When YOU aren't ready...

BillCA · November 30, 2004, 02:04 AM

I originally posted this on another board and it stirred up some interesting conversation. I though y'all would find this thought provoking.

Lots of good discussions here but no one has posted a thread like this so I will, since a recent incident showed me that Murphy was right - anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

The Reality Scenario:
It's in the wee hours just past o'-dark-thirty and you're asleep, resting up for another day of slaving away to earn ammo money. The days have been warm but the nights cool so you have a window ajar for ventilation and through it you hear the jangling sound of breaking glass. Since you live in a condo or townhome it could be your window or that of a neighbor. But the senses command you Battle alert! and you sit up, grab your trusty 1911 (or whatever house gun) throw the covers off, stand up and ...

1. Realize that your eyes are nearly glued shut with "sleep" and it's blurring your vision.

2. Smokers, asthmatics and allergy sufferers trying to take a deep breath are suddenly forced to cough (some worse than others) to clear their airways.

3. Your eyeglasses are on the nightstand (or dresser).

4. Dressed in your BVD's is a tactical error as they are light colored or white - very nice for the BG in the darkness. And they detract from your fierce, manly persona. Those wearing boxers might have to deal with Mr. Willie trying to see whats going on too -- very un-macho.

5. Mother nature is a bitch because you really have to pee.

6. The approaching army band is just your own heart pounding in your ears.

7. Those stiff (arthritic) joint(s) object to certain movements you are trying to make -- like pointing a 2 pound chunk of steel down the hallway.

8. Your nose is running (or worse stuffed up) making you repeatedly sniff/snort or breathe through your mouth.

9. When you try to yell out in your best John Wayne voice "Alright, who's there?" it sounds more like a frightened Don Knotts going through puberty.

10. Some will forget if there is a round chambered in their autopistol and rack the slide. Either you realize you were standing there with an empty chamber (Stoopid!) or you've just dropped a live round on the carpet (Stoopid too!).

11. The remote-control lighting fixture you spent $29.95 for works, however the living-room lamp it controls takes this opportunity to go plink as the $0.69 bulb burns out.

12. The Darth Vader breathing sound is your own as you're trying to carefully peer through the darkness or see into the rest of the house.

A recent visit to a friend's house taught these lessons. In all, there were 3 of us staying the night for a range shoot the next day. The above collection is distilled from the viewpoints of all three of us after awakening under less than ideal circumstances. The glass? It was simply a thermal shocked window on a neighbor's house that shattered when the temp dropped in the early morning hours.
__________________
BillC in CA (unfortunately)
Webmaster, Taking on Gun Control - http://dragon.hematite.com
A gun in the hand beats a cop on the phone

pbass · November 30, 2004, 05:29 PM

You can train yourself to wake up at the slightest non-household sound in a state of heightened awareness with no warm-up period. I did it. Anyone can. Also the slightest sound from the kids wakes me up (I can add this or subtract it at will, depending).

Get a good flashlight. I bought three for the kids to play with. They're forbidden to play with the bedside Polystinger. I also have a Photon Freedom in my back pocket all the time.

Tom2 · November 30, 2004, 06:04 PM

I tend to wake up from the slightest sound and fairly quickly can listen and try to figure out what is going on, too. Which is a real pain in the , as then I have to get back to sleep and am tired at work the next day. The sounds? Likely pets playing or knocking things over, in most cases. One night years ago in an apt., I guess I was dreaming of bad guys, and was woken by some people outside the front door coming home or some such. The mind blended the two experiences together. I rolled out of bed, racked a round into the 1911, flicked on the safety, all automatically by the book and proceded into the living room with gun in hand, till I realised what I was doing, took a deep breath, and went back to bed. I guess I was gonna see who was gonna come thru the door or something. Never did anything unsafe, per se, but unusual experience made me wonder...

Lomshek · November 30, 2004, 06:38 PM

1) My surefire is always next to my bed, I don't need to turn on a light. I have the homefield advantage and can blind them while behind cover.

2) Always seem to wake up fast when it might matter.

3) If you need it to see it should be next to the flashlight.

4) Have never stopped to put on pants because times a-wasting! If someone is breaking into my house it will not be hand-to-hand until I'm out of ammo (and then somebody is getting their nose bit off)!

5) Of course a round is chambered! What good is a gun that's not fully loaded (always).

Remember, you own the ground and know the layout so you have a small advantage. Practice with a flashlight in your house to learn angles of visibility.

