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Old March 28, 2011, 06:55 AM   #26
Yankee Doodle
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Mutatio
Pardon me for being not PC and very blunt.
What you did was reckless, ill thought out, and stupid. You walked blindly into a situation that could have cost you your life, or put you in a wheelchair for life.
Forget about the concept of "bringing a knife to a gunfight", you could have barged into the center of a group of gangbangers, high on drugs, and bent on destruction. You would have had no chance.
This would have been just as stupid if you had a shotgun in your hands. You had no idea what you were walking into, and this is always a recipe for disaster.
Based on many years of experience, let me offer you a bit of advice. NEVER, but NEVER put your life on the line to protect property that can be replaced, and is probably covered by insurance anyway. Simply not worth it. Stay in the house, behind a locked door, and call in the cavalry. 911 is there for a reason. It may take the cops some time to respond, but they are trained and paid to take those risks. Leave this kind of crap to the pros.
Sorry if I have insulted you, but insults heal faster than gunshot wounds.
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Old March 28, 2011, 08:38 AM   #27
threegun
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Not always the case. At very close range a skilled person may disarm a person armed with a gun. Note that I said "may". No guarantees either way, but never assume having a gun makes a person invincible.
And every now and then rushing a machine gun nest works for somebody. I know you qualified this quote as not guaranteed however the odds are so low of success as to qualify it as suicide.
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Old March 28, 2011, 08:39 AM   #28
Moondew
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Get a small CC camera and plug it into a VCR/DVR etc recording device that can be easily monitored while you notify 911 as appropriate. Give you some extra time to see if its a false alarm while remaining behind a locked door.

Arm yourself as you can BB bat, knife, spray whatever as your dad wishes.
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Old March 29, 2011, 11:40 AM   #29
BRE346
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Monday morning quarterbacking

All these answers are good thinking after the fact. I've read a similar story elsewhere and it brought out the same responses.

We go charging out to protect our property without thinking about what kind of threat we may encounter. We assume we're going to 'take care' of the situation we expect to find. That's not a cat, that's a 'coon'. That's not a 'coon', that's a thief, a burglar, a robber, and he has a gun. Oh s--t, we're in deep trouble.

I admire the martial arts expert who can flip me on my back in half a second, or jam my firearm with one hand so it won't fire. It assumes he can get to me before my gun goes off.

The baton, the bat, the knife, etc. are close-combat weapons. The gun works from across the street. That's where I'll be.
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Old March 29, 2011, 11:58 AM   #30
GatorFlash1
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My suggestions for home defense for you are (1) get rid of those cats, and
(2) get your self a nice little yappie dog like a cockapoo, something that makes lots of noise when alarmed but not able to take the neighbors leg off below the knee if he is returning the gas can he borrowed last Saturday.

My #3 suggestion is to keep the car keys around and if there is a noise outside set off your car alarm with your keys.

#4 dial neighbors, #5 dial 911, #6 take a firearms safety course, get a Remington 870 pump 12 ga, and spend some time at the local skeet and trap range practicing with it. It will only be used if a deadly confrontation is unavoidable. In the meantime it is fun to learn how to bust clay pigeons!

Lastly, do not look for confrontations unless there is absolutely no way to avoid them. If the bad person is outside and you are inside, stay there until you can get help or have verified the coast is clear for you to leave the house.

Now how does that sound?

Last edited by GatorFlash1; March 29, 2011 at 12:04 PM.
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Old March 29, 2011, 12:18 PM   #31
Onward Allusion
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Burglary Scare
Lot's of armchair QB-ing... The bottom line is that you survived a false alarm and you probably learned a few things from it. Mostly good suggestions from the others.

I personally would do everything in my power, short of moving out to get some type of firearm in the house. Keep in mind, just because you can't have a handgun doesn't mean your older family members can't.

A thought... Take up shooting as a sport. Trap is a nice "classy" sport akin to golf that can get family members indoctrinated into firearms.
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Old March 29, 2011, 02:24 PM   #32
Mutatio Nomenis
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Thanks for all the responses. I'll convince them to keep the garage closed and I will look into getting a paintball gun. It won't be as good as a real gun, but frozen paintballs can seriously hurt someone. I plan on getting the air gun so I can practice technique for the functional model I will buy when of age. My Dad was vexed because I went out there with a knife. Apparently, it would have been perfectly okay if I had gone out with nothing at all and was mad that I had grabbed a weapon. He is confident in security and was more concerned that I would have stabbed myself. Do not try to understand the British when it comes to self defense. My friend has a shotgun for sale that he's never fired. I'm considering taking him up on his offer.

