Don't use a stun gun unless you are halfway proficient in open hand self defense.... Karate or some other martial art and have practiced sufficiently to halfway know how to defend and attack close in, and are proficient in the use of a handheld weapon such as a kubaton or a knife..... because the stun gun taser has to make bodily contact to work.  Although some punks will run at the sight of the big blue spark.
 
Don't use fake cameras. Just Don't.   They invite lawsuits and you won't win.  Trust me on this.... I'm in the business and the lawsuits are legendary. So no fake cams.
 
The warrior mind set is crucial as has been pointed out. In any confrontation it is important to understand that this incident could quickly and easily escalate to life and death in seconds. That decision and willingness to use deadly force  must be made before it begins. Hesitate for half a second and you could be on the floor with a sheet over you.
 
This is from farce book.... this is 10 seconds total but the actual event is 1 second while under stress : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=670841776267356&set=vb.100000246204208&type=2&theater 
 
It happens fast....hesitate and you could be dead.
 
There are training courses as I mentioned earlier, that will do their best to simulate the experience, but in reality, nothing prepares you for such an encounter. Those who are prepared, and who have trained, and are familiar with their weapon of choice, and know it's balance, weight, safety devices, operation, and how it functions are better prepared to have a chance at surviving the encounter than those who have not prepared. You must know that weapon and not have to think about any aspect of it. As stress levels rise, fine motor skill diminish and the conscious mind is focused on survival not operating a safety.... so it must be an auto pilot sort of zen thing at that point....and that comes only from practice.
 
Why do you think the military is always practicing, and martial artists, and musicians? It has to be second nature.

 We just had a home broken into here not a mile from my house. I know the guy involved. He is an older guy and he was there with his wife. The two intruders kept asking for someone who he didn't know and had never heard of. They wore masks. They put him on the floor and told him to shut up, did the same to his wife. They came right up to the front door and knocked and he opened the door. We think it was a drug deal gone wrong and they must have gotten the wrong address. They went through his house and left after they discovered they had the wrong guy. He is still shook up from the whole episode. In this case if he would have used a gun there is a really good chance that the second person who would have not been shot would have killed him and probably his wife. In this case there were two of them. What do you do if you kill one and the other one is there with a gun outside of your vision? Sometimes there is a second man outside. I think in some cases cooperation might save your life. As this turned out he is safe, his wife is safe and he has all of his possessions.
 
 The intruder has probably thought about how they can pull it off and be safe and that might include more than one person. Usually intrusions around here are drug related. Some people have been robbed while in their house asleep. Playing possum in this case might save you your life. Usually the robber has nothing on their mind but getting drug money. Stay out of the way or fight, the choice is up to you. You have to ponder the consequences of that choice. If they really wanted inside your house I guarantee they would have gotten in. I don't think the intruder was interested in anything but an easy take, someone who leaves their doors unlocked.

Starise
 We just had a home broken into here not a mile from my house. I know the guy involved. He is an older guy and he was there with his wife. The two intruders kept asking for someone who he didn't know and had never heard of. They wore masks. They put him on the floor and told him to shut up, did the same to his wife. They came right up to the front door and knocked and he opened the door. We think it was a drug deal gone wrong and they must have gotten the wrong address. They went through his house and left after they discovered they had the wrong guy. He is still shook up from the whole episode. In this case if he would have used a gun there is a really good chance that the second person who would have not been shot would have killed him and probably his wife. In this case there were two of them. What do you do if you kill one and the other one is there with a gun outside of your vision? Sometimes there is a second man outside. I think in some cases cooperation might save your life. As this turned out he is safe, his wife is safe and he has all of his possessions.
 
 The intruder has probably thought about how they can pull it off and be safe and that might include more than one person. Usually intrusions around here are drug related. Some people have been robbed while in their house asleep. Playing possum in this case might save you your life. Usually the robber has nothing on their mind but getting drug money. Stay out of the way or fight, the choice is up to you. You have to ponder the consequences of that choice. If they really wanted inside your house I guarantee they would have gotten in. I don't think the intruder was interested in anything but an easy take, someone who leaves their doors unlocked.

 
 
I hate it when the cops do this....

Unfortunately Herb it wasn't the cops.
 
   My friend is still very shook up over ther whole thing. In my thinking it isn't about who is the more macho person or who can pull a gun faster. It is all about survival. Whatever it takes to survive. Unless you have some kind of an early warning sysem they have the upper hand  if they come while you are fast asleep. If they get all the way to your bedroom before you wake up it's probably too late unless you have a gun permenantly attached to your arm. Forget about all of those western quick draw Mcraw movies. In real life stealth is master over ability.
 
 Many of these people are way beyond caring about what happens. If they had an ounce of caution they wouldn't even contemplate intruding into a home while anyone is there. The desire for drugs outweighs anything else..period. Most of the time they want your stuff and they want to leave. If you stand in the way of that you had better be successful and successful the very first time. 

