Posted on 01/26/2008 4:07:45 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion
Exactly. With a peephole, your angle of view is restricted, you can’t necessarily see people hiding against the wall away from the door, it can distort images, and worst of all it tells the potential thug when you’re right in front of the door - for him to shoot through it, then kick it open end enter.
I agree, don’t shoot a man in the back as he is running away or if they are down and not attacking.
Remember these words: “Officer, I was in fear for my life. Even after I shot him once, he kept coming so I kept shooting until he stopped.” And say NO MORE. Keep your story simple and do not stray or elaborate. There isn’t a jury in the land that would convict you.
Here’s my set up:
The easiest access into my home (third story apartment) is through the front door. I keep it locked with a small door stop with a very loud electronic alarm under the bottom of the door when I’m home. Even if an intruder breeches the locks, he will have a really hard time getting the door open enough to enter, all the while the alarm is shrieking away.
The front door leads to a short hallway. Two ordinary kitchen chairs, placed side-by-side can block the hallway. If there’s time, they can quickly be put in place with the seats facing towards the door and a short wooden dowel slipped through the bottom stretchers. The dowel requires that both chairs have to moved simultaneously, meaning the intruder will have to use both hands, while leaning forward. Try it and you will see how vulnerable to attack someone in that position is.
If the sonofabitch manages to get through all that then he is a dead man. My normal home defense firearms are a 1911 pistol, a 357 revolver and a 20 gauge shottie loaded with #3 buck. The firearms are kept ‘handy’ at all times when I’m home.
Take a look around your home and consider what steps can be taken to thwart or slow down an invader to give you enough time to respond properly. There are usually plenty of small things that can be done in that regard.
Of course, the last line of defense is deadly force. Proper equipment and training is the key in that area.
Just don't answer the door in white N.E. towns with a gun in your pocket, unless you want the visitor to know you are very happy to see them (-:
Here’s what your list of preparation priorities should be, IMHO:
1. Prepare your home and make plans to keep unwanted people out. It is very difficult for people to make a quick entry followed by harming you and yours (or just taking off with your worldly goods) if getting into your home is difficult or next to impossible. Keeping them out also avoids a lot of legal and moral dilemmas and headaches. So, best to keep them out in the first place. There are many options on how to do this; you should easily be able to find pointers here and elsewhere on the web.
2. As an extension of #1, do not “lower your shields” for someone you do not know. This means don’t open the door for a stranger at night, don’t even crack the door to ask someone what they want. Have a camera and intercom system installed or do it yourself; they’re under $100 now. If someone comes to your house at night and claims they need help, there’s almost nothing you’re going to be able to do for them that will not make your own situation worse. If someone claims that they need medical assistance, call 911 and have them send an ambulance to your address - along with the police. If someone claims their car has broken down and they want to use your phone to call someone, ask them to give you the number over the intercom and offer to call for you. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OPEN THAT DOOR.
3. Realize that that plan, like any plan, can fail. Prepare and plan for what happens in the unlikely event that someone *does* get inside your house. This means firearms will need to be obtained, training will need to be had, and planning and training will need to continue. Also, realize that you will need to seek out a lawyer ahead of time and have his number handy in case someone forces you to shoot them by invading your home - this will save you a lot of time in the long run.
I’m sure others will have additional or different ideas.
To be more specific, make sure you tell the 911 dispatcher you are armed, and while you're waiting for the cops, you'll do what you have to if the burglar breaches the door. If you repel a burglar, don't pursue. It would suck to survive a burglar and get shot by a cop.
It doesn't hurt to have a safe room. Not necessarily one of these elaborate shelters you read about, just one bedroom with a sturdy door that locks from the inside. The idea isn't to withstand a prolonged siege, just to buy you and the cops time.
Actually, the way I was taught is; “Officer, I was in fear for my life.” End of statement.
Optionally, “I am not feeling well and would like medical attention” as chances are pretty good that you’re *not* going to be feeling well and being forced to shoot someone has been known to cause heart attacks, especially in the older populace. Additionally, a medical checkup is not a bad idea in case there’s a court filing afterwards - and it will get you out of truly intensive police questioning for a while afterwards, long enough for you to calm down and discuss the case with your lawyer (who you should summon while you are being treated).
Good point. I'd bet they even make them with a thumbprint reader these days (if not, I See A Need).
I saw a prospectus at a recent gun show; the local safe maker was planning on having an optional Bluetooth reader that would be keyed to your cell phone. Approach within 3’ of it, and it unlocks for you if you’re carrying your cell. (And if you’re going near the door, you’re going to want that cell phone on you, right?)
FYI, you should also have a cell phone. It’s stupidly easy to cut a home’s telephone lines. It’s not so easy to knock a cell tower off the air.
Landlines are only superior in power emergencies.
Swords are nice. You can have one in a decorative mount in the hallway, and visitors will only see a nice decoration, and won't notice that it is functionally sharp high-carbon steel
Having a handgun quickly accessible in your home office and in your bedroom is also prudent. You want one to be in a place you can run to while retreating from an intruder, rather than where you would be unable to get it in an emergency. It's good to have more than one gun, and have them in more than one place
That's not a bad idea. Of course, if it's bluetooth, you could pair it to a PDA or even a key fob. I have a full wall of bookshelves on one wall of the living room adjacent to the door -- I could easily stash a wireless "key" somewhere I could get it in a second, but an intruder couldn't find it in a timely manner.
Better yet, say absolutely NOTHING, and have your wife say that you both were in fear of your lives. You, meanwhile, say nothing at all until you have a chance to confer with your attorney. If you are in a jurisdiction where a wife cannot be forced to testify against her husband, you're in a better position if you stand mute
Good dog choice.
German Shepherds are one of the best guard dogs you can get.
FYI, you should also have a cell phone. It’s stupidly easy to cut a home’s telephone lines. It’s not so easy to knock a cell tower off the air.
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Full agreement here.
The hardwire phone limits one to that location, a cellular allows one to move about and still have 911 recording the events.
That sounds like my last two labs. They liked everyone. My current dog isn’t a lab. And the other day some semi-shady looking guy was walking door to door, supposedly to drum up business, and my dog just went ballistic when he saw him. This was the first time he has ever done that. A little bit after this happened I thought to myself that maybe this guy was just scoping out my house since before I opened my door the dog wasn’t barking and he was already half way out of my yard before I opened the door. If that was the case, he now knows I park my car in the garage and my dog doesn’t like him. I don’t think he will be coming back. LOL
Handguns placed strategically throughout the house. Do a walk through and identify your areas on cover in each room and, in the alternative, concealment. Learn the difference between the two. If you believe someone has entered, do not go looking for him/them, let them come to you as you will then have the advantage. Don’t go tip-toeing around peeking around corners ... that is the movies. Aim for center mass. The list goes on and on ... I was taught by an excellent ex-special-forces guy 20 years ago when I bought my first firearm for self defense. You may have a similar good guy at your local gun range. ;-)
Seems like I read somewhere that a 2 or 3 pellet large buckshot load was available in .410.THAT would really get the job done.
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