What's keeping you protected?

[45Gunner]

I never leave home without my Kimber SS Pro Carry tucked into my Galco OWB holster. I also have a fanny pack which stays in the car which holds my credit cards, cash, keys, and a Glock 36 which is my emergency back up gun.
When I get home, I put my Kimber on a specially made gun stand which is on my night table. It also holds an extra mag, flashlight, and my eyeglasses.

But, i am not in bed until late at night and spend my evenings (when I am at home) in either my family room, home office, or screened in patio. I keep several guns hidden about the house. They are in places that most anyone would never look yet they are easily accessible to me. About 1/2 of my gun totting buddies do the same thing. The other half think we are too cautious. I have my personal reasons.

A recent conversation got me thinking about how many people that carry daily keep guns accessible within their house?

1. Do you carry every day?
2. Do you keep a night table gun or rifle nearby?
3. Do you keep other loaded guns, rifles, or shotguns throughout the house?
4. Do you have a 4 legged early warning system and/or house alarm?

Just as a point of reference, i was once the victim of an armed home invasion robbery while I was living on the 14th story of a high rise building. I never thought I would be robbed, never mind an armed robbery. All my guns were in the safe. Never again. In fact, I was shot during that robbery and playing dead saved my life. Long, long story which I am glad I am able to tell, but not here.

[Brotherbadger]

Sig P220 is both my carry gun, and my night stand gun.
I do not carry every day(work doesn't allow it, some days i don't leave the house after work). If i go out after work, i will have my carry gun on me.

Yes, i keep a gun in my night stand.

My AR is loaded in my bedroom closet(20 feet from my bed). My shotgun is also in there, but i do not keep it loaded as it's setup for hunting, not HD.

I do not have any type of alarm system. My apartment is pretty small, so i have no problem hearing if someone is breaking in. Once we buy a house, i plan on having an alarm system installed.

[Tucker 1371]

At home I usually keep my 1911 on my person while awake and roaming about. At night I am now keeping my Keltec KSG loaded with 12 aguila mini buck and 11 aguila mini slugs next to the bed (chamber empty, tube selector set to buck).

[TailGator]

I carry daily, everywhere legal. The same pistol is nearby holstered or on me when I am at home, including in the top drawer of my nightstand when I am in bed. I lay out the pistol, a spare mag, and a good small flashlight right to left, and the arrangement is the same at home or away. My wife does something similar with her EDC.

All other firearms are secured. I have visitors often enough that I don't leave loaded guns secured only by my belief that they won't be found. That is just my standard; if it isn't yours, find a way to be absolutely certain that you are as good at hiding things as you think you are. I'm not sure how to do that, which is why my hiding places have locks.

Four leggers? I have had dogs all my life, but right now I only have two watch cats. My wife and I have been talking about remedying that. We have a granddog that lives nearby and is very sweet but takes her security duties very seriously. Fine kind of dog to have. This particular one is half Weimeraner and half traveling salesman, so not reliable reproducible.

[Wyosmith]

In the same way "Guns don't kill people. People kill people", guns don't defend you. You defend you!

You mind is your weapon. Everything you can put in your hands is only the tool you use.

With that said, I believe you can say that any gun you can use well and that is reliable is a good tool to use to defend yourself. Some are more suited for a give task just as a chain saw is better suited for cutting 12 inch trees than a hand saw, but both work well in the hands of a skilled worker.

People reading and posting on this site are all probably gun-lovers. So we all like to discuss and debate the relative merits and pitfalls of this gun vs that gun. That’s all fun.
But please…NEVER LOOSE SIGHT of the fact that in a deadly confrontation the fight is going to go to the fighter who is better trained mentally, and who can keep his cool.
The tool he or she uses is only going to be a very small part of the confrontation in comparison to the man using it. The margin will widen when we are talking about entire armies facing each other in open combat over spans of time that allow those armies to understand the tactics and weaknesses of the other side, but for day in day out situations outside of an open war, the gun is going to be the least important part of the equation. Maybe 2%
Mindset and situational awareness are going to be 98% of the fight.

To quote;
Just as a point of reference, i was once the victim of an armed home invasion robbery while I was living on the 14th story of a high rise building. I never thought I would be robbed, never mind an armed robbery. All my guns were in the safe. Never again. In fact, I was shot during that robbery and playing dead saved my life. Long, long story which I am glad I am able to tell, but not here.

