How often do you get out your gun during the night?

[SiNNiK]

I work nights and tend to stay awake on the nights I have off also.

One night I was watching TV, probably about 1am or so, the front door knob jiggled, and I grabbed my shotgun and went and looked out the window, nothing there.

Spooked, I went back to the living room only to have the doorbell ring. I ran back to try and catch a glimpse of the offender, and saw a cat bouncing around in our walkway chasing moths and bugs by our front door.

Damn cats.

[Patriot78]

I have lost count. Luckily, all I have had to shoot has been coons, possums, stray wild cats, snakes and big field rats that have come into the chicken coop at night to feed on everything from corn on the ground to chickens to baby chicks. Every time either the chickens start to cackle and alert the dogs or the dogs hear all the rattling going on and are the ones to alert me by barking. I am so used to it that it doesn't bother me anymore. Then again, I've had to clear plenty of brush and trees that did nothing but attract all this varmint in the first place. This hasn't happened as often as it used to. Every single time though, I have walked out with enough fire-power to bring down a few B/G's if neccesary. Thankfully, this hasn't, and I hope will not ever be the case. I must say though, it has turned out to feel like a small excursion out to Africa, hunting ferocious wild-beast at night, adrenaline kicking in.... Well, maybe I make it out to be more than what it really is, sorry. I can dream, can't I? Anyways, it all keeps me on my toes, if ever the need should arise for anything more.

[Uncle Ben]

I can definitely sympatize with you on the cats issue. My cat (outside only) will raise up on her hind legs to push on the door handle when she wants food. It sounds EXACTLY like someone is jiggling and pulling at the front door handle. Makes us stop, turn and listen just about everytime, even though we hear it almost every day (whether they are fed or not).

[KingEdward]

Just last night...

[KingEdward]

heard mumbling and some weird noises outside apartment door.

then heard some "choice" words/phrases.

took .357 with me to the window to peer through blind.

3 big men were near the door. two were looking over the rail
(3rd floor) and one was on the phone.

I backed away from the door, sat tight, and held the .357 for a
time.

Then the noise/talking stopped. It seems all three were visiting
the guy living below me. He is a dental resident from Georgia.
The three guys left in a car from Cobb county GA.

I figure they wanted to get some air / talk but on my porch
and not his.

[jesus5150]

My Recently Ex Girlfriend of 5 Years had a brother that I went shooting with ALOT! we actually got our guns at the same time. He's a very protective man with a young boy (7 or 8 if I recall) and a new wife whom you could tell he loved the way a husband should.

One night he hears the distinctive sound of glass breaking and checks the monitor in his bedroom which had a live camera feed going to it. Sure enough he see's a man digging through his wife's car trying to start it.
Now the official story is that he called the police and scared the man as he confronted him causing him to bump his head, and wait patiently to be taken to jail...

Later he told me what actually happened, which was that he went out and put his .45 to his temple and told him to make the next move, the guy fumbling his words said, I uh lost something and I thought I saw it in here... So Chris looks down to see his wifes new ipod sticking out of BG''s coat and a screwdriver in the punched Ignition.... Chris drags him out of the car and gives him three good punches to the gut (Chris huals lumber at the mill for a living and is an avid body builder and probably the most narcissistic man i've ever met, he's not small) As the guy's coughing and trying to breathe Chris chambers a round and informs the man that he's about to die, The guy tells chris that he's sorry and he'll put her purse back. Apparently Chris hadn't noticed his new brides missing purse and that set him over the edge. He said he wound up and pistol whipped him with all he had. The guy fell over and pee'd his pants. The police arrived shortly after and asked chris why the BG's face was bleeding and he replied, "Hmmm, yeah it sure is. Must've bumped it while I helped him out of my wife's car officer" The officer chuckled and said, "yeah we figured that's what happened"

Now, How Chris avoided criminal charges is BEYOND ME! That is in NO WAY how I would have handled things, But Chris has a VERY short fuse when it comes to his family... And it can sometimes cloud his judgement. I later asked him if he was really contemplating shooting the guy and he told me that he never had the intention of shooting. His goal was to scare him so bad that he'd never come into this side of town again (Knowing the likelyhood that the guy would do 30 days max. and get out immediately looking for something to steal)

Again not how I'd handle it, but when my car was stolen i sure longed for some retribution and was left wanting... He said he slept soundly that night... I envied that. But would I risk an accidental discharge, escalating it to where i'd actually HAVE to shoot him, or brandishing charges? HECK NO!!!!!!


