Nothing to find out! If an uninvited stranger breaks into my home it is ipso facto proof he is planning to do you harm.
Unfortunately, not every state agrees with that. If someone kicks my door in here in FL, I can blow them away as soon as they cross the threshold and suffer no legal consequences. That is not true in every state, though it should be.
Respectfully, My teenager used to sneak out at night because he was...well a teenager. If my mindset was to shoot first and ask questions later in the darkness of the night...I wonder how I would have felt if I would have shot my own son based on an assumption that no intruder can be assumed friendly? I say at least identify that what you are facing is actually a threat before commencing to fire.
Excellent advise. I have a super bright "beam" type flashlight that sits next to my firearm on my night stand. It has 2 purposes. To enable me to determine if the person going "bump" in the night in my apartment is someone known to me, as well as to blind them. Having tested it on myself when my eyes were dark adapted, I can assure you that it will accomplish the latter. And since I've had lasik and now have 20/15 vision, I'm fairly certain it will also accomplish the former. That said, if the "bump" in the night is a person unknown to me, unless they immediately turn tail and haul ass, they're getting shot. Probably 2 or 3 times.
Last I looked, my children coming into the house quietly were not intruders. As a law abiding gun owner who started handling guns when I bought my first one at 12, I learned never to shoot at anything without identifying it; not a deer, not a hog and dam sure not a person. I had six teen agers, now have12 grand teens, all of whom go out and come in quietly. If you are afraid you may shoot your own kid I would guess you are not a knowledgeable gun handler.
There's an old story that was floating around in the various gun forums a coupla' years ago. This old guy lived in a trailer, and he used the second bedroom as his den/computer room. He was in there one night, much as you and I are now, when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He picked up his sidearm, which was normally stationed beside his PC, much as yours and mine are, and just waited to see what would happen. The steps walked into the bathroom, which was next to the den/PC room. It was quiet for a minute, and then he heard the sound of a man at work on the throne. Our guy picked up his sidearm, and moved very quietly to the bathroom. The intruder was very surprised. Seeing the gun, the visitor remained where he was, and asked what the old boy wanted. As it all worked out, the invader was drunk. He lived in the same trailer park, in a very similar trailer. He thought he had gone home to his own place. I keep that in mind. It's almost impossible to just tell someone how to respond to a stranger in the house. I live alone, so I look at it from that perspective. Go through as many scenarios as you can think of, when you don't have to think of them. Oddly enough, this does plant the seed of an idea in your head when the real thing happens. It's good to have a light mounted on your home defense gun, so you control the gun and light with just one hand. If there's time, use the other hand to hold your phone and get 911 on the line asap. If nothing ends up happening and you have to tell them it was just a precaution, that's OK. If something does happen, you have the 911 recording to help in the court proceedings. Once you make the call, you can just lay the phone on a flat surface. They'll hear everything. If you live with a partner or family, have some kind of plan. Something like: Hubby has the main defensive gun, with light. There's a shotgun in the bedroom closet. In the event of a home invasion, wifey remains in the bedroom, with the shotgun and on the phone to 911. The door is closed and locked. Hubby rounds up the kids, and brings them all to the master bedroom with wifey. There is a simple password, so wifey doesn't let the wrong guy in. It's best for everyone to just hunker down in the protected room after that, until the cops arrive. You're on the phone with 911, and they will tell you when the cops are on scene.
It is always the people who are afraid of guns, who are really afraid of themselves and what they might do. I don't use a flashlight. If I hear a strange noise going "bump" in the night, I push the remote button and the lights go on, I stay in the dark. Some people are just not gun smart. Between hunting from 12 and 27 years carrying a rifle in the Army gun safety is an automatic thing for me. I still hunt at 78, but I can't do the walk anymore. I have a 4 wheel electric ATV that the hogs don't even pay attention too since it is quiet.
Burning a Qur'an on Youtube increases the likelihood that several people will be murdered in response. In both cases these dire consequences are irrelevant, because I have both a right to burn my own property, and defend it. If you have evidence that I intend to use a firearm coercively, lock me up and throw away the key. Until that point, stop treating me like a criminal based on the crimes of others. I am responsible for my own actions, not those of statistical averages.
not always, you may kill an innocent old man with alzheimers, as happened the other day. i meant, i hope you never find out what happens when you shoot someone. and believe me, im not disagreeing with you that an actual intruder would be a very very serious danger to me.
