I don't doubt that for a moment. For the reasons I laid out above, which obviously cannot clearly depict my home situation, I will never be able to use a "scare them off" technique. In fact, I really cannot endorse it in any situation. The main fear these days is home invasion, not stealth burglary. These guys are usually high on some substance and depending on scaring them is a slender reed indeed. If you haven't, read "American Sniper" for Kyle's take on dealing with guys on drugs. No, I can't give up the small advantage I have by letting them know my position and presence...I have actually had an intruder come into my garage, hear me pump a Remington 870, swear and beat it
My dad always said he was firing the first shot through the floor or the ceiling.... and I thought, I don't think I want to repair a hole in either of those. So I opted for pump action to potentially serve the same purpose.
I'm not giving away where I am and risking getting shot by chambering a round - if someone is in my home, they've chosen to give up the right to be 'warned' as I automatically assume they are here to harm me or my family. If they have exquisite hearing they might hear the soft click to the safety switch on my shotgun, but after that it's going to get really loud really fast.
Im not questioning you guys. If I didn't have 2 little boys in the house, I'd definitely have something loaded. In regard to chambering a round, that was assuming they are still outside the house. I have two yappy dogs outside, so I'm counting on getting a heads up. Once in the house though, Who knows...Well, for starters, we are empty nesters. I have had to change my habits when we have small grandchildren in house. Of course, there aren't even many of those left. My situation is unique in several ways. In my house, it's probably 35' from my bedside, where my AR resides, to a sharp corner and then only 10' or so between me and the door where there would be at least a 95% chance entry of choice, particularly if forcible, for quite a number of reasons, would be attempted. IOW, not much room for error. My AR is set up with a red dot sight for quick target acquisition and a blinding tactical light. So my battle plan, if you will, is to round the corner, turn on the light and acquire target - all silently until the light comes on. I will be alerted before they know I'm ready. I don't want to alert them - in any way. The way home invasions have been going around here, they come in twos and threes, usually the latter. My house, sitting in the middle of 3 acres of woods is such a good target, I'm surprised it hasn't happened before. I simply need the surprise factor the way my house is built. (YMMV) I don't think any of you are familiar enough with my house or with my defense plan to second guess me. In fact, I'm mildly surprised that anyone who knows me, even casually as through this board, would do so...
Amen. Teenagers tend to be more reckless than young kids. Plus, they think they know everything.That's a good one, TW. I'll repeat that the only reason I can keep loaded weapons around is because we have no kids around. I had my guns locked up even when we had teenagers. I believe teenagers and weapons don't mix any more than smaller kids...
I hope no one took my post as an argument against this position. It worked that time, but it was a chance I was taking to try to keep from having to shoot.I don't doubt that for a moment. For the reasons I laid out above, which obviously cannot clearly depict my home situation, I will never be able to use a "scare them off" technique. In fact, I really cannot endorse it in any situation. The main fear these days is home invasion, not stealth burglary. These guys are usually high on some substance and depending on scaring them is a slender reed indeed. If you haven't, read "American Sniper" for Kyle's take on dealing with guys on drugs. No, I can't give up the small advantage I have by letting them know my position and presence...
I'm lucky to have great night vision and also several dark areas in my home, one of which is within only a few feet of my hidden weapon. My plan is to drop into that or another area and shoot from either a seated, kneel or even a prone position. I'd use the darkness and cover to present as small a target to them as possible while having full view of them and their position. Before my attacker(s) can locate me, it's too late for them.TIDE-HSV said:Well, for starters, we are empty nesters. I have had to change my habits when we have small grandchildren in house. Of course, there aren't even many of those left. My situation is unique in several ways. In my house, it's probably 35' from my bedside, where my AR resides, to a sharp corner and then only 10' or so between me and the door where there would be at least a 95% chance entry of choice, particularly if forcible, for quite a number of reasons, would be attempted. IOW, not much room for error. My AR is set up with a red dot sight for quick target acquisition and a blinding tactical light. So my battle plan, if you will, is to round the corner, turn on the light and acquire target - all silently until the light comes on. I will be alerted before they know I'm ready. I don't want to alert them - in any way. The way home invasions have been going around here, they come in twos and threes, usually the latter. My house, sitting in the middle of 3 acres of woods is such a good target, I'm surprised it hasn't happened before. I simply need the surprise factor the way my house is built. (YMMV) I don't think any of you are familiar enough with my house or with my defense plan to second guess me. In fact, I'm mildly surprised that anyone who knows me, even casually as through this board, would do so...
