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Good topic!
Plans are always great, but they need to be practiced and not just thought/discussed. Families should always prepare for emergencies and be led not out of fear or paranoia, but from prudence. Being pro-active for emergencies (rather than reactive) can mean the difference between life and death.
Now many of this goes beyond just having a gun by the bed and knowing how to clear your house, but many things get overlooked in this manner.
*Where is the nearest phone? Calling the police should be one of the top priorities and you should have a phone next to the bed. I suggest a cell phone on SILENT if you prefer not to be wakened every week by a telemarketer. My wife knows that this is her responsibility while I am securing the firearm and ensuring the bad guy(s) haven't entered the house. The main thing about calling 9-1-1 is to catch the bad guy after he realizes you have a gun and chooses to flee the scene. This may also cover your butt later on because these calls are time stamped and recorded.
*Where is your flashlight? A light needs to be with/on the gun you choose to defend the home with. Period. You should also check to make sure it works and change the batteries periodically.
*Carry the appropriate caliber/bullet for your home. Bullets go through walls. If you live in a trailer park, have thin walls throughout your home with occupied adjacent rooms or live in a multi-level apartment complex you should be cognizant of your home defense weapon. Using FMJ rounds in an SKS may work out on a farm where your nearest neighbor is a few miles away, but you may want to carry frangible rounds in that .44mag you have by your bedside in that double-wide.
*Use fatal funnels to your advantage. You should make those hallways, doorways, stairways and windows work for you. Hear a crash downstairs but all the beds are upstairs? Pulling up a defensive position on the stairwell with a 12 gauge while you wait for the police is as sound of a tactic as they come. Remember, it is always easier to defend than attack.
*Know your vulnerabilities. Having several locks on the front door but a sliding glass window for a back door is a moot point; however, many people have glass windows adjacent to their oak doors that can easily be bypassed with a rock and a gloved hand.
*Have the appropriate weapon for the design of your home. Many people, including myself, suggest having a 12 gauge shotgun for home defense; however, this may not be the right choice for you. If you plan on searching through your home for an intruder, opening doors or traversing stairwells then a shotgun may not be for you. Pistols, in these circumstances, may be more preferred because of the possibility of being disarmed (bad guy grabs the barrel) or it may give your position away (bad guy sees the weapon before you see him).
Lastly, don't be discouraged by nay-sayers. Always ask "what if (blank) happens?" and think like a criminal would to stay ahead of the game. You're risking a lot of you loose this game, and stuff like this usually costs nothing!
Plans are always great, but they need to be practiced and not just thought/discussed. Families should always prepare for emergencies and be led not out of fear or paranoia, but from prudence. Being pro-active for emergencies (rather than reactive) can mean the difference between life and death.
Now many of this goes beyond just having a gun by the bed and knowing how to clear your house, but many things get overlooked in this manner.
*Where is the nearest phone? Calling the police should be one of the top priorities and you should have a phone next to the bed. I suggest a cell phone on SILENT if you prefer not to be wakened every week by a telemarketer. My wife knows that this is her responsibility while I am securing the firearm and ensuring the bad guy(s) haven't entered the house. The main thing about calling 9-1-1 is to catch the bad guy after he realizes you have a gun and chooses to flee the scene. This may also cover your butt later on because these calls are time stamped and recorded.
*Where is your flashlight? A light needs to be with/on the gun you choose to defend the home with. Period. You should also check to make sure it works and change the batteries periodically.
*Carry the appropriate caliber/bullet for your home. Bullets go through walls. If you live in a trailer park, have thin walls throughout your home with occupied adjacent rooms or live in a multi-level apartment complex you should be cognizant of your home defense weapon. Using FMJ rounds in an SKS may work out on a farm where your nearest neighbor is a few miles away, but you may want to carry frangible rounds in that .44mag you have by your bedside in that double-wide.
*Use fatal funnels to your advantage. You should make those hallways, doorways, stairways and windows work for you. Hear a crash downstairs but all the beds are upstairs? Pulling up a defensive position on the stairwell with a 12 gauge while you wait for the police is as sound of a tactic as they come. Remember, it is always easier to defend than attack.
*Know your vulnerabilities. Having several locks on the front door but a sliding glass window for a back door is a moot point; however, many people have glass windows adjacent to their oak doors that can easily be bypassed with a rock and a gloved hand.
*Have the appropriate weapon for the design of your home. Many people, including myself, suggest having a 12 gauge shotgun for home defense; however, this may not be the right choice for you. If you plan on searching through your home for an intruder, opening doors or traversing stairwells then a shotgun may not be for you. Pistols, in these circumstances, may be more preferred because of the possibility of being disarmed (bad guy grabs the barrel) or it may give your position away (bad guy sees the weapon before you see him).
Lastly, don't be discouraged by nay-sayers. Always ask "what if (blank) happens?" and think like a criminal would to stay ahead of the game. You're risking a lot of you loose this game, and stuff like this usually costs nothing!
