lights: target ID or Weapon?

[blue]

So, even if you are in the middle of nowhere, you can get visitors who have a good reason to be there.

The happy ending was, the guy pulled down our driveway and was just sitting there, about 100 yards from the house, when the Park Rangers, State Troopers and Sheriff's Deputies all arrived.

In your scenario, at my house the following would happen. If I were at home, my wife or kids would call 911, and that door would not be opened without me having my shotgun locked and loaded, with my family in another part of the house. The damsel in distress thing can be used to gain entry trojan horse style.

If I were not at home my family knows to call 911 and not let the person in. Even in my neck of the woods (literally) there are home invasions, and the "Craig's list killers" thing happened in our part of the State of Washington and a woman was involved, and she just got sentenced to something like 50 years. We don't live in a McMansion or anything and we don't have cool cars (10 year old subaru and minivan), so I would hope we wouldn't be worth it for a team approach, but if the aid we are willing to provide isn't enough for you, there are two more houses in sight of ours. Go to them. Sorry.

 

[oli700]

Inside I always thought I would not navigate with the light but rather turn it in to ID target. If friendly don’t shoot, someone you care about just got a gun pointed at them but they didn’t get shot so… Not too big a deal to me obviously in my house unannounced

It may be wrong of me to think this way, but I have long told friends and family they have no business coming into my home at night after we have gone to bed and to do so would end badly. NO ONE belongs in my house after hours. As far as target ID, I can see better in the dark so long as I'm not switching back and forth, we have night lights here and there... Now, my children are getting older and are at the age they may start thinkin about sneaking in and out of the house (I was at their age). These thoughts and concerns about ID will have to be revisited with regard to my children.

I dont think its wrong at all.There is the phone , doorbell , knock or if they are real close its probably a knock on your window with someone saying “ hey brad let me in “. I went through the kid deal. My son knew the score around the house. You will know if they sneak out well before they get home and be up waiting for them anyway …..if they manage to get past the Dad since ….well that’s where discipline comes in ,we aren’t just freaks that pull the trigger at every creak in the floor. This is why we run these scenarios through our heads at night on how we are going protect our family, every move right… Mental training

 

[oli700]

I perceive pounding or banging as distress, and helping ones self into my home as a threat.

Exactly. At the point of one helping themselves, they get the light, quick size up. Friend, fight or flight and maybe to my own demise it’s going to take a lot for me to abandon my house. Just hope I can wake up out of a dead sleep and perform these visions of grandeur.

 

[m24shooter]

You can wargame all kinds of out of the normal scheme of things events to have what would be a good guy in your house that would make having a weapon mounted light shining on them be a bad thing I guess. But that would really, really, really be stretching the limits of reality in many cases.
As far as my particular situation, and while rural we are not in the middle of nowhere and are actually in a major suburban area, in order for some friend to be in my house unknown they would have to make it past the gate/fence, through a door/window, past the alarm system, past the 4 dogs, all without waking me up in time to notice that they are not some turd. Not likely.
In order for it to be some person in distress, all the above will apply plus the fact that they are not familiar with my house, not familiar with my dogs, and are most likely familiar with the fact that crawling into a house uninvited will most likely get you shot or eaten.
My kids are 8 and 9. They already know it is not a good idea to be wondering around the house, and a very bad idea to go in and out after everything is locked up. I've met them in the living room once or twice and scared the crap out of them. When they get to the age that amorous advetures may draw them out or someone else in, it will be made clear again. I don't have any problem telling someone the same thing, and again there are a few layers that will have to be gone through to get in or out.
I will stand with the nobody belongs in my house uninvited rule.
As far as pointing a light at a person being bad because it has a weapon attached, I'll accept and manage that risk. First, bouncing the light can work well or even having the light/weapon slightly off target. Second, I'd rather have the rule violation of pointing the weapon and getting verification and NOT shooting over not having the ID and then shooting only to find out that I shouldn't have. I'd much rather have the ability to ID easily than anything else.

 

[Rossignol]

M24, well said, and my situation is very similar.

I like these conversations. We go over all sorts of scenarios, and make plans in our minds and play it out over and over again. I hope through these discussions we are learning better ways and means of preparedness should we ever have to defend ourselves.

We too have layers of things to get through before I would ever have to face anything in my home. Outside dogs, inside dogs... There should be plenty of advance warning before I would have to ID someone, but I have and will continue to respond to things that arent right with a firearm at my side. I've had to out on my property, sometimes just because of wild dogs, and once because kids were cuttin doughnuts in my yard at 2 in the morning. (that was weird) Weird things happen.

This is a good discussion, I think most of us are learnin from this stuff here.

 

[oli700]

Better to have and not need than need and not have I always say. I have no problem throwing down but always respond to something weird armed if at all possible……at the risk of being the laughing stock for the day I once ran outside with a pistol for an earthquake, I live in an area with 0 regular earthquakes but they do happen on occasion…… this is good I’ll stick to my original game plan

 

[Mudinyeri]

I have no problem with someone who arms him/herself before responding to something that's out of the ordinary ... or something that's ordinary for that matter.

However, the four rules of gun safety are intended to work together ... not independently. Know your target and what is behind it. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to destroy.

 

[sumoj275]

I am at a cross roads for a light on a rifle/shotgun. There are some great points of view from both sides here. I will re-read this probably 10 times more before I can make it all gel in my head but I like to know both pros/cons of the idea.
Thanks

 

[blue]

Me too. It is compounded by the fact that I have 9 skylights in my house (no I didn't install them...). With my knowledge of my home, and the natural lighting, it's rare that it's "pitch black" in my house.