HD: To surprise or not to surprise...that is the question

[breakinparts]

Depends on where I am in the house. The 870 isn't chambered after reading this thread. However, my G36 is ready to go.

 

[jwglock]

Locked and cocked... but I will give a warning-

The first two in your chest is the warning, if you dont hit the floor the next one is in your face!

 

[Denny347]

I've seen discussions before about how you would handle a home invasion and wanted to see what the general consensus was, and why you feel it is the appropriate thing to do.

I choose to already have one in the chamber...no need to rack one. Sure it sounds cool, and may scare the living crap out of the BG, but that isn't why I have my 12 ga. It is to eliminate the threat, and I see no advantage to rack one to give the BG a warning, and in certain situations, delays my ability to react. Plus, if you were attempting to be in stealth mode, racking your shotgun certainly would make that difficult.

Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is one you lose.

 

[kevinj110]

Locked and cocked... but I will give a warning-

The first two in your chest is the warning, if you don't hit the floor the next one is in your face!

This is the way I see it. I feel that if the first two wasn't enough to make you go down or at least want to, the third will make cherry pie of your gourd.

 

[Steve]

The 2nd to last thing I ever want to do is shoot someone. The 1st is to GET shot by someone instead of defending myself or my family.

For that reason, the Mossy stands at attention next to the bed with an empty chamber. There is plenty of nasty stuff in the magazine and the sound of racking one into the chamber will prevent 99% of the BGs from coming any further. There is nothing in the front area of my home worth killing someone over. But come down the hall and all bets are off.

So far as giving my position away, well this ain't Vietnam and I am not afraid of some BG knowing that I mean business. Grabbing the Mossy, racking some evil into the chamber, rolling off to the far side of the bed. and laying the barrel on the door way (yes, I practice) is fine with me. A motion sensor with a light attached will backlight anyone who tries to come down the hall and when the BG is determined, Armagedoen begins. The only warning he will get, will be the Devil greeting him when I send him to Hell.

On the other side of the coin, my CW 40 rides on my hip daily fully ready for action. If evil comes knocking during the day or while I am out and about, I may not have the moment to rack one into the chamber. And there is a Ruger Speed Six fully loaded that is stashed within arms reach of my easy chair to greet those "unexpected guests" who will wish they had chosen a different house to pick on.

I guess my opinion would be, "sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't". But, the Boy Scouts still win. "Be Prepared".

 

[gun_nut]

Kimber Pro Carry

Cocked and Locked

GN

 

[hookedonjeep]

If the BG has chosen to enter my home ILLEGALY, he is assuming that I will either not fight, or that his ninja-stealth skills are up to par. His assumptions conflict with mine; in that I assume that since he is in my house illegaly, he has assesed the risks involved with gunshot wounds / massive blood loss, and is ok with the results - whatever they may be.

 

[Eprobertson1]

If the BG's are armed, I do not want to give them the advantage of knowing where I am by "racking" my weapon. My HD's are always "Cocked and Locked and my bright flashlight always has good batteries. I want the suprise to be on my side of the fight.

Of course, my boys will most likely have already attacked.

Careful, they may chew on your big toe!!

 

[nalees]

after the alarm has been sounded by these two

,
then i will engage with the G27 or pump 12ga

neither has a round in the chamber though =/

 

[colt45er]

I would like to hear some more about the 870 firing with safety on. Can any of the guys over at TSH help us out? Zoub?

The reason I ask that that a lot of guns do not have a firing pin block. Take the old (series 70) and many new 1911's. They do not have a firing pin block but you would have to drop them just right from a decent height to make the light firing pin move against the strong spring enough to pop a primer off.

Is this similar with 870s? was the above mentioned gun dropped 20' from a tree stand height or 5' human height (like in dropping while fighting, walking, running, etc)

Basically is this like saying that carrying your CCW or OCW loaded is dangerous because it could slide out of the holster and snag the trigger if you are jumping upside down on a 300lb purple tiger???

