Would you shoot through the door?

[Mr_Rogers]

Odds are stacked they are lost or drunk or stupid or mad ... but these aren't the actions of a true threat.

Ever been in a fight with somebody dead drunk. I assure you they are a very serious threat and totally beyond any reason or discussion.

Still not a good reason to shoot through a door but, once the door is open, a drunk is as likely to charge a firearms as to back off, especially if he thinks he's in his girlfriend's home and you are the new boyfriend.

 

[Claude Clay]

door closed and locked
door breached
whatever the dogs leave i'll have at

actually, i would let the dogs out of another door if he kept at the door after i told him to leave.
if i had no dogs, than any part of him that comes through the breach he creats is a target.

 

[Sato Ord]

None of the above: Don't shoot; wait for police, UNLESS the door is actually breached, in which case, shoot.

Premium, that's the option I was looking for. I settled for option two.

I'm not opening up on some idiot who is kicking my door until he comes through it. My wife will be on the cell phone, and I'll have the 12 gauge and my pistol ready.

 

[USMCDK]

+1 mbt2001 and akanotken
+2 Mr. Rogers and +3 more cause Mr. Rogers was a damn fine sniper in the Corps OORAH!!

 

[Templar223]

Only if I knew, with certainty, that the persons on the other side were BGs (as in they chased me into this location after trying to kill me somewhere else)...

But that's a little Hollywoodish.

If you've got time to debate about shooting through the door, you've got time to get a bigger gun (ETA: rifle or shotgun) to greet them with should they breach your door.

John

 

[blackcash88]

Hey, you the same Templar from the AK forum?

 

[Mr_Rogers]

The majority decision seems to be to wait until the door is forced open, then act.

Have you thought about this?

1. How far would you stand from the door (you probably don't have much choice)?

2. What position would you take up in relation to the door? Stand on the door opening side so that you can see the invader as soon as the door opens? Stand directly in front of the door? Stand on the hinge side so that the door is between you and the invader when it opens?

These, my friends, if the invader is armed and dangerous, are life and death choices. Enjoy.

 

[tntwatt]

We spend alot of time deciding what if when you can't see the BG. Why not just make him visible. Every home supply store in the country has cheap weatherproof wireless video set ups. Spend the money, usually less than $150 and mount the camera where it can't be reached. See your target BEFORE he breaches the door. Any information you have before you pull the trigger will make you safer. If he's armed, through the door. If unarmed, when the door opens, make the call.

 

[TS537]

Wow, TNTWATT, that isn't what you said the other day when you and Mr. Rogers piled on me (and you accused me of being an anti) because I said what every other person on this thread has said, namely that there are almost no good reasons to shoot through a door at someone you can't see, and tons of reasons not to...

Anyone who'd like to read it can do so here:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=360223&highlight=castle+doctrine

 

[Lupinus]

heck no, only a fool shoots through the door. It's stupid, in some places it's illegal, and who knows what you are shooting at. Maybe its someone you know being chased that doesn't have a key. There are to many factors.

Get on phone with 911, assume a good cover spot to fire from if door is breeched, wait for calvary or unleash hell if door is broken and you verify threat....whichever comes first.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

only way i'd shoot through the door is if they start shooting in through it first. don't shoot what you can't see

 

[Mr_Rogers]

The OP said, no lights outside, no response to questions/threats. Sure, add TV cameras, add lights, but that wasn't the original scenario. I reckon anybody who can't see any door from inside the house should do something - but that wasn't the original scenario.

Now, I say "never say never". Do I think shooting through a door is good - no. Am I willing to enter a mindset that conditions me to never do it, regardless of the circumstances - no.

The question in my last post has been ignored. OK, I talk rubbish. But here is your possible problem. If this guy has played this game before HE IS NOT GOING TO RUSH IN THROUGH THE DOOR. He will smash the door open, back into the dark a short way (perhaps find cover behind your porch), and then, when he has done a quick assessment he will quarter the pie on the inside of the house. Remember, he is in the dark (OP), you may be back-lit. The only thing you will see is the flash in the dark before you go down.

Of course, it could be a harmless kid

TS537,
I hope it was not really piling on. All of us sometimes think we have something wired. We are really convinced that our plan is perfect. My simple minded amusement is to suggest points that may have been overlooked and to challenge comfortable certainties. For these purposes, does it matter whether I am right or wrong? Does it matter if I am saying what I believe? Not really, the point is to stimulate thought or discussion. I apologize if I gave the impression my argument was some sort of personal attack.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Would you shoot through the door?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Someone is trying to forcefully get through the front door of your home at 2AM.

- Laws in my state say the assailant needs to be off the porch and inside the home for you to shoot.

- You have wife and kids in the house.

- It's too dark to see the individual and he/she won't respond to your questions/threats.

AT THIS POINT, WOULD YOU SHOOT THROUGH THE DOOR?

Yes.
Although before I shot through the door I might do such as go out the back door and around the house and shoot them on the patio to prevent putting holes in my door and blood on my carpet.
Laws in my state say you can legally shoot them and I would.

 

[seeds76]

Location relative to door and position?

Have you thought about this?

1. How far would you stand from the door (you probably don't have much choice)?

2. What position would you take up in relation to the door? Stand on the door opening side so that you can see the invader as soon as the door opens? Stand directly in front of the door? Stand on the hinge side so that the door is between you and the invader when it opens?

1. If I was shotgun equipped, I would stand at least 20 feet from the door to give me a buffer zone between me and the BG if he rushes in.

2. In relation to the door, I would try to conceal myself behind something (with gun up) facing the opening side. That would give me an extra second or two to identify the threat before the BG could determine if there would be opposition.

Directly in front of the door would put you in immediate danger and that's probably where the BG will be focusing his attention.

Hinge side would restrict your movement options and the BG may even pin you in there if he pushes the door or slams it into you. That would probably be the worst option.

 

[vynx]

It depends a lot on the situation and where you live.

If you think there is more than one person is outside and they want to harm you and not just someone is pounding on you door but you were threatened then I'd shoot thru my door but at an agle that wouldn't hit anyone like down and to the side. If they still come in then darwins law takes effect.

But in 99.99% of the situations I woudn't.

Still after they climbed my fence and ignored the dogs going crazy maybe they deserve to be shot?

 

[meef]

Still after they climbed my fence and ignored the dogs going crazy maybe they deserve to be shot?

Well, it's true that in many states it's a capital crime to ignore dogs going crazy.

Aw hell yes - shoot.

 

[mokin]

Very interesting discusion. The first answer I posted reflected my trainning and adhearence to safe firearm handling techniques and the laws of Colorado. I still stand by that response. I would wait until the door was breached before firing.

But after reading further responses I began to think about the peaceful neighborhood in which I live. There is a suspected drug dealer across the street, the guy (an ex-con) who lived two doors up was recently arrested for murder, and one night a couple of years ago I called the police to help out the neighbor across the alley who had just been beaten up by "guests" at his house. There have also been gunshots fired nearby. But, there are children who play outside and live nearby.

From experience, I'd say it takes the police about 4 minutes to get to this neighborhood. I imagine it would take a BG considerably less time to break into my house and even less time for me to arm myself. From inside my house I figure I have 1-2 seconds to identify a target. The biggest reason I have for waiting until someone is inside the house is that at that point I can be assured that that individual is bent on the destruction of me or someone close to me. IMO, someone who breaks down your door is probably 99% certain of thier actions (even if it is the wrong door). As a gun owner we need to be 100% of our actions when we pull the trigger.