What a trip.

kennywtelejazz
Say Hello to my little friend .....ooopppsss,  I mean , my imaginary little friend 
 

 
 
 
this topic gets me going ...i had to make this pic just to calm down ...
 
Kenny
 
 

You know you can buy those (the cannon) in the USA without a lisense or background check. Anything muzzloading is OK... if you can afford it. I have given serious thought to getting one to maybe do some enactments. I had a friend, deceased, who actually had a replica 12 lb Parrot gun. He had a lisence because he had a LOT of guns. He once supplied guns for a Chuck Norris movie filmed in Atlanta, don't remember which one. He had huge machine guns on tripods etc... calymores, the whoe gamut.. anyway he had this Parrot gun, it was a rifled gun from the 1860s and he, with his lisence could get explosive shell made. Without a lisence you can only shoot duds or round solid shot.. or grapeshot, or chain, or nails... so, he would go to Ft. Benning and have competitions with the active duty military, shooting the Parrot against (at targets) the military and modern guns... what FUN that must have been. I think you can get a used Napoleon for around 20K. Get a few friends, some earplugs, and hire out for ceremonies etc. I think it would be a "blast". We still celebrate "Decoration Day" here in N GA. The first Confederate memorial day was held in Kingston, GA about 10 minutes away from me... it started under occupation with permission from the yankee general in Kingston while the war was still on as long as the women doing it also honored the yankee dead. An agreement was struck and it has not missed a year.
As far as the hippo... you're on your own. No telling who he might bite... LOL
 
@ Herb, I have not looked at your links yet, but I will this evening. I dont know if I said but I looked at the wireless security cams and DVR on either Tigetdirect or Newegg, I could do that for about the same price as getting two trail cams. Going to the MP6 and a Black Ops unit that sends pics and alerts to my phone. I'll have to get a SIM card for it and I think it will be 20 bucks a month with AT&T. Then I can move them and also use them when something starts to eat the cat food again. Also use them to watch rat bait boxes to see if rats of chipmonks are eating all the bait... then I can expense them to my business.
 
Am thinking about getting an Airedale puppy. They use them for lion hunting that should do the job... will get a small dog if I have to.
 
I'm only buying one more gun. That will be for my wife, something that she can be comfortable with. Also getting her a taser. It is too late to not have guns, they are here already, along with too many guitars, amps, metal detectors, and other stuff... I need a safe I think. Swords too... a machete, Kabar full size fighting knife, nice and sharp hand made skinning knife, I usually wear my Buck folding hunter, when I was young I could get it out and open with one hand in about 3sec from buttoned in the case. I need to practice...
 
 
Ya'll don't get the idea that I am some sort of bad a55, I'm not.. and I don't know exactly what I would or will do. I have always avoided confrontations and done my best to defuse things even apologizing when I was not wrong. I don't want to hurt anyone but like I said, it is like a small war. This place is my land, my house is like my castle. I am lord here. I am responsible and am NOY going to allow anyone to invade here to steal, rape, kill, or whatever they might do. There is too much at stake, too much that can go the wrong way if someone takes it upon themself to invade my home, for whatever reason, and if I don't respond immediately. I couldn't shoot someone in cold blood but I might knock them around with this wooden baseball bat. I would not just hold someone and wait for the police to come get them and then let them go. I would inflict some pain and suffering on them for their trouble and let them know that if I ever see them near my home again... then all bets are off.
That is the way I think... what I might do.. I really don't know but if they threaten my wife, me, my cat, or anything I don't know what I'll do.
I really hope whoever it was never comes around again.
 
Thanks!!
 
J

Guitarhacker
Don't use a stun gun unless you are halfway proficient in open hand self defense.... Karate or some other martial art and have practiced sufficiently to halfway know how to defend and attack close in, and are proficient in the use of a handheld weapon such as a kubaton or a knife..... because the stun gun taser has to make bodily contact to work.  Although some punks will run at the sight of the big blue spark.
 
Don't use fake cameras. Just Don't.   They invite lawsuits and you won't win.  Trust me on this.... I'm in the business and the lawsuits are legendary. So no fake cams.
 
The warrior mind set is crucial as has been pointed out. In any confrontation it is important to understand that this incident could quickly and easily escalate to life and death in seconds. That decision and willingness to use deadly force  must be made before it begins. Hesitate for half a second and you could be on the floor with a sheet over you.
 
This is from farce book.... this is 10 seconds total but the actual event is 1 second while under stress : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=670841776267356&set=vb.100000246204208&type=2&theater 
 
It happens fast....hesitate and you could be dead.
 
