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View Full Version : Door to door massacre in Miami. (Preparation?)


Tactical Jackalope
July 30, 2013, 08:42 AM
In Hialeah..A city that isn't necessarily the best place to be. Especially certain parts. This guy kicked down doors of an apartment complex where his neighbors lived and opened fire killing 6 in total. One being a man that was walking outside with his son. He then took 2 hostage when Hialeah SWAT took lead and took him out. He used a 9mm handgun he purchased years ago and was said to work out in the gym 3-4 hours a day.

Here are some links.

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21011283264455/swat-response-to-hialeah-mass-shooting-commended/

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21011274390466/hialeah-apartment-gunman-described-as-lonely-angry/

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21011283502282/hialeah-shooter-showed-signs-of-anger-prior-to-attack/

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21011267768432/loved-ones-mourn-victims-in-hialeah-mass-shooting/

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21011278986744/a-look-at-victims-in-the-fla-apartment-shootings/



So...I've been knocked on a few times for carrying on my person 24/7 while I'm awake. When I'm asleep is when my gun is the farthest from me at a whopping 2 feet. When I shower it's within a foot of me on top of the toilet.


Just a friendly reminder to everyone out there, keep your guns on your person as much as you can! There's a difference between able and allowed. Take that as you wish. But if I am able, I will have it on me.


If you wish to share how you prepare, feel free. I haven't gone into detail other than it always being on me. But I will say it's usually a rifle at home where the chance is greater than 1% that something will happen. I can't carry around my AR so other than that it's usually a Glock 19 with several mags.




Any discussion on this matter in terms of preparation?

ClydeFrog
July 30, 2013, 09:30 AM
I've known a few people in New York City and few NYers who lived in other places who keep a baseball bat or large stick by the front door, :rolleyes:.

I've also seen a few of the James Yeager videos on Youtube.com .
In one clip, JY advises viewers to carry a loaded firearm on them all the time until they go to bed.
I don't subscribe to this plan. I do keep my S&W Military and Police .45acp loaded(MagSafe SWAT) & can get to it quickly but Im not always armed 100% of the time.
Break-ins & home invasions can occur, another good video to review is the violent attack on the home owner beaten in front of her young children in NJ.

But I think there's having a smart plan & being paranoid.
FWIW; don't be swayed by the "good area"/"bad area" concept either. My good friend had his SUV broken into a few days ago. He lives in a upscale "good" part of a medium size city too.

Tactical Jackalope
July 30, 2013, 09:36 AM
I have no concept of good and bad area. To me, it can happen anywhere and anytime.

I'm from the school of "prepare for the worst and hope for the best". Not paranoia...lol

This thing is literally on me all the time. Wouldn't mind it any other way. Doesn't bother me in any way shape or form. It's a part of me.


I saw that video of the woman. That was insane. Poor thing...

csmsss
July 30, 2013, 11:02 AM
On Friday night, Vargas set a combustible liquid on fire in his apartment, sending the unit into flames, police said. Building manager Italo Pisciotti and his wife went running toward the smoke. Vargas opened his door and shot and killed both of them, Lt. Carl Zogby, a spokesman with the Hialeah Police Department said.

Vargas then went back into his apartment and began firing from his balcony. One of the shots struck and killed Carlos Javier Gavilanes, 33, who neighbors said was returning home from his son's boxing practice.

Vargas then stormed into a third-story apartment, where he shot and killed a family of three: Patricio Simono, 64, Merly Niebles, 51, and her 17-year-old daughter.I don't see how this sequence is much of an argument for keeping a firearm on your person at all times inside the home. He didn't invade anyone's home until well after his rampage had started and multiple shots had been fired. Anyone who wasn't asleep likely would have been alerted to the racket outside long before he broke into the other apartment.

Tactical Jackalope
July 30, 2013, 11:05 AM
I don't see how this sequence is much of an argument for keeping a firearm on your person at all times inside the home.

I don't see your argument of how it doesn't?

