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Verbal warning or silent strike?

You guys are on it! Lots of good advice here!

I'll highlight a couple;

Know the laws in your state regarding the use of force against an intruder. Sometimes the law sides with the intruder for some reason.

Also, the situation is dynamic. It isnt likely any of it would ever go as we plan. So plan, and have back up plans.. Practice is also key here. NiteSite has said before, know your firearm like your tongue knows the back of your teeth and I'll add here know the layout of your home just as well (like move through it in the dark and half asleep with your eyes closed... and Oli's sig said at one time, and it may still, if you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

Racking a shell into the chamber can give you away as much as a verbal warning.

If your gonna pull a gun, dont do it thinkin you wont have to pull the trigger, dont set your self up to be surprised when a bluff doesnt work.

I'm all for stayin put, but in my case, my children would be between me and a threat.

There are no absolutes as mentioned above, but knowing your firearm and floor plan, having praticed rediculously to the point you can do what you need to do in your sleep gives you a distinct advantage. The suck part is havingto make the hard decisions on the fly and under stress.
 
From unfortunate personal experience, I can tell you that it is unlikely you will have time to think about "alternatives". You are just going to go with your instincts. And maybe that's best, since those are the easiest to explain later. Take care. Tom Worthington.
 
Expat_PM said:
It's a tough question and until faced with it we are all just hoping we know what we would do.

I recommend that (unless you live 20-30 minutes away from back up like we do) you gather the kids and wife, get between them and the BG and call 911.

There are good reasons to take either approach you describe, like don't kill a man if you can warn him off and hopefully spare a life that could be reformed in our penal system - yeah right.

A couple weeks ago I did choose to give an audible warning (both vocal and the prominent sound of a 590 racking a round hard and loud). But I was behind fairly good cover and trying to draw some sound or movement from an unseen (and in that instance non-existent) intruder in the wee hours.

Think hard, talk it out with your wife and pray about it. Killing a man is nothing to take lightly. That said, Never, Never, Never let harm come to those you have been given responsibility to protect.

Just my two cents worth,
Jeff


+1 here. It is not to be taken lightly.

My laws in Virginia say I cannot use deadly force for a theft even if the person is in my house. It is only permissible if there is evidence that grave bodily injury or death could occur.

And here in a forum discussing what we would do and standing in a hall gripping your weapon with bleary eyes with adrenaline pumping investigating your home for an assailant are very different things.

I've had to check for bumps in the night before, my wife claiming she heard glass shattering. It's never a pleasant experience, but each time I walked quietly throughout my house not giviNg a single sound. That's just how I approached it, not saying I'm anymore right than the next guy, but just my 2 cents.
 
DeadlyCornbread said:
It's never a pleasant experience, but each time I walked quietly throughout my house not giviNg a single sound. That's just how I approached it, not saying I'm anymore right than the next guy, but just my 2 cents.

Same here. I get up, grab a gun and walk through the house without makin a sound. Same 2 cents...
 
I would stay silent until I know for sure the burglar can hear me. Then I would rack my shotgun, of course after my bayonet is already attached to it. The sound should have them freeze in fear or flee. If they run any direction that's opposite of the front door, my warning has been ignored and I am convinced to pull the trigger.
I'm all against shooting at someone especially not knowing if they are harmful or armed, but I put my family's well-being in front of anything else. I also agree with expat and deadlycornbread, I don't believe my way is any more right than person next to me. Just the way I would personally handle it :/
 
I have placed exterior lighting that "backlights" an open front or rear door.It works great,like a spotlight on someone entering either door,and bleeding light into the room as well.Testing shows that myself being in the shadows of my home,I'm very hard to detect,but bead placement on anyone entering is very easy.Not spot lights,but pole-mounted nightlights thirty feet or so from the dwelling.Hopefully,the dog I've been feeding the last 5 years does his part,waking me,and allowing the gauntlet to be set between BG and my wife.Hope this helps alittle.
One thing for sure,whatever you are planning,walk through it many times,in the dark,half-awake.One of the many things you can't do is to experience muzzle flash and the amount of effect the noise will have on you in the home.Hope none of us here have to find out,but if you do,I sincerly hope you are able to post up how it went..........Stay safe folks.
 