I told you in an earlier post, I have known to identify a target before shooting. BTW, it has happened to me. I shot a guy who broke into my home, I presume because my wife and kids were on a trip to Grandma's house and the car was gone. And like I said, I determined he was a valid target and shot him in the kitchen. I have an electronic system which alerts me when someone breaks in, and I have a remote switch to turn on the lights in the living room and kitchen. When the light popped on he didn't know whether to crap or breath. He had a crowbar in his hand. He was a stranger. I shot him before he could raise the crow bar and shoot. The police came about 3 minutes later, much too slow to defend me had I hot shot. It was a "good shoot" because the dude was a long time criminal burglarizing homes. What you have to understand, is the necessity to identify your target. An old man with Alzheimer would react different when confronted with a light and a gun. Better safe than have your wife sorry you are dead.
Look I started the conversation by saying "Respectfully" and I meant it and I will remain so. However I object to the shoot first and ask questions later comment no matter who it comes from. It is a mindset that can get people into trouble. I wasn't questioning your gun handling skills or your target identification. As to the rest of your post, please don't act like you are the only one who has experience hunting or knowledge of identifying a target. Finally I am not afraid I might shoot my own kid because as I stated I believe that a person should identify the threat before pulling a trigger instead of having a mindset of shooting first and asking questions later. I was simply pointing out that that type of mindset could get a family member killed. Finally you have no idea about mine or anyone else's knowledge of gun handling.
Who is afraid of guns? What is the difference between a flashlight and pushing a remote button that turns lights on. Why does using a flashlight make people not gun smart? - - - Updated - - - Some people have no choice...they are to poor to move or relocate. They need their draconian gun laws changed. I'm glad you wouldn't live in a dinosaur state.
LOL you'll have to do better than that, I'm just an old gun totin, huntin, Retired LEO who needs plain language
No offense, but doesn't the flashlight give your location? And the population of my home town is 433.
That is a risk. But not all of us have remote control lighting, and in any event, if I hit you in the face with my flashlight you won't be able to see a thing.
You missed my point. I was simply answering someone who uses a flashlight by telling him what I do. No one needs draconian gun laws. Pandora's box has been opened for over 200 years as we needed guns to tame a wilderness. I am part Native American, but I recognize that the European settlers needed guns, even to eliminate some of my ancestors. If we removed the guns from law abiding citizens today criminals would still have 100+ million firearms, leaving law abiding citizens at their mercy.
That is one reason I have the front part of my house on a remote control to turn on or off, and the back of my house on a different control. From my BR with a view one way or the other I will be able to ID my target who will be in the light while I am still in the dark. I spec he will crap or go blind. Years ago I had to shoot an intruder and I won't hesitate to do it again. What I never understood was, as much publicity that shoot got locally, no media outside of the area would run it. That struck me as very odd. The MSM never misses an opportunity to publish an illegal shooting of innocent civilians. One other issue, since there are some fools who claim we should not use force in excess of what the criminal uses, let me reiterate how stupid that would be. I am 78 and need all the help I can get on my side, and my twice barreled shutz gun gives me that edge. If the forum would allow it I would tell them just how stupid they are. Never bring a knife to a knife fight, bring a gun so you don't have to get too close.
Turning lights on of any kind kinda gives away the fact that someone is present. Personally The philosophy I teach is that if you don't have to go after said bad guy then don't. Waiting for them to enter the fatal funnel is far better tactically than them waiting for you. If you do have to go after someone...well let me ask, how many people have programmable automatic lights in their house verses how many have flashlights? Since I suspect the majority are flashlight toters then it would behoove them to learn how to use it in a tactical manner. There are ways to mitigate the fact that a flashlight gives away your position. You and I live in towns approximately the same size. I have however lived in much much larger cities. Seen the good the bad and the ugly.
If by turning on the light from my protected doorway where he can't see me may cause him to run like hell, good, saves me the price of a 000 buckshot shell.. Of course if he comes the other way I shoot as soon as I can identify my target, and he still can't see me in the dark. I agree with the wait for him strategy. The flash light will work too and if used properly like the "police stance" it is almost as safe. Of course I have lived in my small town since I retired from the military after 27 years, almost 26 years ago. In my earlier years I have lived in New Orleans, El Paso, TX, Frankfurt and Mannheim Germany, Madrid, Spain; Lucknow, India, Saigon, VN; all of which are big cities. I have spent at least 6 months in Sydney, Australia; Delhi, India - also large cities. I have spent shorter times in Bombay, India; Cairo, Egypt and Beirut, Lebanon; all big cities.At my age I have seen a lot of it too, and believe me when I say, so long as I have my advantage, intruder beware.
That shoot first and ask questions later isn't a good mindset. If someone has a mindset of shoot first and ask questions later....where does target identification come in? - - - Updated - - - Sounds like we are on the same page then