Regardless of what you're trying to say it's better to than not.

madmo44mag
July 30, 2013, 11:13 AM
I carry my 40cal 24/7 and if it is not on my hip it is with in arms reach.
Mugged at gun point March 1978 - Houston TX
Robbed at work at gun point June 1978 - Houston TX
Robbed at home at gun point July 1978 - Houston TX.
Moved to Ft.Worth Aug 1978 and have been armed ever since.
BTW where I lived and worked in Houston was know as a good - bad neighborhood.

kraigwy
July 30, 2013, 11:18 AM
One don't have to spend too much time watching the news to see home invasion is on the rise, not just in "bad" neighborhoods.

That isn't all, just read earlier today, in broad daylight a lady was walking her dog and was attacked.

Carjacking is up also,

Might want think how you carry, there is no safe place. A shame, but its a fact.

csmsss
July 30, 2013, 11:24 AM
I don't see your argument of how it doesn't? Because even the slowest person on earth would have had ample time to retrieve a firearm from anywhere in an apartment and been ready to go by the time the bad guy got around to breaking into that apartment. Unless he's Flash Gordon, of course.

Regardless of what you're trying to say it's better to than not. That's your opinion. I am quite comfortable knowing a firearm is easily accessible from wherever I happen to be at home. I don't need the reassurance of having it resting against my body.

Spats McGee
July 30, 2013, 11:26 AM
For the past couple of years, I've been carrying whenever I leave the house, but not when at home. For the past few months, I've been rethinking this. Mrs. McGee may well call me crazy when I start carrying around the house, but that may just have to happen.

kraigwy
July 30, 2013, 11:44 AM
Because even the slowest person on earth would have had ample time to retrieve a firearm from anywhere in an apartment and been ready to go by the time the bad guy got around to breaking into that apartment

I ain't buying that one bit. I've kicked doors, it just takes a second to kick a door and be in the living room.

We use to get a lot of rescue assist, medics policy is they can't break in, but we (the police) could. A quick gander at any door tells you where to kick. I wasn't a big strong guy either (I made of for that after I retired, the big part anyway).

The story was about apartments, in most apartments the door leads to the living room, one swift kick and you can be in the living room before the home owner can get out of his chair not to mention the time it takes to get to the bedroom to retrieve your gun from the bed stand or where every you keep it.

I know there is the problem of kids getting hold of guns, but I've never heard of a kid picking someone's pocket and finding a gun.

Of course just having a gun wont help that much, you need to practice drawing from your recliner, couch, or every place else you might be.

Dogs are nice (mine are useless) but many place wont rent to pet owners.

MLeake
July 30, 2013, 12:34 PM
csmss, for one thing, people often mistake a gunshot or two for a backfiring exhaust - if they notice the noise at all.

Given modern homes with double-paned windows, good insulation, and central A/C, people may not hear gunshots outside all that well, especially if they have a TV or other noisemaker on in the home.

For another, hearing the attack start on others is only useful if the others are attacked before you are. If you are the first, or one of the first, then your argument has no meaning.

SocialAnarchist
July 30, 2013, 12:45 PM
kraigwy,

You kicked in doors for medical calls? Really? Why? We would look for a window and pop the screen or cut it and then either open the window or force it with a haligan. Not much damage and the house could be secured when we left.

Just curious as to your tactics. Not an attack on you, just a question.

wayneinFL
July 30, 2013, 01:26 PM
I agree with kraigwy on the ease and speed in which someone can get into a residence. Better to have a firearm on you.

For another, hearing the attack start on others is only useful if the others are attacked before you are. If you are the first, or one of the first, then your argument has no meaning.

When my local college put "active shooter" procedures in place, one of the procedures was to lock the door. The first question I asked was, "What if he's in here?"

madmo44mag
July 30, 2013, 01:48 PM
A home invasion can be a simple knock at the door by a individual that causes no red flag or alarms to go off.
Happened here a few years back when folks were getting robbed by a guy dressed in a TU Electric uniform.

When I got mugged I was at the gas pump in broad daylight with people all around me.
The guy was dressed in jeans and a Polo type shirt and stuck a 38 in my ribs.
trust me it happens FAST!!!!
Last year two men attempted to rob me at the gas pump but changed their minds when I side my shirt up and kicked the saftey off and placed my hand over the butt of my 40cal.
The only thing they did to arouse my suspicion was they did not approach their gas tank but tried to flank both side of the pump.

