Home Defense

[Philociraptor]

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.

[chasely]

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.

Note: don't have any of these (good home security and only two schedules in the house, plus a big dog) but IMO a shotgun is all that's needed. It's cheap and with a mid-range shot in it (#4/5 to #8) will do all you need. Some "self-defense purists" say to use #0 or #00 buckshot, which is far more likely to kill the intruder, but it's also more likely to go out into the surrounding areas (assuming you don't want to potentially shoot your roommates). If a run-of-the mill intruder were to hear the pump of a shotgun, they'll more than likely sh*t their pants and run away.

+1 on the Mossberg 500, I think there's an Art of Manliness article somewhere on how to outfit it as a "survival" shotgun. Pretty neat read.

For a handgun, not necessary for home defense but definitely cool. I like Sig-Sauers, but less expensive and equally good options include a Glock or the Czech CZ brand.

[chairohkey]

Check out The Best Defense TV show. They go through a bunch of useful info such as firearms, intruder scenarios, and house hardening. Its best to think of home defense in layers. First is physical hardening i.e. door/window locks, safes, and safe rooms. Then early detection/deterrent i.e. alarms and dogs. Finally threat response i.e. firearms, baseball bats, and light sabers.

[dshale]

Dog + shotgun + .357 by the bed in one of those nifty little bio-metric safes. A dog is a great alarm system with teeth.

[bigm141414]

Hey Philo! Haven't seen you around much. Glad to know you are still alive and kickin.

Back to your question. I own a house as well and live by myself so home defense is a concern for me as well. I have an alarm system on all doors plus garage. It gets used every once in a while.

Other than that, I don't have guns in my house but do have a bat under my bed for such situations. I would recommend against guns in a house with so many roommates. Pepper spray or other non lethal forms of protection are a better solution in my mind because I'd be afraid of hitting one of my roommates mistakenly if they stepped out at the wrong moment and the adrenaline is flowing.

But, if you do go the gun route, get trained on it properly. Get a CHL. Go to the range and understand how to fire it safely. Take it apart and clean it to know it inside and out. The more time you handle a gun the more comfortable you can become with it.

Edit: Oh and keep trigger locks on it or keep it in a safe. Especially with so many people in the house. Better safe than sorry.

[This is Seth]

Insurance.

And booby traps.

[smedly]

If you want to go the gun route I would suggest either a .357 or 38 Revolver. It's easier to hide away and the big one, SIMPLE. When you wake up confused and disoriented in the middle of the night you don't want to have to worry about chambering a round or jams, you want something simple and dependable. I also agree with bigm, get properly trained on guns if you are not already.

Just my 2 cents.

[Mordechaj]

Burglaries are not really an issue in my area, so I keep a warclub I made from thick acacia limb by the door for fun and giggles and tax collectors.

[cianalas]

Honestly, the best defense against someone breaking in is going to be making your house less of a target. If you don't already have it, get some of those alarm signs. Keep your blinds shut as much as possible. It seems from your comments that there's at least someone home most of the time, that's a good deterrent against thefts as well.

I would definitely get a safe you can bolt to the floor as well.

As far as weapons, I'd second the sports equipment method (I actually prefer hockey sticks to bats. Might be from too much TMNT as a kid). There's really too many people in your place to safely consider a gun unless you guys run through scenarios to minimize friendly fire.

If you do get a gun, get a light mounted on it. I use an AR for home defense because a) I already have one and the 5.56 round is less likely to do lethal damage through walls than buck-shot or pistol rounds due to its tendency to fragment or tumble after going through a wall. If you end up using a shotgun, load it with buck. Birdshot really only deals surface damage and isn't going to reliably stop someone. Yes, buckshot will go through walls more but, in most cases, you can't have something that will reliably stop someone and not have it penetrate two sheets of drywall.

