Some advice requested: shady subject at LEO house

[briandg]

My personal racking maneuver is simple.

Stand with left shoulder facing down range, face aimed to right, pistol aimed down range.
Lock right hand on grip, grasp slide with entire left hand.

Push hands together using shoulder strength.

I have never heard of such a thing. Really. A couple things come to mind.

Maybe you have a 'special' person in your neighborhood who gets a thrill out of this.
Maybe you have pissed someone off who is now stalking you. You are a cop, right? Some people would do that, regardless of your jurisdiction.
Dog? Ridiculous. Buy a dog just so he can bark? Dogs aren't tools. They are living things that deserve better.
Used or new da semiautomatic or glock? This is no time to fart around with keeping a gun around with loaded magazine but empty chamber.
Motion lights? Very helpful. He won't trip in the dark.


Suggestions.

Well concealed Infrared game trail cameras covering property that he has invaded in the past. Full wireless system if you can get a self powered one, otherwise, do you have plenty of external outlets that he can't reach? Got a friend who can stay in the home in the dark when you aren't home?
Indoor Lights on timers?
Motion sensor alarms around doors? Plenty of them around, battery operated. Cheap.
RAISE YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE ON ALL PROPERTY. RAISE LIFE INSURANCE.
Paint bricks or cinder blocks black, scatter them in dark areas. Put tent stakes in with about two inches above ground, separate them widely so he won't fall on another when he trips. Trip wires? Strobe light with motion sensor. Who cares if the wind triggers it? get a full sized revolver for interim, place guns strategically. Would a bathroom be a safe place to escape to? Keep revolver there, other guns elsewhere.

FIND OUT IF HE IS HARASSING ANYONE ELSE. FILE OFFICIAL REPORT WITH BOTH POLICE AND SHERIFF THAT YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARE BEING STALKED. ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THAT THE COMPLAINT IS STALKING.

Fantasy.

Motion sensor operation propane cannon. Trip wire flares.

[2wheelwander]

CWO4USCGRET beat me to it the Mossburg Shockwave in 20 gauge.

[RSKENT]

Worth a look
http://shop.springerprecision.com/pr...?productId=338
https://www.amazon.com/TacRack-SHIEL.../dp/B00ZGT1TX2

[zincwarrior]

Originally Posted by cannonfire

^^^ I know where you're getting at lol... I have witnessed it once and I've also had one of the neighborhood kids act out in front of his friends, yelling " *blank* 12" repeatedly. I walked to my mailbox and smiled and he hauled it down the street. I do believe it happens when they see my patrol car not in the driveway (I know, its usually in the garage but i had to take the motorcycle apart, and its in pieces, so that has to get cleaned up to get the patrol car in the garage).

I do trust her that this occurring while I'm away. We had another incident that occurred while I was on the phone with her and needless to say the curiosity and then the terror seemed real. I deal with crazy/mentally ill/paranoid people on the daily and though yes, I am biased, she isn't claiming people are crawling through locked windows lol. But the thought of her maybe imagining things has gone through my head but I don't believe that is the case.


Taking people's advise (this is a gun board so I will keep it to firearms and training) she now carries her Shield in a holster around the house when I'm not home and has a spare mag with her also (loaded with 124 grain HST). After practicing techniques, she is able to manipulate the slide enough to load and unload a round. She's having a mental issue (hold your jokes) where she stops pushing up on the slide stop while racking the slide, so she can't get it to lock open. But if an empty mag is inserted, she can pull it back far enough to lock it open when the empty mag engages the slide stop. There is also a loaded SP5k in the bedroom as well.

Thanks again for everybody's comments and concerns. It does mean a lot that people show their concern. Obviously training is never complete but she has vastly improved with everyone's recommendations. Thanks again.

Thank you for the update. Sounds like it is working out.

One other idea in case her hand strength weakens in the future:

Ruger or Browning .22 with best ammo available and bolt this onto the slide:
https://www.tandemkross.com/halo-Cha...245_p_294.html

Its for competition but I have seen 7-8 year old children able to rack the pistol without problem with them.

EDIT: the wife also has bad hands. She has a Beretta Storm compact and is able to manipulate it without difficulty.

[Big Shrek]

Originally Posted by Wishoot

First thing, I'd install security cameras.

Second, take her to a range that rents and let her choose a gun.

Amen to that, Simply Safe will camera the heck out of the house.

Also, having cameras visible around the house tend to keep scumbags away...
they see the cameras and know they're more likely to get caught.
Add more LED lighting as well.

Next, get a BIG DOG, if you got a house, and a fence, you need a DOG in that backyard.
Dazzling Urbanites tend to avoid houses with dogs because they bring too much attention...
and a lot of 'em are just flat out afraid of dogs.

And evidently your gal is a looker, so you might want to invest in Burglar Bars as well.
Definitely those nice big iron screen doors front & back. Actually LOCK them when
you enter instead of leaving them open because you're home. Double-key deadbolts.

Atlanta is a bit of a PIT, and it doesn't help that you are a LEO, that actually
makes you MORE of a target. You are in a combat zone, act like it.

[johnwilliamson062]

and obviously you have a lot of experience by looking at your post count.

As poster with one of the highest post counts in this thread, that cracked me up.

Using the proper technique almost any able body person can rack the slide on any properly operating auto without exerting themselves.
If she really has trouble with the grip I am guessing she has issues with other things. increasing her grip strength will be a worthwhile endeavor.

http://www.heavygrips.com/
The 50 pounds should be plenty to function and she can start with negatives. Use both hands to close, then one hand to slowly open. There are other products out there, but you might be interested in those also.

