Coat closet gun?

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Anyone keep something in the coat closet, pantry or otherwise close to the front door for that unexpected late night doorbell or over-emphatic knock? If yes, where do you keep it (generally) and what is it?

I almost picked up a 12 gauge coach gun a couple weeks ago for keeping in the front hall coat closet, but instead decided on a no frills, short barrelled, standard capacity 12 gauge Maverick for this purchase. I like the idea of a long gun for such a location, prefer the versatility of a scatter gun for this purpose, prefer keeping it loaded and unchambered (versus just the tang safety of the loaded coach gun I almost picked up) and don't mind that the universally understood sound of, "Please leave my premises immediately" can be heard from the other side of the front door.
 
I always have mine on. I never answer the door w/o one. If it is an aggressive knock I have a window that is easy to see the whole front pourch from.

Never put a door between you & your gun.
LT
 
Mossberg 590. Nothing says 'bugger off' like the universally-recognized sound of a pump action.
 
No need to have one in a closet for that late not/unexpected knock on the door if you always have one close.

Mossberg 590. Nothing says 'bugger off' like the universally-recognized sound of a pump action.
Today 11:28 PM
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So if you hear an unexpected knock at the door, you grab a shotgun and pump it before you open the door?:confused:

Interesting theory.
 
I've known three people who had something like you are describing.

One had a shotgun (don't know what sort...wasn't really discussed) barrel-down under a tee shirt leaning against the wall right next to the front door hinge (so it was hidden but accessible from the inside when the door was open).

Another had one of those coat/hat/umbrella racks (the sort that holds six or eight standard hangars and has a rack for umbrellas at the base down in between where the coats hang) next to the door with a couple of long rain coats on the centermost hangers and a pump shotgun (870 I think) muzzle down in the umbrella rack. It was positioned so that you could grab the shotgun as you were peering out the peephole in the door.

The other was a jewelry store that had a pump shotgun in a bracket next to the door from the offices to the showroom. If you were in the back and something happened in the showroom you could grab the shotgun on your way through the door.

Main thing to consider IMO is that if anyone breaks in they are going to toss the place and any casually concealed guns are going to make a pretty loud clunk as they hit the floor. Instant payoff for a thief. Not a big issue in the jewelry store case but the coat rack by the door seems like a bad arrangement to me.
 
I once opened my door at 130 am to a very insistent knock. For some reason my porch light would not turn on so I grabbed my 1911 and opened the door with the gun aimed down at a 45 degree angle and flashlight in the face of the knocker.

Turned out it was Officer Bob, the kids school cop who was picking up a few extra hours on night duty and noticed a door open on my motor home.

After a nice chat and explanation, he said, might as well bring that blaster with and lets go see who was in your rig. Rig was mildly messed up, kids looking for something I suppose, but Bob was the measure of coolness about the way I opened the door. Turns out the kids who went in the motor home had reached in and unscrewed the light bulbs.,


As far a closet gun, my "ready" long guns are hanging on top the closet door, on simple wooden pegs, that will keep the gun out of sight and reach of youngun's and yet allow near instant access. And I have a shottie over the front hall closet door, and a spare model 13 S&W in the same place.
 
So if you hear an unexpected knock at the door, you grab a shotgun and pump it before you open the door?


It really depends on how much coffee I have had.
 
Just as an experiment, I found a couple of those thin sheet metal bookends slipped neatly behind the molding on top of my front door. Bent the part sticking out upward a little bit and they held my M1 carbine up there quite nicely, out of the way, yet handy as h3ll, and with zero damage to the building.

Just experimenting, though, and I quit that. Now just keep my 10-5 with plus Ps near the door. Along with a flashlight.

Famous last words, but this is a pretty secure apartment building.

[ALLEGORICAL] However, now that the aliens are spreading out from their landing bases in and around Denver, I might think about the bookend bit again. Maybe with a .729 caliber long arm, this time. [/ALLEGORICAL]
 
Something to think about... if its right at the door, if its ever bump keyed/kicked in/ or left unlocked, anyone entering your home is now armed.
 
Anyone keep something in the coat closet, pantry or otherwise close to the front door for that unexpected late night doorbell or over-emphatic knock?
Click to expand...
Yes.
If yes, where do you keep it (generally) and what is it?
Click to expand...
Parked inside. It is a vacuum cleaner. :p

Since my place has pretty much only one real area of entry, the guns are kept either on my person or in the room furthest from that entry point. Just my habit to centralize things.

