Sorry to have to disagree with you, but, when the doorbell rings, either my wife or I will look out the small kitchen window that flanks the front door and porch. If it's someone we don't recognize, we retrieve the pistol (for me) and the shotgun (for her) and open up the window to ask them their business.
Should they try to break in the steel door, they're going to have a little problem because, whenever one of us is in the house, the two deadbolts are thrown (2.5 inches of deadbolt into the doorframe which is a treated 4x4) and the bar is across the middle of the door (a 2x4 in the manner somewhat akin to what you see across castle gates held in steel braces with 2-inch bolts securing it to the 4x4 door frame).
The windows are all covered with painted treated wooden lattice .. easy enough to kick out if you have to escape a fire, but delaying and noisy enough to discourage break-ins .. and, underneath the paneling below the kitchen window is a 4'x4' piece of 3/8-inch steel plating from a salvage yard, in case of gunfire into the kitchen when we're asking them their business.
We live well out in the sticks, away from the main road .. a lot of privacy, but we're pretty much on our own. My wife, who is from England, took to the property and the Texas way of life with guns like a duck to water.
Wow. If the crooks kick your door they may break a leg. I can hear it now “Call me a Amber Lamps”. One thing for sure.....Crime is rising in Houston.
We have loaded guns on hooks above exterior doors but not for shooting people. I wouldn't have any problems killing anybody getting wild and crazy such as in an invasion; been shot at myself many years back in lower 48; never forgot those orange flashes either, ha. I've grabbed enough flopping caribou by horns and cut their throats; that sorta thing doesn't faze me either.
I just don't think that I'd want to live in an environment where my family might be subjected to such violence, crime, and headaches; just too many other good places to call home.
I read about all these home invasions and wonder if it's really getting that bad?
WE once had a couple drunk Indians kick the door in, thinking it was their cabin, no joke. Indians kinda lose their minds with booze. Our plott hounds tore them up, chased them down the road; I didn't even get a chance to find out who they were until nx day when the entire village was talking about our maneaters. When the Indians told me I should shoot those dogs, I told them why would I do a thing like that? Them dogs being such a good judge of character and all, ha ha; left them wondering?
Excellent preparedness, just excellent! Thank you.
You’re a lucky man to have married so well.