That one line "never again" is the focus of my whole point here. Never again means the mind set has changed. Never again means that this man is no longer going to be lulled into a false since of security and safety. Never again means this man is not going to live a life of unawareness.
If he had a 22 revolver or an AK-47 would matter very little to the thugs if they tried to surprise him again. My guess is that the tables would be turned a lot faster on the "2nd go-around" because this man now understands at a heart level more than many men understand at a head-level. The AK would be a better choice between the 2 guns mentioned, but the ability and willingness to use them coupled with a high degree of skill in their use would probably slant the playing field in favor of the man posting this, or at least level that playing field a LOT.

[dayman]

I carry a Glock 19 everywhere it's legal (which doesn't include work).
I do generally carry when I'm at home if I'm out and about in the yard or shop. But I generally don't feel the need to carry when I'm lounging around the house.
My general rule of thumb is that if I'm wearing pants and a belt I have my gun. If I'm wearing gym shorts or sweats I'm not.

I have small kids so my guns are either on me or in a safe, but I do have a quick access safe bolted through the bottom of my bedside table, so it's kind of like a "nightstand gun".
When it's not on me, that's where my glock lives.

My rifles are locked up in my office, but I do keep a shotgun in the downstairs closet. It's more for 4-legged varmints than 2, but from one end of the hall to the other I'm guessing even turkey shot would be pretty effective.

We also have 2 large dogs, and live far out in the woods in a very small and close knit cluster of houses (mostly family), so crime isn't really an issue.

[Fugit1ve Wizard]

Yes to all of the OP's questions...even when i'm in the shower I have my Glock 17 (daily carry) underneath or in my pile of clothing for the day. I also find it crucial to carry a flashlight and fixed blade knife. Martial Arts training will help in fighting skill and maintaining physical readiness. My four legged alarm system is only a Dane puppy in training though
If that fails then I have a Mav 88 field model accessible with 5 rds of 00 buck, and it doesn't hurt that my girlfriend is equally as capable with any of my weapons

[jcwit]

Do I carry? Absolutely!

Whats my daily carry? Presently a CPX2.

At home? Not really, but there is a 9mm at the end table where I sit most of the time. There are various other handguns placed thruout the house.

[Ryu825]

I too have been robbed at gunpoint, twice. The first time had me terrified of guns. Then it happened again. Now I understand that I need to be prepared to live or die at a moments notice. I trained bjj for a while, am gonna start kickboxing, if that goes well then on to Muay Thai. I carry whatever gun fits the environment at all times if possible. My coworkers are used to seeing me with my knife now. I don't keep guns everywhere in my house cause I have roommates that are against it. They've never had to look down the barrel of a strange gun and give up their belongings before. My solution? I'm never without a gun on my hip whenever I'm at home even if I'm using the toilet or washing dishes. I don't keep my gun on my nightstand mainly cause it's right next to the door but also because it's just too far for me. I like my gun under my pillow right next to my hand when I sleep. That's close enough.

[fastbolt]

1. Do you carry every day?
2. Do you keep a night table gun or rifle nearby?
3. Do you keep other loaded guns, rifles, or shotguns throughout the house?
4. Do you have a 4 legged early warning system and/or house alarm?

1. No
2. Yes. Handgun, in my bedroom, most of the time.
3. NO
4. No/No (Might reconsider the alarm option, with the new integration of cable/alarm services)


I've been threatened more times than I can remember, both on & off-duty after entering LE, and also before I entered LE, and I've probably endured my fair share of being threatened & attacked.

Before I entered LE I was robbed at knife-point, with the guy trying his best to stab me. I was unarmed at the time, but managed to prevent him from stabbing/cutting me. I've been threatened at various times with physical force or some weapon.

After entering LE I had someone fire 2 rounds into my moving car one night (both struck a rear/side window, missing me up front), and the off-duty weapon I was carrying served no purpose in that incident.

That said, I still don't go about armed ALL the time now that I'm retired. Nor do I scatter/hide guns around the house. I seldom go about my property armed.

After having been a practitioner of the martial arts since '71, carrying a badge/ID card & gun since '82 and having spent more than 20 years as a LE firearms instructor, I have some grasp of the potential inherent risks involved in living in a society. I may have to live with a certain amount of unavoidable exposure to some degree of daily risk, depending on my location & activities, but I'm not willing to let it cause me to live with an unreasonable fear of imminent attack.

Naturally, my answers are very basic and might change at any time due to awareness & risk assessment considerations on any given day.

