You Are the Target in a Home Invasion Scenario. Which Defensive Weapon Do You Reach For First?
- Thread starter IJ1981
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63% reach for a pistol. Shakes head. That’s a pretty distressing statistic.
The answer is always reach for a long gun.
If you only own a pistol, then kudos to you. A new Mossberg shotgun can be had for $200. An AR15 can be purchased for $399. Save some money and get a more suitable home defense weapon.
The answer is always reach for a long gun.
If you only own a pistol, then kudos to you. A new Mossberg shotgun can be had for $200. An AR15 can be purchased for $399. Save some money and get a more suitable home defense weapon.
RikSors
Member
The way I read the situation, is that I am made aware of a home invasion about to happen and that the purpose is no longer my personal belongings but to get me.
My choice will be a rifle. An AR15 not limited to 30rounds.
My choice will be a rifle. An AR15 not limited to 30rounds.
Agree. I keep a G19 in the bedroom and would work my way to my AR or 12GA if needed. I keep them loaded in my home office where I spend most of my time during the day.
Some of you guys watch too many movies. I’ve never been a victim of a home invasion but I’ve done a bunch of them as a member of a police tactical team. Unless you live in the Vanderbilt Mansion or a similar sized home there isn’t going to be any prolonged gunfight where you fight your way to your shotgun or AR. The fight will be with whatever weapon you have at hand. The fight is going to be over in a couple seconds. Unless you have specifically built your home or modified it, there won’t be any cover inside the house. Defense against a home invasion is about alarms, doors, locks, prior planning, cell phones and lastly a gun….whatever you shoot best.
You are setting yourself up for failure if your home defense plan is only a firearm. And a note about dogs. We all love them, they are members of the family and it’s hard to imagine life without them. However, unless they are formally trained for protective duties they just aren’t reliable enough to be expected to perform their assigned duties. You need to back the dog up with an alarm.
You are setting yourself up for failure if your home defense plan is only a firearm. And a note about dogs. We all love them, they are members of the family and it’s hard to imagine life without them. However, unless they are formally trained for protective duties they just aren’t reliable enough to be expected to perform their assigned duties. You need to back the dog up with an alarm.
bassjam
Member
I'm reaching for a handgun and I'm not apologizing for it.
When I was single it was easy to keep an 870 loaded in the bedroom. With 4 kids, 3 of them young, it's not practical to have long gun safes throughout the house, nor would my wife permit it. I have 4 quick access handgun safes in different areas of the house, each with a loaded handgun and a flashlight with fresh batteries. Each safe is a heavy metal type (Ft Knox or V-Line) with the same Simplex lock and combination. Each of the handguns operate similarly (da/sa or DAO with no manual safeties) and my wife and 15 year old daughter know how to use them all.
The bedroom safe is doubled up so my wife can have a handgun and flashlight if she wishes while she gets the 3 youngest into the master bathroom and calls 911. Our oldest daughter is in the basement (which is the 1st floor in our house) and she doesn't have a handgun, but does have pepper spray and a flashlight. Because she's on a different level, I'm probably not likely to leave here down there by herself if I suspect the break-in is downstairs or in the garage (which is the same level as her) I have a well trained golden retriever, who's no killer but does bark at strangers and I've practiced going room to room and downstairs in the middle of the night with him going into each room by command without me while I'm out of sight. And for all the hate of "government listening" I also have Alexa devices throughout the house and voice/app controlled lighting so I can turn on the lights in any room from any room. And of course all exterior doors have deadbolts and there's motion lights around the perimeter.
When I was single it was easy to keep an 870 loaded in the bedroom. With 4 kids, 3 of them young, it's not practical to have long gun safes throughout the house, nor would my wife permit it. I have 4 quick access handgun safes in different areas of the house, each with a loaded handgun and a flashlight with fresh batteries. Each safe is a heavy metal type (Ft Knox or V-Line) with the same Simplex lock and combination. Each of the handguns operate similarly (da/sa or DAO with no manual safeties) and my wife and 15 year old daughter know how to use them all.
The bedroom safe is doubled up so my wife can have a handgun and flashlight if she wishes while she gets the 3 youngest into the master bathroom and calls 911. Our oldest daughter is in the basement (which is the 1st floor in our house) and she doesn't have a handgun, but does have pepper spray and a flashlight. Because she's on a different level, I'm probably not likely to leave here down there by herself if I suspect the break-in is downstairs or in the garage (which is the same level as her) I have a well trained golden retriever, who's no killer but does bark at strangers and I've practiced going room to room and downstairs in the middle of the night with him going into each room by command without me while I'm out of sight. And for all the hate of "government listening" I also have Alexa devices throughout the house and voice/app controlled lighting so I can turn on the lights in any room from any room. And of course all exterior doors have deadbolts and there's motion lights around the perimeter.
Excellent thinking.
Our dog may help some with detection, but not with defense. Defense, when it is needed, is up to me.
If a long gun is within reach when the balloon goes up, that will be a matter of chance.
De we carry one around the house? Do we expect the entry to only occur when we are in the bedroom or the den?
Here's a good read on what to do beyond reaching for the optimal stopping power.
ccwsafe.com
In Self Defense Podcast 117: Tom Givens on Home Defense: Part 2: - CCW Safe
Rangemaster founder Tom Gives talks to Don, Steve, and Shawn about having a home defense plan so you know what to do if an intruder ever enters your home.
ccwsafe.com
Maybe folks should get a timer and measure how much time they are in reach of their long arm. Do the experiment I suggested. Have someone come in the door and see if they get to you before you get to the shotgun, which of course, you have practiced getting into action quickly. Picking it up, getting a round in it, etc. Unless you stage it 'hot'. Your handgun is probably good to go on the draw. Fighting your way to your long arm - what does that mean, shooting a stream of spray and pray as you sprint around the house? As the podcast and others have stated, unless you have enough physical security to slow entry, getting to a long arm is slow.