I like maintaining a cool head and thus my freedom. Revenge would feel good, but it's my christian duty to turn the other cheek. I won't become a victim of course but i won't beat the guy up just to scare him... I'll just hope jail does that for me.

[TRaGiK]

In the last 5 years, I got the gun out twice.

Once, it was nothing.

The other time, it was a deputy sherrif knocking on my door at 4 am. Couldn't see his car out the window til I opened the door with shotgun in my arms.

He was just as nervous as I was at that point.

[Stevie-Ray]

Revenge would feel good, but it's my christian duty to turn the other cheek. I won't become a victim of course but i won't beat the guy up just to scare him... I'll just hope jail does that for me.

That is if the guy even goes to jail. I wouldn't handle it that way either, unless the guy is hurting my wife, then all bets are off and God is the only one that could help him.

[dberry]

I have motion activated security lights in the front and back of our house and I always check with my handgun in my hand when the lights come on. It happens at least a couple times a week but has so far only been a cat or raccoon.

[oakfloor]

We were out camping one year and sitting around the campfire when we heard off in the not too far distance dark night the most blood curdeling screams..I never heard anything like since, But I had Mr. springfield's M1A with a full mag and a hot chamber..and was about to lay down a suppresive fire in that direction, as we were way out in the woods and had seen no one all day. So what ever it was it did not make anymore noise agian, however the next night my camping buddy did blast a crawdad with his .303 enfield and the sound echoed off the water and surrounding hills for like 30 seconds. So I figure bigfoot or bears would want nothing to do with all that noise and never come back around agian.

[Dwight55]

When my wife and I moved to the boonies back in '94, we moved into a trailer near a tree line. Oakfloor reminded me of one of the oddities we found.

Several times we were awakened by the "blood curdling screams" and had no idea what it was. I was NOT going outside in the middle of dark-30 and since all three of the family was inside, . . . and we never found evidence of foul play outside, . . . I just chalked it up to "unknown" and left it there. My handgun went back in the drawer and I went back to sleep.

About 3 or 4 years later, . . . I heard that same sound again, coming from our pump room where I worked. When the door opened, one of the maintenance guys came out holding a 3/4 grown rabbit, . . . and the rabbit was screaming his head off, . . . drowned out the sound of the pump room.

I had no idea that they could be so vocal, . . . but I was relieved that now I know what that sound was. I later tied it to probably the big horned owls we had in the vacinity, . . . and figured they had just captured dinner.

May God bless,
Dwight

[grey sky]

A couple of years ago 1 o'clock AM heard some noise next door. I looked out the window and see a fair sized truck with people loading stuff out of the neighbors house. I got dresed droped a .22 auto in my pocket and went over. called out my neighbors name and he pops out of the garage. Seems he was forclosed and this was the last day to get out. I extended my sympathies did a tactical roll and went back to bed.

[GunsAreGood]

Once this year. I was awoken by a neighbor violently banging on my metal security door and window while also calling my house phone. I woke up and did not know what the hell was going on because of so many things happening at once. Grabbed the GP-100 and went cautiously to the door. Turns out it was my neighbor telling me their was a tree being cut down that was about to be on top of my car if I did not move it. O just remembered There was one other occasion I heard my dog barking downstairs in the dead of night. I grabbed the 870 with all the bells and whistles on it and went downstairs to find my dog barking in her sleep. I actually get woken up a lot by her barking in her sleep but she is usually in the room so there is nothing to go investigate.

[ProjectCamaro]

Just once and luckly it was nothing. Hopefully I won't ever have to use it.

[gearchecker]

So far 3 times in the past year.
All 3 are the same thing, but it's impossible to tell till it's verified.
Last night both of my ShihTzu's went nuts around 2:30 am.

I grabbed the pistol and worked my way around the house slowly and deliberatly. I got to the back door which is a Sliding Glass Door and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I turned to it. I had the crap startled out of me when a small deer bumped it's nose up against the door just as I was reaching to turn on the back porch light. I think it jumped just about as high as I did. The dogs jumped too. Thank goodness I keep my finger off the trigger. That could have gotten really bad really fast. It took about 5 minutes for my heart rate to return to normaland at least that long for the dogs to settle back down too.
My property is the ony one that doesn't have a fence going across the back of the property so the deer, elk and the other animals use my property for a pass thru on their way over to the nearby lake. Every once in a while it seems they like to stop by and peek in the windows and door. Maybe just to mess with the dogs, I'm not sure, but about every 2 or 3 months one comes up in the middle of the night and plays hell with the dogs.
Then they just walk away like it's nothing.