Grant D
July 30, 2013, 01:59 PM
I carry a Kimber Ultra Crimson Carry II in a Galco Kingtuk during the day, and if I take it off when I get home, I put my LCP in my pocket.

I have a 12 gauge coach gun with outside hammers within reach of my easy chair in the living room, so I think I got it covered if someone trys to break in.

Bufford t. Justice
July 30, 2013, 02:38 PM
Always be prepared. Works for the scouts and it works for self defense. Preparation is key

manta49
July 30, 2013, 02:51 PM
I ain't buying that one bit. I've kicked doors, it just takes a second to kick a door and be in the living room. I think anyone worrying about this the first thing they should do is get a stronger door. I will not be walking about in the house carrying a firearm for something that probably will never happen. Apart from that the wife would think I had lost the plot.

45_auto
July 30, 2013, 03:04 PM
Any discussion on this matter in terms of preparation?

If the best preparation you can come up with to resist a home invasion is a firearm within reach 24 hours a day, I would suggest taking a slightly broader view of enhancing your home defenses.

Spats McGee
July 30, 2013, 03:22 PM
For apartment preparation, I've never liked the flimsy little chains on the door. Something like this (http://www.homedepot.com/p/National-Hardware-Pewter-Door-Security-Guard-V1928-DR-SECURTY-GARD-PW/203880376) seems a little sturdier. Then again, this (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Lock-Dual-Function-Door-Security-Bar-265DCCSEN/100210730) also seems like a good thing to use.

kraigwy
July 30, 2013, 03:54 PM
You kicked in doors for medical calls? Really? Why? We would look for a window and pop the screen or cut it and then either open the window or force it with a haligan. Not much damage and the house could be secured when we left.

Just curious as to your tactics. Not an attack on you, just a question.

Speed.

A medical emergency is just that, an emergency. For example, in heart attacks, seconds count.

Looking for windows, popping or cutting screens, etc. takes too much time, where as kicking a door just takes a second.

Burglars look for windows, cut screens, etc, but they normally choose houses where no one is home. They have more time.

Home invaders, expecting people to be home, kick the door and crash in.

We need to separate Home invaders from Burglars. Different crimes, one is a property crime, one is a person crime.

manta49
July 30, 2013, 04:16 PM
takes too much time, where as kicking a door just takes a second. The doors must be a softer in America than here. I have seen police taking a few minutes trying to get through a door with a purpose built hammer and it was just a normal PVC door.

markj
July 30, 2013, 04:25 PM
If you wish to share how you prepare, feel free

He woulda never got to my door. The dogs would go off, I reach to my left pick up either my 30-30 or the shotgun as both are out. The bedroom has a springer loaded. The outside has floods kick on if anything walks by. Where I live folks dont come by, I live outside the city in Gods country :) and by God it will be defended :) lol

Last guy came out got into garages stole stuff had a handgun, the deputies got his butt and locked it up.

wayneinFL
July 30, 2013, 04:41 PM
The doors must be a softer in America than here. I have seen police taking a few minutes trying to get through a door with a purpose built hammer and it was just a normal PVC door.

Maybe the doors are the same, but the cops are softer over there? :D

We are talking about a guy from Wyoming, after all.

I've kicked open doors before. It took me a couple of tries, but I'm not a professional, I was just in a hurry.

I think anyone worrying about this the first thing they should do is get a stronger door. I will not be walking about in the house carrying a firearm for something that probably will never happen. Apart from that the wife would think I had lost the plot.

My wife wouldn't know the difference. I put it in my pocket every morning when I get dressed, along with my wallet and keys. I carry outside the house. Why would I bother to take the gun out of my pocket every time I come home?

Purposefully strapping a gun on when I leave the house would just seem paranoid.

Tactical Jackalope
July 30, 2013, 04:54 PM
Good points gentlemen. However, I'm just discussing in a general sense. I'm not asking how I should personally prepare.

Just curious what my buddies on here would do to prepare for such a scenario.

And for the ones who called me crazy for my 24/7 carrying self.

Glenn E. Meyer
July 30, 2013, 05:03 PM
Train and mindset - it seems the OP wants a discussion of what megablaster to deploy so you can John McClane the guys.