When my (local) grand daughter is staying for a sleepover I make sure she can't gain access to any of my firearms. (I bought my gun-safe when my kids were between the ages of my grand daughters. ) All of my knives & swords are a bit more difficult to keep locked away, so we've discussed those and she isn't interested in them.

My choices work for me, which is all that concerns me.

[Sport45]

What's keeping you protected?

Me.

[Ccctennis]

Edit. Too much info.

Those are my defenses that I am willing to talk about
We won't get into blunt trauma weapons and where they are located.

[Vireye]

I used to carry everyday. To, and from, work. Once at work it was secured in a locker (most of the staff carried, and we all followed a similar practice stemming from an incident where an off-duty guard was assaulted after work by someone he ****** off earlier in the day while on shift).

Now, unfortunately, I work a door-to-door sales position. My company doesn't allow carry at the branch office, and the uniform doesn't allow for concealed carry (which is prohibited anyway), and since I work 11am to 9pm every day except sunday, I VERY rarely get to carry anything anymore.

It was actually a bit unnerving at first...

[9miller]

Ii carry everywhere legal anytime possible, even throughout my apartment on the third floor. I found an inexpensive alarm system at Lowes which has a four digit code and can be set when your home going to bed, if the door even cracks everyone nearby will be awakened with a 120 decibel siren, including my my two small yappers. I can do without the alarm if needed knowing the pups would awake me, which happened when my roommate had a seizure at 1:30 am, but I like the back up. My carry pistol goes on my nightstand and my fiance has her pistol on hers along with a 20gauge pump loaded with buckshot in the closet a step away from her side of the bed. The most important thing to remember is to get into a habit of locking the door EVERYTIME. I slipped up 2 days ago and wasn't expecting anyone as the lady was shopping and I was home alone, she came home early and as the door cracked I went for the draw I have practiced many many times, I got my hand on the grip as I saw her face, the pistol never came out of the holster but I was ready to deploy if it was an unrecognizable. That right there was a slap in my face as a incident could have happened because I forgot to lock the door after a walk, but as well as a pat on the back knowing that in a startled situation and peak adrenaline for a half second, I reverted to my training without hesitation or thinking of my draw process, and was ready to face the situation if it was an unwanted.
Alarms and dogs are great for knowing there is a presence around, and a firearm of any kind is a great tool for defense, but training until your mind and body become sync with one another is the weapon, and is all too often overlooked.
9miller

[jr24]

I generally put my CCW (currently a Glock 21, but often a 1911) on the hip every morning and keep it on me everywhere legal. It goes in the night stand safe at night when I'm sleeping 2 feet away.

1. Do you carry every day?
2. Do you keep a night table gun or rifle nearby?
3. Do you keep other loaded guns, rifles, or shotguns throughout the house?
4. Do you have a 4 legged early warning system and/or house alarm?

1. Most days, occasionally I don't put real pants on (weekends) and leave the gun upstairs in the safe. I'm debating a Ruger LCR in the pocket for these days.
2. Yep
3. Only my CCW/HD gun is loaded, all others are kept in a locker unloaded
4. Multiple 4 legged systems here, sadly one of the cats is a better night time system than the dog. The dog really likes her sleep.

[Onward Allusion]

A recent conversation got me thinking about how many people that carry daily keep guns accessible within their house?

1. Do you carry every day?
2. Do you keep a night table gun or rifle nearby?
3. Do you keep other loaded guns, rifles, or shotguns throughout the house?
4. Do you have a 4 legged early warning system and/or house alarm?

Except for being in bed or being nakid, I carry 24x7 - - - PERIOD.

At the office, it's my NAA Mini w/laser. In the work parking lot, I slip a P3AT w/laser in the back pocket and a couple of extra mags on my belt. When I get home, I slip on a S&W 2nd gen Sigma w/laser in 9mm with the NAA in my pocket. When I am out and about on the weekends or away from work, I have a P11 w/laser & an extra mag in a Sneaky Pete and the P3AT as or a 43C w/laser as BUG. Yes, I totally believe in lasers for close-up shots. Irons for further distances.

Nightstand gun, er - yup.

Loaded guns throughout, er - yup.

Layered security, er - yup. You come with 30 feet of my house and I got you on video, among other things.

Sounds a little on the paranoid side, eh? Nope. I had a quad bypass was was pretty much dead 9 months ago. A ticked off 12 YO with a good punch could kill me.

[Buzzcook]

I'm sorry so many people live in post-apocalyptic hellscapes.