[smithandwessonblazer]

When I was younger (14) I was staying at the house by myself. I decided hey why not sleep in the king size bed and be more comfortable. So it was ten o clock at night with the bedroom door halfway open to where I could not see out the door. I'm laying down relaxing and then BAM the door slams shut. So at this point you can imagine what's running through my mind. I then grab the Glock 21 with night sights and a Streamlight duty flashlight. I cleared every room and closet in the house with no luck. Later when I told the parents about the incident they of course made fun of me and told me that the air pressure builds up outside the door causing it to slam shut. Its a funny story now but startled me pretty good at the time.

[Ridge_Runner_5]

Twice in the past year.

Last summer, some drunks showed up at my neighbor's across the street at 1am with fire axes and a sledge hammer. I grabbed my rifle, but set it down because I didnt have a light and wanted to be able to see all of them. Called the cops. Nobody hurt, thankfully, except one attacker who got laid out trying to get in the front door.

About a month ago, heard some rustling...look around, dont hear anything. Then some more. Then a series of loud bangs. Pistol out, hammer cocked, 300 lumen flashlight at the ready...a stack of books on my dresser had fallen over

[cracked91]

anytime I get up to do something at night, I generally grab one of my pistols. Just because no noise has been made, or no dog or alarm goes on alert, does not mean someone could not have entered your home.

[leadcounsel]

I go armed 100% of the time I hear unusual noises in my house;

I fell asleep on the couch one Saturday night and was awoken to an alarmed front window sounding loudly, dogs barking like crazy. It was a false alarm.

The same alarm awoken me about a month later and I again investigated with the sidearm and it was another false alarm. Alarm was fixed.

10 years ago I had a roommate that was irresponsible and we lived in a bad neighborhood. He left and left the front door ajar by 6". I was working on my computer in my office late on a weekend. I heard someone at the front door and grabbed my .357magnum I had by my computer and carried it concealed behind my back. Turns out it was a man looking for 'directions.' He was obviously very shady. I told him to scram.

So - moral is that it is a rare instance, but when you need it, you NEED it.

[Ricky]

Naw, just kidding. I only get up if my dog barks. He's about 10 years old now so it takes a lot to wake him up. I guess it's been 2 years since I checked things out with a gun in my hand. Never a real problem yet.
When my wife and I were fist married I woke to the sound of someone trying to open a window in our living room. I crept down the hall with my S&W model 19 in my hand. The window was about 16 feet from the end of the hall. I stood at the end of the hall for a few seconds listening, sure that someone was trying to break in. I rounded the corner with my gun raised and my finger on the trigger, ready to kill the bastard. Our cat was climbing on the screen, trying to get in. I should've shot the little bastard when I had the chance.

[Terry A]

I'll be 51 in a couple weeks. Got my 1st gun at age 6. Since adult-hood, I've become even more passionate about my firearms. And since I've become older and a lot less physically able to do things like I did when I was younger, (8 surgeries) I've grown to always have a handgun very near to me where-ever I go, inside or out. I have no known enemies and get along well with all the neighbors. But still, it's just become an ingrained habit now to watch TV w/ one laying on the armrest or to cut the grass with one under my shirt, etc.

I said all that to say this...I wouldn't dream of fixing a car without the proper tools. Neither would I check around the house when something goes "bump" without the "proper tools". So far, anytime anything was checked, it was either another family member stirring about the house late at night or an animal outside.

That's not to say that nothing will happen in the future. So whenever I do check around, I usually have one of my "friends' with me.

[cubesmoothie]

The door to my shed was left open late one night so i went and looked around with a nine in my belt. It was not intense.

[old bear]

We were out camping one year and sitting around the campfire when we heard off in the not too far distance dark night the most blood curdeling screams..I never heard anything like since, But I had Mr. springfield's M1A with a full mag and a hot chamber..and was about to lay down a suppresive fire in that direction, as we were way out in the woods and had seen no one all day. So what ever it was it did not make anymore noise agian, however the next night my camping buddy did blast a crawdad with his .303 enfield and the sound echoed off the water and surrounding hills for like 30 seconds. So I figure bigfoot or bears would want nothing to do with all that noise and never come back around agian.

Sir, why in the world you want to start shooting in the dark when you had no idea what was or was not happening, or where your fired rounds would end up, how far can an 06 round travel?