Have good doors, locks, windows, alarms, dogs - or whatever to delay entry. Have lock on the bedroom door.

Train to avoid fear, freeze responses and have good processes programmed in for appropriate actions.

If someone just materializes in your door with a gun pointed at you - you could be toting any old gun and you are shot dead. Even a Taurus Judge in each hand won't save you.

Rob228
July 30, 2013, 05:09 PM
I take my pistol off when I get home, but I do keep it within an arms distance.

For apartment preparation, I've never liked the flimsy little chains on the door. Something like this seems a little sturdier. Then again, this also seems like a good thing to use.

I used the first one in my apartment when I still lived in CA after we had an attempted break in. Installed it with 3 inch screws, the whole apartment shook if we forgot it was in place and tried to open the door, that thing was solid.

RBid
July 30, 2013, 09:58 PM
I carry whenever I'm awake. It has NOTHING to do with wanting to John McClane any bad guys, despite my belief that Die Hard is the greatest action movie of all time.

I keep the door locked. There are no plants near the outside of the windows. The residence is well lit. We live in an area with a low crime index. We have a yappy, protective dog. The doors are reinforced.

That is to say, we understand that defense starts with making yourself an unattractive and inconvenient target.

If someone is determined enough to get in, and given the stated goal of zero violence, then I need a powerful deterrent. If a deterrent doesn't work, only then will I shoot.



My rationale for carrying at home is this simple:
- I'm perfectly comfortable with my carry set up on
- I know people who have needed firearms in their home, including a friend who needed it instantly
- carrying on body is the best way for my firearm to be both accessible, and secure (I have kids).
- given the above note about comfort, there is no good reason for me to NOT carry at home.

JohnKSa
July 30, 2013, 10:46 PM
Another thought to add to the many already pointed out.

When I'm out and about, there's rarely anything around me that I care to protect. Retreat is almost always an option and almost always the best option. And if something does go wrong in public, it's likely someone will see and summon the authorities who are likely to respond rapidly.

At home, I'm surrounded by things and people I want to protect. Retreat is rarely an option and even if it were, it would be a poor one. Worst of all, if something goes wrong in my home and I can't respond to the threat effectively and rapidly, the odds are good no one will notice anything outside or next door. Homes are intended to be private places and they are.

Even if someone does notice something, the police probably won't respond as rapidly because I'm farther from the center of things in my suburban home than in town.

If anything, it makes far more sense to carry at home than it does in public. Maybe the odds are lower that you'll need it at home, but if you do, the need will likely be far more urgent and your options far less varied than in public.

Koda94
July 31, 2013, 12:02 AM
I ain't buying that one bit. I've kicked doors, it just takes a second to kick a door and be in the living room.
I think anyone worrying about this the first thing they should do is get a stronger door.

in this incident, it depends on the apartment complex. Most apartments don't give the renter an option at upgrading the doors, or windows.

as for preparation, I don't see any harm in being prepared in your own home however you choose. When I read this story earlier this week it opened my eye to home invasions.
It can happen at the mall... the movies... the college... and your own home/community.

Jammer Six
July 31, 2013, 02:32 AM
I carry when I leave home. Unless I'm going somewhere it's illegal.

Or unless I don't want to.

I never carry at home.

I've been carjacked. I was armed, didn't need the weapon, never felt particularly endangered.

redhologram
July 31, 2013, 05:51 AM
I carry on body at home and when I am out. If I'm in the shower, it's nearby as well. When sleeping, it's on nightstand. If I get up during the night for something, I slip one in my robe with me. To find me going "baaaa" is only done when there is a law in place preventing me from carrying and it's somewhere I really have to be.
Being that my EDC is similar to the 1911 platform and I keep my 1911 on my nightstand, I keep both in Condition 1.

But when I think of how it could happen in an instant that someone could be in this house, between me and my kids and my firearms are in another room, or just where I can't get to for whatever reason, and I am helpless to protect them.... Y'all only think everything you've heard about redheads and tempers are true.... My blood pressure goes up.

