Encounter today that made me think...

[JADB]

What society calls paranoia is really a defensive mechanism that humans have but is suppressed by societal conditioning. This naive mentality is exactly what gets most people raped, killed, or brutalized in conjunction with burglary.

And thank you for this response. Made me feel a little better.

 

[Rum Runner]

And thank you for this response. Made me feel a little better.

I am sure you will agree that its better to be called paranoid than called a victim.

 

[atticus]

To my great regret, the days of "Leave it to beaver," and "Father knows best," with the peaceful, quiet neighborhoods, are a thing of the past. These days even the nicest neighborhoods are subject to home invasion. We have to face facts. If we're lucky, it won't happen. But we just don't know. I suspect things will be getting worse, a lot worse, before they get better. Stay armed, and ready.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

This will prevent false positives....



I answer with a knife. It's quieter that way.

 

[RetArmySgt]

I've done that a few times, taken a long gun with me and kept it nearby. But then I thought about it and decided it wasn't the best plan. If you open the door and someone decides they want to force it, you're going to be wrestling with them as you try bringing that shotgun to bear.

That's why I bring a Sig instead of my AR or 870. When you're nose to nose with someone, it's a lot harder to bring a long gun to bear. If they're farther away, I can always use the pistol to keep that distance and make a dash for a "real gun". But odds are I won't need any more than the pistol in the first place.

I answer with a pistol in hand AND a 12 gauge near the door. The 12 gauge is if I need something beefier than a .45.

 

[Stumpy]

Since im not 21, and dont carry, I dont have a handgun on me. I only retrieve the XDM if someone looks like trouble and/or they come to the door at a strange hour. All the other times, I have my hand on my Benchmade Griptillian, ready to rock n roll.

 

[M. Sage]

See this is the common MO. If you would have answered, they would have been selling magazines or some BS and been on their way to someone else'e house.

This is why I tell my wife to always answer the door so they know someone is home. Also don't open the door, talk through it. And always start by saying something like "Its ok honey, I got it." loudly. Combine all of that with the barking dogs, and she is probably never going to have the guys strolling into the back yard.

I am slowly working towards having her answer it with a loaded gun, but we are not there yet.

Yep. That's why I answer. I want to present a "hard face" to them; show that I'm alert and the half-opened door should show that I'm wary. Between me and my dog barking at them (she sounds bigger than she is), the plan is that they'll leave and not come back. But I've still got a pistol with me just in case.

Always good to have a plan B.

I answer with a pistol in hand AND a 12 gauge near the door. The 12 gauge is if I need something beefier than a .45.

I like my P226 in 9mm. They can bring their friends and family to the party... 20 round pistol magazines are awesome.

I discovered the 20 round MecGar/Sig mags actually hold 21, load on a closed slide and will work 100% reliably. So really, my pistol has 22 rounds in it. Rock and roll!

Since im not 21, and dont carry, I dont have a handgun on me. I only retrieve the XDM if someone looks like trouble and/or they come to the door at a strange hour. All the other times, I have my hand on my Benchmade Griptillian, ready to rock n roll.

I don't usually wear a gun around the house. I can't wear one at work because I'd bang customer's cars up with it. I just keep one or five handy for times when they might be needed. If someone rings the doorbell right now, I'm going to snatch up a Sig and see what they want.

 

[lalonguecarabine]

the door will be hard to force with 300 lbs of twisted steel and sex appeal as a door stop

OMG!!!

 

[lalonguecarabine]

What society calls paranoia is really a defensive mechanism that humans have but is suppressed by societal conditioning. This naive mentality is exactly what gets most people raped, killed, or brutalized in conjunction with burglary.

Strange how foreign a concept that is to some people.

 

[TimberWolf7.62]

Answering the door, 1911 in my right hand, hidden behind my leg, chamber loaded and safety off . . . although I have been know to do it with a Browning High Power with a 20-round mag. I don't favor a 9mm but I inherited it from my Dad, along with his 1911A1.

 

[lorendhenry]

you are not paranoid and you really have to work out the questions of what if before a critical incident not during.

 

[Project325]

Well, it sounds like I wasn't over reacting... just over thinking. Thanks for all the feedback. Just to clarify, I did say "draw" in my original post, but the pistol was loaded and cocked, in hand, at my side (out of view of the "newspaper guy")

 

[Jason]

You guys are pansies!!! I just unload a clip or two into the door if someone knocks or rings the bell... I don't get too many repeat visitors for some reason...???

 

[TheDan]

I don't answer the door unless I know someone is on their way over. There's this thing called phones... Give me a ring if you want to come over. That just seems like the polite thing to do to me. Why the hell would anyone just "drop in"?

Selling subscriptions sounds suspicious to me. They probably were casing the place. A gun of some sort is always nearby anywhere I am in the house in case someone does something dumb.

 

[Wolfwood]

FMJs don't do any better through a door than JHPs. The JHPs just crush the tip or core out the wood and push right through.

thanks for the "tip" eh get it??

mags will be reconfigured when i get home

 

[Wolfwood]

OMG!!!

thats me bro!

 

[Wolfwood]

Always on me- knife, flashlight, gun. Shower and bed are the only times I feel vulnerable.

glock diving light and ceramic blade should do you well.

 

[Wolfwood]

Since im not 21, and dont carry, I dont have a handgun on me. I only retrieve the XDM if someone looks like trouble and/or they come to the door at a strange hour. All the other times, I have my hand on my Benchmade Griptillian, ready to rock n roll.

thats fine and dandy... but jsut to be clear to other readers, im nearly positive that you dont need to be 21 to carry at home. concealed or otherwise.

and with my quadruple post im moving on to another thread. lol.

 

[Stumpy]

thats fine and dandy... but jsut to be clear to other readers, im nearly positive that you dont need to be 21 to carry at home. concealed or otherwise.

true, but im in and out of the house often, and i dont want to have to fool with putting the gun up, and getting it out again over and over. also, I dont live along the border, or houston. i live in Midland, so its (mostly) all good.

 

[M. Sage]

true, but im in and out of the house often, and i dont want to have to fool with putting the gun up, and getting it out again over and over. also, I dont live along the border, or houston. i live in Midland, so its (mostly) all good.

Bad things happen in good neighborhoods. Burglary is actually more common in rural areas than in the city...