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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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I am sorry but I strongly disagree with you. I read on the Intra-Web that it is in fact 110%. Can't seem to find the linky at this time...100% of home invasions happen in the home.
100% of home invasions happen in the home.
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.
hope any dindus in your area only carry squirt guns.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.
Khope any dindus in your area only carry squirt guns.
I get more visits from bears than I do people.
and 99% are not random100% of home invasions happen in the home.
DAHHHH Bears!
DAH Bulls!
I have a whistle and a telephone, I should be good right?
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 have a whistle and a telephone, I should be good right?
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.
This! I repair busted jambs constantly in Springfield rental properties. Sometimes I feel like the tenants themselves do it when they forget their keys. 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.