So yes.. around here, mama is always carrying.

rebs
July 31, 2013, 06:46 AM
I own my home and live in a semi country setting, I only have one close neighbor. So my approach to home security is I have two doberman pinschers that are fully trained guard dogs. They alert when someone comes close to my house, even if they are walking down the street in front of the house. So I will know immediately if anyone is close. I feel that gives me plenty of time to retrieve my firearm if I need it, first the person would have to get passed the two dogs. I have two so I can at times take one with me and still have one at home protecting my house. I walk them around the neighborhood so every one knows I have them. I have not had any security problems since I bought the dogs.

45_auto
July 31, 2013, 06:46 AM
or just where I can't get to for whatever reason, and I am helpless to protect them

Most trainers will tell you that mindset is the most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation. You'll find that neither a weapon nor the most awesome martial skills will do you any good once you've decided that you're "helpless" and all is lost.

Probably a good justification to keep a firearm on you at all times if you feel "helpless" without one.

Tymah123
July 31, 2013, 08:23 AM
Hey kraigwy or anyone else who has extensive experience kicking in doors, I have a question for you: I own an apartment on the 5th floor so my only vulnerable point of entry is the front door. I've got one of those metal fireproof doors that seems very solid, the frame is metal as well. Have you had any experience kicking in that kind of a door and how did it perform? I'd like to know if I need to upgrade the door or will this metal door hold up for some time? I would like to not test this on my own door so that's why I'm asking here, thank you kindly!

Seaman
July 31, 2013, 10:02 AM
Only time the guns come off is when I'm in the bathtub, its an old iron enameled claw foot, with side-plates for a good book... and a couple of 45s.

People have been killed in showers, can't hear nothing, gun on toilet... good luck with that.

People should relax with a nice long soak.

Paranoid? ... not when I'm packin.

coldbeer
July 31, 2013, 10:46 AM
Everybody's situation is different so I'm not going to judge or criticise anyone, but when I come home from work I like to lay down on the couch and watch TV. I can't afford to fall asleep with a loaded gun on the coffee table next to me even if it is only two feet away. I have way too many small children running around. My guns stay in a safe.

Jammer Six
July 31, 2013, 11:09 AM
I was going to comment on that... a lot of people mistake having no weapon with being unarmed.

wayneinFL
July 31, 2013, 11:22 AM
By definition, "unarmed" means having no weapon.

Tactical Jackalope
July 31, 2013, 11:54 AM
I was going to comment on that... a lot of people mistake having no weapon with being unarmed.

Having no weapon on you is being unarmed. When you grab the weapon from behind a curtain, then you're armed.

Rikakiah
July 31, 2013, 12:55 PM
While crime can and does happen all over, I believe you still have to consider your area when planning. I live on the top floor apartment in a nicer area. Can something happen? Yeah. Do I get my gun or at least a knife in hand when I get a knock at 10:30 at night? Yep. However, both times, it's been a friend of the frat boys below me who had the wrong apartment.

Yes, it can happen, but the risk factor is low enough for me that I don't feel justified to keep it at hand 24/7. If I lived in a "higher risk" area, I would probably be prepared differently.

Brian Pfleuger
July 31, 2013, 01:11 PM
Another thought to add to the many already pointed out.

All good points, John.

In regards to likelihoods, I'm not sure it's fully representative but according to the NRA's Armed Citizen Analysis (http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328876), 52% of incidents occur inside the home and 32% in a business. It's not clear if the business is the actual person's business or just "in a business", which I would consider to be a public place. If it's the actual defenders business, it would indicate that 84% of incidents took place in what, to the defender, wouldn't necessarily be a "public place".

redhologram
August 1, 2013, 01:35 AM
Most trainers will tell you that mindset is the most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation. You'll find that neither a weapon nor the most awesome martial skills will do you any good once you've decided that you're "helpless" and all is lost.

Probably a good justification to keep a firearm on you at all times if you feel "helpless" without one.
Don't assume my use of an adjective on an internet forum to make a point is the same as my "mindset".

Jammer Six
August 4, 2013, 09:24 PM
Having no weapon on you is being unarmed.

By definition, "unarmed" means having no weapon.
If that definition works for you, I suppose you should keep it.