DeadlyCornbread said:
Expat_PM said:
It's a tough question and until faced with it we are all just hoping we know what we would do.

I recommend that (unless you live 20-30 minutes away from back up like we do) you gather the kids and wife, get between them and the BG and call 911.

There are good reasons to take either approach you describe, like don't kill a man if you can warn him off and hopefully spare a life that could be reformed in our penal system - yeah right.

A couple weeks ago I did choose to give an audible warning (both vocal and the prominent sound of a 590 racking a round hard and loud). But I was behind fairly good cover and trying to draw some sound or movement from an unseen (and in that instance non-existent) intruder in the wee hours.

Think hard, talk it out with your wife and pray about it. Killing a man is nothing to take lightly. That said, Never, Never, Never let harm come to those you have been given responsibility to protect.

Just my two cents worth,
Jeff


+1 here. It is not to be taken lightly.

My laws in Virginia say I cannot use deadly force for a theft even if the person is in my house. It is only permissible if there is evidence that grave bodily injury or death could occur.

And here in a forum discussing what we would do and standing in a hall gripping your weapon with bleary eyes with adrenaline pumping investigating your home for an assailant are very different things.

I've had to check for bumps in the night before, my wife claiming she heard glass shattering. It's never a pleasant experience, but each time I walked quietly throughout my house not giviNg a single sound. That's just how I approached it, not saying I'm anymore right than the next guy, but just my 2 cents.

Been a while since I've posted, but this thread caught my eye. I have to agree with Expat_PM and DeadlyCornbread (who both have much better usernames than me): know the laws and have a plan you've talked about with your family. I would also stress the importance of layers of protection: advertising an alarm system, an actual alarm system (I saw fake alarm system signs the other day and I thought that was pretty dumb), a pack dog that will protect his/her pack, a main weapon, a backup weapon, a place to hole up with the kids, etc. I'd also recommend taking a CCW class even if you don't plan to carry because they present information about intrusion situations and how they work out with regard to the law.

Personally, given the laws in Iowa and the fact that if someone is in my house and hasn't left after all of the layers I've put in place they are probably there to do harm, I will not leave my family alone and less protected. For me, holing up, calling the police and keeping them on the line, and giving an audible and verbal warning are my course of action. We live in town, so response time will be quicker than out in the sticks, but given the laws in Iowa, I'm not going to "hunt" someone in my house. This approach may be more defensive than some would like, but it's what I and my family are comfortable with and within the laws in my state.

As Expat_PM said, talk it over with your family and pray about it, but also be realistic. Only you know what you are capable of and you're the only one responsible for your actions should a situation arise.
 
I know some of this has been said before but it stands repeating. I posted this in another thread as well...

"Practice hard to fight hard"
Practice as you would if it were a real situation. Assess your home objectively, as both criminal and defender. Know any choke points (hallways, doorways, etc.) you have and any open areas from all angles, not just the "likely" ones. As well as interior, work your way through exterior scenarios if applicable. Knowing your environment as it is in the criminals eyes, is just as important as knowing your weapon.

Try walking the house in pitch black, see how you do, then use a flash light and just burst the light to get a view, then off and maneuver, burst, move, clearing room by room.

Have a loved or trusted one come in and move something ( leave a door cracked, or put something on the counter that wasn't there, stuff like that) to train your mind and eyes to look for the not normal stuff first. Picking up on a drawn shade, as opposed to one you know is always open, could prevent you from walking into an "unfriendly occupied" home.

