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Attempted home invasion

togterry

.22LR
Hopefully I am posting this in the correct area and I apologize for the length.

I have been a member of the Mossberg Forum forum for a short time. I am a fairly new owner of firearms and currently have two rifles. I joined because of concerns about home defense and was trying to decide on a shotgun. After reading around I settled on a Mossberg 500 but I put buying it off. This turned out to be a colossal mistake.

My wife and I have a house in north-central NY state. We spend about three weekends a month up there and any other time we can work out. This past Sunday we woke up and my wife started breakfast and I had to go pick up some paint that we ran out of as we were painting the living room. The store is about 30 minutes away.

I left and locked the door. As there is a great LGS near the paint store I brought along my 10/22 as I was having trouble zeroing a new scope. After getting some gas and driving for about 15 minutes the phone rang - it was my wife - screaming that someone was trying to get in the house. I could hear banging in the background. I told her to call 911 and to find a place to hide - I also told her where my Marlin 336 30-30 is (although she has never shot anything bigger then a .22). She screamed loudly and there was a bang and the phone went dead. Needless to say I flipped out. I made a quick u- turn and in a small snow storm headed back at around 80mph.

I called 911 and reported the incident and they had a sherif's deputy listening in to the call and he was on his way. - about 20 minutes out. Called the house back several times and there was no answer. Tried her cell phone. No answer.

As I had 15 - 20 minutes I called my father who is a retired law enforcement officer. He instructed me to call 911 back and let them know that I was getting to the house and I was armed with my 10/22 takedown.

I arrived to find the screen door ripped off the hinges and the main door intact. I ran around the side and found the deck door intact. Then came around the front and was about to kick the door in. Just then a sheriff's deputy flew into our driveway. He jumped out with his gun drawn and I threw my rifle on the ground. He quickly saw that I was the home owner and quickly unloaded the rifle and approached the house - the door then opened and my wife came out hysterical. Some troopers showed up and they did a search and did not find anyone.

It turns out that about 15-20 minutes after I left my wife heard a loud bang from the front and thought it might be me so she approached the door to see someone turning the knob and trying to force their way in. She called me and there was another loud bang - apparently they were trying to kick the door in. She then started to scream, then dropped the phone and ran to the back room to hide. I thought the line was cut or worse but she was just following my directions. She did not have her cell phone so she did not want to come out of her spot in the closet to get it.

The sheriff said that they have had some home invasions as well and robberies recently. They believe some meth freaks are coming from the larger towns nearby to find easy victims and to rob "weekend" homes. The area is pretty desolate so it would seem to be a good area for some psycho to come out to mess with decent hard working Americans. They must have seen me leave and thought the house was empty or knew she was in there by herself.

I learned a lesson - I need to take home defense VERY seriously. I am picking up a Mossberg 20 gauge home defense model now. My wife will also take a more active role in learning and planning how to deal with self/home defense.

Again, sorry for the long post but I wanted to make sure people understand that the threats are real and I want to make sure that my family is better prepared in the future. If you are reading this and wondering if you should take it seriously please learn from my experience.
 
Very glad it all turned out well for y'all. We also live out in the woods here in MS, and there has been a couple of incidents here in the last month or so of breakin's at homes off the main roads a ways. I'd recommend some advance warning security systems - driveway alarm, etc. - in addition to house alarms and other things. Have your local PD/Sheriff dept. come out and do a evaluation of what vulnerabilities you have and recommend solutions. Most will do this for free.
 
Why did you (or the deputy) unload your rifle prior to entry?

I'm not being a smart aleck. It's an honest question.
 
Hi John - no problem with the question. I asked the same question as I was furious and I wanted to get to my wife and to be very honest take care of things myself - while in retrospect that may not have been wise, I am just being honest about what I felt in the moment.

He said that when law enforcement arrives on the scene that they want to ensure that any weapons are unloaded for their safety - even though I met the description provided by my call to tell them I was armed - he still did not know me. He said that he needed to figure out who was who and that if the bad guy was in the house he didn't want an armed and very angry husband to unload on the perp and possibly injure him. (the deputy).

I spoke to my dad afterwards and he said that when LEO's arrive they want to ensure that they are the only ones armed until they get the full picture of the situation. The deputy returned the magazine and rifle as soon after my wife came out and they double checked the house and garage to make sure they didn't get in while she was in the closet.
 
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I imagine you are lucky you weren't cuffed face down in the grass until the cops cleared the house and things were sorted out.
 
