Thinking about Armament and Equipment for self/home defense.

[Glamdring]

For home defense things seem simple to me. Concealment isn't a real issue so I use (from little to big) CCW, nightstand gun (4" 629 loaded with 44 specials), 12 gauge, and a 308 Carbine. Plus good locks, lighting, etc.

For carry it is a little more complicated for me.

Have been using P32 & P11 and a Delica. I also carry a photon LED (I have a surefire but use it maybe once every two years, so I stopped carrying it on me, didn't need it) and a cell phone.

Bought a 637 last week and as soon as the holsters I ordered get here that will be my new 24/7. It is a vast improvement (for me) over the P32 and the P11. I am also ordering a pair of Endura's to replace the Delica.

I plan to get a second j frame as soon as the budget allows. And carry both Jframes 24/7 plus the 2 Enduras (so I can draw a knife or snubby with either hand).

I am shooting once a week with the snubby and dryfire everyday (minus the days I lift weights).

***
I don't know if it is because I read Gun rags to often when I was younger, but I keep feeling guilty for not carrying a full size gun for CCW.

Realistically I think a J frame will handle any self defense situation that I would be able to survive. Having a second J frame should cover most other real problems.

So am I well prepared with just a snubby or two? I am physically fit (regular weekly workouts). I practice (counting dryfire) 3 to 5 times a week with my CCW. I also practice weekly hand to hand (empty hand and with the knifes).

Would I really be more prepared if I was carrying a G29, 1911, or P35? I don't own any of those yet but I will get one of them eventually.

I am not interested in going to Thunder Ranch, LFI, etc. I think they spend to much time on shooting skills vs self defense skills.

So other than the off repeated "pay someone to make you better" (I prefer to spend the money and time using the tools and techniques in practice that I do in the real world, example: because of work pocket carry is only option for me currently when I am at work, so that is what I practice with) what suggestions might THR members offer?

I practice situational awareness. I also read Cooper's little red book couple times a year.

For additional gear after the 2nd J frame. I want some kind of carbine. I disagree with Cooper about Rifle and pistol being all you need. A pistol, shotgun, and Rifle will probably handle everything. But I think a good carbine would be better compromise when you can't have a Rifle & Shotgun available (when you can only have one longgun and you don't know what the situation will be exactly).

 

[Spieler]

It sounds to me like you have all the bases covered and are good to go. A lot of the things you mentioned, like unarmed self-defense techniques, situational awareness, physical fitness, and well as continual and constructive practice with your firearm of choice are all more important than having the 'latest and greatest' wonder weapon. If you can and want to carry a full size auto pistol for CCW, by all means do so, but don't feel guilty or underarmed if you don't. Carry what you shoot well and shoot well what you carry.

 

[sturmruger]

My plan

I have a shot gun, I also have a good home defense gun my Rugerr P89. My next gun purchase is going to be a Ruger PC9. The magzines are interchangeable with the P89. This will give me allot of flexability in my ammo choices for both guns. I plan to keep soft frangible ammo loaded in mags and also some FMJ just in case I need it.

 

[Oracle]

Glamdring,

Personally, I wouldn't worry about whether or not your carry guns are the "biggest and the baddest". A hit with a .38 is much better than a miss with a .45, and you practice enough that you should be quite proficient with your .38's. Carry guns have to be concealable, and they should be a gun that you are proficient with. If you've got those bases covered, then I wouldn't worry too much about caliber.

On another note, have you thought about waving your Enduras? I've done that with mine, and it's increased it's utility tremendously, as I can both pull and open the knife extremely quickly.

 

[mercop]

First thing I tell people to get for home defense is a Surfire. Then a cell phone (in case professionals cut your hard line) then a gun you are good with. For HD I favor a 12 ga with bird shot. Will not overpenetrate and kill junior in the next room. I work lots of nights. Our room is the safe room. If Momma hears someone she gets all three kids with her and chocks the door with a wedge-it. If they come to the door she gives the challenge. If they do not come back with the family password they get shot through the door. The two oldest kids know the challenge and password and will not open the door without it. Extreme?, so are the home invasions I investigate.

 

[Glamdring]

I'm not sure what a surefire is supposed to do for home defense? I much prefer just to turn lights on if I want to see better.

