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View Poll Results: Do you answer your door armed?
Night and Day - I pack and show my M60 8 5.93%
Night and Day - but it is hidden from view 69 51.11%
Night only or stranger only - condition yellow 42 31.11%
Never - If you can make it past the bear traps and land mine - you can knock on my door. 16 11.85%
Voters: 135. You may not vote on this poll

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Old May 7, 2005, 09:35 AM   #26
UT_Air_Assault
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I believe ya'll folks have a right to answer your doors with any weapon or combination of weapons you may want, yet it seems pretty paranoid to open your door with a weapon in your hand 24/7.
If you where Tony Montana of Scarface (Say ello to my 'lil friend!) or live in the ultra-inner city, than okay I'll buy into that. But your average everyday joe living in suburban America? Come on, I don't think there is that many folks out to get you. We're not in Iraq here folks. Charlie is not lurking in the woods. And if you really think Charlie is out there, please sell your guns and take up golf.
My Glock 32, with night sights & M3 TacLight, loaded with 13 rounds of .357 Sig Glaser Safety slugs, stays in its electronic safe next to my bed which I can get into it within 3 seconds, rack the slide & chamber a round within 2 and be ready to rock & roll. I feel pretty safe.
But if the Colombians do decide to come after me in my apartment (a la Scarface style), North Korean Paratroopers come from the sky, or the Machine rise up like on the Terminator movies and I do have to pull my AK-47 or AR-15 with Eo-Tech out of my safe to defend myself I will buy all of you lunch sometime.
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Old May 7, 2005, 12:53 PM   #27
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Old May 7, 2005, 12:56 PM   #28
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Utah Air Assault has a point. It's almost humorous to picture some with concertina wire strung, land mines, claymores, and a sandbag bunker just inside your front door. Still, I don't doubt that some here live in neighborhoods where answering the door armed is prudent. I'd hate to have to live like that. But instead of the mines and bunkers, you need a more practical secondary defense. Do away with bushes near the door that can conceal someone. Good lighting is a must. A noisy alarm system with a panic button and a video surveillance system are a nice addition. I built my video system myself for under a hundred bucks. A video chip with lens was around $35. I built the weatherproof housing, and the whole thing is mounted on a simple TV antenna rotor. Double dead bolt locks are a must, with the key near, but NOT in the lock, and out of sight (in case of fire). Dogs, regardless of the size, are still the #1 deterrant. Mine doesn't bark, but at 33" tall and weighing in at just under 200 pounds, she doesn't have to. While Mastiffs are laid back, gentle couch potatoes, the Romans used them to fight lions and bears in the arenas. An intruder would be no problem. If the person at my door looks a bit hinky, well, I open my main steel entry door and talk through my steel barred security door. My hand is still on the main door door knob, and 3" above that is a Fobus attached to the door (out of sight) with a 9 in it. If the person in question checks out OK, I can swing the main door open against the wall, and they can come in and leave without ever knowing it's there.
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Old May 7, 2005, 10:07 PM   #29
perception
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I always have a concealed weapon when I answer the door. If its legit, you never know I have it, if its not legit, I can have it in hand pretty quickly.

Some of my friends tell everyone to just come in and don't bother knocking, but they all know that when they come to my house they had better knock and make sure I know who is coming through that door before they come in.
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Old May 7, 2005, 11:17 PM   #30
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I always carry. Friends and family know so there is no reason to hide it. Strangers won't see it unless they NEED to. Late at night everybody needs to see the shotgun. My sons friends would knock and step back four feet for easy I.D. ...they knew I'd be looking before opening the door.
I know Charlie isn't in the woods but home invasions happen around and the B.G.'s have cars so they do their crimes where they want to.
Mark.
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Old May 8, 2005, 03:00 AM   #31
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I think the option of shooting first, then opening the door, was left out.
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Old May 8, 2005, 09:55 AM   #32
tlm225
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Although I live in a nice community I met any unexpected and unidentified visitors with my handgun concealed. Friends and family are usually courteous enough to call ahead to insure that it's a convienent time to drop in.
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Old May 8, 2005, 04:19 PM   #33
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Gunsmoke-Thanks for what you did. I hope that if my brother(a LEO) ever finds himself in that situation someone like you will be around.

As for me answering the door:
If I don't know you, I won't answer the door period. I'm not paranoid, I just value my ME time. I work a long six day week(60+), every week, so my private/recharge/down time at home is needed badly, and I won't interupt it. Everyone I know knows I am always armed so it's no biggie to them.

As for the tactical end of it here's a short explanation of one instance that I was glad I carry at home:

Across the street neighbor A has a lot of youngsters(I call them the brady bunch) and all the neighborhood kids hang out there, nieghbor B has a very large german shepherd.