I have small hands and recommend Kahr pistols for grips that fit small hands. Their T9 is a full size single stack. I have a lot of problems finding pistols that fit well. I doubt she is going to carry a carbine around the house all the time, so having a hlster-able pistol she, and to a lesser extent you, feel comfortable with is still important. Just make sure you pull them all the way back and let go instead of riding the slide back into battery.

As to it being teens. Teens have been responsible for some of the most disturbing crimes in history. I've seen the results of some disturbed teens first hand. Are they knocking on all the doors in your neighborhood or just yours?

Double-key deadbolts.

If no kids, maybe. A few people a year die because they are locked in by double key dead bolts during a fire. I was at a real estate seminar where it was claimed several states actually have laws against double key deadbolts, although most were rental specific.

[briandg]

Double keying a deadbolt is a necessity if you have glass in the window or side lights. It's a piece of cake to crack a window and open the bolt. all four of my doors have glass, both are double keyed. the difference is that a key for both doors (all keyed alike). During the night a person can use a heavy bolt or chain. when away, the double bolt is necessary. In my case, we have a key on a hook at two of the doors and another one has a turnbolt and a double keyed deadbolt.

The problem with double keys is that you are literally in a deathtrap when you lock it. In case of emergency, it's probable that you won't have your keys at the ready, and a few seconds can be a problem.

[Mackie244Bud]

I have the M&P Shield 9mm and after 1000 rounds I will admit that the slide is still a heavy pull.
It's just the nature of the gun.
However you only have to rack it per the first magazine, after that the slide stays back when the mag is empty.
If the gun is always loaded with 1 in the pipe she rarely has to rack the slide.
Her MN&P is always ready to GO!

I also own the Sig Sauer P320 Compact RX and the slide is nowhere near as hard to pull back as the smaller M&P.
Sig has a new P365 coming out next month that is a Quasi double stack possible 12 + 1 and nearly the exact same size as the M&P Shields.
If the slide is as easy as my P320 it might be a great option.
Because I love how much better my P320 shoots than my Shield if I like the P365, I'm going to sell my Shield and get it.
I'll have a great pair P320 / P365.

I realize that the Sig P365 will probably cost twice what I paid for my Shield with Night Sights.
However when I'm looking at a gun that I will be happy with and shoot well, I'm not going to worry about the extra money...You get what you pay for.
I do not believe in buying a gun based on what it costs!
Like my P320 at $800.00 out the door...I have never once regretted the purchase!
To date it is THE BEST money I ever spent!

Get what you truly want and will in the end be the best for you.
If you need to save up your $$ to do so...Then do IT!
It's unfortunate that she could not or did not both shoot the M&P and feel the rack at the initial purchase.
Though I'm sure she was hoping that the slide would ease up with use.

Lastly good luck with your home situation, hopefully it will stop and you can get back to feeling safe.
However take it as a wake up call to make your home safer, be it cameras or whatever.

Mackie244 / Bud

[johnwilliamson062]

Even if you have the key at the ready, in a high stress situation operating a key lock is not the simplest endeavor. Ever seen a drunk person try to unlock a door? Throw in thick smoke and you are in more trouble.

Picking a lock is extremely simple. If you can perform a full strip of any WWII rifle and re-assemble you can certainly learn to pick a lock in an afternoon and do it quickly practicing a few hours a night for a week. MIT used to publish a very good tutorial.

There are destructive tools for defeating pin locks that require no skill and make a lot less noise than breaking a window. You have to realize the mechanical pieces of a lock that are keeping it from opening are tiny cylinders of metal that are usually made using very cheap material. Some of the cheap locks can be disassembled and uninstalled from the outside with relative ease.

Tube locks greatly increase the skill level to pick and the laser cut key locks are better yet.

Locks keep honest people honest and sometimes provide signals that someone has been where they shouldn't have been. Thinking they provide any further measure of security would be a mistake in my opinion.

[Big Shrek]

Of course, if she wears a gun on her hip out to the mailbox a few times,
might not be any more trouble at all
Being seen armed can solve a few issues with local troublemakers.
The more headache a target is, the less it tends to get targeted.

Pretty sure you can still do that in Georgia on your own property.

And definitely make the call about a Stalker in the area.
That'll get the ball rolling, especially if there ends up being a defensive shooting.

Even Sam's Club has decent 4-camera systems for less than $300 that'll
give decent camera coverage and record any stalking idiots.

[Siggy-06]

I saw you mentioned that she probably couldn't handle a shotgun. Mossberg does make a 500 in .410! Nice and compact and the recoil would be more than manageable. You could even get a shorter length of pull stock and better recoil pad if needed. Springfield's new XDE9 and Walther PK380 have easy to operate slides.

[briandg]

Shrek, wearing a gun around outside of the house to let the bad guys know that there are guns in the house has the effect of letting them know that guns are in the house even when the people aren't home. I'd prefer not to advertise that there are lots of firearms in my home, just like I'd prefer to conceal the whereabouts of my home cash, my wife's jewelry, and that bottle of glenlivet that I keep for special occasions.

My father in law took that to extremes. He stored his guns in a hidden crawlspace under his home, he sawed out the floor and put a trapdoor in a closet, then buried that closet behind cabinets. He never carried a gun out the door unless it was wrapped in blankets, and his children were absolutely forbidden to even talk about guns outside of the home.

[Mal H]

This thread has run the course - time to close it. The OP hasn't contributed to it in over a month, so I have to assume he got out of it what he needed.