What is worse?

[primlantah]

I see a lot of threads around here about attempted home invasions and catching people casing out their home. I noticed many people would prefer to answer the door with a gun in hand to warn the suspect off. This seems more like an invitation for someone to come back later to steal the weapon that was brandished. Where i live if someone knocks on the door in the middle of the night and im home and not expecting someone i wont answer the door. I do clear leather on my 45. but i dont let them see me, my belongings, and most importantly my gun.

 

[dewage83]

my girlfriend would be up and waiting under the covers with her sks(we live in a studio appt.) and i would probably have the shotgun behind the door. (in case of a cop knocking because the neighbors got broke into) we have had our car and our neighbors appt. broke into in the last 6 months, we do not take a knock on the door in the middle of the night lightly. also here in ct there has been 3 deadly home invasions in 6 months, leaving one of the bodies around where i live. also one other invasion happened within 10 minutes of my work. my friends think im parinoid, i would perfer to be prepaired for the worst and deal with the best than the opposite.
on topic of them coming back to steal my guns i wouldnt worry too much theres almost always someone home. me and my girl friend work opposite shifts.

 

[USMC - Retired]

Don't open door, ask who they are and what they want. Armed but don't announce that fact.

 

[shdwfx]

^^^
That's the best answer and, oddly, not included in the poll.

 

[Markbo]

Agreed but not particularly odd. I find a lot of folks here on THR have a limited perspective outside their own.

 

[freakshow10mm]

All the answers with "unarmed" in them.

Never open the door. Always be armed. ID the person. Even in broad daylight.

 

[primlantah]

That's the best answer and, oddly, not included in the poll.

Agreed but not particularly odd. I find a lot of folks here on THR have a limited perspective outside their own.

actually, i didn't proofread the poll and thought it was there. originally i had an extra option and wasn't sure why...reduced by 1 and didnt notice the announce yourself only part missing. These people should just vote other... i added it for things like this.

 

[MakAttak]

I agree with everyone else, I didn't see a "Ask who it is while armed, but not announcing it, without opening the door" (wow, that's convoluted).

So I voted "other"

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I marked other because if someone is knocking on my door that means something has happened the my three dogs (weighing 65, 95, and 108 lbs.) that are inside the five foot fence surrounding the house. So I am going out the other door with an Rem 870 12 ga. and .45 1911. If it isn't one of a handful of people then someone is going to be hurting.

 

[glocker82]

I wouldn't recommend showing the gun...or even talking about a gun...in fact...just look out the window first.

Storyoorbell rings at 3am...I kind of panic...go for the gun..ok...let's check first to see who it is through the window...it's a cop! Ok, I'll leave the gun...I find out my dad left his jeep in neutral and it had rolled out into the middle of the street.

Moral of the story...Don't bring a gun to the door...it could be a cop and things could get ugly!

 

[Auburn1992]

I'd just look out of a window. If it is someone I do not know then I would adress them.

 

[jad0110]

Don't open door, ask who they are and what they want. Armed but don't announce that fact.

That's exactly how I do it. My wife is finally doing the same, but unarmed. She used to just open the door without even looking (and unarmed). In her flight attendant days before we married, she used to walk the streets of cities like Oakland, D.C. and NYC by herself .

Call her a recovering blissninny I guess.

 

[Funderb]

what are you asking?
what do we do, or what do we think is bad to do, the question you're asking is not clear.

 

[ColinthePilot]

If I hear a knock on the door, at any time, that i'm not expecting, I look first, always have a gun, concealed, but usually not at the ready. If I'm expecting someone, they usually have walk in authority, but they know to announce themselves upon entry.

 

[Silvanus]

Don't open door, ask who they are and what they want. Armed but don't announce that fact.

The only answer not in the poll, but by far the best IMO.

 

[Markbo]

actually, i didn't proofread the poll and thought it was there. originally i had an extra option and wasn't sure why...reduced by 1 and didnt notice the announce yourself only part missing. These people should just vote other... i added it for things like this.

Ah... premature extrapolation.

 

[nplant]

I thought this was a poll asking us what the WORST thing to do was. That's what the title suggests, anyway.

Based on that understanding of the actual question, I think the worst thing to do is to announce through a closed door that you have a gun.

 

[Rachen]

I don't open the door to ANYONE that I don't know or hasn't arranged their arrival before, in other words, those who I would open to are those I know.

Strange knocks in the middle of the night?

Won't open, but I would have my sidearm ready. Just in case the worst happens. However, those who have positive intentions should be able to notify me. It doesn't take that much intelligence to announce one's presence and intentions.

I live in a decent neighborhood with a fairly low crime rate, but I still want to be cautious.

 

[markk]

Don't open door, ask who they are and what they want. Armed but don't announce that fact.

+1

 

[1911Tuner]

Install a peephole and turn on the light. A recessed doorway is a pretty good deterrent, if there are small windows on all sides. It puts the caller on notice that he is observable from three sides, and provides the feeling of being watched.

 

[Treo]

I have a window next to the door. I open that and ask what they need. Unless there's an obvious reason to open the door ( life threatening injury / car wreck in my yard/ cops on the porch suchlike) I don't .

Had a guy come to my front door one night all but BEGGING me to take a free Rocky Mountian Post, one minor problem he didn't have any papers W/ him. I think things could have got ugly had I opened the door.

 

[MinnMooney]

Look 1st - decide - act

I look to see who the H___ is knocking on my 'way-out-in-the-country' door in the middle of the night before I make a decision to do anything.
If they ask for help - to be pulled out of the ditch, for gas, for a phone or medical - I'll offer to call the tow co., a number of their choosing or police/emergency squad and wait to see their responce. If they say, "Sure. Thank you." then I'll open the door (armed and concealed) and help them. If there is any hesitation in their answer, I would probably go into red alert mode and tell them that I'm calling the deputy right down the road and we'll both help out with your problem.
Too many who need help in the middle of the night around here are drunk and drive into the ditch. I don't want to be responsible for putting a drunk back on the road.

 

[MinnMooney]

re: glocker82

Moral of the story...Don't bring a gun to the door...it could be a cop and things could get ugly!

A cop would understand that a person on the other side of the door (in the middle of the night) might be armed or scared or both. He'll take certain precautions like announcing himself, showing a badge and being visible. At that point I'd tell him that I have a weapon but that I'm holstering it before opening the door. That way everybody knows what page everyone else is on.
Moral of the story... Bring the weapon and check credencials.

 

[dmxx9900]

I would not answer the door if in the middle of the night some random person knocks or rings the door bell I would have a 38 special in my hand and if he would not leave with in 2 minutes I would slightly open the door because I have a screen door in front of the main door and I would ask what the hell he wants and if its donations or something that does not make sense I would tell him to leave with the revolver showing.

 

[primlantah]

to clarify, Im asking what you would do if someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night.