[Breakfast]

I don't own a gun (yet), but I have done a lot of research. For home defense, I believe a shotgun is the best choice. Here's a quick article I found on home defense tactics to get you thinking on what to do if you do have a gun.

Five Home Defense Tac*tics That Will Help You Sur*vive A Vio*lent Home Invasion

1. You need to develop a code word that will tell your entire fam*ily that its time to spring into action. You don’t need to make up some kind of secret code. The word “ESCAPE†works very well and is sim*ple and straight to the point. For*get about “Red Wolf†and use some*thing simple.

2. Des*ig*nate a “safe room†in your home where every*one can go to at the same time. This room should be stocked with sev*eral spe*cific items that will help you sur*vive the upcom*ing fight. The list of items isn’t that long, but the list is out*side the scope of this arti*cle. The one thing that you must have in this room is a phone that can be used to call the police.

3. Do not, under any cir*cum*stances, leave the safe room. If you have your fam*ily in the room with you, resist the urge to put on your cape and fight the invaders sin*gle handedly.

4. Develop a “fatal fun*nelâ€. If you are using a gun for home defense, posi*tion your*self in a cor*ner of the safe room that is on the oppo*site side of the door. This will give you the max*i*mum amount of time decide if you’re going to shoot because you’ll be the last thing the intrud*ers see when they burst through the door. In this instance, you have the advan*tage because they will have to make an assess*ment of the room before they make a move. You only have to decide if you’re going to shoot or not. You will know that its either the police com*ing to your res*cue or the bad guys com*ing to harm you. Just make sure you don’t shoot the police.

5. Stay in the safe room until the police arrive, no mat*ter how long it takes. Even if you are pretty sure the home inva*sion is fin*ished and the intrud*ers have left, do not leave the safe room. You can’t be sure that the attack*ers aren’t lying in wait to take your fam*ily by force to hold as hostages or cause harm. Stay in the room until the police have cleared the house and tell you to come out before you decide the home inva*sion is over.

[Oogiem]

Our major home defense is 4 big guard dogs. They are mostly protecting the sheep but we can back them up if needed, like we did last night at 2am. Fortunately whatever was alerting them was outside the elk fence. Burglars are not a big issue here, predators are.

For human intruders a pump shotgun is great because nearly everyone knows the sound of a round being chambered. However you have a lot of people in the house for guns to be of much use. I'd worry about friendly fire incidents with that many folks in and out of the house.

If you go the gun route be sure you fire regularly at a range and practice intruder scenarios so you are comfortable with what to do and when and how. Make sure everyone in the house knows about basic gun safety and also be sure you are willing and able mentally to kill someone.

If you can, find the book "In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection" by Massad F. Ayoob He's also written a bunch of others, I'm off looking at them now myself.

Personally I'd look at beefing up the doors and windows, finding an alarm system that can handle multiple in and out with a defuse option and perhaps baseball bats or a big mace. Either will take more effort to kill someone with but gives you that chance of stopping if you are hitting the wrong target.

As for safe be sure it's a media rated one and try to hide it or bolt it to a concrete floor.

[shagy2303]

those fire proof safe / water proof safes suck. unless you get a real safe almost one can pop them in a min or 2 pluss the can carry it out. talk with your neibors that is a big help we have been able to keep ppl away from each others hous.... and if your wondering why o know about the safes i lost my key befor and needed documents out of it.

[chairohkey]

I don't have guns in my house...

And here I thought you were a Texan.

[Waldo]

Insurance.

This.

We have no guns in the house, wife hates 'em and we have a little one. Got a bat handy though.

But we've got motion lights, alarm signs, deadbolts, and dogs. The only things useful to steal though are the TV and computer. Both are big and unweildy.

Crooks in our area have stopped breaking into the living area of houses, instead breaking into crawl spaces, taking copper plumbing pipe and elecrical wire.

The only thing I really feel is invaluable is the computer. My next go 'round with it will be to move to a network storage model where the network storage is in a non-descript location holding all my invaluable files.