There are training courses as I mentioned earlier, that will do their best to simulate the experience, but in reality, nothing prepares you for such an encounter. Those who are prepared, and who have trained, and are familiar with their weapon of choice, and know it's balance, weight, safety devices, operation, and how it functions are better prepared to have a chance at surviving the encounter than those who have not prepared. You must know that weapon and not have to think about any aspect of it. As stress levels rise, fine motor skill diminish and the conscious mind is focused on survival not operating a safety.... so it must be an auto pilot sort of zen thing at that point....and that comes only from practice.
 
Why do you think the military is always practicing, and martial artists, and musicians? It has to be second nature.

Thanks Herb, I am smallish, and now too old for a fair fight. I guess they better leave me alone. I am glad you posted this. I think it is the same with a knife. That would be my last resort at my age because with a little luck a young man would take it from me. I really hate all this but I am glad to be sort of prepared. I now go to the garage when my wife leaves, we keep the doors locked but I absolutely refuse to live with the blinds closed. I will not hide... will get the cams and try to be proactive. I'd just like to get my garage cleaned out, and this rental house someone trashed cleaned up... I wish people would just do right.
Thanks again,
J

mike_mccue
 
Did anyone ever get around to calling 911?

No... what would they do? She didn't call at the time, why call two hours later. They might say "protect and serve" but really they only respond after a crime has been commited. It would have been a waste of time and they might tell me something I don't want to hear. I'll handle this myself because in the end, I am going to have to anyway.
But thanks...
 
J

Always look outside to see who is at the door before opening it. Never just walk up and open it.... those days are long past.
 
More than one time I have answered the door with my 9mm in my hand behind me concealed from view.  You never know....
 
Remember, God made all men equal... Samuel Colt made some more equal ....

Starise
 We just had a home broken into here not a mile from my house. I know the guy involved. He is an older guy and he was there with his wife. The two intruders kept asking for someone who he didn't know and had never heard of. They wore masks. They put him on the floor and told him to shut up, did the same to his wife. They came right up to the front door and knocked and he opened the door. We think it was a drug deal gone wrong and they must have gotten the wrong address. They went through his house and left after they discovered they had the wrong guy. He is still shook up from the whole episode. In this case if he would have used a gun there is a really good chance that the second person who would have not been shot would have killed him and probably his wife. In this case there were two of them. What do you do if you kill one and the other one is there with a gun outside of your vision? Sometimes there is a second man outside. I think in some cases cooperation might save your life. As this turned out he is safe, his wife is safe and he has all of his possessions.
 
 The intruder has probably thought about how they can pull it off and be safe and that might include more than one person. Usually intrusions around here are drug related. Some people have been robbed while in their house asleep. Playing possum in this case might save you your life. Usually the robber has nothing on their mind but getting drug money. Stay out of the way or fight, the choice is up to you. You have to ponder the consequences of that choice. If they really wanted inside your house I guarantee they would have gotten in. I don't think the intruder was interested in anything but an easy take, someone who leaves their doors unlocked.

I appreciate it but it just isn't my nature to allow someone to violate me, my wife, or my home. My only real option is to go hot and fast because I wouldn't make a good hostage. I'd get mad and do something stupid... it would be better for me to act. Even befor this happened, if I cannot see who is at the door, I answer it with a gun in my back pocket. This is not the 1950s... even in the 60s things were changing, does anyone remember the Ned Alday family?
I am not going to live forever but I do have to live with myself and if I just allowed something to happen, just allowed someone to come in my house and steal my things while I hid... it would eat me up for the rest of my life. I think I would rather risk it all and do the unexpected without hesitation. I have thought it through and I told my wife that if I came in and had my gun and someone else had a gun to her head... I am going to shoot them, I woud NOT drop my gun. I'd rather us both be shot than drp my gun and allow myself to be beaten or have to watch my wife raped. Not going to do that... and I wouldn't wait. Say a word or two and shoot in the middle of the first sentence.
 
I'm just not made that way. It is eating your friend up right now and I bet if he can be prepared he would not lay down again.
 
I don't know, it is stressful just talking about it but it helps me to gather resolve and be prepared beforehand so I don't have to wonder what to do if confronted. I just hope it is over but with the cameras I will know and if there is somene out there I will get a tree stand or gillie and lay in wait... in that case I would not shoot anyone, that is when I would hold them for the police... but I feel I have to be proactive, the alternative is to be afraid and hide... to trade freedom for some false security and I refuse to do that. I'll do my best to do the bold and unexpected, that way I will have an advantage. Criminals never expect "citizens" to be anything other than passive... but I have a checkered past and know how to sneak. The Lord has preserved me through some times of my own making that should have resulted in my death or in prison. I am thankful... would NEVER want to be young again. Goodness and respectability does not come natural for me, I had to be remade and I have to keep an eye on it. My flesh is a bad sort of flesh... if you know what I mean.
I do appreciate your thoughts..
 
J