Home Defence Drills

[Weerd Beard]

Since Reading that Tony is interested in a little more traffic in here I thought I'd share my wife and my home defence drill for the event of a home invasion. I'm far from a profesonal, and this is just stuff I've peiced together from reading, and just logic, so tips, and critiques woul be apriciated. And of course share your own drill for the same.

We train in the bedroom, since this is the most likely location where we'll be if there was an invasion. These are the steps.

#1: Secure Door
#2: turn on light
#3: get phone and take cover behind bed (it's between door and far wall)
#4: ready weapon, point at door from a crouched position (for cover) Finger OFF trigger!
#5:call 911
#6: wait.

I rent, so modifying my bedroom to make this a little more "bullet-proof" (if you'll excuse the bad pun) isn't likely. Ideally I'd want a lock on the door, and a hardline loacted by the place of cover.

The one thing I'm really anxious to hear about from you is the use of the light.

#1: it allows us to see what we're doing, and it will illuminate the "Bad Guy" if it comes to a shoot or not-shoot situation

but #2: it identifys the room as occupied (along with the sounds of the 911 call).

I don't want to shoot just a guy who wants to steal my sterio (that's a job for the Cops, not my gun) and I want the a**h*** to display some intent of wanting more than just some loot.

I would hate to be defending myself in court, and have the thug claim he thought the apartment was unnocupied and that I "jummped him".

of course breaking down a locked door shows intent VERY well...too bad.

So what do you think?

-Weer'd

 

[Adam_MA]

As for securing your door... You can cut a simple piece of 2X4 and notch out the top to fit around the base of the door nob and kick it into the rug at the bottom. Or they actually make a device that fits around the shaft of the door nob, has a base plate on the bottom to contact the floor, and then a little handle that extends it just slightly as to wedge it firmly against the door and the floor to prevent the door from being kicked open.


Just a thought.
Adam

Edit: http://www.imasterlocks.com/door_bar.htm

 

[C-pher]

As for lighting.

Those Surfire lights are really good. Get a strong one and you would be surprised how much they can be used for defense.

Flash one in the eyes of a bad guy that's used to the dark and it will give you a great advantage.

It's very disorientating.

I would tend to think that it might be better than a chemical. But I'm sure that the instructors on the board would be better to respond to these comments.

 

[Weerd Beard]

I actully don't expect the bedroom lights to do any blinding of intrudors.


I just want to take a step to allow the Thug to relize that he is in fact in an occupied residence (My wife doesn't have a car....and I'm out to sea for weeks at a time, we have some lights on timers in the home, and she sometimes hits the sack early, and rises early....all might lead to a falce diagnosis that my home MAY be unoccupied)

I'd rather not have a human life be staked on a misconseption...even if the thug has a mile-long record. That is unless it's the misconception that my wife will make an easy rape-vitim.

And the whole point of this drill to to make that as un-true as humanly possible.

-Weer'd Beard

 

[C-pher]

Yes I was thinking in teh way that if you temporary blinded the BG, and they still kept coming, then you also gave the BG sufficent notice that someone was home.

I don't know if you're familure with those lights. But they are freaking bright. Some put out over 120 lumens. And when you figure that one lumen is equal to 4 candela, and those search ligts are like a million candelas, it will let you know how brights these are in a small flashlight.

 

[KMaurer]

I wouldn't try to use lights as a signal that the room was occupied; a lot of people leave one or more lights on when they're out. I'd turn out the lights; since I know the layout of my room, darkness works to my advantage and against the intruder. That way I can also use my SureFire tactically. After I phoned 911, I'd shout that I'm in here, I'm armed, I've phoned the police and they're responding. That way the goblin is on notice and there's a record of that notification. At that point, any attempt to break through the door, no matter how flimsy it might be is clear (and audible) evidence of evil intent. I absolutely would not wait for the goblin to complete breaking through the door before I responded; remember the Tueller drill and consider the size of your bedroom carefully.

In terms of preparation, I also keep a spare house key attached to a cyalume stick. That way when the police arrive, I can break the stick and drop the key out the window, then sit tight while they clear the house. Then make sure that you clear your weapon, put it far away from you, and (only when the police tell you to) walk out slowly, with your empty hands in plain sight and ID readily available. (Or did you think that the other guy has big sign around his neck saying "Perp", and you've got one saying "Innocent Citizen"?)

Ken

 

[Weerd Beard]

Not famillair with them...but I'm hard and read enugh about them to not doubt you at all.

Somthing to look into if I ever get a gun with a rail.

Arrr

-Weer'd Beard

 

[Nickle]

I also suggest you inform the police with a desription of what you're wearing to aid them with ID. You don't want them to even suspect you may be the perp. You avoid what I call a "Case of Terminal Lead Poisoning" that way.

 

[C-pher]

You don't even need a gun with a rail.

