How would you defend your home?

[Thorum]

I have one upstairs and one downstairs:

[Piparskeggr]

Both my wife and I are military veterans who are trained to arms.

There is no room in our house, which does not have some weapon, firearm or not.

I have used deadly force in the past, and would do so again. My wife has stated that she is capable of shooting another human, but a blade is too personal. I will use any means at my disposal.

[Bloodeagle]

Question:

If someone has already committed a crime by breaking into your home, why give them the benefit of the doubt? It is equally likely that they could be there to steal your TV or murder your family. That being the case, I would prefer to err on the side of caution. After all, criminals are a dime a dozen, but you only have one family.

I am not one of those types who dream of an opportunity to kill someone.
Most of the property crimes in my area are committed by dumb teenagers!
I am not so attached to my property that I would be willing to kill without provocation.
I would restrain any thief that I might catch and phone the police.
If things were to get out of hand, then I would do what I would have to do.
Yes, I do have firearms as any American worth their salt should!

[Pallantides]

I've read about a terrible situations in which armed (non europide) burglars, forced an entrance, while the owners of the house were asleep. The residents were beaten and robbed by those 'apes', these poor people were unable to defend theirself. The robbers had (real?) guns and knives.

Latvian and Eastonian(Russians?) immigrants have started doing this in Norway.


Eastern European burglars and 'road bandits' are large problem in Norway... so it's not only non europids who have a habit of robbery atleast not here.

[Psychonaut]

I am not one of those types who dream of an opportunity to kill someone.
Most of the property crimes in my area are committed by dumb teenagers!
I am not so attached to my property that I would be willing to kill without provocation.
I would restrain any thief that I might catch and phone the police.
If things were to get out of hand, then I would do what I would have to do.
Yes, I do have firearms as any American worth their salt should!

While I don't think that all crime warrants a summary execution either, home invasion is something different from any other crime, if only because of the horrendous outcomes of the rape/murder types. I have only had to deal with one potential home invader, who I intercepted before he'd crossed my backyard. I chased after him with a sword and Maglight until he was beyond the bounds of my property. I did this because it was the quickest resolution to the scenario that I could think of at the moment that put my family at the least level of risk. That, I think, is the key to a situation like this. If you opt to do [x], does this take more time to accomplish than [y]? Does [x], given a murderous invader, put your family at a higher risk than [y]? If so, I would opt [y], which, so long as you are trained in combat, is generally to engage the enemy and attack until they are no longer a thread. In some cases, like my experience, this occurs when the invader flees—in others, it occurs when they fall wounded or dead.

Anyway, that's my 2¢.

[nisse]

IMO if someone breaks in while you are sleeping you've got pretty much 0 chance no matter how many weapons you have, since you'll be disoriented and they'll have the advantage of surprise and will be able to disarm you. In fact, any weapons you do have will likely be used against you or stolen and used to rob your neighbours.

Best defence is an unassuming but *very* good door, not living close to the ground (if possible..and it's very possible in the city), and the appearance of few possessions. As with cancer, prevention is the key

[Psychonaut]

IMO if someone breaks in while you are sleeping you've got pretty much 0 chance no matter how many weapons you have, since you'll be disoriented and they'll have the advantage of surprise and will be able to disarm you. In fact, any weapons you do have will likely be used against you or stolen and used to rob your neighbours.

Training, m'lady, training.

Since most home invasions occur at night, while the house sleeps, your principle weapon should be within hands reach of your side of the bed (if little ones are an issue, there are many manufacturers that specialize in quick access bedside gun safes). And, as those of us with military backgrounds can assuredly attest, it takes only a few weeks training to be able to awaken from a dead sleep into a heightened state of awareness, ready for action.

Also, this is also a situation where a two story house proves to be an excellent tactical investment. Having a choke point that is also high ground is the best of all possible worlds in a situation where there are multiple invaders.

[Alabama]

Latvian and Eastonian(Russians?) immigrants have started doing this in Norway.


Eastern European burglars and 'road bandits' are large problem in Norway... so it's not only non europids who have a habit of robbery atleast not here.

We're in a global economic recession that's gonna get worse, so the criminals are only gonna get more desperate. Clearly all crimes do not deserve death, but if I'm a victim of road banditry or home invasion how am I supposed to know if the thug intends to *merely* rob or rape/kill me? I believe we have a human right to protect ourselves...and as we say in the US "If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns" because the thugs don't respect the laws.
Except that I would add that outlaws *and* the government will have guns. The right to bear arms was included in the US Constitution in order to make the citizens less susceptible to excessive subjugation by our government. For those folks in countries with restrictive gun laws, it seems it would be very difficult to wrench that liberty away from your governing bodies at this point.

My personal solution to living in a violent country? A big Norwegian in the bed, a .9mm in the drawer, and a bulldog at the frontdoor

[Cato]

With a shotgun.

[Tyrrhenoi]

- You americans are all the same -