On her side, a 38 special. On my side, 454 Casull. I know the 454 is overkill, but it is my favorite handgun...But I doubt I would have to use any of my guns, with a 217lb English Mastiff puppy roaming around the house.....

 

Yeah, accidental shootings of the wrong person would suck.

A weak flash light sucks, but if you get a insanely bright light like the Sure Fire lights, I'll put it this way. On my old ship the law enforcement teams got the Sure Fire combat lights. Even had a red lens on a hinge so you could flip it up or down when needed. Even WITH the red lens it would dazzle you real good. The white light that it makes overloads the optic nerve and you can see any thing for at least 5 -15 seconds.

 

California is a stupid state, I live 30 miles east of Los Angeles and it is BAD. The neighborhood is good but the gangs are moving in from L.A., Compton, Valley, ect... I am a electronics tech. and Install security systems among other things. For my house, I have 2 security panels, one covers the interior and the other is for the perimiter. If tripped, it sets off a 200 watts siren driver with 4 horns, interior and exterior. I also built a computer that is dedicated surviellance recorder, 8 color to night vision cameras that record for 2 months 24/7. I can access the video over the internet. The alarm calls my cell phone. For protection, I have H&K USP-45 / tac light, Ruger P-95DC, S&W 9mm, Remmington 12 ga. pump, Mossburg 12ga pump, Ruger mini14 .223, various .44 mag, Benelli M1 Super90 auto shotgun with a supply of 0, 00 and slugs for this baby. I have always been safety concious but I could not get anybody to lock the doors. Then on April 27, 2004 @10:28 P.M. I was robbed at gunpoint 30 miles east of here and shot in the back 6 times by 2 crack heads. 4 went in and 2 hit my truck. I will never be the same. I cannot get a CCW because I am in L.A. County and I don't live with the police chief. Dumb or what... Short of moving out of the county, can't carry.

 

WOW!!

I think I'd have the truck fueled, packed, and headed East by now if I were you.
Virginia is a "Shall Issue" state.

 

Sorry Hoss. I learned a lot after almost shooting a retarded kid in the middle of the night looking for a place to get warm. We gun toters can be our own worst enemy. I discovered darkness added to adrenalin added to testosterone plus loaded guns in the hands of three people can be a recipe for disaster. I don't keep my guns loaded anymore nor do I reach for any of them before I investigate with a FLASHLITE TURNED OFF. We all know our houses well enough to get around in the darkness. Try it during the night until you get it right.
Let's be reasonable, more than 90% of home breakins happen during the day while houses are empty, not at night. For the daytime get a burglar alarm. It's only stuff. And that's what the bad guys are looking for unless they want to kidnap you for ransom. I'll stop now.
Nat

 

I would be the guy that ends up waxing the intruder regardless of why he was in my house. At O-dark thirty in the morning ... I am not in the question asking mood.

If the Basset Hound doesn't think you need to be there ... neither do I. He's actually meaner than I am .

PISTOL

 

Me neither....except for the lives of my wife and son. Everything else is material and can be replaced.

 

I would agree with you with most flashlights...but flashlights made just for this purpose are extremely bright and will blind a person...especially in a dark house. A laser on the other hand...that definitely gives someone a target to shoot at.

Night sights are great for low light conditions...and I have them on my Glock...but it is imperative that you IDENTIFY your target before shooting. Night sights won't do that. A good flashlight will.

www.surefire.com

 

Okay. You win.

 

It's not the burglar I'm worried about. The burglar will leave my house alone during the night because it's not a good target for burlaries. It's violent crimes that I want to be prepared for. Someone all of the sudden busting the front door in with the intent to hurt or kill me or my family. As I said before, I'm in a good neighborhood and the chances of that happening are pretty slim. That said, everyone thinks it can't happen to them. I want to be prepared because it CAN happen to ANYONE.

I recall reading the account of you and the kid you almost shot. That was a tough situation and if my memory serves me correctly everything turned out alright....even though it was a close call.

That's the other thing. My house is NOT empty during the day. My wife is home with our 18 month old son and a 2 year old little girl that she babysits. I'm not the least bit concerned about our "stuff". STUFF can be replaced.

Up until recently the only gun I had loaded in the house was my concealed carry gun....which leaves to go to work with me in the morning. After a few strange occurences in our neighborhood (one of which was where a man yet to be identified became very angry when one of our neighbors down the street....a mom at home with her boys....would not open the door for him), my wife expressed interest in getting a handgun to keep at home. However, she did not show any interest in practicing enough to be proficient so I taught her how to use the shotgun. In my opinion you can't get a better self defense weapon than a 12 gauge shotgun.

As I said, it's not burglaries that concern me. That's what insurance is for. Insurance won't replace lives though.

 

Ya gotta watch some of those night sights too.
Some are bright enough to light up your face in a dark room.

Identify Threat, Front Sight, Squeeeeeeze.
Then Lawyer up.

 

I live in a good neighborhood but my house was burgalarized once before so I probably went a little overboard w/ security BUT....
- Whole house central station reporting alarm system (IR , and magnetic / pressure switches)
- "decorative" window bars
- Triple deadbolts on steel entry doors, all door frames reinforced. All interior doors lockable and require key)
- Haven't gotten yet but will have when it arrives a whole house teargas fogger that ties in with the alarm system....
- motion activated floodlights
- CCTV system w/ 960 hr video recorder
- Hi Cap battery backup (will run alarm for over 1 month w/o AC power)

Personal security (i'm a licensed FFL so I can get the "good stuff")
full auto ak 47, 75 round drum, folding stock, laser,flash suppressor - Alternating
rounds of FMJ and hollow points. 1000 rounds ammo.....in case the bad guys put up a fight)
Back up - Glock 21

Probably make some improvements to system when time allows....I've been a junkie on this site too much lately! HA

 

Note to self:

Do not break into Andyinchville's house.

 

Spas 12 and HK USP .45 loaded,.........M1 garand, bolt .22, marlin 30-30, armalite ar-10, remington 870 all in the safe.

 

12 ga double barrel with 18 1/2" barrel's and an old lady with PMS. This would be compariable with drinking and driving at Bristol.