Preparedness for a home invasion

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

The subject of home invasion came up in another thread...

If someone were to break into your home while you were inside, how prepared are you and is your home for defense? Are you capable, (physically and mentally) to fight? Do you have weapons available, (dedicated or improvised)? Would you retreat to a safe room? Would you escape the whole house? Would you surrender if ordered by an intruder? Would you attack? How do you think you'd fair in an attack?

For this discussion, seconds matter, and police are minutes away.

Bullgrit

I think I'm well prepared. I recently got a H&K .40, which I keep next to my bed. I have no kids, so there is no reason to keep the gun locked away. Besides, I'm sure there is some Florida law that makes it a crime to put a lock on a gun. I go to the range fairly often to keep my skills up. I have a few police friends, one of which happens to be a weapons trainer in the marines. He is also pretty much nuts, and likes to run through some crazy scenarios, so I've learned to shoot in a variety of situations with better than average accuracy.

I used to train in martial arts more often, but I haven't had the time to. I do get to train with some of the police friends I have. A few of them train in martial arts, and I get the benefit of that training, so I'm more than competent in defending myself even without a gun.

Best of all, I have Florida's SYG law to defend myself. If someone manages to break in, it'll end up badly for them.

But even before any of that is necessary, I have a pretty heavy door that isn't going to be broken down easily. It has three locks and a chain deadbolt. My GF likes to make sure the door is secure even though we live in a pretty nice and affluent area where crime isn't an issue.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Unless they have a fire-arm and keep their distance, I'm set. If they give me time to get to the bedroom, they're dead. (That's where my swords are).

By the by: alarm systems are useless. The police do not respond to them. There are so many false alarms, and the police are way too busy with real emergencies. If you're thinking of investing in an alarm system: don't. It isn't worth it. Not even for "peace of mind" or as a deterrent.

 

[Morrus]

Unless they have a fire-arm and keep their distance, I'm set. If they give me time to get to the bedroom, they're dead. (That's where my swords are).

What if they have swords too, and they're better or luckier than you are, or there are more of them?

 

[sabrinathecat]

What if they have swords too, and they're better or luckier than you are, or there are more of them?

Proper use of a sword requires years of training. If someone is breaking into my home, chances are very good that they aren't well trained. Numbers can be countered by simply working through a door frame where they can only work one at a time. And that's where being old and slimy wins over youth and energy.

 

[MechaPilot]

have you done this or is it hypothetical at this point? especially the chewing the jugular thing

You appear to be speaking in the present tense. Is this a frequent occurrence for you? How many people have you killed? What do chewed out throats taste like?

No, it's not a frequent occurrence. However, I have had a gun pulled on me before. I don't react well to people pulling weapons on me. Anger has proven to be my go-to response for that, for some reason.

When I was younger, I made a friend who invited me back to his place to play D&D. Apparently his younger brother didn't like me, or just wanted to show how big of a man he was, and he came up the stairs with a shotgun. After shoving him down the stairs I went straight to the kitchen and grabbed the two largest knives from the knife block. I would have went down after him if my friend hadn't stopped me.

Part of the problem of attacking me is that people can't see just from looking at me that I don't place any kind of premium on my life, and I often go through bouts where I really don't care if I die. Once my familial obligations to my parents are fulfilled, I really have no more reason to be here. Despite my general disregard for my life, if someone does attack me I see it as an obligation to society to make sure that person cannot ever hurt anyone else again; if I can get out of the situation alive as well (preferably without racking up any kind of hospital bills in the process) then that's okay too.

 

[MechaPilot]

Best of all, I have Florida's SYG law to defend myself. If someone manages to break in, it'll end up badly for them.

With SYG. if they're brown and wearing a hoodie, you can probably start firing once they set foot on your lawn.

Edit: Not that you would react that way. But with the law and the way juries are, you'd probably get away with it.

 

[Kramodlog]

Street gangs started shooting at each other in Florida and they got off thanks to the stand your ground law. It was changed since then, I was told.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Ideally, a street gang should be able to use a properly drafted SYG law as a defense, if the circumstances support it.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

With SYG. if they're brown and wearing a hoodie, you can probably start firing once they set foot on your lawn.

Edit: Not that you would react that way. But with the law and the way juries are, you'd probably get away with it.

Pffft... I'm white. In Florida I could start shooting when I think someone is just thinking about doing something that may endanger my life. There wouldn't even be a jury.

It's Florida. We have crazy congressmen paid off by the gun lobbyist and the NRA (I know, same thing). Seriously, I could probably get in trouble if I didn't start to just randomly shoot people ever couple of weeks.

 

[Morrus]

Proper use of a sword requires years of training. If someone is breaking into my home, chances are very good that they aren't well trained. Numbers can be countered by simply working through a door frame where they can only work one at a time. And that's where being old and slimy wins over youth and energy.

Yes, but what if they have swords but are better or luckier than you?