Recently I was having a conversation about handguns and home defense, it was interesting and the perspective was volleyed back and forth like a ping-pong ball. After the conversation, it hit me that no matter what you do or how much you think you have prepared, it may not be enough. The odds that you will safely get to your family, get to your safe zone, engage the bad guys and call 911 are mind bending-ly NOT in your favor. I could write that with proper training and a skilled set of the newest DVDs detailing room to room clearing of your domicile will help you vanquish the intruders (cape flying whipping in the wind). The truth, it’s a scary thought that if a person or persons enter your home specifically to do you harm then it will be a fight for everyone’s life. I realize that the norm is a criminal in search of your junk to sell for 100 % profit is what most people will experience or encounter. This individual does not want to die nor is your stuff worth going to jail for, therefore this guy opts out and runs away if he realizes he has disturbed your slumber. But every so often, there is a real crazy out in the world who just wants to be in your house. He knows the risks and may even be excited by the danger involved, but this bogeyman (lack of a better term) is not seeking material objects. He wants to do unspeakable things to your family and this person is out for blood. These bogeymen are the reason we have firearms, they are the ones that make us wonder if we can react quickly enough, they are the things we hope never happen. This maniac will be long gone before the police arrive you have no choice but to be the first responder.
Now I pretend to be no expert on clearing your home as each
domicile has a unique layout and each family’s size and location varies as
well. I’m using practical knowledge and as much common sense as I can muster.
Indeed most of you will disagree, but I would challenge you: EVEN if you have
had to chase an intruder from your home or God forbid engaged someone in your
home, then the next time will be different. I promise you.
As I stated above the odds are not in your favor, but there
is always hope and a chance.
First, study the layout of your home. If you have two floors
or a basement with a sliding door then you may have a difficult time clearing
your home in this instance. Hence, if this happens at night (more than likely)
then draw up a plan to collect your children and get behind a door in a
defensible location. If your bedroom is at the end of the hallway and your
child’s room is at the top of the stairs, then figure out whose covering and
who’s grabbing the kid. Get back to your safe area and call 911 post or pre
movement but call them, preferable post movement. If you have no children then
DO NOT MOVE. Lock the bedroom and call the police. Have your firearm ready and
keep 911 on the phone (do this IF you have children). Let law enforcement know
you are armed. When the police do arrive, they will announce themselves.
So let’s speculate a moment. You realize to your horror that
someone is in your home. You have a plan to get to the rooms and fall back to
your safe location. You go into the last bedroom to retrieve your youngest
child and they are not in their bed. I’ll let that sink in for a moment. You
are armed, you may have someone in your home AND one of your kids is not there.
Search the room, search the bathroom, search the house…the key word here is you
will have to SEARCH for this child. Let’s say your wife takes the other
children into the bedroom and locks the door. Do you have another firearm in
the house that she will be using? If you have one gun and you have it, then
what if something happens to you? Let’s move on from that…you are looking
through your home. DO you have a light? Is it attached to your firearm? With
your adrenalin through the roof and senses spiked, can you identify a threat
from say, a fast scared moving child? And let’s just say for happy ending
(maybe) that you find your kid and start making your way back to the bedroom.
Did your wife tell the cops that you were downstairs (or outside the bedroom)
looking for your child? They may show up ready for a fight see you in the dark
with a firearm and kill you. This happened to a former Marine who lived in a
bad neighborhood. Cops hit the wrong home who he mistook as aggressors, engaged
and was killed by police. But I digress…let’s say you get to your bedroom door.
In all the excitement you reach for the door not thinking and it’s locked (well
yeah, your wife locked it) in a split second muscle reflex you turn and jiggle
the door knob. Oops! You may be on the receiving end of a volley of bullets from
a scared mother or significant other.
How’s your plan doing? Now, let’s say that everyone is safe
but for whatever reason you are out and about in the house. In your undies you
encounter the intruder. He stops but doesn’t move, just stares at you. It’s
dark and you don’t have a light (get a damn light). DO you shoot him? What
distance is he to you? Are you between him and an exit? AND more importantly,
does he have a weapon? Split second choices will have to be made. Are you ready
for that?
Choices have been made, as in the movie “Boondock Saints”,
THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT!!!! Indeed violence will be met with violence. Any vet in
a fight knows that fundamentals go out the window pretty quick. It comes down
to muscle memory. You should know where all the sweet spots are located in your
home. YOU should know which way to move so as to not trip on a stick of
furniture. YOU need to know where to hold your firearm, which way to shoot, and
the shots that may go through and hit someone you love. YOU take responsibility
for YOUR defense. It does not stop at buying a handgun, shotgun, AR, or mini-gun.
You have to train like there is no tomorrow because if you don’t get this
right, there may not be.
The bottom line is that this is not easy nor is it a roller
coaster of vigilante fun. If you have decided to defend your home with a
firearm there must be a list of things to consider. Cross-talk with others and
learn if they have a plan. When you make a plan apply the K.I.S.S concept, Keep
It Simple Stupid
Additionally I would be remiss to emphasize safety. Always
store your firearms safely with kids in your home. Be careful clear your
firearms when training and be safe.
Bottom line: An extremely violent trespasser is not
something your average American can possibly fathom. Train hard, train smart,
and prepare yourself and your family for a worse-case scenario or become a statistic.
Harsh words for a harsh reality.
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