Avizpls · November 30, 2004, 08:10 PM

Quote:

What good is a gun that's not fully loaded

Good point. After a recent discussion here, that has become my policy. Although I learned a gun with no round in the chamber is still loaded

Chiram2003 · December 1, 2004, 01:29 AM

While it has been a while since I was in any situation like this, I did find that when it did happen (and only happened once), I was prepared. Unlike most people, though, I do not rely on pistols. I rely on a good old fashioned Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip. I know, not nearly subtle, but no one mistakes the sound of a pump shotgun chambering a round. Anyway, with the proper placement of the Stinger (surprisingly fits well in the groove of the barrel and magazine tube), I was off. Unfortunately, it was my wife coming in from the store. Did I check to see if she had awakened from the noise? No. Should I have? A debate for later in life...mainly if I ever see her again. Completely different series of events. But, the point. Quick timing, quick thinking, and preparedness will prevail, even from the slumber of 2am.

LAK · December 1, 2004, 03:17 AM

Quote:

5. Mother nature is a bitch because you really have to pee.

If necessary, do so where you sit or stand. This is what soldiers have often had to do, and is part of the training of recon troopers, snipers etc - if nature calls and it is a matter of life and death, life is the better choice.

Quote:

9. When you try to yell out in your best John Wayne voice "Alright, who's there?" it sounds more like a frightened Don Knotts going through puberty.

Yelling out "who's there" is probably not a wise thing to do in most cases. Firstly one should have his or her household organized well enough that it is known beforehand if a household member will be coming in after you have gone to bed. And if I suspect someone has broken a window to enter my home, I probably do not need to know their name at that point.

Quote:

10. Some will forget if there is a round chambered in their autopistol and rack the slide. Either you realize you were standing there with an empty chamber (Stoopid!) or you've just dropped a live round on the carpet (Stoopid too!).

Keeping the tools in the same place, in the same condition, all of the time, one does not have to worry about the word "forget" in this context.

Quote:

11. The remote-control lighting fixture you spent $29.95 for works, however the living-room lamp it controls takes this opportunity to go plink as the $0.69 bulb burns out.

Having carefully situated lights directed away from the starting point - in this case the bedroom - with manual switches will help if the remote switch to the livingroom fixture or the bulb fail. A small powerful flashlight can be held in reserve.

DarkKnight01 · December 4, 2004, 01:11 PM

Interesting, many have made good points so far so ill just add my thoughts

Instead of a flashlight for your "home protector" weapon get a rail light... using a flashlight with a pistol can be trickier than it sounds... having the light attached to the weapon makes it far more efficient, pointing the light source wherever your weapon is without having to think about what your doing with your left hand or weak hand makes for a much less complicated situation... especially if your half asleep...

as others have said im the kinda guy that can sleep thru the kids tearing down the house... but touch my front door handle or my bedroom door handle and im awake instantly... having learned this from sleeping in the day and working night hours for a number of years, u learn to block out alot of "normal sounds" and wake up to the abnormal, its a good practice to pay attention to the sounds of your home at night as the silence of the night can bring out some pretty strange sounds, such as, the furnace kicking on, fridge, freezer, neighbors up late etc.

hmm and thats about all i have to add =) good points tho from everyone.

November 30, 2004, 02:04 AM	#1
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	When YOU aren't ready... I originally posted this on another board and it stirred up some interesting conversation. I though y'all would find this thought provoking. Lots of good discussions here but no one has posted a thread like this so I will, since a recent incident showed me that Murphy was right - anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. The Reality Scenario: It's in the wee hours just past o'-dark-thirty and you're asleep, resting up for another day of slaving away to earn ammo money. The days have been warm but the nights cool so you have a window ajar for ventilation and through it you hear the jangling sound of breaking glass. Since you live in a condo or townhome it could be your window or that of a neighbor. But the senses command you Battle alert! and you sit up, grab your trusty 1911 (or whatever house gun) throw the covers off, stand up and ... 1. Realize that your eyes are nearly glued shut with "sleep" and it's blurring your vision. 2. Smokers, asthmatics and allergy sufferers trying to take a deep breath are suddenly forced to cough (some worse than others) to clear their airways. 3. Your eyeglasses are on the nightstand (or dresser). 4. Dressed in your BVD's is a tactical error as they are light colored or white - very nice for the BG in the darkness. And they detract from your fierce, manly persona. Those wearing boxers might have to deal with Mr. Willie trying to see whats going on too -- very un-macho. 5. Mother nature is a bitch because you really have to pee. 6. The approaching army band is just your own heart pounding in your ears. 7. Those stiff (arthritic) joint(s) object to certain movements you are trying to make -- like pointing a 2 pound chunk of steel down the hallway. 8. Your nose is running (or worse stuffed up) making you repeatedly sniff/snort or breathe through your mouth. 9. When you try to yell out in your best John Wayne voice "Alright, who's there?" it sounds more like a frightened Don Knotts going through puberty. 10. Some will forget if there is a round chambered in their autopistol and rack the slide. Either you realize you were standing there with an empty chamber (Stoopid!) or you've just dropped a live round on the carpet (Stoopid too!). 11. The remote-control lighting fixture you spent $29.95 for works, however the living-room lamp it controls takes this opportunity to go plink as the $0.69 bulb burns out. 12. The Darth Vader breathing sound is your own as you're trying to carefully peer through the darkness or see into the rest of the house. A recent visit to a friend's house taught these lessons. In all, there were 3 of us staying the night for a range shoot the next day. The above collection is distilled from the viewpoints of all three of us after awakening under less than ideal circumstances. The glass? It was simply a thermal shocked window on a neighbor's house that shattered when the temp dropped in the early morning hours. __________________ BillC in CA (unfortunately) Webmaster, Taking on Gun Control - http://dragon.hematite.com A gun in the hand beats a cop on the phone