One day I hear the dog really getting after it, so I'm thinking I better check it out. Just as I hit the door I hear a kid scream in absolute terror. So I run out to see what's up.

The dog has gotten loose, and has one of the nieghbor boys(7 yr old) pinned to the ground on his back, one arm under each front paw, and the kids neck in his mouth!! Meanwhile all the other kids are standing there screaming.

Friends, that 357 came out quick and I headed across the street at a dead run. I knew it would have to be a "contact shot" so I wouldn't endanger one of the kids. Luckily the dog saw me coming and let go of the kid and jumped back through the shrub that separates the 2 front lawns.

The kid was lucky- the dog was is territorial mode, not fight mode, and had just clamped down enough to leave marks and hadn't broken skin.

Had the dog been more agressive, and had I needed to take time to go back for my gun? Luckily I'll never know.
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Old May 8, 2005, 04:25 PM   #34
USP45usp
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UT,

I guess it is paranoid. Nothing bad happens to good people right?

It's called self preservation. Animals have it. Watch them when new people come about. Watch how they check out the situation and the person and then decide if it's safe or not.

God gave us the same ability, to check out the person and then decide. And then to pick up on the aspects that give us concern.

Better safe then sorry has always been my motto. How you chose to do what you do, more power to you. I will not condemn your decisions, I really wish you wouldn't condemn ours.

Wayne
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Old May 8, 2005, 04:45 PM   #35
UT_Air_Assault
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*sigh*

USP: Once again you show good judgement in choosing your weapons, yet the rest of your judgement I have to question...........
Bad things always happen to good people and that is why I keep my Glock ready for defense. Yet the thought that I need to arm myself for any sort of knock at the door is a little far fetched. Granted I live in a pretty safe area, and might feel differently if I was in the hood.
But if you want to set up the claymore in front of the door (make sure you check which side says "THIS SIDE TOWARDS ENEMY" I saw a cadet set one up backwards....... ), open your door in all your Kevlar battle-rattle, armed with an M16 with Beta-C magazine go right ahead. This is America and you can be a paranoid as you want.
But just think if you had to shoot someone and when he/his estate decides to sue you for whatever stupid reason and how much fun the plantiff's attorney will have in casting you as a paranoid gun nut, just itching to blow someone away:
"Well gee Mr. USP will you please tell the jury why you always answer your door with a LOADED WEAPON"
And if you don't believe me, ask some of the folks on here who are attorney's and I'm sure they'll tell you the same thing.
If your going to to open the door with a gun in hand just make sure you fully under stand what your doing.
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Old May 8, 2005, 05:24 PM   #36
univtxattorney
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Quote:
But just think if you had to shoot someone and when he/his estate decides to sue you for whatever stupid reason and how much fun the plantiff's attorney will have in casting you as a paranoid gun nut, just itching to blow someone away:
Depends where you are. In Texas, you are likely to have a jury full of paranoid gun nuts (at least outside of Austin).

Seriously, there is nothing wrong with answering the door with a weapon. You are entitled to defend yourself in your home (in fact, you have no duty to retreat in the home). As UT said, though, make sure you know what you are doing. If you shoot someone without justification, whether you had the gun loaded when you answered the door or whether you got it afterwards, you are going to be in trouble. By the way--a civil suit would be the LEAST of your worries in the case of an unjustified shooting.
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Old May 8, 2005, 05:37 PM   #37
UT_Air_Assault
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Quote:
In Texas, you are likely to have a jury full of paranoid gun nuts (at least outside of Austin).
lol. I have go with my fellow Longhorn on this one. As much as I truely love Austin I would deffiently fear a jury of my "peers". If it where to happen here in the "People's Republic of Ausin" I would probably be spending alot of time off I-35 with a cardboard sign, shaking down univtxattorney for a few bucks on his way to work everyday.
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Old May 8, 2005, 06:33 PM   #38
gburner
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UT...

With only 90 posts, you may not realize that sarcastic hyperbole and a condescending manner are not very good ways to get your point across in this forum.

Folks here make decisions based on experience and that deserves a little respect. More aptitude...less attitude, ya know?

FWIW...I carry a weapon to the door at night and when there is someone knocking that I don't recognize.
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Old May 8, 2005, 07:16 PM   #39
Tom2
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Nite time

I do keep something available in case there is a knock at night. There should be no one coming here at night. Daytime is just salesmen or canvassers. Safe neigborhood. Except a couple weeks ago when a drunk tried to bust in the front door at 3 a.m. First time I had to deal with a real potential threat in the hood, but the police took care of it so I got to keep all my ammo. Things calmed down again here......
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Old May 8, 2005, 07:40 PM   #40
BillCA
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Typically I have a weapon available and if I can see the person is a neighbor or friend it stays out of sight. For unknown persons I'll keep one in my back pocket or hidden hand.''