Last edited by Mutatio Nomenis; March 29, 2011 at 02:30 PM.
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Old March 29, 2011, 02:51 PM   #33
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To reiterate, it wasn't your lack of a good weapon that was the problem. It was how you reacted to the situation.

If this happens again and you go running out (with a shotgun this time) only to find one of your neighbors bumped into something in your garage while they were bringing you a plate of cookies, things can get sour really fast. And you just may have time to think about it in jail.
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Old March 29, 2011, 04:10 PM   #34
Mutatio Nomenis
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^ Not intending to fight, but I remember that the quote was: "Why the hell did you use a bloody knife? Don't be so rediculous! If you're going to check outside, then just check-don't do something stupid like bring a weapon!"
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Old March 30, 2011, 01:27 PM   #35
WW2
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Lots of good suggestions, but prepare now!

Okay, there are a lot of good suggestions here, however other than closing the garage door, I see nothing that talks of security before the fact.

Most local police departments will come to your house and give you a security assessment. Some things will include:

1. ALWAYS close and lock all doors. Locks should be sturdy and well installed. Lock the door from the garage to the house with a sturdy lock!
2. Keep windows locked. If you keep them open for ventilation, open them just enough for air circulation and have a positive stop to prevent unauthorized opening and entry from the outside.
3. Use security film on windows to prevent the "rock" entry method.
4. Use lighting to keep areas around the house and garage visible.
5. Remove shrubs and other plants from around windows and doors if they offer a hiding place for anyone trying to break in or ambush you.
6. Install solid wood or steel doors as the typical hollow core doors used in most construction are easy to breach.
7. Get a good dog for security. Small dogs that are rated as good watchdogs (not guarddogs) are Yorkshire Terriers and West Highland White terriers. I have both and they let me know when the neighbors four houses away open their car doors! For large dogs, retrievers and shepherds are good. These large dogs are good for outside as well. The small dogs are called coyote bait if they are outside at night and Eagle food during the day!
8. Have a family response plan, and practice it, for possible scenarios of burglary, invasion, fire, flood, earthquake, etc.

This is just a start; however with before-the-fact security you become a hard target and the BG will probably go elsewhere thus minimizing your need for arms. However, an 870 or 357 is a good line of defense if other security measures are breached.

By approaching your family with this type of security plan in mind, you can do a lot without even mentioning arms for defensive purposes. Also, research the types of crimes against residences in your local area so you can show the family that it can, and does happen in your neighborhood!

Finally, as others have stated, don't bother to protect your personal property just get it insured as it is easy to replace but your life is not easy to replace. Using arms (deadly force) is only acceptable in self defense or defense of others if life or severe bodily injury is going to be used against you. FYI, rape is considered by most jurisdictions to be justifcation for the use of deadly force; even here in California!
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Old March 30, 2011, 11:49 PM   #36
Achilles11B
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I think the do's/don't's/what-if's of this particular HD-ish situation have been covered adequately enough for me to not waste more time on them. Lots of good answers already, no use regurgitating what others have said on that aspect.

Age notwithstanding, it's his house. I'm a 27-year-old firearm owner. When I got out of the Army, I stayed with my parents until I got my place settled. I kept my firearms with me in my parents' house. Not because of the absolute need to have firearms in the house, but because my parents, as owners of the house, extended me that courtesy. If your dad decides one day to own a firearm, help him with the process of selecting and purchasing it. If he chooses not to, you can discuss it with him from your standpoint and try to convince him of the pro's of firearm ownership. But at the end of the day, whether you're 18, 28, 108, whatever, it is his house, he'll decided what's what around there. If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you want the same courtesy?
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Old April 13, 2011, 09:15 AM   #37
cnimrod
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get a dog

send him in first. Yes dogs are lot of responsibility but so is a weapon,

I wonder about the learn how to use a knife advice. getting that up close and personal to stick someone can't be an easy thing to do. I'd prefer a baseball bat and a lot easier to control esp. if the stumbling drunk in your garage happens to be your best friend who just had a fight with his girlfriend.
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Old April 13, 2011, 09:45 AM   #38
jibberjabber
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Instead of confronting a burglar with yelling and knife wielding, which could result in deadly force retaliation, just let him know the police are on the way. That will make him leave faster than anything. (It could also lead to an arrest—preventing more crime.)
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