November 30, 2004, 06:04 PM	#3
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Me too I tend to wake up from the slightest sound and fairly quickly can listen and try to figure out what is going on, too. Which is a real pain in the , as then I have to get back to sleep and am tired at work the next day. The sounds? Likely pets playing or knocking things over, in most cases. One night years ago in an apt., I guess I was dreaming of bad guys, and was woken by some people outside the front door coming home or some such. The mind blended the two experiences together. I rolled out of bed, racked a round into the 1911, flicked on the safety, all automatically by the book and proceded into the living room with gun in hand, till I realised what I was doing, took a deep breath, and went back to bed. I guess I was gonna see who was gonna come thru the door or something. Never did anything unsafe, per se, but unusual experience made me wonder...

November 30, 2004, 06:38 PM	#4
Lomshek Member Join Date: November 14, 2004 Location: Pittsburg, KS Posts: 15	What works for me 1) My surefire is always next to my bed, I don't need to turn on a light. I have the homefield advantage and can blind them while behind cover. 2) Always seem to wake up fast when it might matter. 3) If you need it to see it should be next to the flashlight. 4) Have never stopped to put on pants because times a-wasting! If someone is breaking into my house it will not be hand-to-hand until I'm out of ammo (and then somebody is getting their nose bit off)! 5) Of course a round is chambered! What good is a gun that's not fully loaded (always). Remember, you own the ground and know the layout so you have a small advantage. Practice with a flashlight in your house to learn angles of visibility.

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November 30, 2004, 05:29 PM	#2
pbass Member Join Date: September 23, 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 65	You can train yourself to wake up at the slightest non-household sound in a state of heightened awareness with no warm-up period. I did it. Anyone can. Also the slightest sound from the kids wakes me up (I can add this or subtract it at will, depending). Get a good flashlight. I bought three for the kids to play with. They're forbidden to play with the bedside Polystinger. I also have a Photon Freedom in my back pocket all the time.

December 1, 2004, 01:29 AM	#6
Chiram2003 Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2004 Location: Camden, AR Posts: 109	While it has been a while since I was in any situation like this, I did find that when it did happen (and only happened once), I was prepared. Unlike most people, though, I do not rely on pistols. I rely on a good old fashioned Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip. I know, not nearly subtle, but no one mistakes the sound of a pump shotgun chambering a round. Anyway, with the proper placement of the Stinger (surprisingly fits well in the groove of the barrel and magazine tube), I was off. Unfortunately, it was my wife coming in from the store. Did I check to see if she had awakened from the noise? No. Should I have? A debate for later in life...mainly if I ever see her again. Completely different series of events. But, the point. Quick timing, quick thinking, and preparedness will prevail, even from the slumber of 2am.

December 4, 2004, 01:11 PM	#8
DarkKnight01 Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2004 Posts: 173	Interesting, many have made good points so far so ill just add my thoughts Instead of a flashlight for your "home protector" weapon get a rail light... using a flashlight with a pistol can be trickier than it sounds... having the light attached to the weapon makes it far more efficient, pointing the light source wherever your weapon is without having to think about what your doing with your left hand or weak hand makes for a much less complicated situation... especially if your half asleep... as others have said im the kinda guy that can sleep thru the kids tearing down the house... but touch my front door handle or my bedroom door handle and im awake instantly... having learned this from sleeping in the day and working night hours for a number of years, u learn to block out alot of "normal sounds" and wake up to the abnormal, its a good practice to pay attention to the sounds of your home at night as the silence of the night can bring out some pretty strange sounds, such as, the furnace kicking on, fridge, freezer, neighbors up late etc. hmm and thats about all i have to add =) good points tho from everyone.