TXAZ
August 4, 2013, 10:15 PM
If bad guys are using SWAT tactics then it's a very different problem few of us are likely truly ready for, or more likely may not survive. One unique approach, and I'll look for the link, at least 1 guy in Texas has high pressure gas set to go off and ignite as a flame thrower when an intruder enters. Short of automatic or having the zoned security Michael Dell or Carlos Slim has, there are practical limits.

Evan Thomas
August 4, 2013, 10:46 PM
One unique approach, and I'll look for the link, at least 1 guy in Texas has high pressure gas set to go off and ignite as a flame thrower when an intruder enters.
I'd be interested in a link. I seriously doubt that's legal... even in Texas. ;)

Booby traps are frowned on in every jurisdiction I'm aware of.

Frank Ettin
August 4, 2013, 11:35 PM
One unique approach, and I'll look for the link, at least 1 guy in Texas has high pressure gas set to go off and ignite as a flame thrower when an intruder enters.
I'd be interested in a link. I seriously doubt that's legal... even in Texas. ;)

Booby traps are frowned on in every jurisdiction I'm aware of.Yes, I think that would be a serious problem, even in Texas.

In fact, this Texas (http://blog.matthewharrislaw.com/index_files/BoobyTraps.htm) lawyer seems to suggest that a booby trap might be okay, but he points out some very serious and important caveats:

...your booby-trap can't be "designed to cause, or known by [you] to create a substantial risk of causing, death or serious bodily injury." ...


...use of the booby-trap must be reasonable under all of the circumstances as you believe them to be when installing it. ...


...I’m not going to give you opinions on what kinds of booby-traps would qualify here, but I imagine that it is something that would be an annoying deterrent rather than an actual “trap.” ...


...If your booby-trap constitutes the use of force on anyone, then you must take great care and consideration before deploying it because use of force requires that you reasonably believe that force is immediately necessary. If your booby-trap uses force on someone that it wasn’t reasonable to use force on (child wanders on your property) then you will probably have your own crime to answer for....

So it looks like the flame-thrower trap is a very bad idea.

ClydeFrog
August 4, 2013, 11:49 PM
I'm not a super expert on security systems or a SME on crime prevention but I have heard of what many instructors & security consultants call; CP TED or "cep-ted", which is crime prevention thru environmental design.
Bushes with thorns, vehicle barriers, open spaces with CCTVs/DV cameras, levels, locks, etc all are part of a CP-TED system.

I've brung it up on gun/tactics forums before in the past but one of the best examples I ever saw was a episode of Montel Williams old TV talk show.
A young woman was discussing how TV reporters or well known public figures can have major problems with obsessed fans or stalkers.
The TV reporter said a stalker was able to get access to her condo & the problems she had with the lax security.
Williams(an enlisted Marine who went to the US Naval Academy) cut in & ask the woman why she chose to live in such a unsafe area.
He was 100% right!
People need to be pro-active & have a security plan or system.
If a apartment bldg is unsafe or risky, don't live there! If a hotel or motel looks rough, do not stay there.
I'd pay the extra $15.00 or $20.00 to stay in a upscale chain hotel room then be at risk in a run down dump.

Clyde

Ricklin
August 5, 2013, 12:08 AM
The earlier poster how inquired about steel doors being easy to kick in.

It's not the door that usually breaks, it's the door frame.

One of the best and easiest ways to strengthen the door is to replace the screws that hold the hinges and especially the strike plate for the lock.

Replace those short little screws with three inch long screws. The screw size can be the same, it's the length that is important.

A three inch screw should reach and penetrate the stud that the door frame is attached to.

Even apartment dwellers can do the above. It does not effect the looks of the door.

It does make the door far more resistant to being kicked in.

Jammer Six
August 5, 2013, 02:24 AM
The screw size can be the same, it's the length that is important.

Actually, it's the shear strength.

wayneinFL
August 5, 2013, 07:09 AM
The screw size can be the same, it's the length that is important.

Actually, it's the shear strength.

In my experience, screws don't break when you force a door open. They bend or pull out, or the wood breaks.

People need to be pro-active & have a security plan or system.
If a apartment bldg is unsafe or risky, don't live there! If a hotel or motel looks rough, do not stay there.
I'd pay the extra $15.00 or $20.00 to stay in a upscale chain hotel room then be at risk in a run down dump.