You can just hold them in your hand. They are about the same size and some are smaller than the small Maglites. Just WAY brighter.

They are good just to have around the house. Make a superb flashlight...just the batteries don't last that long if they are on continuously.

 

[Nickle]

I've thought about using my AR with my AN/PVS-2 on it, but, it's just too damned big and clumsy. Won't give myself away with any light, though. 8)

 

[Lynne]

Stay on the line with 911. If the BG decides, after you SCREAM at him that the police are on their way and you've got a gun and will shoot, then if the BG breaks in, you're being recorded by the 911 operator. That's for court, of course, in the event that he does come in and you wind up having to shoot. Until the police arrive, stay on the line with the operator, even after you know they're in the house.

Weer'd - do you have an outside window to throw the police a key (as Ken described)?

 

[Weerd Beard]

Several Outside windows. I should look into that!

-Weer'd

 

[matt]

I was told at my basic pistol course:

1) Call 911
2) Yell at the top of your lungs "Get out of my house, you are trespassing. I have a gun"
3) describe to the police the situation and what you are wearing.

#2 recorded on the 911 call covers you for the castle law. You've informed them that they are trespassing. "I have a gun" has obvious consequences without being a threat, which I believe in MA = Assualt if it involves a gun.

#3 was covered above.

Regarding not wanting them to know someone is home, I've always assumed it would be better if they knew... If they are out to hurt someone, they are coming anyway. If they are just looking for your stereo, they are unlikey to go where you are. I'd rather not surprise them. Surprise in this situation leads to panic, which can't be good. It could casue them to make a rash decision to use the weapon they might have, where they could have just avoided the conflict and left or not gone to your room.

Interested what others think about this.

I like Ken's idea of with the key. I've also thought of keeping an old cell phone charging with my pistol so that no matter what I have a phone to call 911. (doesn't need to be activated to call 911).

Matt

 

[Nickle]

Some folks want guns that are quiet when loaded. Not me. The first objective is to get the perpertrator to vacate the premises. An AR-15, handgun or pump shotgun being racked seems to have the desired effect.

Matt's guidance is prudent with one addition. Leave the phone off the hook, and still connected to 911 until the Police arrive.

 

[Lynne]

I was told at my basic pistol course:

1) Call 911
2) Yell at the top of your lungs "Get out of my house, you are trespassing. I have a gun"
3) describe to the police the situation and what you are wearing.

You should add that the police are on their way.

Also - this should not have been covered under the basic pistol course if it was listed as the NRA course, but I suppose that's a moot point.

 

[matt]

Also - this should not have been covered under the basic pistol course if it was listed as the NRA course, but I suppose that's a moot point.

It was covered during some time while we were waiting to use the simulator (also not supposed to happen!) for the live fire portion of the class. Not really part of the main meet of the course.

Oh well...

Matt

 

[matt]

Are these legal in MA? I've wondered if they would be usefull in a home defense situation. It might keep the BG from coming up the stairs at all. Also provides some continuum of force.

http://www.foxlabs.com/Grenades.html

Matt

 

[KMaurer]

I'd think that either an LTC or FID would cover it, since it's just pepper spray. OTOH, the name might get you in trouble. After all, grenade launchers are evil, so grenades themselves should be even worse.

Ken

 

[traveler57]

I like Ken's idea of with the key. I've also thought of keeping an old cell phone charging with my pistol so that no matter what I have a phone to call 911. (doesn't need to be activated to call 911).

Matt

Yes, I did the key thing when I read about it in one of Ayoob's or maybe Farnham's books. My wife thought I was weird, but it is really a smart (& no cost) idea.

More importantly, I never thought of the "old cell phone" idea. That is absolutely brilliant. I always have one or two of last years models laying around. And to think that your land line portable phone is useful, you'd be wrong, since the BG doesn't have to "cut the phone line" like in the movies, but only to lift the receiver off one of my down stairs phones. And to constantly remember to put my cell or my wife's next to the bed is probably one of things that you could forget to do the one night you need it. But, yes all cell phones can always call 911. I never thought of this myself. Great idea. Another "tid-bit" from this great forum.

Everyone will always get the SureFire Light training at all the good courses, and yes, I have three. But I have not heard anyone mention the old cell phone idea, before.

I am putting in a new 120VAC outlet in my master bedroom closet this weekend, (I only have to tap into the outlet on the opposite side of the closet wall) and I will be one step closer to a poor man's Panic Room.
My master closet is 14 x 10, so it is plenty big for my entire family.

I'll just mention that my "home invasion plan" also includes when I'm NOT home. I travel quite a bit. This means that I have taught my wife and kids the same drill, "go to master closet, lock inside dead bolt on closet door, use of the light stick-key, and dialing 911" and they just don't have the handgun option. For when I'm home too, my S&W 686P .357 is loaded, inside a "quick safe" with two speed loaders.

Again, this is the kind of thread that is really useful, just to see what others are doing.