Late night doorbells and knocks always get answered with a firearm discretely concelaed, just in case.
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Old May 8, 2005, 09:03 PM   #41
UT_Air_Assault
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Thanks for the heads up gburner. I'm new here to TFL but I assure you I know what I'm talking about. <wink wink>
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Old May 9, 2005, 09:27 AM   #42
TallPine
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Quote:
Charlie is not lurking in the woods.
Yeah, but my perverted neighbor who sells videos of gang rapes might be

At least until next month when he is supposed to go to prison for a few years ...
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Old May 9, 2005, 09:57 AM   #43
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FWIW: the Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) carried a story on 5/8/05 about 2 brothers, Gary & Erik Watkins. They robbed at will, aided by the fact that none of their "targets" met them at the door armed, . . . or at least were not sucessfully armed.

They would stage a home invasion of one of the employees of a credit union, check cashing facility, or other high cash business: hold part of the family hostage while the other one went with the employee to clean out the safe. They got $643,000 in one heist.

Apparently they "only" hit 6 times in a 2 year spree, . . . but far as I am concerned: it was 7 times too many, . . . and it just proves my point that one should never answer the door to someone you don't know unarmed.

These folks were not targeted because they lived in the hood, were crack dealers, or any of the reasons we take for granted. Just common working folks who did not take life seriously enough.

May God bless,
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Old May 9, 2005, 10:08 AM   #44
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I find it curious that people who defend the uh, popular line of thinking go to extremes to illustrate their point. They have their point and opinion and yet try to somehow ridicule those who differ in opinion.

Charlie's not in the woods.
Set the claymores up foeward.
Paranoid.

Stuff like that. Statements like that serve no purpose but to clarify the posters confusion and lack of ability to see the writing on the wall. Try comparing those statements with some of these...

It can't happen here.
I never thought that guy would do anything like that.
I was minding my own business when...
All of a sudden.

If the world was so safe, then why don't cops just carry batons only. Oh, They see more action being in law enforcement you say? Correct. Action usually started against a (non-paranoid) citizen that went over the deep end and required intervention by armed professional officers since the citizen was unprepared.

Charlie is in the woods. Animals are not paranoid. There is no nice neighbrohoods (free from crime). Some people see it, some do not. So charlie is camoflauged and you can;t see him. Animals do not run right out into the meadow, they proceed cautiously, having the instinct to know that a predator could be lieing in wait, ready to pounce. Thats not paranoid friend, that's situational awareness.

Were the jews paranoid. No, but they should have been. Might've saved a lot of lives. I submit that if people who answer the door armed, are paranoid, than people who ridicule this mindset must in fact be naive.

I'd rather answer the door 10K times armed with no incident, than once unprepared and have an incident occur.
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Old May 9, 2005, 10:17 AM   #45
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Great post edward.

I would rather be prepared than not.
It only takes 1x to lose your life or the lives of those you love.
If you answer and it is a non-threat, the non-threat would never know you were prepared!
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Old May 9, 2005, 10:33 AM   #46
yci
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On the rare occasions that I do get a knock on my door I do have a gun with me when I go to check it out. More often that not, when I look out the peephole it's not someone I recognize (salesmen, folks looking for petitions to be signed, etc).

Typically If I'm not expecting anyone and it's not someone I recognize, I don't even bother to open the door at all. Just look out, decide I don't want to be bothered, and go about my business.
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Old May 9, 2005, 10:44 AM   #47
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Thanks Batman.

As an aside, I remember the Batman cartoons and while Batman didn't get many visitors, I don't recall him removing his Batman belt while in the Batcave.
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Old May 9, 2005, 10:49 AM   #48
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This is the primary reason I don't see long arms as home defense guns.

The victim of a car accident asking to call an ambulance at 10pm doesn't need to see your shotgun.
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Old May 9, 2005, 10:54 AM   #49
UT_Air_Assault
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Hummmmm.........

Well looks like I'm outnumbered here........... Just remember though if your going to be answering your door with gun in hand, be careful. I know that most everyone here remembers when that guy in Louisiana shot that foreign exchange student on his front porch with a .44 Magnum, just because the poor kid knocked at the wrong door. I know that most anyone here on TFL probably has more common sense than to open the door and start pumping lead downrange (or setting off the claymores ) like this guy did. But the gun-banners jumped all over that as a prime example of why American gun owners are a bunch of lose cannons just waiting to blow someone away. It only takes one person being a dumbass to make all of us look bad and giving them more ammo against us.
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Old May 9, 2005, 12:08 PM   #50
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Good posts...Dwight and Edward.

I definately second the motion. Nothing wrong with being prepared. Just dont go to the extreme. No need to scare the girl scouts or the next door neighbor.

Hey the claymore were there for humor purposes only.

Kinda like watching those fear factor stunts on TV. Leave it to the professionals. Dont try it @ home kiddies.
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