I could be overly cautious, or paranoid, but when my kids KNOW what to look for, and tell me what they found when the came home ( I've set things up a few times, just to see), I know they are paying attention to details. Just my $.02

Semper Fi my Brothers & Sisters in Arms.
 
Food for thought.

Here in MI we are allowed to use deadly force if we feel our life is in immenent danger.

Firing a warning shot could be an indication that you felt you had time to try and warn the individual and therefore could be argued that you were not in immenent danger of death or bodily harm and therefore losing your self defense argument.

Firing a shot that was not intended to hit an attacker puts you at higher risk of hitting an innocent, causing property damage or other charges.

You are also one round down, something that could mean life of death if the SHTF because the attacker didn't take your shot seriouosly or feels he is stronger better trained than you are. ALso if he has buddies that you do not see you just alerted them without removing the first guy from the equation or at least diminishing his capacity to fight.

You shoot your warning shot and then he shoots and kills you. he gets off because you appear to be the aggressor. I realize I'm not taking in to account, location, context etc.

One very important thing to consider the rules of the courtroom and the rules of law are completely different than one might logically think, not all evidence will be supported or allowed. Not all witnesses will be credible or believed.

While no two situations are alike there are a lot of legal and tactical considerations to consider when taking that warning shot.
 
I have a poster on the wall in my shop where I work on my firearms. It clearly states: Due to the recent cost increases in ammunition, no warning shots will be fired. I hope you will understand.

I've a friend who copied it and had a sign company make him a hard-surface sign that he posted on a tree about 100 yards from the house.................a couple of hundred yards inside his gate. I think it makes a good point.
 
That would be sweet to have one I could buy somewhefe....need to look now.
kthanxbye
 
Guess I didn't remember the exact wording..........but I got the general idea across! :lol:

p1444180794-3.jpg
 
I saved it to my computer to see if I can find one, or have it made...
 
I am also from Canada, and basically if I want to defend my home I have to face the fact that I will be doing time. The laws certainly are on the side of the criminals here. Just firing a warning shot I could be arrested for discharging a firearm in a residential area which would see me with no more gun licence and possibly jail time. Let alone the lawsuit that would be filed against me by the poor intruder who was just trying to steal some goods for his poor poor addiction... However Canadas laws are really feeble and I find many violent offenders get off with light sentences. For instance a young man stabbed my friends little brother to death, he was given 2 years, but since he had served a year waiting for trial he did 1 year and was back on the street. So I figure If I have to dab up a criminal who has broken in to my house I will serve 2 years maximum and would most likely be barred from ever owning a firearm legally again. Which in my opinion isn't that bad, I would probably get out and go get another gun and again be prepared to do time If the situation called for it. The fact that I don't have a criminal record may help me get a lighter sentence, either way. It's all about what you are prepared to do when the situation arises, I can't say I have ever been in that situation so I really don't know how I would react. I just know how far I have prepared myself to go mentally.
 
Holy crap....Canadas laws are really slight. That needs to change.....that is so wrong.
 
It's true, we need harsher sentences for violent offenders and lighter sentences for non-violent crimes. It seems to be so skewed what we will give someone 15years+ for and what we will give someone 2-5 for. I also do not believe in trying to "rehabilitate" violent criminals. Lock em up, givem the chair and be done with it. Stop wasting our money trying to reintigrate murderers, theives, rapists into our societies.
 
I just took a quick peek at the castle doctrine for California. It wasn't nearly as restrictive as I had assumed. I've always planned to use deadly force if required, it's nice to know I'll probably be within the law if I do.
 
BCGuy said:
It's true, we need harsher sentences for violent offenders and lighter sentences for non-violent crimes. It seems to be so skewed what we will give someone 15years+ for and what we will give someone 2-5 for. I also do not believe in trying to "rehabilitate" violent criminals. Lock em up, givem the chair and be done with it. Stop wasting our money trying to reintigrate murderers, theives, rapists into our societies.

Your post...spot on.
 
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