Home Defense

[Tommytat2]

I have taught a couple of seminars in my life time regarding home defense and I would like to pass them onto you. You can take this knowledge what you want. First off I tell my students to have their bedroom as close to the kids bedroom when ever possible. You should also have a strong door in the master bedroom as strong if not stronger than the main entrance door. Always have cell phone by the night stand. Even if you cant afford the monthly payment of a cell phone (times are tough) a unconnected cell phone still dials out to 911. If you can strategically place your bed so you can use it as a barricade if by any chance some one tries to come in the master bedroom. Many guns have been thought of as good personal defense or home defense guns I try to keep it simple. A typical 12 gauge pump action shot gun with Double 0 buck would do just fine. For a few reasons. It's easy to use and handle as well as the unduplicated sound or racking the pump shot gun can be heard even from the other side of the door and you don't need to be a marksman do get a well placed shot center mass either with devastating damage. The game plan is simple. if you hear a noise or assume that some one is in the house wake up your significant other grab the shot gun and if the kids room is close to the master bed room grab the kids and bring them into the master room. Have all family members hide behind the bed if you can strategically use it as a barricade have the gun pointed by the door and dial 911. Dry runs of this rutine should be practiced by all family members residing in the house. And all family members who can effectively use that shot gun should go to the range as often as possible to practice with that weapon. I personally own a remington 870 express with a tactical accessory rail mounting a insight technology  M6 lazer light combo. The light and lazer is easy to use and if another member of the family is using it who isn't that comfortable shooting will be more at easy with it on. One of my tactics isn't a cookie cutter for all situations and I'm sure every one can change it here and there but I just wanted to extend my knowledge to any members that would like it.

[tombogan03884]

I will point out here that while I agree with most of the OP, apartment dwellers will most likely want to load their 12 Ga with something much lighter than 00 Buck.
Your neighbors will thank you.

[Badgersmilk]

Not only apartment dwellers but many others should consider neighbors.  PLEASE! Many new neighborhoods only have 20 feet between houses.  Many are duplex's, or condo's to.  In any of these instances not only should you be considering shot size, but shell length, barrel length, & choke size!

#5 shot out of a full choke barrel is still a whole lot like a slug at 20'.  My kid just shot a squirrel that way.  Put a perfect, clean, quarter sized hole through it's chest.  No spread.  It still hits as one mass.  (yeah, it was neat to see!  )  Squirrel, wall, neighbor.  Same thing.  

26" barrel, full choke, with a 3, or 3.5" shell...  At 20-30 feet shot size is irrelevent (from my experience  ).

I still say nothing compares to the good 'ol shotty for home defense, but if you like your neighbors even a LITTLE...

Personally I choose 3.5" Magnum 00 Buck.        No...  Their not that bad.     Did you know there's 18 pellets in those though?!?

[2HOW]

Glad I don't have to conform with the PC crowd on home security. Dogs , motion lights and if you are caught here at night , you WILL be found here in the morning. Been in the apartment crowd before, RUN, RUN .

[jaybet]

Different types of homes have different wall composition, so it would pay to figure out your own conditions at home. It can vary anywhere from foot thick steel reinforced concrete walls to a layered-up assembly of gypsum wall board, fiberglass insulation, 1/2" foam board, and vinyl siding. Even trap loads would go through that. Oh....well, some pellets might get hung up in the fiberglass batt insulation, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

BM raises a valid point, when I lived in Ca. I could stand with my arms out and touch our house and the neighbors house .

[twyacht]

Certainly been discussed here before, but worth repeating. Even Rob Pincus, back in the Valhalla days, determined bird shot at SD ranges #4-#7 shot, is devastating at 7yds, or less. Handgun ammo, as well, needs to be considered with interior/exterior, neighbors, etc,... Even frangible ammo in an AR platform is very effective for SD.

Each of us, has already made that analysis of their particular domicile. Apt., stick built modern homes with sheetrock and vinyl siding, concrete stucco, proximity of neighbors, etc,...

Also identifying lines of fire, bookshelves, fireplaces, interior walls, adjoining bedrooms, and most important:

Simply having some sort of practiced plan, rehearsed will help. Especially,  if kids rooms are on the opposite side of the house.

If your child screams in the middle of the night, of course you investigate, how well do you know your house in the dark?
Where are potential ambush points if there is more than one BG? Where are your strong defensive/offensive positions?
Who is already calling 911? You? Spouse?

How to talk to a 911 operator, etc,...

Kids, especially younger ones need to know a "key word", or "phrase", that the kids will immediately understand and react to.
Under the bed, get in the closet, lock the bedroom door, stay low, go to the Master Bedroom, whatever. It should be like the old Dick Van Dyke commercials about housefires. Stop, drop, and roll,..or how to get out.

Same premise with an SD situation. Planning and including your family members, makes the unthinkable hopefully more survivable.

Welcome Tommytat2, always a good topic to review, and revise.

[Tommytat2]

Thanks for the welcoming and great responses from all. I'm here to learn a lot from everyone's different views and thoughts and I hope to share from my own knowledge and expierence.

[Timothy]

It never hurts to re-review the circumstances and arrangements we live in.

My new dwelling is 210 year old horse hair plaster walls with post and beam construction, downstairs couple and a single entry door that faces into a largely uninhabited area.  Neighbors across the street are nearest, about fifty feet, parking area to the town hall and the old town hall about 150 feet to the north that houses our only town Constable, a CT State Police officer.

I'm good with what I use, I can see my entry door from where I sleep and the only other person I worry about is sleeping next to me, 870 with bird shot leaning in the corner on her side and my 1911 close to me.

Early warning (yorkie) is sleeping next to the bed, squirrel farts will arouse the little turd.

[Walkeraviator]

Ill say that the game plan the wife and I decided on was to make the childs room the safe room.  That way i dont have to stumble through the dark house to get them, then return through the gauntlet to get back to the safe room.