Depends on what they are armed with?
I have a baseball bat next to me, a folding knife in my pocket and various large blades stashed around the house.

 

Am I the only one that finds it amusing that "BOBtheBUTCHER" has knives stashed all over the house? :thumb:

 

no I have hardened my doors so it isnt easy to break them down. I use 3 inch screws into the studs and have reinforced the lock area with a kit which wraps around the door to keep it from splintering at the lock. I have a metal plate about 3 ft with about 12 three inch screws that replaces the strike plate to protect the frame.

I have 3m window film (cheaper than replacing windows) on all the first floor windows.

At the very least replace your strike plate and hinge screws with 3 inch screws (use an impact driver and they will go in like butter). This alone will make it much harder to break down your door so you will have time to get a gun.

The default screws are 3/4 inch I think and make it easy to kick in a door with a single kick.

Havent done this yet but am going to replace my master bedroom door and walk in closet door with steel doors with deadbolts to buy even more time.

 

Of course we should go as far as being armed in our own houses. Why wouldn't you?

At the very least replace your strike plate and hinge screws with 3 inch screws (use an impact driver and they will go in like butter). This alone will make it much harder to break down your door so you will have time to get a gun.

The default screws are 3/4 inch I think and make it easy to kick in a door with a single kick.

I thought every body did that. The screws that come with hardware go into a container for when I need cheesey screws. I use decking screws to install dern near everything. Buy em in 5 lb boxes, 2", 2 1/2" and 3" sizes.

 

I do the bat thing too. But if he had a gun I would be sol. I would have to go by the front door to get a gun. I have small children so I do not leave guns hidden around the house.

 

Hang a shotgun on the wall. Keep a pistol near you with a safety lock.... there are many "safe" options.

 

$20 at Lowes and it will prevent anyone from kicking in your door. It may not stop them indefinitely, but it will give you time to get a weapon and hide. Also, it's invaluable at night while you're asleep.

 

Does it work on tile floors?

 

Two large dogs,that should slow m down. figure that will give me time to grab a gun

 

All good thoughts, I do have steel doors with metal reinforced striker plates with long deck screws, but I'm sure they could be breached if someone was determined enough. That at least would buy a bit of time for me to get to the bedroom and grab a gun. I do always have a folding knife in my pocket but wouldn't want to have to rely on that if I could get to a gun.

 

Hehe sit back as my three dogs take turns chewing on them... lab/GSD, GSD/ROTTIE, and a beagle/sharpei then i'll shoot them with the M&P on my arm rest

 

What would/could you do at this (or any other) second if someone broke your door down and was armed?

at this second? not much because I'm farting off on the internets at work (sssshhh)

I got thinking of this the other evening sitting watching TV with my wife, if someone broke the door down without any warning, there would be nothing I could do.

But now you're thinking about it, and have probably started making plans. If I were in a worrisome neighborhood, I'd be more prepared, but right now I have a 4-legged, 80 lb, hairy early warning system that gives me a good ten seconds before anyone gets to the door. If I thought things were going to go sideways, I'd have things a little more at hand so when the little yellow hairy 4-legged kid in my house lets out a "WOOOOF!" so I could arm myself more quickly.

 

at this second? not much because I'm farting off on the internets at work (sssshhh)

But now you're thinking about it, and have probably started making plans. If I were in a worrisome neighborhood, I'd be more prepared, but right now I have a 4-legged, 80 lb, hairy early warning system that gives me a good ten seconds before anyone gets to the door. If I thought things were going to go sideways, I'd have things a little more at hand so when the little yellow hairy 4-legged kid in my house lets out a "WOOOOF!" so I could arm myself more quickly.

Lol, I won't tell.

Not in a particularly worrisome neighborhood, but we are on a side street with no street lights (thank goodness) and we do have the occasional ruckus in the neighborhood. Car was stolen from across the street and someone tried to steal or son's car back when he was living at home, they popped the key assembly and started it but he had blown the transmission so they didn't get anywhere, lol.

I sure do miss our early detection unit, but we have no plans on replacing him at this time, the cat does growl though if she's not sleeping.

But yes, I am now thinking more about it and will come up with something that makes me feel more comfortable without being too paranoid.

 

We found foot prints on one of our side doors and the jamb splintered but they didn't get in. Either the dogs trying to climb over the fence scarred them or they realized it wouldn't give. Anyhow I digress.

I found an article online for a product called Door jamb ez armour. (http://armorconcepts.com/EZ-Armor/) Sold at lowes and home depot in my area. I quickly went and purchased 3 full kits. They require some fitting and you might need to be handy with some power tools but once in the doors are secure against the standard foot to the lock kick and my guess will require either a pry bar or door buster.

That being said, I always have my pistol on me. If I get up to go change into my evening attire, I leave my pistol on the arm of the couch since my holster stays on my pants. Once I go to bed I carry the pistol with me to bed. There are several other FA's in the house and if the 5 dogs trying to eat you alive doesn't change your mind it will at least give one of us time to get to a 2nd weapon...

 

Well my dogs let me know as soon as anyone steps in the yard, plus I have the doors hardened also like Txprep mentioned , but the worst part for the would bee burglar is "I always have my 45 on my person from the time I get up till I go to bed, then it is on the night stand

All tho I dread the idea of ever having to shoot it indoors with out ear protection

 

I have my .45 on me right now, but that is because I am breaking in my crossdraw vest, I don't wear it when the wife is home, but I might start carrying it in a holster behind my back. At night it is right beside me, maybe I just need to go to bed earlier.

 

I'd just wait till he got in and ask him if he was willing to put up with the old lady. And if he'd mind helping me pack so he'd have room.

