to run. During his dash, he tried opening the door to several apartments, including ours. Thankfully I hadn't gone outside for anything yet that day so the door still had all the locks on it. Had I stepped out to get the paper or mail, it could have been a much different story.

 

[Zundfolge]

About how often are gun owners assaulted while they are unarmed in their home?

If your point is that since such an attack is unlikely, there's no reason to carry 24/7/365, then there's no reason to carry outside the house either as any form of attack is somewhat unlikely.

However such an attack is not impossible, so if there's a possibility and you can mitigate the chances, why not?

This is why you invest in quality leather.

I carry 24/7/365 and am completely comfortable doing so because I ponied up the dough for quality leather instead of spending $15 on some Uncle Mikes vinyl crap.

 

[whitetiger7654]

Big Calhoun - You should change your routine then to always lock the doors. It's habit for me now to lock the door everytime I walk in. I'm constantly accidently locking family members outside because I just lock the door naturally without even thinking about it.

 

[Standing Wolf]

When the door bell rings, I drop a compact .357 magnum revolver into a trousers pocket, and keep my hand on the butt when I call, "Who is it?" through the door.

35-year-old self-styled "magazine salesmen" don't get invited in.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

About how often are gun owners assaulted while they are unarmed in their home?

Not statistically often, but then again, they aren't statistically often attacked on the streets either.

The thing about the possibility of being attacked while at home is very serious for a couple of reasons. An attack inside your home means there is less chance to be spotted by witnesses and such and the attackers and do with you what they want if they have the upper hand. It means that everything you hold dear at home is threatened.

The other aspect is that it is at home where you can carry what you want how you want and without worry of printing or your CCW being discovered. It would seem almost moronic to have whatever weapon you own at your immediate disposal in your home and then opt not to have it at your disposal and suffer an attack.

Let me give you a forced perspective analogy. On 9/11, America who had some of the absolute best combat aircraft in the world was not vigilante at home and did not have immediate access to them when the time came. Result? The only reason why the attacks stopped was being 75% of the planes already hijacked reached their targets, one plane came down as a result of passengers rebelling, and the rest were brought down by Air Traffic Control. None of the 4 hijacked planes were stopped by combat American combat aircraft.

Being able to be defeated in your own home because you don't carry in the one place you have unlimited carry rights is unacceptable.

 

[Gunblade]

If your point is that since such an attack is unlikely, there's no reason to carry 24/7/365, then there's no reason to carry outside the house either as any form of attack is somewhat unlikely.

Not at all. In fact I do plan on carrying in my house to practice for carrying outside, among other reasons spelled out above. The truth is I do think those who own firearms should keep one readily available at ALL possible times.

The reason I started this thread (which I wasn't very clear on, sorry...) was to gain a collection of good reasons and cases supporting the practice.

I don't live alone and there may be parties that oppose the idea.

 

[Zundfolge]

The reason I started this thread...was to gain a collection of good reasons and cases supporting the practice.

Ah .... well to be honest, the main reason I pack 24/7/365 is because frankly its easier than holstering and unholstering all the time (or worse, removing and replacing the holster).

My point before was that with a quality holster there's no reason one can't be 100% comfortable packing 100% of the time.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I would guess once is enough...

 

[RPCVYemen]

Guns are not magic wands that protect against assault.

They are tools. In skilled hands, under the right circumstances, they can be very useful tools.

There are many practical and legal limitations on the use of firearms. Granted, most states give you a lot more latitude in your house than on the street. But anyone who thinks of a handgun as a magic anti-assault blanket is in for a rude awakening.

Mike

 

[Double Naught Spy]

But anyone who thinks of a handgun as a magic anti-assault blanket is in for a rude awakening.

I don't think anyone here has even remotely suggested this. What is being said is that having a gun on your person while in the home makes it more immediately accessible than a firearm locked away and that having A gun in a time of crisis such as at the start of a home invasion is much better than having NO gun at that time. Nobody is suggesting that a handgun is the best option for home defense.

 

[grasssnake]

how many's enough

One under the pillow, 3 on the shelf near the sofa. That way you have someone to talk to when you are lonely.

 

[highfive]

First the front door is always locked. I have taught my kids that only mom or dad open the door, I even taught them that if the door bell rings they get out of the way and don't go close to the door.

Besides if I don't know you the door will stay closed. Besides I have a sign outside that says no soliciting, salesman know how to read, I hope.

And one of my guns is always by arms reach if I need it

 

[Bobo]

I've never had a home fire, but I have fire extinguisher.
I've never needed one, but I have a first aid kit in my home and in every vehicle.
I've never had a break-in, but I have deadlocks and alarms on my home.
I've never been "interrupted" in my bathroom or bedroom, but I have locks on those doors also.
I've rarely needed them, but I have many flashlights in my home, and one in each vehicle.
I live in a very "safe" community and have never needed it, but I carry a gun 24/7.

I have all the things above, but I don't have a bug out bag, or a safe room, or an air raid shelter, or even a SHTF plan. I'm at my personal comfort level for now, although that could change at any time.

Everyone has their own personal and individual level of comfort and safety.

If you feel nervous about something do something about it. Stress is not good for longevity.

I don't live alone and there may be parties that oppose the idea.

My wife is nervous around guns. My "always gun" (Kel-Tec P-3AT) is in my SmartCarry 24/7 (out of sight out of mind). When the door bell rings and I go to answer it the gun goes in my front pants pocket with my hand on the grip.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Actually, read back through Armed Citizen column in the NRA magazines or your local news. A very large percentage of the stories of homes invaded has a line mentioning that the victims had to retrieve a firearm.

 

[Zundfolge]

I don't live alone and there may be parties that oppose the idea.

All the more reason to carry on your person instead of leaving a gun "lying around".

 

[Handgunguy316]

+1 to Guy B. Meredith.


Gunblade,
Congrats on getting your first handgun, hopefully it will not be your last. In the NRA publications American Hunter and American Rifleman they have a section right up front called The Armed Citizen where they list on average of 6 one paragraph long news stories from around the country where armed citizens have saved their own or others lives. If you are not a member of the NRA I recommend that you become one.