[shagy2303]

Honestly i have 2 dogs. us neibors look out for each other and if someone is stupid enough to come in i have combat knives and clubs hidden though out the house.

[leadchipmunk]

Lots of good advice here, but I do have some comments.

Note: don't have any of these (good home security and only two schedules in the house, plus a big dog) but IMO a shotgun is all that's needed. It's cheap and with a mid-range shot in it (#4/5 to #8) will do all you need. Some "self-defense purists" say to use #0 or #00 buckshot, which is far more likely to kill the intruder, but it's also more likely to go out into the surrounding areas (assuming you don't want to potentially shoot your roommates). If a run-of-the mill intruder were to hear the pump of a shotgun, they'll more than likely sh*t their pants and run away.

I personally would recommend away from shotguns and go for a pistol. With so many people, the funnel of death coming out of the shotgun is too large when you do not know where every single soul in the house is. But if you do go for a shotgun, do not get anything smaller than #1 (yeah, I'm basically one of those "self defense purists"), with the higher the number meaning the smaller the shot.

When you shoot, you shoot to kill, not maim, wound, scare or intimidate. If the trigger is pulled, you better be killing something. Smaller shot doesn't reliably kill and can set you up for getting shot or a lawsuit. Many people have won lawsuits because they were justifiably shot, but were not killed. Sad, but in today's sue happy world it is likely to happen.

But, if you do go the gun route, get trained on it properly. Get a CHL. Go to the range and understand how to fire it safely. Take it apart and clean it to know it inside and out. The more time you handle a gun the more comfortable you can become with it.

Edit: Oh and keep trigger locks on it or keep it in a safe. Especially with so many people in the house. Better safe than sorry.

Yes, this. Well, most of this. Do take a concealed carry class, or at minimum a basic shotgun/rifle/handgun/whatever-you-plan-to-use class. You don't necessarily need to carry concealed, or even follow up after the class to get the permit, but learn from a qualified instructor or someone who has to carry for their job (police, security, judge, etc.) not Billie Bob who "shooted all dem deer up on that there hill."

Learn to use and care for your gun, and do not use it for home defense until you are comfortable with it.

My objection with the above quote from Bigm is the trigger locks. In a defense scenario, trigger locks get you killed. They take too long to remove and are easy to fumble with under stress. If you own more than 1 gun, keep the others locked. Make sure all of your roommates know how to use the gun (take the class together if you must) and know not to touch it without your permission (or supervision) or emergency.

If you get an autoloader with a safety, load the chamber and keep the safety on (chambering a round can take too long and can be easy to mess up).

If you own a revolver, I would consider getting this safety installed. Basically it is a magnetic strip inside the handle that unlocks when your hand, wearing a steel ring, grips the gun.

If you want to go the gun route I would suggest either a .357 or 38 Revolver. It's easier to hide away and the big one, SIMPLE. When you wake up confused and disoriented in the middle of the night you don't want to have to worry about chambering a round or jams, you want something simple and dependable. I also agree with bigm, get properly trained on guns if you are not already.

Just my 2 cents.

For what caliber to get, in a revolver: .38 special and .357 magnum. For a pistol, get 9mm, .40S&W or .45ACP. Anything bigger is too powerful and will easily clear a body and then go through multiple walls. Anything smaller doesn't reliably go through a body deep enough to kill.

Always keep a round chambered if you have a properly made pistol, but use the safety (if equipped). It saves precious time in the moments leading up to a firefight. And practice clearing jams, that knowledge can save your life.

Check out the Box o' Truth site to see ammo penetration tests through drywall and through a body simulant.

And for the ammo you decide to carry with, go for hollowpoint rounds, they expand on penetration, creating a larger wound cavity while decreasing full penetration (a.k.a. pass-through). Look into frangible rounds, they are supposed to break up when they hit a wall so they do not over penetrate, but will still enter and kill a body. For revolvers, use a soft nosed round (similar in effect to hollowpoints, but for revolvers).

