HOME DEFENSE: if ever a situation arises…

[Dave007]

Engage the intruder, shoot first, shout warning after. That's how the cops do it

Keep the wife with you to cover each other. Terminate threat, go back to sleep.

[Dal1as]

Maybe invest in a perimeter alarm and lighting system to scare the intruder away. Currently I have an X10 system where I can turn on practically every light in and outside of the house with a push of the button after hearing the perimeter alarm go off. Eventually I'm going to have it do this automatically

I'm in a situation where I have to confront either at the end of the hallway or if I make it in time and they got in downstairs (half duplex) at the top of the stairs. Kid is across the room from us and mobile (almost 4) so I don't have much of a choice. Figure the perimeter alarm and all lights on will lessen the chance of a confrontation.

[thepunk76]

Originally Posted by whljrk

If your babys room is the very next room to yours, is it easy access through the wall? It would be very noisy to break through the sheet rock, but it could be another option to get your baby and retreat back to your room for a stand. This may be excessive, but staying hidden and out of harms way is optimal. Bash me if you think it is overkill, but just a thought.

I offered this, buts its a no go.

Originally Posted by bowl443

I don't know if the 'spray' of the 500 is as wide as you believe it is.

"spray" = lack of better word, buck shot vs .45 jhp round

[paul34]

BTW, a shotgun with buckshot (or even birdshot) isn't like what you see in the movies. It isn't a cannon that sends a huge wall of lead down a hallway. Most buckshot at defense ranges stays in a fairly tight pattern. You MUST aim your shot.

[olywa]

Dig a tunnel to the babys room. That would be cool.

[agalindo]

Here's some numbers from BoxOTruth. He tried different brands of 00 buckshot and all seemed to average between 3 to 7 inch groups at 30 feet.

In each case, the Improved Cylinder is on top and the Full Chock is on the bottom of the pattern board.

The IC pattern was 7 inches wide and the Full was 6 inches wide.

Not much difference, but slightly smaller group with the Full Choke.

The IC was a 4 inch group and the Full was a 4 1/2 inch group.

[apexhunter]

A little tip on your warning to the intruder (this told to me by a LEO firearms instructor and the man that trains all CCP instructors in NC)...regardless of if you stay on the phone or hang up w/ 911 your warning should be "STOP- DON'T MAKE ME SHOOT YOU" said very loudly and repetedly. This does 2 things for you: it tells the BG that you are armed AND that HIS actions have or will cause you to shoot him, not yours. Secondly if you don't hang up the phone they'll have a record of your warning and if you do hang up by screaming the warning at the top of your lungs it is possible a neighbor will hear it and can testify on your behalf should the need arrise.

On the shotgun pattern: regardless of the shot size a pattern from most any barrel length and choke at "in the room" distance will be fist size so a reasonable amount of aiming is necessary like paul34 and agalindo aluded to.

One thing to consider would be a laser on the shotgun centered in the pattern at 15'. That way all your wife would have to do is center the little red dot and pull the trigger regardless of whether there is ample time and space to shoulder the weapon.

[secondA]

Assessing the threat is critical, where is the unwanted intruder?
Let the threat come to you, don't go searching to cut em off.
You with XD ready, mentally calm yourself transition into combat mind set (not easy).
You cover only entry to your room, from cover, if possible low small position.
Wife on the phone 911 in low position facing only possible entry to her behind cover with shotgun.
Wife to 911 "we have a violent break in"" Unwanted intruder" " I'm in fear of my life" hang up...
they will call back.."don't make me shoot you-get out" LOUD..hang up..they will call back.
You must stay in control of your space.
If the intruder goes for the kids room that is another scenario, very dangerous and mentally difficult.
God forbid anyone is ever faced with this "unwanted intruder" I don't ever want to shoot anyone.
Eminent threat would force me to defend myself and family.

[SparrowBee]

Remember the great thing about NV. We have a castle doctrine so you don't really have to worry about hanging up or staying on the line so they hear you warn your intruder. Your home is your castle and you have the right (and since you have a wife and kid, the duty) to protect it and everyone inside it. The only place you may want to consider retreating to in your house should be the kitchen if you aren't upstairs. It is far easier to clean blood off of the kitchen floor than it is to clean out of carpet.

Your ONE AND ONLY warning to the intruder should be a single shot to the center of mass of the intruder.

This does a few things:
1. If your intruder is deaf, he will feel your warning.
2. If your intruder feels the shot, he will then know you're armed thus eliminating the need to verbally warn him.
3. If your intruder has any other deficits preventing or hindering the communication of a verbal warning to him, you are covered.
4. The intruder will know that you aren't bluffing.
5. If a shot to the center of mass doesn't cease your intruder's unwanted activities, then it is VERY unlikely that a verbal warning will have stopped him in the first place.

Your warning shot should be immediately followed by however many shots it takes to stop the threat. If that number happens to be your firearm's capacity, so be it.

[G50]

According to the most recent ADT alarm commercials on TV, all you have to do is:

1) Look Panicked
2) Look at your ADT alarm ringing on the wall by the front door
3) Grab teen age daughter and run up the stairs to a room with no escape
4) Watch caucasian intruder pause, notice alarm and run back outside
5) Answer phone call from nice, super-concerned ADT man who looks like
John Tesh in an airline pilot's uniform

So, based on the above scenario, I think I'll sell all my guns and sleep well at night knowing that all is well for me and my family becasue we have a noise box on the wall that calls John Tesh.