Need help, intruder alert!

[C5pilot]

re-read his situation, and then comment.

Try re-reading my comment and the specific sentence with which I disagreed.

Just because someone breaks in while you're home, does NOT necessarily mean they are after YOU, as stated above. Stupidity brushes right up alongside of ignorant. A kid isn't thinking "Castle Doctrine". A kid is thinking, "nobody would shoot me over stealing some beer from a garage fridge or $10 left on a kitchen table". They just don't realize ALL of the possible consequences for their actions.

Being legally justified to kill someone doesn't mean you'll be able to sleep at night afterward. Laws don't remove the guilt of making a poor assessment of a situation in the dark while startled.

Think about it. You could have a spouse returning early from a business trip in the middle of the night. Their only crime was wanting to surprise their spouse. Do you plan on shooting anything that moves? Not every unannounced entry is a violent intruder out to get you.

[mrluke]

Here's an interesting tidbit. My neighbor said they were mostly "milling around" between the two houses on the block.
The # of the one house was 700, the one where he said the girl was looking at was 639.
My house, around the corner is 645. They had the wrong street but I suspect they knew what number they were looking for.
Evidently they were "confused" (which no doubt they came that way and most likely will remain so for the rest of their days.)"
Even so, it doesn't sit well with me at all.
Deer sleep in my lawn most nights, plus Fox, neighborhood cats, etc, are always around. We have 3 cats (I know, but I live with 3 females),
so the detectors would be buzzing all the time.
I thought about motion lights.
The whole thing makes me sick.

updated spelling.

[Metz]

with the current Castle law you don't need to warn them before hand that your armed and ready to defend your life and your familys life

True, but I prefer if the alarm wil scare them off, than cleaning pieces of their brains and sculls off my walls. Not to mention legal hassles.

Get a weapon light that MOUNT'S on the gun.

It's a matter of personal choice, but i think the OP should be aware of another opinion. If the intruder is armed and faces a light... do you think he's gonna aim at it or somewhere else?

That's why I use regular tactical flashlight, holdind it in my hand, stretched all the way to the side. But as I said, it's a matter of personal choice. I wouldn't frown on people, who mount their lights on their guns. There are few pros in that setup indeed.

[rmagill]

As far as what firearm to get, I would personally go with a handgun to begin with. Even though shotguns are more definitive, you have a limited number of rounds and reloading takes some time. A handgun, on the other hand, is not as effective at stopping people, but they can hold more ammunition and it is a lot quicker to reload a handgun than a shotgun. Handguns are also easier to move through a building with (NOT to find the group, but to get to a safe room/gather wife and kids, etc).

Given your interests, I would also go with the .40 simply because semi-autos hold more ammo and are easier to reload than revolvers. Once you have the money, I would suggest getting a shotgun in addition to the handgun. This is just my .02, YMMV.

[MostlyHarmless]

As far as what firearm to get, I would personally go with a handgun to begin with. Even though shotguns are more definitive, you have a limited number of rounds and reloading takes some time.

Every gun has a limited number of rounds.



YMMV, but I think that 6+6+1 in 12ga is a lot more than 33 rounds 9mm from a handgun (as far as home defense is concerned).


Jan

[rmagill]

Every gun has a limited number of rounds.



YMMV, but I think that 6+6+1 in 12ga is a lot more than 33 rounds 9mm from a handgun (as far as home defense is concerned).


Jan

True. I was thinking that in a standard shotgun, the round count is limited compared to most S/A handguns. I also assumed that if the OP could afford the Kel-Tec shotgun, he could instead afford a cheaper shotgun and a handgun, meaning he wouldn't have to decide between a shotgun or a handgun.

[Kimba]

This incident might not even have any thing to do with you. Maybe it was just some teens looking to find an easy target. Scoping out the neighborhood to see which houses were empty and when.

Checking out mailboxes could mean that they were looking for Gov. checks. Most come at the beginning of the month but I know some people get theirs at the end.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be vigilant, but this might be a coincidence.

[chrmm22sr]

Agree with kimba seems possible they could have been the students or could just be some kids.

[RHGregory3]

Every gun has a limited number of rounds.



YMMV, but I think that 6+6+1 in 12ga is a lot more than 33 rounds 9mm from a handgun (as far as home defense is concerned).


Jan

On paper it is, until you mention your comparing a Keltec shotgun to a Glock 9mm

I don't mean to harp on you at all jan, you would think your statement WAS correct. The KSG is currently a boatload of problems, it's currently running a (in our shop) 35-40 return for repair rate, and even Keltec halted production for a short period there. I like kel-tec, but this shotgun, while high capacity and tacticool - is NOT reliable as a platform (yet!)

The Glock 9mm (models 17, 19, and 26) are generally regarded as the most reliable semiautomatic pistol ever produced.

Leave the KSG alone for a few years, stick to what is simple, proven, and low recoil.

[ForwardAssist]

Here's an interesting tidbit. My neighbor said they were mostly "milling around" between the two houses on the block.
The # of the one house was 700 the one where he say the girl was 639.
My house, around the corner is 645. They had the wrong street but I suspect they knew what number they were looking for.
Evidently they were "confused" (which no doubt they came that way and most likely will remain so for the rest of their days.)"
Even so, iot doesn't sit well with me at all.
Deer sleep in my lawn most nights, plus Fox, neighborhood cats, etc, are always around. We have 3 cats (I know but I like with 3 females),
so the detectors would be buzzing all the time.
I thought about motion lights.
The whole ting makes me sick.

Get a locking mailbox, remove the house numbers from your house. Tell the mail person why. You just never know what malice lies inside of people.