Reminder: Carry at home

I read this on reddit once:

I carry always. I had a running discussion with a friend about this for several years until I finally won.

I was helping him renovate a smallish rental (2 bd/1.5 bath/1200 sq feet) and we had to completely replace the front and side (carport) doors, frame and all. So we were BSing one evening, and got to talking about the upcoming work and just kidding I said to him that it would be fun to try and actually kick in a fully locked door. He got this look on his face and said we could test our theory about getting to a firearm since the entire frame had to come out.

Next weekend we went over. He put squirt gun in a kitchen drawer (fairly close to the side door) and another on top of a shelf in the living room. Then we locked and deadbolted both doors with him inside, and me outside. I told him I'd wait about 15-20 minutes for him to settle in with a beer and I'd try and break down a door and get inside and drench him with my squirt gun. So of course I waited about 3 minutes. =)

I didn't know exactly where he was so I decided to go in the side door since it was the most concealed, and if someone was really doing a home invasion that was the most realistic choice.

I was stunned. It took me one solid kick and the frame splintered and the door actually bounced back off the wall and I had to slam through it. I was 90% sure I was going to kick through it in two or three tries, but I never expected it to go on the first try. I burst into the kitchen, and he was running to the kitchen. He'd been taking a leak, figuring I was going to come earlier than 15-20 minutes, but he didn't expect me to go right away. I was able to soak him good before he ever got the drawer open.

So we tried again with me inside and him coming in the front door (since there wasn't a side door anymore). He caught me sitting in the living room in a lawn chair and I didn't make it the eight feet to the squirt gun on the shelf before he soaked me.

He always carries now, and he has staged a couple firearms around his house and garage as well, which was something I also did after this. Just in case.
 
There was a Facebook video made by some sherrif that showed moving from 1 inch screws (or whatever came in the door kit) to two inch screws really made a difference in securing the door better.

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The weak link, imo, is the part of the door where the deadbolt is installed. An exterior door is usually 1 3/4" thick. They usually specify drilling a 1" hole in the edge of the door for the deadbolt. That leaves 3/4" of wood but the hole is centered so its really only 3/8" on either side thats holding the deadbolt in place. Every kicked-in door that Ive seen has had that 3/8" on the exterior side of the door torn out.
 
The weak link, imo, is the part of the door where the deadbolt is installed. An exterior door is usually 1 3/4" thick. They usually specify drilling a 1" hole in the edge of the door for the deadbolt. That leaves 3/4" of wood but the hole is centered so its really only 3/8" on either side thats holding the deadbolt in place. Every kicked-in door that Ive seen has had that 3/8" on the exterior side of the door torn out.

I do not disagree with your evaluation of door strength. However, it makes no difference how strong your door is if you have windows accessible from the ground. Matter of fact, houses like mine where there are multiple sliding glass doors, door strength is the last thing on my mind.

That being said... I don't carry in the house, but I'm never very far from a loaded firearm.
 
K
I do not disagree with your evaluation of door strength. However, it makes no difference how strong your door is if you have windows accessible from the ground. Matter of fact, houses like mine where there are multiple sliding glass doors, door strength is the last thing on my mind.

That being said... I don't carry in the house, but I'm never very far from a loaded firearm.
hope any dindus in your area only carry squirt guns.
 
I have a whistle and a telephone, I should be good right?

Lol, funny stuff, I'll play along.

Just make sure you also have a safe space where you can shelter in place. I'd suggest a place that is not carpeted so when you pee yourself it's easier to clean up. I read on Huffpost that when criminals hear your warning that you have a phone and are calling 911, then you blow your whistle they will leave because they know the police will be there any second. Even if they do decide to stay longer and they find you sheltering in place drenched in your own urine they will not hurt you.

Or they will kill you violently, rape and kill your wife and dog, take all your shit and laugh at your bleeding corpse as they casually stroll out your door and drive away. The cops will be there in about 20 mins to take pictures and wait for your kids to come home to tell them what happened to mom and dad.
 
You don't need a gun or a whistle.. criminals won't hurt you if you're in your safe space.. that's why they call it a safe space
 
The weak link, imo, is the part of the door where the deadbolt is installed. An exterior door is usually 1 3/4" thick. They usually specify drilling a 1" hole in the edge of the door for the deadbolt. That leaves 3/4" of wood but the hole is centered so its really only 3/8" on either side thats holding the deadbolt in place. Every kicked-in door that Ive seen has had that 3/8" on the exterior side of the door torn out.

This! I repair busted jambs constantly in Springfield rental properties. Sometimes I feel like the tenants themselves do it when they forget their keys.[rolleyes] Anyway, on my own house I heavily reinforced the latch areas with lagged in steel plate for this reason. I have had high security deadbolts for years, but it wasn't until witnessing actual break ins that I saw that the lock itself doesn't matter so much since the jamb is the actual weak point.
 
i dont need a gun...cops will be here before the home intruder makes it to my kids room...

On a serious note, i always carry at home. A statement i learned on this forum, "the most useless gun is one in a safe"
 
I do not disagree with your evaluation of door strength. However, it makes no difference how strong your door is if you have windows accessible from the ground. Matter of fact, houses like mine where there are multiple sliding glass doors, door strength is the last thing on my mind.

Agreed. Home security should be a layered system, not just a good door. Gun, dog, alarm, re-inforced door/jamb, etc. Some people will leave windows on the second floor open when theyre not home, meanwhile theres a ladder in the garage or tucked away in a corner of the yard.

This! I repair busted jambs constantly in Springfield rental properties. Sometimes I feel like the tenants themselves do it when they forget their keys.[rolleyes] Anyway, on my own house I heavily reinforced the latch areas with lagged in steel plate for this reason. I have had high security deadbolts for years, but it wasn't until witnessing actual break ins that I saw that the lock itself doesn't matter so much since the jamb is the actual weak point.

Im doing the same in Chelsea. I'd bet a good half of door kick ins are either them or someone staying with them not having their keys, or pissed off babydaddies. (or the cops,lol)

Ive used steel angle iron bolted to the inside of the jamb and the outside of the door. Looks like ass, but its a big improvement. Cheapo deadbolts will fall to pieces. The actual bolt itself is intact, but the rest of the mechanism ends up twisted and folded up like it was run over by a truck.
 
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