Home Defense

[Philociraptor]

Wow, thanks so much for the great responses folks.

Things we're doing now:

1) Locked door policy: unless somebody is working on the lawn, all doors to the outside are locked

2) Locked window policy: all windows have storm windows and are not to be opened, creating about 3 layers you'd have to break to get in

Things I'm doing soon:

1) Buying and installing a thicker front door / frame with newer locks: the current door is flimsy and locks out of place, sacrificing precious AC during this Texas summer

2) Calling the alarm company and seeing if they can update the program to have a mode where any door opening gives 30 seconds to put in a code, remains on unless code is entered twice.

3) Fiancé and I taking a CHL class.

4) Buying a safe I can bolt to something.

[aceinyerface]

Targeted towards the USA folks here, but everybody is welcome of course:

Recently bought a house back in June, finally finished bringing over most of my stuff from my parents house, and I realize my roommates + I have more than enough valuables to potentially attract unsavory characters into our 1970's home. I'm wondering what armaments / protection devices other homeowners have.

We currently have an alarm system on all the doors, which is unfortunately not that useful when we have 6 different schedules in the house (yes, I'm a slum lord) since it can't be armed unless we're all home or all gone. There are no kids around, so guns are an option, I hear the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 are very popular home defense guns, but I haven't picked one up yet. Handguns are a possibility as well, I know my fiancé wants one. I don't have the money this month but by next month I'm going to get a little $200-or-so fire/waterproof keypad safe for social security cards, birth certificates, passports, etc.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Let's hear what y'all have.

First post, hi everybody.

My wife and I are firearms enthusiasts. We have a wide array of handguns, rifles, and shotguns. I have both the Mossberg and the Remington, both will do the job, and with the right load wouldn't be any larger menace than any other defensive firearm. And, while I like shotguns, my personal preference is a pistol. More important than any of that is that one must practice if the firearm is to be of any use to you.

One needn't spend a fortune on an arsenal, ordering of the internet will beat the price of the local places. http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php

surplus and police trade in make for some good deals http://summitgunbroker.com/Glock_22.html

Those fire boxes come with instructions to bolt them down, and while better than nothing are not really high security. Scumbags are clever.

If you have one of those wretched sliding glass doors, they can be taken off the tracks in seconds.

PM me if you have any questions.