Togterry, I appreciate that your wife may not be able to handle a 12 gauge, and that a 20 is a reasonable choice - provided you load it with something other than bird shot. Since you mentioned you are new to shotguns, I'd suggest slugs and/or the largest buckshot you can find. #4 buckshot (as opposed to #4 bird shot) is considered the very minimum. She/you will still need to aim, and I suggest that you both look into training for proper handling in a HD situation, and practice it regularly.

I have a Mossberg 590 12g and keep it loaded with alternating 00 buck and slugs - 4 of each. The USMC was kind enough to provide regular training during my active duty days, and I still practice some since retirement in '83. :)
 
@togterry Sorry to hear what you and your wife went through. Thank God everyone is ok.

Like Gunny said a 20ga with buckshot will do the trick.

You both also need to get together on communication when something like that ever happens again.
 
Gunny and Mossy - thanks! Do you or anyone know how I could find someone to train my wife and I in HD Shotgun use.?
 
Gunny and Mossy - thanks! Do you or anyone know how I could find someone to train my wife and I in HD Shotgun use.?

Ask the guy at your local gun shop when you buy your shotgun. Usually they will know who the pros are and who not to go to in your area There's some of both. They may even offer it themselves. Don't be afraid to ask them.

Also take a look at this site: http://www.theboxotruth.com/educational-zone-83-fighting-with-a-shotgun/ . Many other articles about a variety of guns, ammo, etc. also; and what they are capable of and what they aren't capable of. The articles are not intended to be definitive, or complete how-to's, and you will find differing opinions of such things, but they will give you an introduction to it.

I'll add this much: If the BG is already in your house, or about to enter, you need to have the gun shouldered, round in the chamber, safety off, finger on the trigger, and pointed in the direction he is likely to approach from. Don't hesitate. If you can shoot from cover, do it. The last thing you're interested in is a fair fight. This ain't high noon in the streets of Dodge City in the old west. You're protecting your life.
 
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Guns are just one part of the equation.

Reinforce doors so they cannot be easily kicked in.

Install video cameras (even if only a closed system, many are deterred by just the site and it might help id those that arent. Lock the DVR up in a secure box. Even fakes at the minimum.

Have a plan so your wife's first reaction is not to waste time calling you.

Small window alarms are niice in case you do not hear glass breaking.

Get a dog.

Make friends with other locals and/or law enforcement. Having a network of eyes can help.

Train train train...
 
I also whole heartedly agree with MikeD. Anything you can do to avoid a gunfight and/or tilt the odds in your favor are to your benefit. Not only at the time of the attack, but also after the law shows up and you get to explain the situation to a judge. I'm pretty sure the Castle Doctrine rules in NY state are not as lenient as they are in MS. :)
 
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It is too bad you discovered a need for a home defense weapon at the same time that you were in a home defense situation. But it is great that you are fixing that issue.
The choice of a 20 gauge is a good one. Light weight, fast handling and mild recoil. All good things when considering a home defense weapon. Don't over look your Marlin rifle as part of your HD battery either. 30-30 is an outstanding round for deer as well as humans. It also meets the criteria for a good HD weapon, light weight, fast handling, mild recoil.
Good luck as you head forward from here. As you found out, the first responder to a home invasion is you. Get some good quality training and practice as much as you can.
 
I have a very similar situation here in Southern Indiana where we have property that we visit frequently. Usually someone is there at some part during the week. We have the local state prison about 4 miles away. There have been several escape attempts, which fortunately have ended fairly quick. Most of the time the convicts get out and realize that they are in the middle of the Hoosier National Forest and head for the local gas station, where they are picked up pretty quick by local or State Police. Last attempt we had was last summer. 3 got out, all were apprehended peacefully within a couple days.
As a result of all this, we usually try to get down weekly, and time our arrival so we get there during daylight hours. We walk around the house first, looking for any sign of break in, then enter and clear the house before we start bringing stuff in. Our plan is if we find evidence of a break in, we back out and call police. We have fortunately not had a problem, but we want to be prepared if something is wrong. A little due diligence goes a long way in a rural environment.
 
Thanks or sharing togterry! As unfortunate as your situation was, sounds like a valuable lesson was learned and I'm glad everything turned out ok! There's been some recent brake-in's on my street the last few months, and just today the neighbor's teenage son was arrested (quite a few squad cars with full gear... my 4 year old said "are they going to the range???) for what I can only assume is drug related.