Yep, and are more prone to making hasty decisions when depressed, etc.Amen. Teenagers tend to be more reckless than young kids. Plus, they think they know everything.
I plan on making it so. Reb's plan might attract me, but because of the construction, it's just not practical. I can't let them get that far in. I'm playing with the idea of making my AR full auto, which can be done without running afoul of the ATF regs and needing an NFA license. I've ordered a "bump stock," which slides and uses the recoil for the next trigger pull. If I can hold on target, I'll think about modifying further with a trigger. For a while, after my hip replacement, my wife had to sleep in the other end of the house, 140' away, because I was up and down all night. So I then had to worry about my own mobility, but I also had to worry about crossfire, if they got all the way into the house. We're now consolidated in our sleeping again, thankfully. Neighbors, I don't have to worry about. There's not anyone within 600' and there are plenty of tree trunks in the way...Not that I was planning on it, but it sounds like breaking into Earle's house would be a very bad idea.
My wife has you beat. She put up signs saying "Caution - Snake Habitat"As an addendum to my prior post, I'd like to add that I also have placed several signs from a local security alarm company on all entrances to my home as well as on several lower floor windows. Criminals are a lazy sort, so they are less likely to try to break into one where the chances are higher that they'll get caught.
Failing this, then I can always put my own plan into action.
To me, this presents a better alternative than advertising the presence of weapons and the willingness to use them..
Ha! Now that's original thinking. I'm sure your home is marked on some burglar's map somewhere: Stay Away!My wife has you beat. She put up signs saying "Caution - Snake Habitat"
You may laugh, but, a couple of years ago, every vehicle in our immediate neighborhood was broken into except ours and the house next door, where they have yappy dogs in the front yard...Ha! Now that's original thinking. I'm sure your home is marked on some burglar's map somewhere: Stay Away!
We have generic stickers also. However, I heard an interview with a burglar where he said that you shouldn't use stickers for the most popular systems because all pros knew how to disarm them. Of course, if the stickers are fake, as in our case, there's be nothing to disarm. However, as I stated earlier I have sensors to tell me if someone or a vehicle in in our drive. As a little more info, the east part, really the main part where we do 90% of our living is almost totally open. The only three rooms closed off are our bedroom, and auxiliary room and one bathroom, and those only by louvered bifold doors. Other than that, the living room, kitchen/dining room all flow together around a big fireplace/room divider, on two levels and with a cathedral ceiling. IOW, once intruders are in, I have no place to hide and I don't know exactly where they are. It's totally unlike a standard house that's divided up into rooms. That's the reason I intend to intercept anyone as they enter...As an addendum to my prior post, I'd like to add that I also have placed several signs from a local security alarm company on all entrances to my home as well as on several lower floor windows. Criminals are a lazy sort, so they are less likely to try to break into one where the chances are higher that they'll get caught.
Failing this, then I can always put my own plan into action.
To me, this presents a better alternative than advertising the presence of weapons and the willingness to use them..
Agreed. In virtually all instances where the security system is wired to a phone line, all they have to do is to disconnect the phone line from outside the home. Of course the internal alarms will still activate, and a lot of the newer systems notify the monitoring stations via wireless phones.We have generic stickers also. However, I heard an interview with a burglar where he said that you shouldn't use stickers for the most popular systems because all pros knew how to disarm them. Of course, if the stickers are fake, as in our case, there's be nothing to disarm. However, as I stated earlier I have sensors to tell me if someone or a vehicle in in our drive. As a little more info, the east part, really the main part where we do 90% of our living is almost totally open. The only three rooms closed off are our bedroom, and auxiliary room and one bathroom, and those only by louvered bifold doors. Other than that, the living room, kitchen/dining room all flow together around a big fireplace/room divider, on two levels and with a cathedral ceiling. IOW, once intruders are in, I have no place to hide and I don't know exactly where they are. It's totally unlike a standard house that's divided up into rooms. That's the reason I intend to intercept anyone as they enter...