 

Someone breaking in will receive some buckshot as a departing gift from me.

After jumping over my fence, dealing with my dogs, and breaking down my door, it would be the least I could do.

The second they breach the entrance..... BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!

 

Try breaking down my door with your foot and you will need medical attention just from the door fighting back.

Thick steel doors and jambs, Medico locks, perf plate "screen doors", Acme brick exterior, stainless mesh window screens. I could open my front door and just use the screen doors and you would be out there for a half hour with a premium angle grinder trying to get in. It would take you at minimum 15 minutes with a cutting torch. My alarm and video monitor system is a custom one from a guy who has been doing it since the 70's. No way I'm having one of those gimmicky mass market systems.

The neighborhood I'm in pays for annual constable protection. Average response time by a licensed peace officer is under 3 minutes.

I would not even need to own a gun with what I already have going but only a fool would test that assumption.

The constable who has the roving patrol near me told me he'd call for an armored vehicle to ram a hole if they had to get in. He doesn't see an easier way to get in fast.

Best of all my house looks like every other one in the neighborhood. Very stealth security.

My home is my castle.

 

Layered defense is important. Lighting, locks, security systems, prickly bushes under ground floor windows, neighbors who watch out for each other, etc.

But, ultimately if the scenario you described happened, it's two to the thoracic cavity followed by one to the head if the threat is still a threat. Yes, I'm armed all the time. Well, except in the shower Need to work on that! LOL!

I have smoke detectors in every room, and a fire extinguisher within arm's reach in nearly every room in my house. Why would I not have the means to deal with an armed home invader?

Jeff

 

I had a nutty ex-wife (arrested for the attempted murder of our children) who was a life long resident of the town we lived in. I was always cleaning one gun or another...

I've since then become a little paranoid and am always checking my surroundings for things I can throw or beat someone down with. A 4 or 5 C cell Maglite is a blinder and a club. The D cell flashlight is a little too big to grasp comfortably and swing with any assurance of retaining it.

My surroundings and circumstances have changed enough that I might have to spend some tine reassessing my comfy chair.

Dang it, you made me start thinking...!
There goes my night.
:whip:

 

Sorry, but thanks for the flashlight idea. I carry a small but bright flashlight on my belt most of the time, and it just might make a difference when trying to get to the closest gun.

 

Right now?


Well, I would throw my beer at his face, then flip my desk over towards him, while reaching two feet over and grabbing my sawed off shotgun.






Then shoot him in the knees for making me waste a good beer..

 

Make him feel it before you CM him?

 

Kicking my door down? They'd have a fun time trying- I have good doors. But for the sake of this thread, there's a Glock sitting 1 1/2 ft from my hand as I type this. Neither door is in this room. I think I'm okay.

Unless it's the state police hitting my house because I didn't register a rifle. Then I'm having a bad day. A SWAT team could take my doors. The doors aren't that good.

 

It's happened to me. I heard someone walk up to my door and stop, they knocked lightly and then they jiggled the door knob. By then I had grabbed the phone, the gun from 3 ft away and retreated into the hallway. I dialed 911, put the phone on speaker and laid it on a table to keep my hands free, then I squared off at the door and announced that I was armed. He had kicked at the door 4-5 times by then but he thought better of it after I announced myself and he took off. The cops came a few minutes later, all they found was a busted door and some foot prints. I have no way of knowing if he was armed.

 

Good for you, great response.

 

In the OP's first post, the last sentence was "Should we go as far as being armed in our own houses?"

Why yes, we should. At the risk of sounding snarky, if you're not armed in your own home, you have given up every bit of your ability to protect yourself and might as well just let criminals do as they will with you.

Sorry to be harsh, but I cannot conceive of not taking every precaution to be safe in your own home.

 

Thanks, that makes me feel less paranoid about carrying when I go out to work in the garden. I do lock the front door and secure the rest of my guns if I am going out back for any length of time.

 

The alarm would go off if someone kicked my door down. I'd try to retreat toward a weapon and lock interior doors to buy time until the police respond. I'd try to close every door along the way to make an intruder white-knuckle it every time he opened or broke down a door not knowing whether there's someone standing on the other side with a weapon (standard delaying tactic).

Likely an intruder would be looking for valuables since I'm not worth killing. I'm insured and an intruder isn't going to be hanging around to grab everything with an alarm going off in his ears. I'd take my losses from a smash-and-grab and try to preserve my life rather than my possessions. I can stand my ground legally but doing that is not a good move from a survival point of view. I don't own anything portable that's worth more than my life.

If he starts breaking through interior doors still trying to get to me personally, then I know I'm in trouble. And I'd try to create some trouble for him if he manages to get through to me.

 

Thanks for the delaying tactics, although it probably wouldn't help much here. There are only three doors off the central house area.

 

Right now I'm sitting at my kitchen table about 12 ft from the front door (which has a rectangular window). I can easily see who is at the door, plus the front deck allows whoever is walking to the door to be heard. I carry an M&P shield 9mm on my hip every waking moment at home (sometimes I even nap with it on).

 

It would depend upon which room I am in, if I was in my bedroom, I'd have my Glock on hand, if in my prep room, I'd have my semiauto shotgun. If I was in other rooms I'd be SOL.

 

stick left hand in left pocket, withdraw LCP fire, stick right hand into right pocket remove extra mag reload and fire. After that I'll have to get up out of the rocker to either fetch another gun or call 911.

 

Is my house on fire?

 

What would I do?

I would draw the gun on hip and defend myself. If by some random chance it isn't on my hip it is within reaching distance. I don't take a crap without my gun going with me.

We also keep a loaded gun in bedroom and the kitchen.