The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Mikeyboy · January 31, 2006, 11:09 AM

Your house is laid out similar to mine. Only difference is I have two younger kids. Shotgun with bird shot is great, because like you I have the kids room across from my door so overpenetration is bad. I have two Glaser in my 9mm magazine with the rest being 115g JHP. My drill is check on the kids, and if they are asleep, I get my wife and tell her to go in the kids room with a phone and a gun and lock the door. My wife or I would call 911, as I covered the stairs (probably yelling to get the ____ out of my house). If I get to this point, I pretty sure that someone is downstairs. I'm not going to investigate until the PD arrives. Your better in a defensive position protecting your family then wandering downstairs and putting possible multiple badguys on the defensive against you.

Now if everyone is upstairs asleep and your not certain what that noise was downstairs but you feel its probably was not a burglar, then I would go check it out armed and let the wife know. If you live in your home long enough, you know what sounds are normal and what are not. You will know if someone is walking around downstairs, 99% of the time you will check a weird noise and it will be nothing bad. In that 1% chance that it is not, if you start screaming and shooting your wife should automatically get a gun and a phone and run in the kid's room and lock the door and call 911.

One big thing is to discuss it with your daughter. As long as she knows that dad may be checking on noises at night carrying his shotgun, then she will not be freaked out when you do it.

January 31, 2006, 11:09 AM	#25
Mikeyboy Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2005 Posts: 1,231	Your house is laid out similar to mine. Only difference is I have two younger kids. Shotgun with bird shot is great, because like you I have the kids room across from my door so overpenetration is bad. I have two Glaser in my 9mm magazine with the rest being 115g JHP. My drill is check on the kids, and if they are asleep, I get my wife and tell her to go in the kids room with a phone and a gun and lock the door. My wife or I would call 911, as I covered the stairs (probably yelling to get the ____ out of my house). If I get to this point, I pretty sure that someone is downstairs. I'm not going to investigate until the PD arrives. Your better in a defensive position protecting your family then wandering downstairs and putting possible multiple badguys on the defensive against you. Now if everyone is upstairs asleep and your not certain what that noise was downstairs but you feel its probably was not a burglar, then I would go check it out armed and let the wife know. If you live in your home long enough, you know what sounds are normal and what are not. You will know if someone is walking around downstairs, 99% of the time you will check a weird noise and it will be nothing bad. In that 1% chance that it is not, if you start screaming and shooting your wife should automatically get a gun and a phone and run in the kid's room and lock the door and call 911. One big thing is to discuss it with your daughter. As long as she knows that dad may be checking on noises at night carrying his shotgun, then she will not be freaked out when you do it.