 

[Uralguy]

The only guns I leave loaded are wheel guns. That should buy me enough time to get a mag into the FAL.Then it's gonna get loud.

 

[RogerB]

Ready to rock and roll!!!!

What he said

If the BG's hearing is superior, he might hear the click of the trigger movement, but that's all the warning they deserve IMHO.

 

[Ter]

Locked and cocked. I want every advantage possible.

 

[Suprtek]

Not trying to throw this thread off-track but the guys that mentioned their dogs actually bring up a great point regarding HD. A good dog, no matter how small is an excellent early warning system. Many dogs even have discerning abilities that no alarm system could ever have. I don't know if it is scent or sound (or both) but my dog can tell if its a family member coming up the walk or if its someone else without being able to see them. If it's not a family member, we know they're coming before they get within 20 feet of the door.

 

[Boilers]

The perfectly humane thing to do would be to act in such a fashion that the nerve impulses that would have been potentially able to sense you (the home defender) never get a chance to register in their brain.

 

[g00n24]

As far as the Remington 870 goes, the safety is a trigger block only, and does not prevent the hammer from striking the firing pin, or the firing pin from moving forward with sufficient force to strike the primer of a live round, if the gun is struck with enough force to do so. This is why police departments that use the 870 ALWAYS mandate that it is carried in "cruiser ready" condition....which is a fully loaded tube, empty chamber. There have been cases with 870's in which a buttstroke with a loaded chamber caused the firing of a live round.

I don't know about the Mossberg design, but I always kept my shotguns in the house with an empty chamber, loaded mag tube. I don't rely on them for first line home defense, however, preferring a pistol with a tactical light for that purpose. Shotguns are excellent for static defense, but they are a pain to try to maneuver with in tight quarters, or to operate with one hand. My pistol is always kept with a loaded chamber, since it is drop safe and will not fire without the trigger being pulled.

Same here...I keep the 870 cruiser ready, and a g23 on the night stand locked and loaded. I live in a small apartment with 1 hallway from the bedroom to the living room, no room to maneuver any long-gun. If I can get to shotgun then there is definitely time to chamber a round. And its not like I would be giving up my position...just one bedroom...So I would have no problem with an intruder getting the hell out because of the sound of the slide racking before I have to open the door and spray some buckshot.

 

[Eprobertson1]

after the alarm has been sounded by these two

,
=/

Really good looking alarm system!!

 

[chiggins83187]

Mine is always ready for action.

A. It's a Glock, so you don't get the nice sound of the shotgun
B. I figure if the BG hears the sounds, and turns to run, then I might be in trouble when the police show up and he is shot while trying to escape

 

[kingnereli]

I would like to hear some more about the 870 firing with safety on. Can any of the guys over at TSH help us out? Zoub?

The reason I ask that that a lot of guns do not have a firing pin block. Take the old (series 70) and many new 1911's. They do not have a firing pin block but you would have to drop them just right from a decent height to make the light firing pin move against the strong spring enough to pop a primer off.

Is this similar with 870s? was the above mentioned gun dropped 20' from a tree stand height or 5' human height (like in dropping while fighting, walking, running, etc)

Basically is this like saying that carrying your CCW or OCW loaded is dangerous because it could slide out of the holster and snag the trigger if you are jumping upside down on a 300lb purple tiger???

It would take a similar jolt like a 1911 without the firing pin block - a decent drop at the right angle (probably, muzzle down.) As to how far an 870 would have to fall I'm not sure as I have not done or seen any specific tests. My guess would be that it wouldn't take too much because it can happen just by closing the action hard or a butt stroke as 007 described. Regardless, it isn't something to get bent out of shape about. It is possible that just the right series of events could transpire and cause a discharge but, for me, that slim chance doesn't outweigh the advantage of having my home defense gun ready to go when I need it.

 

[SavageEagle]

I carry my Baby Eagle in the house with me locked and loaded. I figure it's safe on my side where the kids can't mess with it, and I'm being prepared by not leaving it upstairs in my safe. For all intensive purposes, it's with me from the time I roll out of bed to the time I roll into bed.