I live in a low crime area, I have good locks and a barky dog. The shotgun by the bed is more a nostalgic relic than anything else.

[psyfly]

The shotgun by the bed is more a nostalgic relic than anything else

I've got one like that, too. Let's hope they stay that way .

Oh, I keep a Security Six on the bedside table, as well, with wadcutters.

W.

P.S. to OnwardAllusion: Best of health to ya. I had a triple bypass a bit over five years ago and my health gets better every day! Oh, and go take a few hours of Krav Maga instruction; low impact (for you) and high satisfaction (you might can kick that 12 year-old's heiner) .

[psyfly]

I forgot to answer the OP .

1. Do you carry every day? Usually, although, since I work for the Department of Defense, I'm not allowed to defend myself on the job.

2. Do you keep a night table gun or rifle nearby? See post above.

3. Do you keep other loaded guns, rifles, or shotguns throughout the house? Yep, but there's nothing tactical about it, that's just where I keep 'em.

4. Do you have a 4 legged early warning system and/or house alarm? Alas, no.

I, also, deny paranoia whenever able.

W.

[Deaf Smith]

What's keeping you protected?

Good locks, good neighbors, good burglar alarms, good dogs, street sense, and maybe just a bit, S&W J .38 and Glock 26.

There are far more to protection than guns folks. Far far more.

Deaf

[4V50 Gary]

Agree with Deaf Smith. A good security system is multi-layered. Resorting to firearms is the last line of defense.

[Jay24bal]

1. Do you carry every day?
2. Do you keep a night table gun or rifle nearby?
3. Do you keep other loaded guns, rifles, or shotguns throughout the house?
4. Do you have a 4 legged early warning system and/or house alarm?

1. Yes. Work allows it. And I carry at home.
2. Yes, both my wife and I keep our carry guns within arms reach while we sleep, along with an AR under the bed. We have no kids yet.
3. We also keep one other gun within quick access as we have issues with coyotes and...
4. We have two dogs, a boxer and a miniature dachshund. While the boxer is big and threatening looking enough she is a giant teddy bear. The dachshund is all of 10 pounds and will roll over for a belly rub before she ever hurts a fly. We have a monitored security system. We also have reinforced locks and dead bolts on all three entry doors.

We live in a quite neighborhood (0 murders in the last 15 years, an average of 1 rape a year, an average of 1 robbery a year, and about 10 burglaries a year). Yet, we realize that WE are the best defense we have. Stay vigilant, pay attention to your surroundings, and be prepared for all that you can. Just because crime is 1/4 of the national average in my city, does not mean it can not happen here.

[colbad]

Mostly common sense and good judgement. Sounds like many of you live in a combat zone or have been watching too many movies.....good grief! After being on the job for 25 years its my experience that random home invasions and violent crime generally finds those who court it. I am by no means opposed to common sense security, but I can honestly say that I have never seen a random home invasion where the owner was not involved in something illicit.

[45Gunner]

After being on the job for 25 years its my experience that random home invasions and violent crime generally finds those who court it. I am by no means opposed to common sense security, but I can honestly say that I have never seen a random home invasion where the owner was not involved in something illicit.

Sure wish I lived where you do.

When I fell victim to a home invasion robbery and got shot, I was living on the 14th floor of a high rise building located in one of the most exclusive and affluent areas of South Florida. I was an Airline Captain and on my off days an avid boater and art collector. The detectives theorize that the BG's were staking out the art gallery where I did my dealings and followed me home on more that one occasion. On the day of this dastardly deed, my boat was at a marina instead of my dock having some maintenance performed. They most likely thought I was not at home. To say something illicit was happening at my residence couldn't be further from the truth.

After this incident, I moved from the "security" of a high rise and into a small, gated community. Right after 9/11, I became a Federal Agent dealing with counter terrorism. I carried a gun everywhere, including airplanes. Try getting that kind of a clearance if one were involved in illicit dealings.

So, my friend, your hip shot observation has just been blown out of the water.

[spacecoast]

Like some of the others have pointed out, self protection is a combination of making good choices about where you live, where you go on a daily basis and about layering your defenses with alarms, dogs, neighbors, readily available guns, concealed carry, etc.

So, my friend, your hip shot observation has just been blown out of the water.

Of course there are exceptions, innocent citizens are the victims of crime quite frequently. I think the point was that being involved in illicit activity puts you in closer proximity to and at much greater risk of such situations, and is a very valid point.