Cell phone/regular phone and 911 isn't going to do me much good. I live in the country and unless I am really lucky it would take LE or whatever 20 to 30 minutes to get here after they got the call (unless one just happened to be closer).

Then they have to find the house. The driveway alone is a half mile long

 

[mercop]

Ok, you know how to move around in the dark in your house because you live there. He does not. I would prefer to leave the lights off if he was already in the house. An easy alarm system for this is a baby moniter next to every entrance. On the light thing again. Walk into a dark room from another dark room and turn the light on. Like the bathroom in the middle of the night. See how it hurts your eyes. If you have a light and project it on what you want to see this will happen to them not you. In total darkness if the light is strong enough it will interupt their OODA loop just long enough for you to act.

 

[Glamdring]

I never seem to explain with words how to use light and dark to improve tactical situations. So much easier to show people.

But I'll try again.

First, if your eyes are dark adapted (have built up visual purple), using a high intensity white light (surefire) will ruin your night vision just with the light reflected off whatever it is pointed at. It also shows where you are to everyone that has a line of sight on you. It can even give a vector to people that don't have a line of sight (if you are both approaching an intersection the light can give you away before there is a line of sight between you).

And it only illuminates a small area.

Some "experts" say you should flash the light on, then shut it off and move (blindly move ).

I learned in security that searching a building with a flashlight was a waste of time, if you wanted to see if someone was there you turned on the lights (our supervisors would hide, if you "cleared" a building they were hiding in without finding them you got written up).

I learned to move to the light switches as "tactically" as possible then wait for the lights to warm up. Made searching much safer.

Having a remote switch that turns on lights outside your bedroom/saferoom means anyone coming to attack you will have to backlight themselves. Plus you gain the concealment of shadow.

Also for home defense, same as self defense elsewhere, if you can avoid having to shoot someone your better off than if you have to shoot them.

Imagine how goblin would feel if lights come on in the house they are in, along with a voice telling them you are armed and the police are on their way.

Anyway my own experience, practice, and experiments have lead me to use small point light sources (red light LED that doesn't ruin night vision) and big area light sources (regular lights).

 

[Quartus]

Having a remote switch that turns on lights outside your bedroom/saferoom means anyone coming to attack you will have to backlight themselves. Plus you gain the concealment of shadow.

Nice idea! Best way is to put ALL of your lights under relay control, rather than conventional switches.

That ain't cheap. But having complete control of ALL your indoor & outdoor lighting from a safe room would be A Very Good Thing. But how many folks would actually do this?


If you want to get REALLY carried away, you could mount a few BIG halogens at strategic locations. Use them to blind your attacker. Being under your control, you could protect your eyes, flash the BG into Blind City, then take appropriate action.

Of course, that might just get him to start firing blindly.

 

[cpileri]

layers of an onion

If you ever find yourself in a situation in your home where you have to use a firearm against an intruder, several things therefore must have occurred prior to that:
1. the intruder chose your home
2. the intruder gained access
3. the intruder has either accidentally approached you, or is seeking you out, and
4. the intruder is now close enough to you to be a danger

So you can prevent the confrontation at several places before the shooting phase.
in 1 above, pretty much random although no sense in making your place too inviting; so try to be as unostentatious as possible, leave outdoor lights on or have motion sensing lights, car in driveway can be nice but not too nice, no Christmas presents in the window, dont leave the outside doors and windows wide open, etc.
in 2, hardened areas of access can help, so can alarms. A solid steel door and window grating are only as strong as the frame they are attatched to. A really LOUD alarm can both deter the BG with his body halfway thru the window, and also alert you and the police to the intrusion
3. you can prevent and/or delay this meeting by avoiding ground level bedrooms, with a big protective dog, etc.
4. Oops. well, if after all that the perp gets that far then all the rules and laws behind the use of deadly force apply- assuming you have the means to apply it which it looks like you do.

With any luck, you'll never know how good a shot you are in that situation.
C-

 

[Glamdring]

Well remote lights don't have to be expensive. Radio Shack (used to anyway) sold units that just plugged into outlets and used house wiring to send signal between locations.

 

[New_comer]

I have all I need
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[mercop]

BTW, you can also measure the distance between your front door and the closest wall. Then get a 4X4 cut and put it in there at night. They will have to go through the door.