What is worse?

[jakemccoy]

I may find out who it is by asking or by peeping out the window, lights off. However, opening the door is not an option if the person is a stranger, including a stranger cop. Cops around me have home phone numbers and will call.

 

[Nolo]

I say "open door with gun in view". In view, not pointed at them. I dunno, I mean, that's around here. In rural So. MD. You don't really have to be as cautious down here. We sleep with our doors unlocked and we sleep sound.
If they see the gun, they immediately would get more cautious. If they make a move, you slam the door in their face and draw.
wait, did he ask which of these is worse?

 

[Rachen]

A cop would understand that a person on the other side of the door (in the middle of the night) might be armed or scared or both. He'll take certain precautions like announcing himself, showing a badge and being visible. At that point I'd tell him that I have a weapon but that I'm holstering it before opening the door. That way everybody knows what page everyone else is on.

Not exactly. Look at the recent ATF raids. It seems like they are growing increasing bold about stomping on the rights of the citizens.

Look at all the recent articles posted here regarding no knock warrants.

 

[Sato Ord]

I let the 100 lb great dane make as much noise as she wants. I demand that the person identify him/her self, and don't mention that I am armed. In the middle of the night I don't have to be nice, but I do know that I might just be saving a life if I find out what is going on.

A long time ago, about forty or so years, my oldest sister woke to the sound of someone beating on her door. Her husband was off hunting for the weekend. She did pretty much what I just said I would do, and the person turned out to be an hysterical, naked and battered woman with a bad case of road rash. The woman had been abducted and raped, but had managed to jump from a moving car as the rapist was taking her to a secondary location. (The rapist had knocked her unconscious and thrown her in the back seat and she woke up and jumped out of the car.)

My sister opened the door just enough to allow the poor woman to fall inside, and then locked the door and called the police. It took a bit because this was long before the days of 911.

As my sister covered the woman with a blanket she (the woman) kept muttering that he would come back.

The right of way to my sister's house was through the parking lot of a small country store, and sure enough, when Betty looked out the front window (she was smart enough not to back light herself, kids in my family {boys and girls} were raise to take care of themselves) there was a car in the parking lot and the driver looked to be watching the house. The car sped off as the county sheriff's cruiser pulled in.

So, often if you have someone banging on your door late at night it is just some darn drunk who has the wrong house, but it might be anything! Keep it locked until you can be sure you won't get dead opening it, and make sure you are ready for whatever you find there.

 

[brighamr]

Where I currently live (very rural) - grab a gun from off the livingroom wall. Flip on exterior flood lights. Ask through the door who they are and what they want. Get jumper cables and help them start there car (the only time anyone's been here uninvited, it was a young man whos car had died on the BLM road leading to the house).

Where I used to live (city) - grab a gun from off the livingroom wall. Exterior lights are always on. Wait behind the wall facing the door ready for if/when they forcibly enter.

 

[primlantah]

Sato Ord and brighamr make me think of a good point we should be making... are you in an urban or rural setting? looking back at my childhood i suppose it was different if someone knocked on the door(rural) than it is for me now(urban, bad side of town).

 

[Sato Ord]

Sato Ord and brighamr make me think of a good point we should be making... are you in an urban or rural setting? looking back at my childhood i suppose it was different if someone knocked on the door(rural) than it is for me now(urban, bad side of town).

Yeah, remember the good ol' days when you could sleep soundly with your doors unlocked. Those days when if someone knocked on your door at night it was because their car had broken down and you didn't have to be scared to let them in to use the phone.

Innocence lost.

 

[1911Tuner]

Yeah, remember the good ol' days when you could sleep soundly with your doors unlocked.

I do that now. My doors probably haven't been locked in a month...

 

[CZ-100]

OTHER

Don't open the door and ask what the heck are they doing banging on my door in the middle of the night and what do they want.

 

[FlyinBryan]

look out the peep hole.

if i know them, i open the door.

if i dont know them i call the fuzz, without informing them of that fact.

if all is kosher, and they are broke down or something, then they wont bolt when the cops roll up.

in that situation, in the night like that, i assure you i will be armed, and if they dont try to break into my house, as a bonus, they get to see the sunrise.

 

[Blackbeard]

Other.

Open a 2nd floor window and ask the caller's business, most likely armed.

 

[jmr40]

My brother had a drunk knock on his door late one night. Seems he had had a fight with his girl friend and she dumped him out in the middle of no where and he just wanted to use the phone. Brother walked into living room and racked the slide on his .45. Never said a word, the guy apologized profusely and ran. My brother called 911 and he was picked up about a half mile down the road and charged with public drunk.