Finally, my method of home defense (if it isn't already obvious) is pistol. I do have other tools I can use for defense nearby (sledgehammer, bat, etc.), but my first line of defense is the fully loaded Glock 19 sitting in a holster attached to my headboard. Second line is the Taurus PT1911 (loaded) that either hangs from my duty belt on my bed post or sits on my desk depending on if I worked or conceal carried last.

[Maj. Bloodnok]

Another advocate for hardening the house here. Better locks on the doors and windows, active alarm system, etc. My father-in-law's house was burgled one night. The man keeps a loaded pistol by his bed, various rifles around the house, and three dogs. No alarms. The burglar slipped in one night through a side window, away from the kitchen where the dogs were asleep. He went through the house without waking anyone up and stole about $1,000 in antique jewelry. He still has the guns and dogs, but now he has an alarm as well.

Personally, I am an advocate of jumping out stark naked except for a battle helmet, screaming "BLOOD FOR ODIN!" and waving a broadsword, but that's just me.

[RaeVynn]

I've always understood that the best home security is make your home not attractive to theives. Make sure doors and windows are not hidden from sight, use some good outdoor lighting, and make locks secure. Most criminals are opportunists, so remove the easy opportunity.

Get to know your neighbors, and their normal routines. Make sure they know yours, too.

Daytime breakins, when people are at work, are more common. Be aware of who is in your neighborhood, and when.

[ETFnerd]

i would build a moat and a drawbridge... if they have siege towers... oh, well... what are you gonna do...?

[Tocho]

Insurance, building a moat and then at least two defensive walls that are minimum 14 ft tall. Should scare off most, if not all, thieves.

And of course you must gather an army of archers that can man the towers of the defensive walls.

How to actually enter the property/house? I haven't got that far yet, I'll leave that to you. (and your fellow archers)

[leadchipmunk]

Make sure your moat is at least 14 feet deep and only 7 feet are filled with water and has completely straight, preferably poured concrete walls so it cannot be climbed out of.

[Jaksavage]

Shotgun (shoot slugs) 40cal handgun practice and a movement plan everyone knows...

USMC

All your base are belong to us...

[Evicious]

Just wanted to add to all the great advice given thus far, make it a point with yourself AND your roommates that all doors are to REMAIN LOCKED regardless of who or how many people are in the house. Most burglars do recon to check which entryways are open most often. It's such a simple thing, but it's an incredibly effective deterent because would-be theives have no easy way of knowing whether you're home or not, or which part of the house has the most valuables, etc. Everybody should already have their own key anyway; make it a habit that whether you're going in or out, you always lock the door behind you.

[Tocho]

Make sure your moat is at least 14 feet deep and only 7 feet are filled with water and has completely straight, preferably poured concrete walls so it cannot be climbed out of.

YES! Also, crocodiles. Or hippos, they're more dangerous.

[RescuedRuckus]

I only skimmed through this thread for now since I'm about to head to bed, but thought I'd throw in my $0.02. Mossberg Maverick 88 is almost exactly the same as the Mossberg 500 and for about half the price. I just recently got one and am converting it for home defense. Pistol grip/foldout stock is a plus because with the shorter weapon you can maneuver easier. Getting a short barrel like an 18.5" helps too. That being said, while a single slug shot can stop someone dead in their tracks if you miss it can go through most of your house/apartment building. Same with buckshot. I agree with getting a lighter load of shot, but not so light as birdshot.

Now here's where the ex-cop in me comes out. Guns are great for defense, but if you are not 1000% certain with out the slightest doubt that when the time comes you can pull that trigger without hesitating and take another life, then dont' get a gun. Hesitation can hurt you more than trying to run from someone. And anyone who has access to that weapon should either feel the same way or be willing not to touch it.

But to sum all this up, if you decide not to go the gun route, go for the moat with crocks and pungee spikes