So if you hear an unexpected knock at the door, you grab a shotgun and pump it before you open the door?
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I hope not. After all, it could be Publisher's Clearinghouse.
 
Seems to me that the best weapon for a dedicated door gun would be a pistol. It is easier to hide than a long gun, which helps if the person knocking on your door isn't a BG (which is something like 99.999% of the time - no reason to scare the nice little old lady from next door who is asking to borrow some sugar) and can be brought into action from said concealment faster than a shotgun or carbine, which is important in the off chance that it IS surprise attack.
 
Back when I was living in the civilian world (I'm living on an AFB for training right now so I can't keep them in my living area...just a few more months) I kept my Taurus 9mm next to the bed, loaded, chambered, and safed. The SKS was next to the bedroom door, also loaded, chambered and safed. No younguns in the house and I trusted my roommate not to mess with my stuff. That was all I needed since from the top of the steps I had a straight shot at the front door. I actually got woken up once or twice and cleared the house, but never had a problem. I always answered the door with at least the 9mm in my normal CCW configuration. Usually it was just unexpected friends dropping in and never anything threatening.
 
When doorbell sounds, or there is knocking, I go to the door with my "GI-45" somewhere on my person.
 
Late night knocks at the door are answered with an H&K .40 in my hand, held behind my back until I can see who's at the door. My front porch has a light, and my front door has a window in it, so IDing the person outside is a piece of cake. If it's someone I know, there's a table right there I can set the pistol down on if it's not needed.

However, I live in a very quiet suburban neighborhood, and I know all of my immediate neighbors. Other than that, since I'm not from here and I don't know a lot of people here, almost anybody who knocked on my door late at night is going to be easily identified as friend or foe.

Forgot to add...

I own no shotguns. All of my long guns but one are hunting rifles with bolt actions. The one that isn't is a 24" heavy barreled AR varmint rifle and not all that handy. I keep them locked in a safe, so a high cap pistol is what I keep handy.
 
Mossberg 590. Nothing says 'bugger off' like the universally-recognized sound of a pump action.
Today 11:28 PM

So if you hear an unexpected knock at the door, you grab a shotgun and pump it before you open the door?
Click to expand...

I open the shades to my picture window, then I disassemble and reassemble my AK-47 on the living room floor. I do it before I even check to see who's at the door so that, whoever it is, knows that I know what needs to be known while knowing I know that he knows. Then I roll out the wheelbarrow....
 
I keep all of my long guns in my coat closet by the front door - since I live in an apartment, they are all hidden in there. behind coats and boxes.

I pull out the 870 when answering the door late at night, which is not often, but I had to once when a belligerent drunk had the wrong address and nearly took my door down.
 
Heck, I just pick a drawer, and grab what's in it...

I _really_ like my cut-down Stevens 235... The exposed hammers mean I can leave it loaded without having to rely on a safety. All I gotta do is thumb 'em back...

Then there's the Mossies... And the other Stevens, with the butt-cuff of rounds, and the SKS...
 
Yes, I keep several loaded guns around the house.
No, I am not going to say on a public forum where they are kept.

The only time I have had a "knock in the middle of the night", it was two policemen. After establishing who was on the other side and opening the door, I discretely laid down the weapon I held in my right hand behind the door out of sight. The policemen politely informed me that my truck was down the street a ways, ripped apart, and non-functional. Someone had "very quietly" pushed it out of my driveway and down the street to steal it. Then gave up trying to get it started and just trashed it.
I've long since moved to a very low crime area, two blocks from the City Police Station and two blocks from the Township Police Station. I park in my garage. No one on my street remembers the last time someone's home was broken into. I still keep a weapon handy out of habit though.
Jack
 
I have a window next to my door & I simply don't open the door unless I can identify the person on the other side. I'm sure that rule has saved me some trouble at least once. Second I carry at home so I always go to the door armed anyway. Also as a couple of other people have said, if you leave a shotgun unsecured at your front door you MIGHT be arming the BG. I would recomend just carrying your EDC at home ETA If my porch lights were on when I went to bed but off when I woke up at O dark thirty I DAMN sure wouldn't open the door.
 
Something to think about... if its right at the door, if its ever bump keyed/kicked in/ or left unlocked, anyone entering your home is now armed.
Click to expand...

And,

By the way, what if the guy kicking in your door doesn't want to wait until you get your "coat" from the closet?
Click to expand...

Both good reasons to keep it over the door.
 
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