It's always firepower on forums to the detriment of strategic and tactical preplanning.
It's always firepower on forums to the detriment of strategic and tactical preplanning.
Coyote3855
Member
Some are assuming this will happen at night while they are asleep or at least in bed. I have a 590 within arm's reach in the bedroom. If I'm not carrying around the house, I have a handgun that moves with me between office, reading chair, kitchen, etc. My driveway is alarmed and 300 yards long. I have two nervous dogs. I may still be surprised, caught off guard, or have left that moving handgun in the kitchen while taking out the trash. I do the best I can to be prepared at home or away, but accept that I'm not going to live my life in constant red.
The expression about using a handgun to "fight your way to a long gun" is an absurd one for any civilian application including home defense. In fact, if I'm sitting on my couch unarmed with no weapon in reach and the door flies off the hinges and three armed men come through pointing guns at me I may not do any fighting at all. My best course of survival may be to just sit there and do what they ask.
Of course it's best to do what you can to mitigate that from happening but sometimes you find yourself in a situation where the only way to win to fight is to not fight.
Of course it's best to do what you can to mitigate that from happening but sometimes you find yourself in a situation where the only way to win to fight is to not fight.
You can say that again!
On the topic of dogs, I'm sure my German Shepherd and Bullmastiff would welcome an intruder who offered a dog treat.
That said here is an example of where two dogs took action when someone invaded a home (homeowner broke the rule of not opening door):
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/l...jacker-who-broke-into-apartment-deputies-say/
"A 57-year-old woman living in the unit partially opened her door after hearing Galloway scream, and the man managed to force his way through the door, knocking her backward and slamming the door shut behind him"
"one of the dogs latched onto Galloway’s arm and the other on his hip. Once law enforcement arrived, they asked her to call her dogs away."
That said here is an example of where two dogs took action when someone invaded a home (homeowner broke the rule of not opening door):
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/l...jacker-who-broke-into-apartment-deputies-say/
"A 57-year-old woman living in the unit partially opened her door after hearing Galloway scream, and the man managed to force his way through the door, knocking her backward and slamming the door shut behind him"
"one of the dogs latched onto Galloway’s arm and the other on his hip. Once law enforcement arrived, they asked her to call her dogs away."
Old Dog
Member
63% of us live in the real world where we don't walk around our homes with a slung M4 or are always keep the 590A1 within reach.
And this is what most of the folks (63%?) posting in this thread understand. Deadbolts, reinforced doorframes, alarms on doors/windows, dogs, alarm system, etc.. as we constantly discuss, layered security.
Yer gonna dance with the partner ya brung...
BTW, I also responded to a home invasion or two... in approximately 63% (okay, so I pulled that figure out of my butt) of the cases, the resident went to the front door! On the other occasions, doors were kicked in or entry made via garages, carports or back sliding glass doors...
bassjam
Member
I've had the opportunity to watch how our golden reacts when he's concerned about a stranger. When it's he's by himself, he barks aggressively but keeps his distance from them. If my kids and/or wife is around, he'll place himself in-between the stranger and my kids/wife, raise the hair on his back, bare his teeth but doesn't growl unless the person continues to approach. Every time the growl has been enough to make the person leave the yard or stop moving in their direction in public.
But if I'm around, he barks and stays behind me, like I'm protecting him. Our other dog, a lab/shepherd/beagle mix, just keeps her distance and barks regardless of who's around.
which is actually a concern, I'm in a condo and I share a wall. That would be horrible to get shot from a neighbor responding to a break in..... and the reverse is equally as horrible.
You're comment made we wonder what the actual stat is. From the FBI website:
Overview
- In 2019, there were an estimated 1,117,696 burglaries, a decrease of 9.5 percent when compared with 2018 data. The number of burglaries decreased 29.6 percent when compared with 2015 data and was down 48.5 percent when compared with the 2010 estimate. (See Tables 1 and 1A.)
- Burglaries accounted for 16.1 percent of the estimated number of property crimes. (Based on Table 1.)
- By subcategory, 55.7 percent of burglaries involved forcible entry, 37.8 percent were unlawful entries, and 6.5 percent were attempted forcible entry. (Based on Table 19.)
Forcible entry means that a door was kicked in, window broken etc. interesting little nugget from someone who actually did UCR input.
The FBI doesn’t collect information on home invasions. Anyone trying to come up with the number of home invasions from UCR data is guessing or making up numbers to fit an agenda.
There is a huge difference in the legal definitions of home invasion and burglary.
For UCR reporting purposes “forcible entry” means they broke in and didn’t just enter through an unlocked door or window. It doesn’t mean that it was a home invasion.
Mstafford88
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Handgun at my bedside gets me to my shotgun strategically placed/securely hidden in my living room (center of the house).
Mstafford88
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Oh and there’s a pistol in the same hidden/ secure…. Thing
I concur, just tried to see if I could find some sort of stat. Like you said, FBI didn't report/collect on that. I found an insurance association reporting home invasions, but it just mirrors the burglary stat, so thats meaningless.
scaatylobo
Member
WAIT = would the OP kindly tell us are we WARNED we are the target of a home invasion .
Cause if I am knowing that I will be the target of a home invasion,I will be a few blocks away and that tickle on your neck is my scope crosshairs.
Or better yet,I will be in another county or another state !!.
I still say the handgun is my go to,unless I am leaving because I was warned.
Cause if I am knowing that I will be the target of a home invasion,I will be a few blocks away and that tickle on your neck is my scope crosshairs.
Or better yet,I will be in another county or another state !!.
I still say the handgun is my go to,unless I am leaving because I was warned.
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