 

[SMLE]

I voted for "Other"...

I have a heavy ornamental iron security door that doubles as my screen door. I can also light up the front porch and look out to see just who is there. If it's not a reasonable time for visitors, I do keep a pistol in my back pocket when I go to the door.

 

[packnrat]

voted do not open door and anoucement of gun.

i live at the end of a long dirt rd and behind a lock gate, no body comes around here.

if they do i would be a le or trouble.






.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

I'd open the door with my Glock out of view. The stranger isn't necessarily malevolent--he/she could just be lost and asking for directions, or in need of help. Maybe they just witnessed a crime, or their dad is in the car having a heart attack, and they need to call 911. I am not going to threaten him/her by announcing the presence of a firearm, and will help if I am able. But I am not so trusting as to find myself unarmed. If he/she does have less than honorable intentions, I'll be ready.

I should add I am in a rural neighborhood, and there aren't that many really "bad" neighborhoods in MT. This allows me to give people a little more of a benefit of a doubt. I still don't trust anyone I meet, but I don't automatically assume the worst either. I would be deducting what I could as I approached the door and turned on the light. Then, with my left foot wedging the door and the Glock in my left hand, I would open the door a couple inches and ask what the problem was. If he/she attempts to force their way into the house or becomes belligerent or aggressive, I can deal with it. But I grew up in a neighborhood where it was still acceptable to ask a neighbor for a cup of sugar. I know I have been tired and hungry and in need of assistance, and I wouldn't want to be left out in the cold, so I am not about to do it to someone else.

 

[Cuda]

look out the peep hole.

if i know them, i open the door.

if i dont know them i call the fuzz, without informing them of that fact.

+1

If there is someone at my house in the middle of the night there must be something wrong or they are up to no good... I live way out in the boonies and really no good reason for anyone to be knocking at night. My friends call before they come over because it's a long drive.

C

 

[Bartkowski]

I would announce my presence, but not my firearm.

 

[Sans Authoritas]

Always remember, if there's a knock at your front door, and nobody is there when you check, immediately make sure you have the back door/side windows covered. Such a tactic is among the robber's favorite tricks.

-Sans Authoritas

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I speak through the door - usually saying "Can I help you?" - and have a pistol in my hand. I do not open the door unless I have at least a good idea who is there. Even then the pistol will be nearby.

One evening I got such a knock on the door (not the middle of the night, but definitely late evening). The voice on the other side spoke Spanish (which I do not), and after a few exchanges they apparently gave up. A little while later I went outside and found my keys sticking in the deadbolt. I guess that was what Lassie was trying to tell me.

 

[psyopspec]

Don't open door, but talk through it, not announcing that I am armed unless a deadly threat becomes apparent.

 

[Valkman]

If I was up I'd turn my TV to the channel of the camera on the front porch and see who it is. Regardless I would not answer door if I didn't know them (there's windows in the doors), would be armed and would ask what they want.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

At the very least you should find out who's knocking on your door in the middle of the night.
Peek out the window or something, you don't have to answer the door if you're not comfortable.

My coworker had his car stolen from in front of his house when he was asleep and the kid who stole it crashed it just a few miles away - so the people who were knocking on his door at 1:00am just happened to be the cops telling him about his car - also a good idea in this case NOT to open the door holding your gun because you might just might get ventilated by a couple of nervous cops.

 

[slabsides]

I live in a house with an upstairs window next to where I sleep, that overlooks the door which is the only publicly accessible entrance. The doorway has an automatic light. If I hear doorbell or door-knocking after dark, I check the light. If it's not been disabled, I challenge and interview (with gun in hand but concealed) from the window. Wife meanwhile has phone ready to call 911. If I'm satisfied as to bona fides of the visitor (police or other emergency person had better be in uniform and driving a marked vehicle) I MAY open the door to them, armed and concealed. I know all the legitimate possible nighttime visitors in my small rural community, by name or by sight.
"We will make a 911 call for you, if you are in trouble." is a standard response to pleas for help from strangers. All others are warned off the premises politely, ONCE, and their departure monitored. If I think this type of visitor may pose a possible danger to others in the neighborhood, I'll call local law enforcement and ask for a patrol sweep and interview of the subjects.

 

[LaVere]

Our front door is two doors. A solid wood interior door and on the out side a aluminum with glass window door. 15 years ago the storm door flew open and broke the latch. Now you can not even open the storm door from the outside. I keep thinking of fixing it but then I think no at least it is a speed bump. Giving me time to either time to close the main door or bring my pistol to bare.
I guess I'll never fix it now.