I'll be the first to admit, my wife is no more versed in firearms than yours is (was) and I have been pressing training for a while... she doesn't wanna budge, at least not yet.
 
Once you get the gun, you and your wife can start the training with learning how to handle it. Loading a mag full of "dummy" rounds and scenario practice can go a long way towards HD preparedness. Practice these rules: gun pointed in safe direction, finger off trigger until ready to fire, keep gun unloaded until ready to use.

Glad to hear it worked out OK...
 
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@togterry ,

Thank you for the post Sir. To echo what's already been said, glad you and the Mrs. were unharmed and things worked out the way they did. VERY fortunate all around...


Don't over look your Marlin rifle as part of your HD battery either. 30-30 is an outstanding round for deer as well as humans. It also meets the criteria for a good HD weapon, light weight, fast handling, mild recoil.

Well said Sir.


@togterry ,

The only thing better than one of you armed, is both of you armed. In this situation training for each of you is crucial. Things like practiced communication is of utmost importance, especially if you leave her armed in a safe spot while you move to confront and remove any threat. You'll want to make sure that you have a failsafe system of communication to ensure that your return to her location is announced with advance warning and her verbal acknowledgement is given before you enter. Training the mind for certain scenarios is as crucial for saving lives as training with the firearm itself.

We have several members from NY, some of whom have taken defensive courses and other forms of weapons training. You might throw a post in the regional sub-forums looking for advice on training courses from other members in your area...

http://mossbergowners.com/forum/index.php?categories/northeast.46/

If no opportunities present themselves here, one can always turn to NRA programs in your area. Their "NRA FIRST Steps Shotgun Orientation" might be a good place to start followed by the "NRA Basic Shotgun Shooting Course", and then the "NRA Basic Personal Protection In The Home Course". Their website will help direct you to courses in your area with instructors who will be well studied in the legal responsibilities and restrictions in your state...

http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

Whatever route you decide, good luck and please keep us posted on your progress...
 
The most important thing is your wife is safe.

I second the suggestion to try to get some good training with whatever weapon you choose as a HD gun. Whether it's a shotgun or a handgun or rifle.

Given your laws in NY, I would probably not choose a handgun at all, but would probably lean toward a shotgun. I'm not sure if magazine tubes like the 10/22 or a 30/30 have stupid safe act limits or not, so if they do, then I would gravitate toward a shotgun that both you and your wife can handle.

If you are allowed to have more than 7 rounds in a lever action rifle, then I would have to do some research on what was available, but regardless, it needs to be something you both are comfortable with.

I know that this is a lot of speculation on my part and I have been wrong many times and may not should mention it, but it may have been someone nearby to the home that recognizes your vehicle and knew you are not there very often and probably saw you leave and assumed you both were leaving and were together.

Since you said it was snowing heavily, did you or the officer notice or track any footprints in the snow?

And I understand that your wife doesn't shoot very often. My wife is the same way and would probably not react appropriately either, but with confidence and knowing more what should be done in advance, training does help things go more the way they should.
 
Happy to hear you and your wife are safe and things turned out for the better. It has to be unnerving to have heard your wife's call but it seems you both kept it together. A lot of lessons to be learned and a warning to all of us take things can happen when you least expect it. It certainly got me thinking.
 
Hi John - there were poorly defined tracks due to the snow being somewhat wet and "slushy". I had cleared most of the area around the front before I left but you could see which way he left. No signs of coming on the property so he (or them) parked up the street and came up the short driveway.

Regarding the Safe Act - there is a federal case pending challenging the 7 round limit. A judge issued an order putting the restriction on hold so for now it is 10 again. My wife and I are so fed up with the liberal agenda here that we do talk about moving. We are visiting Arizona in April and will assess our options.

Everyone - thanks for the info on training and other recommendations. My wife and I had a long talk and she is 100% onboard with making sure we are better prepared next time. We are also exploring alarm systems and a dog (the dog may have to wait as my wife has an 18 year old cat).

Regarding the Mossberg 500 - I ordered it yesterday and my LGS will have it in a few days. I choose a 20 gauge; 18.5 barrel; 5+1 rounds.; a buttstock - no pistol grip. Today I am going to look into a side saddle and a sling. I will be starting the long and arduous process of getting my handgun permit. My wife is considering doing the same. I believe it takes 6 - 8 months.

Thanks again and I will keep you updated!
 
Wow , I got my permit here in NH in 14 days and it only was that long because of the Holidays !

Norm
 
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