How upscale are you talking? $20 isn't going to make that much of a difference.

Ricklin
August 5, 2013, 08:25 AM
As Wayne mentioned, the screws don't shear they pull out. Or the wood door frame fractures.
The three inch long screws should reach the stud the door is framed with.

I use the hardened drywall screws. Not for shear strength, just to prevent breakage when being driven so deep.

ClydeFrog
August 5, 2013, 07:10 PM
Most savvy travel or business travel people know where to stay & what to look for.
In a new city or area, you can roll around the property or check around first then decide if the hotel or motel is worth going into.
There are a few other tricks & tips but most tourists/business people spend the $$$ to get a decent stay.

A lot of it is common sense & good judgement. ;)

TXAZ
August 6, 2013, 07:55 AM
Per my earlier post, here is the text link:
http://survivalandprosperity.com/tag/flamethrowers/


In there they note "In the meantime, Jesse and Charlie came up with two defensive features for the Willis bunker. One is a bed of metal spikes that swings down from the bunker roof into unsuspecting bad guys. The other is a handrail with a flamethrower built into it. Dastardly evil stuff."


I'll see if I can find the video on line from the referenced show.

baddarryl
August 6, 2013, 08:27 AM
I own my home and live in a semi country setting, I only have one close neighbor. So my approach to home security is I have two doberman pinschers that are fully trained guard dogs. They alert when someone comes close to my house, even if they are walking down the street in front of the house. So I will know immediately if anyone is close. I feel that gives me plenty of time to retrieve my firearm if I need it, first the person would have to get passed the two dogs. I have two so I can at times take one with me and still have one at home protecting my house. I walk them around the neighborhood so every one knows I have them. I have not had any security problems since I bought the dogs.

Where do you get dogs like that? My girlfriend has access to retired police dogs, but I am wary of the potential health problems with them.

csmsss
August 6, 2013, 03:48 PM
Not all "upscale" hotels have any higher level of physical security built into their rooms than any other hotel. Many hoteliers (franchisees) buy up lesser-brand hotels, throw down some new carpet, drapes and furniture and a fabulous lobby and rebrand as upscale hotels without doing a thing to make the rooms themselves any more secure. I've stayed at a Sheraton where a stiff breeze could have knocked the door down, but also at a Motel 6 that was only slightly less well-built than Fort Knox. What an upscale *generally* gives you is a place in a better neighborhood than a cheaper place, which hopefully means there are fewer miscreants bouncing around in the lot and lobby.

IdahoG36
August 6, 2013, 04:12 PM
I'm with the OP. I carry 24/7, and keep a gun near me at all times in my house. It's just a fact of life in the world that we live in these days. A threat can arise at any time, in any place.

Tactical Jackalope
August 6, 2013, 05:01 PM
I'm with the OP. I carry 24/7, and keep a gun near me at all times in my house. It's just a fact of life in the world that we live in these days. A threat can arise at any time, in any place.

Thank you. I'm glad to see they're more of us out there.

And right it doesn't bother you one bit? It's like putting on underwear for me.

IdahoG36
August 6, 2013, 06:30 PM
I don't even think about it anymore. It's automatic.

Garycw
August 6, 2013, 06:41 PM
I keep a firearm on me most all the time or on nightstand at night. I fell most vulnerable when in the shower. Especially if alone. I've since started keeping a less valuable one in bathroom and I typically turn alarm system on when showering. Call me paranoid, but I don't want to be caught with my pants down. A potential burglar close to house on hill could see in lower level where I usually shower and see it as a open invitation for a snatch & grab or worse. The time you're most going to need a gun is when you don't have one with you it seems.

FireForged
August 6, 2013, 07:17 PM
Pay attention to what is happening around you and have a plan to fight in whatever circumstance you find yourself in..(public, home, yard, office). Don't waste time, don't second guess your gut when it comes to danger. If you have to fight for your life then be a freaking tyrannosaurus until its over.

BigD_in_FL
August 6, 2013, 07:40 PM
Any discussion on this matter in terms of preparation?

