So, You'e sitting down to dinner and...

[oakchas]

You just got home from work... You are sitting down to dine with the family; 3 masked, armed men bust into the house... They have weapons pointed at you, your wife, and a son or daughter.

1. Your house is "reasonably secure" but you do not have an alarm system,
2. you yourself are always carrying, even at home, (wife and kids not)
3. you have HD shotgun in bedroom under the bed or on a rack on the bed frame (unimportant where), loaded and ready to go.
4. The bedroom door is lockable and solid wood.

Two of the men take your wife and children, at gunpoint, to another location in the house (you don't know whether it is your bedroom with the weapon or not).They are bound. One BG remains behind to guard the family. (or doesn't; your choice, in this scenario.)

You are told by the remaining men to take them to the money. (whether you have any or not is irrelevant).

What are your actions?

BTW, your dog is happily eating a large juicy steak with some tranquilizers outside... or you don't have a dog, anyway for this scenario.

This is not too far fetched... In fact, it's happened recently in Alpharetta, Georgia. Twice. Recently.
I posted it in: "In the News." Stories: HERE

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Cold Shot]

If they give you an opening, take it. If they are good, you may have to comply unless the situation becomes untenable.

[oakchas]

If they give you an opening, take it. If they are good, you may have to comply unless the situation becomes untenable.

How do you comply, if you have no stash of money/gold/what have you in the house?
Do you tell them that and hope they settle for wallets/cel phones/electronics?

[MadMac]

If you are jumped by pros (or at least well-organized amatuers), you're best option in this case cited in the article is to comply - quickly - and try to get them out of your home. The guy took a big risk lying to them about the safe. (That's what I read between the lines.) They likely knew what they were after. If an armed gang has already entered you home and moved your family to different rooms, you're already well past the defend-yourself-with-a-pistol stage.

It's similar to protecting yourself from assassination. If someone is just trying to kill you, they'll likely succeed.

I saw a rerun of that Storage Wars show where they show that pinhead Darrell Sheets showing you all the expensive crap he had stashed around his house. In the intro, they had "Darrell Sheets' Home: Vista CA." Well, some dirtbags simply looked him up in the phone book, and planned a home invasion. He talks aboutit in a later episode.

When I saw the rerun where he was boasting about all the valuable crap in his house, I was wondering, "What kind of a dumb - err - cluck goes on national TV, shows where he lives, and then boasts about all the expensive crap in the house?"

I don't have a lot of vaulable possessions in my home, and I keep my financial assets tucked safely away from your average street thug i.e, not at home.

[Islandp229]

Given that they have the drop i would comply with all asked. I am always carrying when in the house so i think given a slight chance that I am quick enough to draw upon door smashing in I will start firing and getting family to more secure part of the house. but in your scenario not much room for anything no dog to bark or alarm going off doesnt give much room but comply and have them leave the home quicker as no valuables in the house is worth my family life

[NYCrulesU]

I agree with reaponses so far. Comply as much as possible. Take action if it gets to a point where you KNOW it's your only option.

[oakchas]

Honestly I don't see any other recourse but compliance and hope. If there's opportunity... or if there is no other way... then action... but that's only if it's do or die anyway.

One of the families in the link had an alarm system, not armed, but were a least able to hit the panic button after the fact.

This scenario is the worst possible from my POV... You've got badguys taking family members to another location (which can easily become the scene of the crime (or one of them)) even though it's in the same house. The badguys have the drop on you. There is no early warning system (dog or alarm). You are armed but cannot do anything about it. And worst of all, it really happened, twice in one small area...

So this scenario becomes one in which preparation for such things is the answer... before the fact.

1. Dog or other early warning system (if you have an alarm, arm it (as you should be) at all times).
2. Reinforced door jambs on steel entry doors.
3. ?911 on cell phone ready to dial?
4. What else?

At what point does it become paranoia and not just preparedness?

Is something like this application for smart phones overkill?

RED PANIC BUTTON APP LINK
^^^^^click here^^^^^
(I'm not affiliated with the app in any way)

[barstoolguru]

give them what they want and hope they leave all of you breathing

[WHEC724]

I'm okay with giving up material possessions.

The problem is that my most valuable possessions are there, right out in the open (my family).

What I'm not okay with, is them taking control of my family members, nor binding myself up so that I could not deploy my concealed firearm if needed. If you comply fully, they have the option of escalating it to whatever level, and you have no ability to respond.

The fact is, this would likely end bloody at my house. Honestly, my fight would have likely started out of reflex as they attempted to push into my home.

This isn't about wisely giving up your possessions. This is about fighting for your life.

[Mike1956]

Take them to the money.

[Harryball]

I'm okay with giving up material possessions.

The problem is that my most valuable possessions are there, right out in the open (my family).

What I'm not okay with, is them taking control of my family members, nor binding myself up so that I could not deploy my concealed firearm if needed. If you comply fully, they have the option of escalating it to whatever level, and you have no ability to respond.

The fact is, this would likely end bloody at my house. Honestly, my fight would have likely started out of reflex as they attempted to push into my home.

This isn't about wisely giving up your possessions. This is about fighting for your life.

The Bold part...This would hold true in my home

[RugerMike]

I don't think anyone would be able to "burst" into my house with anything short of explosives. I am not saying they could not get in, but it would not be so fast that I could not react to it until they are inside. I am hoping the doors would buy me the few seconds I would need to put a proper welcoming party together for these gentlemen. I have 46 rounds of 9mm on my person for just such an occasion.

[sd976]

Agreed with above. They most likely would not have made it through tht edoor before I had a chance to respond, then it would end in their bloodbath.

[GentlemanJim]

Problem is, are they going to leave after they get what they want, or are they going to tie your wife and children to the bed and set the house on fire?

That has happened too.

The longer you wait to take action, the more they consolidate control. If you act hastily you might provoke violence that might not otherwise have occurred.

Food for thought.

My first instinct is to rise up from the table shooting. They will be stacked up at the door and that's probably as good an opportunity as any to take action.

Jim

[Sheldon J]

My thought is how did you let them get that far into the house with out noticing something was amiss? Car pulls in my driveway, pulls in the yard, drives by my house (dead end street) walk up to my house I know..... Sam's Club sells these real nice (3 with a 4th available) wireless color, IR video cameras with sound and a monitor for about $260. So I see you before you hit the breaks to stop....