Home Security On my mind again

[pennwalk]

I was wondering? If someone is going to break in what is the most likely place?
We have 5 outside doors and 16 double hung windows at ground level. I was also wondering about the basement windows. They would be hard to crawl through but maybe someone could. Heck someone with a big rock could take out one of the picture windows and drive their truck in.

Chris

 

[Bandybear]

The most likely place would be where they would make the least amount of noise gaining entrance if they were interested in stealth and surprise. First choice would be a door since there would be no crawling through it.

Like many, I believe a good loud dog or dogs is an important element of defense. Again, that would decrease the element of surprise.

While I agree with many of the posters here that a 12 gauge is an extremely intimidating weapon, if you are not familiar with firearms, it may be more intimidating to you. Years ago, The American Rifleman recommended the Ruger 10/22 as more effective for those less familiar with firearms. A .22 semi-auto will be enough to intimidate anyone looking down its barrel, and you and your family will be more likely to practice with it to become proficient with it. Then you can work your way up to a 12 gauge. Meanwhile, if you decide to go the firearm route, go with a .22 semi-auto rifle and .22 semi-auto pistol and you and your family practice until you become familiar and confident with your weapons.

 

[Soundguy]

?? My only thought on that matter was that since you weren't the one looking down the barrell and pulling the trigger.. then how can you be sure that the person was aiming for your dogs head.. and not over his head.. which allowed some stray shot to get him.

Looking at sil. targets and other items me and my buddies have blasted over the years... I'd prefer to NOT be shot at close range with a shotgun using light load... Ain't worth it.

And if I'm breaking into somebody's house and i see a smoothbore aimed at me from across the room.. My first thought isn't " I wonder if he has buckshot or #8 load" It is more like " I wonder if i can make it to the window before he kills me"

Soundguy

I can only relay my actual experience. I had a 40 lb dog once that was shot in the head with number 6 shot at about 25 feet. No, it wasn't me, but it WAS an inexperienced hunter. All pellets stopped under the skin and above the skull. I saw the X rays myself. Put one eye out but he was able to navigate immediately afterward. I know all about targets, patterns, spread and distance.

My net is that if you want an attacker to STOP the attack, then you want true and certain stopping power, not just something that is going to upset him. And that's the objective, I believe, if one is concerned that a mass murderer is in the immediate neighborhood and possibly will enter the house, which is the consern pennwalk has.

 

[Soundguy]

On areas o fthe house I don't 'sleep in' Or won't need for emergency egress.. I like to plant things like spanish bayonette or other pointy plants.. like sentry ( century ?) plants.. etc.

Soundguy

I was wondering? If someone is going to break in what is the most likely place?
We have 5 outside doors and 16 double hung windows at ground level. I was also wondering about the basement windows. They would be hard to crawl through but maybe someone could. Heck someone with a big rock could take out one of the picture windows and drive their truck in.

Chris

 

[AlanB]

My money, home defense, winchester defender or Mossberg youth. Short small, accurate enough and powerfull enough at close range.

Middle of the night as you chamber that round, I consider that the "warning shot" right there. Most burgalars (most) are not coming in wanting a confrontation, they want your stuff. Sounds like the situation you are facing may be different.

Anyway, plugs out, over the door of my bedroom, no round chambered, progressively loaded from light shot to buck shot.

Course, if I ever must use it, you will see me on the news going, yes officer, he was still coming at me when I reloaded the 5 rounds for the third time and I was in fear for my life..................... Their relatives may sue me, but the criminal wont.

While I consider myself gun knowledgable (certainly not an expert) What I do know, is that I don't know enough, nor have the practice and experience to be effective in that situation with a handgun. The guys that do that for a living that I am familiar with still do it with rifles and shotguns, handguns come out when you run out of ammo for the long guns.

It would take one drugged up, weireded out guy to take a blast from a 20 gauge to the chest at 10' and keep coming forward.

Most imporatantly, I just hope I never have to use it, and lights and dogs and neighbors come into play there.

 

[yzbdsbp]

As jfh said.......If you really want a headstart on any one pulling up to your house get a good driveway alarm....you can even set up more than one sensor on your property for different access points. Then the lighting. I have about a 1200' drive and it gives me a good 10 seconds to be prepared for someone or something entering my place. then the element of surprize is yours not an intruders. I love this thing because there is no unexpected knock on the door......it even wakes me out of a dead sleep. Most of the nicer alarms are animal proof. All Im trying to convey is that these things are priceless when it come to you having the upper hand. They are easily hidden where passer bys cant see them but the detector can see them. They are nice for UPS/Fed Ex deliverys also. Also it gives you time to reach for a gun if you feel uncomfortable/uneasy feeling and the alarm goes off, you are ready before they are and that is 90% of the fight. Being prepared....and these alarms will do just that.

 

[Bandybear]

As for your previous question about the 16 penny nails, yes, they are highly recommended for securing your windows. And if you want to leave the windows open a bit, drill a second hole 2 or 3 inches above the top of the inner pane. That way, you can have the window open and still have it relatively secure.

For your picture window, Lexan is recommended as it is shatterproof.

 

[Soundguy]

Same thing i do..

Soundguy

, progressively loaded from light shot to buck shot.

.

 

[skent]

Lil' Maxx lets us know when someone is outside, (Lil' Maxx tips the scale at 95#)

Mossberg Bantam 500 .410 is the backup plan.

Wife and all four daughters sheet shoot and know how to use it.

 

[texasjohn]

Soundguy, we each have our experiences and draw our own conclusions from them.

For me, I NEVER pick up a gun and/or pull the trigger except I want something DEAD (practice and transportation needs excluded). If I don't think it's a dead shot, I don't pull the trigger. I select the ammunition and shot placement to do the job in one shot. I'm not always a perfect shot, but recently shot two Axis deer. One in the head (immediate drop) and the other exactly in the chest cavity as it moved thru a 2 ft diameter space in very thick brush (ran 30 yards). One 30-30 shell each. I either eat it, or am protected by the shot. I recently shot a rattle snake, dead, .22 at night in 3 foot high weeds near my house/workshop.

For me, pulling the trigger inside the house means only one thing... all other options are exhausted and the threat is an immediate deadly risk to my person or family, and must be terminated immediately, not just slowed down.

If I were a laywer (I'm not) defending a client who had violated all the lights, alarms, locks, dogs, verbal commands to leave, etc. and recieved one load of bird shot, then a subsequent heavier load, I would argue that "unnecessary force" was used since the first shot would have clearly incapicated the perp and anything else is just too much. The actual facts would not matter to me, as a defense laywer.... and there is always the possibility of the perp sitting there forlornly looking pathetic with whatever injuries sustained being exaggerated and protesting that it is all a misunderstanding and he's not to blame and is now harmed for life and needs compensation. This argument would be particularly compelling if you managed to get the shot off before any actual physical harm was inflected on you or any family member.

One must think carefully about how aggressively you intend to defend your person and family under extreme and immediate risk situations.... do you intend to wound/slow down the attacker, or to kill? It's not only a moral issue, but there are legal rammifications and probable consequences/outcomes to consider in each case.

Everybody contemplates their belly button and comes to a conclusion of action, inaction and preparation that meets their situation.

Skent, congratulations on all wife and daughters knowing about shotguns... I used a .410 single shot until I was out of college. Often I put more birds in the bag than buddies with automatic 12 ga. shotguns. Certainly, my ammo cost was less.