so ive managed to overlook a pretty decent part in my plan for my house. i live on the top floor of my house (basically a finished attic) all by myself, the rest of the family lives on the main floor. All the guns in the house are in my gun cabinet which are in the room directly outside my room. i've always assumed that if i heard a noise i would grab my mossberg 500 (which is not locked up) and would proceed to check out what was happening, this is because the rest of the family is down there and about 3 nights a week we have an infant. ive always planned it happening with the door at the bottom of the stairs closed, i'd slowly make my way down and then stop and listen, and then based on what i hear, open the door and proceed to ensure the safety of my family. the other night we had an incident where i had to go and check it out, as i go to head downstairs, i notice the door is open. luckily nothing had happened, but my question is, what should i do if the door is open, because with the door open, if there is a BG who is armed i would totally open to a shot as i head down the stairs, and if i stay upstairs i could end up crying wolf or allowing my family to be injured. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
overlooked something
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TallPine
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Um ... keep a gun in your room ???
Stairs?
Are you asking about options for descending the stairs without becoming an easy target?
The cheapest fastest "fix" I can think of is to hang a dark sheet on a shower curtain rod a few feet inside of the door. It would obscure you from view, and you should be able to see (if the lights are on in the hall) if someone's moved it aside looking for you.
More $ would be a cheap camera in the hall and a monitor in your room.
Are you asking about options for descending the stairs without becoming an easy target?
The cheapest fastest "fix" I can think of is to hang a dark sheet on a shower curtain rod a few feet inside of the door. It would obscure you from view, and you should be able to see (if the lights are on in the hall) if someone's moved it aside looking for you.
More $ would be a cheap camera in the hall and a monitor in your room.
Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
Is there anyone downstairs who can take responsibility for securing the rest of the family there? Wandering armed about the house in the dark with family members and/or potential intruders scattered who knows where sounds more to me like a recipe for disaster than a workable Plan A.
IMHO NO firearm should ever be left unsecured and unattended, it's just asking for trouble at minimum and in fact is illegal in some states, including mine.
A good alarm system, used religiously, can be a big advantage. Seeing to the security of doors and windows, improving exterior lighting/adding motion detector lights, and all the other usual home security improvement projects should be done first as a part of a complete home security plan. If you can keep someone from ever breaking in, then you don't have to deal with them inside with your shotgun.
As far as the role of a firearm is concerned, something like Louis Awerbuck's Safe At Home video ( http://www.paladin-press.com/detail.aspx?ID=1500 ), and/or the NRA class in home protection (http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/basictraining.asp ) are good starting points to formulating a workable plan IMHO. Any such plan should emphasize securing all family members in a safe place or places as a first order of business if intrusion is suspected, and doing that is the only viable reason for moving about the house in the face of a potential threat IMHO. As to investigating 'things that go bump in the night'- get a dog.
Stay Safe,
lpl/nc
IMHO NO firearm should ever be left unsecured and unattended, it's just asking for trouble at minimum and in fact is illegal in some states, including mine.
A good alarm system, used religiously, can be a big advantage. Seeing to the security of doors and windows, improving exterior lighting/adding motion detector lights, and all the other usual home security improvement projects should be done first as a part of a complete home security plan. If you can keep someone from ever breaking in, then you don't have to deal with them inside with your shotgun.
As far as the role of a firearm is concerned, something like Louis Awerbuck's Safe At Home video ( http://www.paladin-press.com/detail.aspx?ID=1500 ), and/or the NRA class in home protection (http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/basictraining.asp ) are good starting points to formulating a workable plan IMHO. Any such plan should emphasize securing all family members in a safe place or places as a first order of business if intrusion is suspected, and doing that is the only viable reason for moving about the house in the face of a potential threat IMHO. As to investigating 'things that go bump in the night'- get a dog.
Stay Safe,
lpl/nc
thanks for all the advice, im going to look into the class and the video. as far as keepin my gun shotgun in my room, yea, i do, i keep it in a case unloaded but with the ammo readily available, and the case and ammo aren't in plain sight in my room, all the other guns are locked up. thanks again for all the advice.
Grandpa Shooter
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Get a dog with very protective instincts. When you hear the dog with that deep throated growl, you not only know that there is someone in the house, but where that "someone" is in the house. If you hear a scream, you know you will be getting there a little late, and that the dog has done it's job. Very hard to defeat a protective dog.
First, make sure all the guns are locked up except the ones located next to a person's bed ... like how your shotgun should be. The gun(s) located next to your bed(s) should be unlocked and loaded but resting safely (not able to fall over) and have the safety on. Talk to your family and explain exactly what state your gun is in so everyone knows and won't be surprised and knows not to screw around with it. When there's an intruder, you usually will not have the time to unlock your gun and load it before addressing the BG. Also, don't count on hearing the BG when he's still downstairs. Be prepared for you to wake up when he's outside your bedroom door just starting to turn your handle.
Decending the stairs is tricky. When I lived with my parents I had it easy, when it was dark everyone was up stairs and my bedroom door was directly across the hall from the top of the stairs so all I had to do was open my bedroom door and blow off any head that popped up over the top step. Generally whoever stays put has the advantage. If you need to be able to decent the stairs though...
1. Make note of any squeaky stairs and AVOID THEM!
2. Walk down the stairs putting your feet up into the corner where the stair meets the wall, stairs are most secure there and will resist squeaking most in that spot.
3. Move very slowly.
4. Keep your gun aimed at the most recently revealed portion of the downstairs doorway so if someone's waiting for you, you'll be able to see them at the same time they see you.
5. Make note of the stair that a BG would be able to see your feet if you were walking down the stairs and he was down there waiting for you. When you're decending the stairs, there's a point when he'll see you coming down the stairs but you'll be revealed from the feet upwards. He could shoot you in the chest before your head even comes into view. When you reach the stair when your feet would be revealed to anyone laying in wait, stoop down and take a look (with your gun aimed), if there's no one visible, keep going down the stairs.
Hope this helps you somewhat. Good luck.
Decending the stairs is tricky. When I lived with my parents I had it easy, when it was dark everyone was up stairs and my bedroom door was directly across the hall from the top of the stairs so all I had to do was open my bedroom door and blow off any head that popped up over the top step. Generally whoever stays put has the advantage. If you need to be able to decent the stairs though...
1. Make note of any squeaky stairs and AVOID THEM!
2. Walk down the stairs putting your feet up into the corner where the stair meets the wall, stairs are most secure there and will resist squeaking most in that spot.
3. Move very slowly.
4. Keep your gun aimed at the most recently revealed portion of the downstairs doorway so if someone's waiting for you, you'll be able to see them at the same time they see you.
5. Make note of the stair that a BG would be able to see your feet if you were walking down the stairs and he was down there waiting for you. When you're decending the stairs, there's a point when he'll see you coming down the stairs but you'll be revealed from the feet upwards. He could shoot you in the chest before your head even comes into view. When you reach the stair when your feet would be revealed to anyone laying in wait, stoop down and take a look (with your gun aimed), if there's no one visible, keep going down the stairs.
Hope this helps you somewhat. Good luck.
That answered my question completely. "Also, don't count on hearing the BG when he's still downstairs. Be prepared for you to wake up when he's outside your bedroom door just starting to turn your handle." Thats the reason i keep my door locked. Thanks alot for the advice and I will definately use it, for the most part Ive done everything on there, but i hadn't thought about placing my feet next to the wall while descending stairs. Thanks again.
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