This is a discussion on Opening your front door while carrying within the Carry & Defensive Scenarios forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; In another thread on the "Carry & Defensive Scenarios" section, someone at home had disarmed and then a little bit later went to open the ...
In another thread on the "Carry & Defensive Scenarios" section, someone at home had disarmed and then a little bit later went to open the front door when he recognized a cousin that had been harassing him earlier in the week. When he opened the door, his cousin asked him a question and before the homeowner could answer, a "guy rushes in and has a gun in my face, he was hiding on the side of the home...".
Let's say you are armed and you answer your door and the above happens. How do you respond? My first thought is that if I don't know or don't like the person at the front door, I am not opening it. I can talk to them through the door or not even bother to acknowledge that I'm even at home.
But in general what is your state of awareness or alertness when opening your front door? What about when you open your front door to go out to your car or to get the mail or the paper?
I carry everyday, so if I'm dressed I'm armed. If I'm not dressed I don't answer the door.
I also lock the storm door, when I am home. When I do answer it(after looking from another window) I know who is there and I don't open the door for strangers or door-to-door sales people. My large dog is usually faster to the door than I am, while I'm looking out the window, he's already at the door. His social skills aren't the best and he's not going to roll out a welcome mat.
Disclaimer: The posts made by this member are only the members opinion, not a reflection on anyone else, nor the group, and should not be cause for anyone to get their undergarments wedged in an uncomfortable position.
i assume you are talking about my situation. i have learned a couple things.
1. before opening door, look outside and made sure there are no cars,no people and is snowing ( no footprints ) before unlocking the door.
2. if someone knocks, have your firearm out of it's holster and in your hand. If they already have a gun in there hand you will NOT be able to draw your firearm, if you dont know them dont answer.
3. if your married, make a password with your wife or husband to re-enter the home. incase a bg gets you outside and makes you try to gain access to the home. if you dont give the right pw then your spouse needs to call the police and if you have an alarm set off the alarm.
4. be aware of your surroundings outside your home, look over your shoulder, scan behind cars, behind garbage cans any object that someone may be able to hide behind.
5. do NOT get complacient, even your own family can hurt you, and if they dont intend on hurting you a BG could have forced them to your home so please,please be aware that no matter who is at your front door you need to
1. LOOK 2.LISTEN 3.TALK before opening door.
everyday I carry a gun 23 hours a day, when i goto bed i sleep with one next to me. this particular day I disarmed i dont know why but i did. times have changed and dont think because you are in your home you are safe. I know its horrible to think that your home is not a safe haven for you and your family but its not. complaciency almost killed me
This is a difficult one for me. My kids have friends coming and going near constantly. I open the door though, I do not allow them to open it.
I know exactly who it is before I allow entry.
I carry everyday, so if I'm dressed I'm armed. If I'm not dressed I don't answer the door.
I also lock the storm door, when I am home. When I do answer it(after looking from another window) I know who is there and I don't open the door for strangers or door-to-door sales people. My large dog is usually faster to the door than I am, while I'm looking out the window, he's already at the door. His social skills aren't the best and he's not going to roll out a welcome mat.
+1 Everything that you are doing, I do. You can never be safe enough. SA must be in place in the home and out of the home. Be safe and STAY ARMED.
My Mom used to leave the front and back doors open with a fan in the living room to vent the house on mild days,In todays world that would be extremely dangerous,even in small towns Bg's can arrive and most crimes are crimes of opportunity
I carry everyday, so if I'm dressed I'm armed. If I'm not dressed I don't answer the door.
^^^^^^^^^^What, no sense of adventure?^^^^^^^^
I also lock the storm door, when I am home. When I do answer it(after looking from another window) I know who is there and I don't open the door for strangers or door-to-door sales people. My large dog is usually faster to the door than I am, while I'm looking out the window, he's already at the door. His social skills aren't the best and he's not going to roll out a welcome mat.
Yes, this is my Ideal plan. Too bad My wife didn't know about it the time about 15 years ago, w/two kids 5&2.5 yrs old , I come home from work at 6:30p, to find a strange car in our drive,(very rural area) 1 neighbor then fields, and she has TWO vacuum cleaner sales people in the house , who would not leave, even if there was a bomb scare in the house.
They finally left after almost 2 hrs.(yes dinner was put on hold) and yes they were mad when they didn't sell us anything( she warned them we didn't have 600+ for a vacuum).
After they left, I admonished her about the choice she made in letting TWO perfect strangers in our house that could have been part of the Manson family for all she knew.
She has come far since, thank goodness!!!
"If you put the government in charge of the desert, there would be a sand shortage within ten years." - A very wise man
If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.
Washington didn't use his freedom of speech to defeat the British, He shot them!
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy." -- Ernest Benn
Disclaimer: The posts made by this member are only the members opinion, not a reflection on anyone else, nor the group, and should not be cause for anyone to get their undergarments wedged in an uncomfortable position.
I live in a rural area. And here's a picture of my front door. I keep my (only) gun out on a nightstand shelf in the bedroom (my safe room).
If I look and dont know the person at my door, I tell them 'wait a minute, be right there' and go and get my gun before continuing. Then I would keep it hidden at my side while addressing them.
If they break thru the door, I am already in my saferoom with phones and gun (or can easily retreat there).
It's not ideal front door, no doubt. Someday when I can afford it, I'd like to have custom wrought ironwork done for it. It does match the nearby pantry door (solid, six inches thick, iron hardware...it's an old commercial refrigerator door. My house has all beams, light fixtures, etc that were salvaged from an old warehouse).
I have the doors locked this time of yr, but in nice weather, I keep them all open (not just unlocked) during daylight.
First one is the front door, 2nd one is the pantry. (That's not me in the pic)
I let him bark for the time it takes me to look out the window and assess the visitor. I live in a semi-rural area so visitors (other than UPS or FedEx) are pretty rare. I know my postman by sight as well as the rig he uses on deliveries.
I wear a Crossbreed Supertuck so my pistol is on me first thing in the morning and stays with me until I get undressed at night. The holster is so comfortable that I don't fuss about disarming unless there's a law involved. I've answered the door a couple of times with my hand on the grip but not with the pistol drawn.
Although you can be surprised by a sudden attempt to gain entry, you can also position your body (and foot) to nullify the advantage of surprise and buy yourself plenty of time to draw if necessary. It's very, very hard to force open a door that's being held by someone who is mentally prepared and physically positioned to counter it.
Times have changed. Nowadays BGs dont care who they hurt and are more daring and more violent. Since I got my CHL, Im always armed, 24/7 except when in shower, but I keep it at arms lenght. I hope I never have the need to use it.
tpurdin: Thanks for sharing your lessons learned as we know you've been through an intense first-hand experience with a home invasion.
It makes me realize that I need to trim my shrubberies so that people can't hide behind them.
I think checking out your front yard (or whichever yard you're opening the door to) is essential. Also not opening your door to strangers - just tell them you're busy and if they want they can leave a flyer or business card.
When you do open your front door to get the mail or paper or whatever, I'd make sure to carry your gun just in case someone got past all the above preparations.
If I'm going out to my car at night, I make sure to scan the area with a high lumen flashlight.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Rugergirl
Oops, brain cramp.
"The flock sleep peaceably in their pasture at night because Sheepdogs stand ready to do violence on their behalf." 
