JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Messages
442
Reactions
74
You come home from grocery shopping and find you front door standing open. As you peek inside, you see someone moving but can't make out who or how many.

What is your plan...

For me, I call 911 (the police are 60 miles away). I get the wife to safety with a neighbor and check the perimeter of the house for other entry points. If none, I ring the door bell and hope the perp evicts himself from my home. I might stand well outside the front door with my handgun drawn just in case they come my way.

IOW, I wait for the police.
 
It depends on whether we're in the house or not. If we arrive, like Dunerunners scenario, the bad guy(s) can have at it. There's noting in my house that I or my insurance can't repair or replace. So, I will call the police and wait them out. On the other hand, if I'm in the home when someone breaks in, they threaten our safety or our lives......that's going to be a bad day for them. Hopefully, they have their affairs in order.
 
Under your scenario, where I and the wife are home and it is an invasion type break in... They had best have made peace with their maker because some or all aren't leaving my home vertically!!
 
If I come home and find that my house is broken into, I would call the cops and let them deal with it. There is nothing in there that is worth dying over.

However, if my family or I are in the house then a nearby gun will be put into action. I went through great pains to ensure there is always a nearby gun when I am in my home. I do have plans for clearing my house in that case.
 
If I lived in a remote area and had to clear the house myself, I would. At the present time I live in a city. The police are minutes away usually.

I've come home and found the front window screen laying on the ground and a window broken. I was armed, but didn't enter. The last thing I need to do is meet a burglar or burglars with one or more of my own guns in their hands. I was single at the time, so there wasn't any fears of a hostage situation. I called 911 and waited at the side of the house - watching that window.

It seemed like the police took forever to get there. They didn't enter until there were three LEOs onsite. One went to the back, while the other two went in the front. Nobody in there. Just lots of torn up and destroyed property. I'm not sure what the bad guy was looking for, but all that was actually taken was a TV set. It's as if they never even noticed the safe or didn't have any kind of tools to attempt entry. The police said they thought it was "kids". Whoever it was, left out the back door. It was still unlocked.

The Police forensic team showed up to fingerprint the place.
That made a big mess even bigger.
I hate criminals!
 
IMG_0444.JPG Well.....same as above. If I return home, that's what cell phones are for!
If we are home we have a plan, I'm always armed and have weapons in strategic locations! I keep an HD shotgun in my closet, in a ShotLoc safe loaded with 12ga, 3" #4 Buck! :)
 
If I lived in a remote area and had to clear the house myself, I would. At the present time I live in a city. The police are minutes away usually.

I've come home and found the front window screen laying on the ground and a window broken. I was armed, but didn't enter. The last thing I need to do is meet a burglar or burglars with one or more of my own guns in their hands. I was single at the time, so there wasn't any fears of a hostage situation. I called 911 and waited at the side of the house - watching that window.

It seemed like the police took forever to get there. They didn't enter until there were three LEOs onsite. One went to the back, while the other two went in the front. Nobody in there. Just lots of torn up and destroyed property. I'm not sure what the bad guy was looking for, but all that was actually taken was a TV set. It's as if they never even noticed the safe or didn't have any kind of tools to attempt entry. The police said they thought it was "kids". Whoever it was, left out the back door. It was still unlocked.

The Police forensic team showed up to fingerprint the place.
That made a big mess even bigger.
I hate criminals!

This is the perfect answer in my opinion. If I find there's evidence of someone in my house and I know there's nothing in there worth risking my life over (my family, nothing else) I'm calling the cops and letting them do their job. Unfortunately 911 has got really bad here in PDX lately, last time I waited on hold 8 minutes before speaking to an operator! Still not worth it though.

If I were home I'd take up a defensive position and do the same. I have thought I might have I heard something and came down stairs with my gun to investigate, but the odds of there actually being someone there were low in my opinion. I've never been positive there was actually someone in the house, and if I thought the odds were good I wouldn't go downstairs.

Another thing to mention, I've heard that if you do clear your house yourself that it might be a good idea to grab your cell phone and audio record when doing so. Idea being that if things do go south you'd have more evidence in your favor I guess.

View attachment 558 Well.....same as above. If I return home, that's what cell phones are for!
If we are home we have a plan, I'm always armed and have weapons in strategic locations! I keep an HD shotgun in my closet, in a ShotLoc safe loaded with 12ga, 3" #4 Buck! :)

That's a great setup! Is this the one you have?

Amazon.com : ShotLock Shotgun 200M Solo-Vault (Mechanical) : Sports & Outdoors

I need a a good home defense shotgun.

I agree!
 
That's it, Joe. IMO they are very sturdy, but I threw away the wimpy screws that came with it and substituted 3" lag screws into the wall studs. I'm not saying that it couldn't be torn off the wall but the thief had better bring his family and his lunch!
You set your own combination for either 2 or 3 buttons. Click, click, open!!! :)
 
That's it, Joe. IMO they are very sturdy, but I threw away the wimpy screws that came with it and substituted 3" lag screws into the wall studs. I'm not saying that it couldn't be torn off the wall but the thief had better bring his family and his lunch!
You set your own combination for either 2 or 3 buttons. Click, click, open!!! :)

I'm definitely bookmarking this for later. Sounds like a great setup.
 
Come home to door open and shadowy figures inside? if I have my family I am backing out and calling 911 - they have all the equipment and backup for proper house clearing, while all of the gear I COULD be using is IN the house. I don't tend to take body armor and such on a trip to the mall...maybe I should start. :)
Insurance has everything inside covered, but the deaths of my dogs will be hard to take - they won't be INSIDE the house without dead dogs and bloody damage to at least one if not more intruders. Not to mention the PD might beat me there, if the alarm goes through.
If I have family members INSIDE when I come home...that will be interesting. Did the wife leave the door open, and the dogs/cats got out? Did the kid have some trouble? Phone in one hand, 911 on speed dial, while looking to see if I am walking in to a hostage situation in my own home. THAT is the type of scenario to make your skin crawl...
 
Come home to door open and shadowy figures inside? if I have my family I am backing out and calling 911 - they have all the equipment and backup for proper house clearing, while all of the gear I COULD be using is IN the house. I don't tend to take body armor and such on a trip to the mall...maybe I should start. :)
Insurance has everything inside covered, but the deaths of my dogs will be hard to take - they won't be INSIDE the house without dead dogs and bloody damage to at least one if not more intruders. Not to mention the PD might beat me there, if the alarm goes through.
If I have family members INSIDE when I come home...that will be interesting. Did the wife leave the door open, and the dogs/cats got out? Did the kid have some trouble? Phone in one hand, 911 on speed dial, while looking to see if I am walking in to a hostage situation in my own home. THAT is the type of scenario to make your skin crawl...

Those are definitely terrible situations to consider. If my family were inside I don't think I'd be able to wait for the police. I certainly wouldn't go barging through the front door announcing myself. At least I'd have the advantage of knowing the layout.
 

Upcoming Events

Crossroads of the West Gun Show
Las Vegas, NV

New Resource Reviews

Back Top