When I first got into guns, I had what I considered (and still do) to be a typical arrangement for home defense. I had a handgun in a handgun safe near the bed, and a long gun in the bedroom closet. If something goes bump in the night, I grab the handgun. I then decide if it's something suspicious to investigate (which I did a few times, false alarms), or if it's definitely dangerous, and I should grab the long gun and bunker down.
But then I realized something. My condo was relatively horseshoe-shaped. From the front door, you could go left to the living room and bedroom. Or go right to the office, dining room, and kitchen. If I was in one of the rooms to the right and someone broke in, I'm cut off from the guns in the bedroom. My solution was to hide one under the desk in the office. (I lived alone, no kids, so I wasn't worried about anyone finding it).
I'm looking at a similar situation in my next house. If I'm asleep in my bedroom, with the typical arrangement of nightstand gun and a long gun in the closet safe, then I've got my defense plan. If I'm anywhere else in the house and someone breaks in from the front, I'm cut off. If I'm upstairs and someone breaks in, I'm cut off.
My options, as far as I can figure, are:
But then I realized something. My condo was relatively horseshoe-shaped. From the front door, you could go left to the living room and bedroom. Or go right to the office, dining room, and kitchen. If I was in one of the rooms to the right and someone broke in, I'm cut off from the guns in the bedroom. My solution was to hide one under the desk in the office. (I lived alone, no kids, so I wasn't worried about anyone finding it).
I'm looking at a similar situation in my next house. If I'm asleep in my bedroom, with the typical arrangement of nightstand gun and a long gun in the closet safe, then I've got my defense plan. If I'm anywhere else in the house and someone breaks in from the front, I'm cut off. If I'm upstairs and someone breaks in, I'm cut off.
My options, as far as I can figure, are:
- Accept the risk of a home invasion happening when I'm not asleep
- Carry while I'm at home
- Stash guns in such a way that I can get to a gun no matter what part of the house I'm in