Just how often does this happen in Miami? THIS scenario is an anomaly - plain and simple. If you try to prepare for any and every possible scenario, including natural disasters, zombie apocalypses, etc. you will have wasted your entire life living in a state of fear. That isn't living.......

Be aware, yes; be reasonably prepared for normal situations, absolutely; but trying to determine and prepare for the sky falling is a waste of breath, IMO. I am too busy trying to enjoy what time I have left to spend it living in fear and trepidation while looking for BGs under every bed and behind every bush..... YMMV

Levant
August 6, 2013, 11:07 PM
But I think there's having a smart plan & being paranoid.
There's a difference between paranoid and prepared. Paranoid is when you're afraid and looking over your shoulder. Prepared is when you don't have to be afraid or look over your shoulder.

I have to wonder if the real paranoid are those who are more afraid of carrying their guns and what it means about them. Didn't Freud have something to say about people afraid of guns?

Because even the slowest person on earth would have had ample time to retrieve a firearm from anywhere in an apartment and been ready to go by the time the bad guy got around to breaking into that apartment. Unless he's Flash Gordon, of course.

This is not even close to accurate. One kick and the door is open and the bad guy is in. If your gun isn't so close that you can grab it while ducking for immediate cover then your gun is useless in a home invasion. On the desk if you've drilled and drilled on ducking under the desk while grabbing and pointing your gun. On your hip is even better.

That's your opinion. I am quite comfortable knowing a firearm is easily accessible from wherever I happen to be at home. I don't need the reassurance of having it resting against my body.

I'd be more comfortable with my gun resting against my body.

Tactical Jackalope
August 7, 2013, 07:00 AM
I also second Levant.

Plain and simple is it IS faster and more adequate to have the gun on your person. Any way someone tries to justify otherwise, I'm sorry you're incorrect. If that were the case LE officers should have car holsters only. (Mild joke)

"Prepared" & "Paranoid", yes. Two very different things. I laugh, joke, eat, watch movies, talk, an do just about everything normally when my gun is on me. Why does one assume carrying at home means you're shaking in your bones and scared crapless about who's going to come barging in? Is beyond me.

It's an option to retreat out on the street when you're alone. In a car. Even with family. People CC then without thinking. However in your home, your "castle" you have no idea how much you should not retreat then. Like a captain abandoning ship. So why second guess being more prepared at home?

Also, anyone ever had to wake up suddenly from REM sleep, grab their gun and deal with a threat? One word: disoriented. And it sucks. That's just on a general topic. Obviously can't carry when you're asleep. Although I do during hurricanes with the AR by my side. But that's a whole other story.

redhologram
August 7, 2013, 08:58 AM
Constantine,
You're forgetting to throw in my favorite word "helpless" with paranoid and prepared. :D
But I made a mental note as I got out of bed this morning.. in order.. I got up, picked up glasses off nightstand (to make way to contacts eventually) then picked up my gun. Walked to other side of room, put on T-shirt and sweats, put gun in pocket. Picked up phone off bed. Left room to go get morning coffee.. morning routine I do every morning without thinking about it. Paranoid? Nope. Helpless? Far from it.. Prepared? You bet.. Alert and living in reality.. Even more so.

Yankee Traveler
August 7, 2013, 02:45 PM
First, as a homeowner, solid doors and locks. Screwed into the studs as previously mentioned Basement door and window are "fortified".

Second, again, I own my own home, a B F D. Or two. My choice, and fortunatly my wifes, is a GSD. His name is Eddie. For no other reason then both of my kids were brought home from the hospital in an Eddie Bauer Explorer. Eddie LOVES those kids.

Third, alarm system, but that can be more of an irratant to a determined BG.

Fourth, firearms are accessible, and I feel my wife or I would have more than enough time to reach them if a break in is attempted. BUT. I am leaning more and more towards 24/7. A man was robbed nearby by a couple of dirtbags that were posing as door to door meat salesmen. I think I need a set of matching Colt Mustangs for my wife and I.

Glenn Dee
August 7, 2013, 07:19 PM
I gotta side with Kraigway here. Sometimes you just have to force the door. In my case it was 24 stories up... a bit difficult to slip a window.