Wife: "Why do you want guns in the house?" was answered tonight.

[MitchellCT]

So...

My wife, two toddler daughters and I recently relocated to Tennessee. We also have a roommate that lives with us. We have sort of taken him in as part of our family. He has many medical issues and needs and no one else to care for him. Anyway, We are here just over 3 weeks. We moved to a nice little 4 bd, 2.5 ba house on 1 acre. We are immediately surrounded by 2 farms, one of which is owned by the same gentleman that our road is named after. If thats any indication to how long he has been here lol. Beyond our road there are a few other roads that have a mixture of houses and trailers...single and doublewides. A few of the residents of these other roads have been pointed out to me as drug addicts. Meth is a HUGE problem here. For a small farming town it sure does resemble some Jersey cities that I grew up in.

A quick bit on me...I've been a member here since 07. I wanted a CCW for some time now. Kept thinking and talking about it...but never followed through. Til now. I just bought a Glock 19 that should arrive this coming Friday. I have a POS Lorcin 9mm in the night stand for the time being. Will take the required safety class next month and apply for my Tn carry permit.

With my finally following through and beginning to arm our home and myself, my wife has asked a few times "Why do you feel it so neccessary to have guns in the house and why do you want to carry so badly?" She is against guns...simply because she's terrified of them. I've repeatedly expressed to her the benefits of being prepared rather than unprepared. I've taken her through the miriad of "worst-case-scenerios" that could occur.

Well....tonight it happened.

I went to my sisters tonight to see the new baby they are fostering. They live barely a mile from us. I'm there maybe 10 mins. when I get a frantic call from my wife, kids crying in the background. A man, mid 30s-early 40s, is outside looking in multiple windows. They are terrified. As I am hopping in the Blazer to haul ass home...I instruct my wife to get my tactical knife from between the mattress on my side of the bed and call 911...which she had already done before calling me. She and our roomie aren't able to handle a firearm...that will change now that my wife has agreed to learn to shoot! Anyway...I arrive home...burst through the front door to my wife handing me my Lorcin and LED flashlight (I do love her...she's on the ball). Without stopping I pop open the back door and begin scanning the area he was seen last. Right then this scumbag meth head comes walking around the far corner of the house with my shovel that I had left in the yard from working earlier in the day. I guess he intended to arm himself or use it to bust fhe back door. Either way...his mistake. I chamber a round...which caught his attention fast. As I took aim he flung himself face first on the ground and started begging for me not to shoot him. As I commanded him not to move or he'd be shot, place his arms straight out, cross his ankles and bend his knees feet up...he rambled off a handful of ever changing stories about how he had run out of gas, was lost, needed to use the phone, needed the bathroom etc etc so on and so on. Got to the point that I had to yell at him to shut the hell up.

My wife called 911 again to let them know that I was in the backyard, armed and holding the bg at gunpoint.

The sheriff's deputies showed up and took over from there as I went into daddy mode and had to calm my girls.

This was hours ago...needless to say my wife has had an instant change of heart. She has talked about nothing but how thankful she is for my military training, my security background and statements/questions like "when are you going to pick up your new gun?", "I think you're right about getting guns", "I think I want to learn to shoot" and my personal favorite..."Maybe we should think about getting a shotgun".


We avoided what could have been a major event tonight. All I can say is thank God for the 2nd Amendment! And thank God for my ability to stay calm and collected in situations like this which allows me to make the right decisions that keep my family safe.


I'm sure there will be a mix of responses and opinions. Please note that I didn't ask "How did I do?". I'm secure in my actions. My family is safe and no one died tonight.

Looks like I'll be shopping for a shotgun tommorrow ;)

http://www.tacticalresponse.com/


Fighting Pistol
Camden, TN
Sep 11 - 12, 2010
Nov 29 - 30, 2010
Jan 8 - 9, 2011

You will be part of the alumni club soon.

Start buying ammo for your classes. 1K per person, per class.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OldVet]

Glad all are safe.
The only thing I'll criticize is that you "chambered a round" when you confronted the guy.

I'm not one to criticize anyone for keeping an "unchambered" firearm in the house (kids, non-shooting wife, etc.) But knowing that someone was out there, I would have chambered a round immediately. What if the guy had been armed and ready to shoot, while you were not? The whole ordeal could have gone the other way in a heartbeat, with him having the drop on you. Where would that have left the wife and kids then.

Keep your firearm safe as you see fit, but have it "ready" when needed.

[ArmyCop]

Well, sorry something like that happened to your family to be what changed her mind but glad it worked out for ya.

I was gonna to say - reason for gun in the house is same reason fire extinguisher is in the house - one good for you to use while waiting for the fire dept if have a fire or the other for when waiting for police to get there as in your situation that you just posted about.

[goldshellback]

Bravo Zulu On your overall response. All are safe and no death last night. When you pick up that G19, go practice and get comfortable with a round in the chamber.

......and be careful, a G19 is a wonderful sidearm and your wife will more than likely adopt it!

Keep us up to date with you and your familys progress after ya'lls scary situation.

[SpringerXD]

We all start somewhere. Unfortunately it took something like this to kick my rear into overdrive.

Very true. My late wife wasn't "anti-gun," per se, but she didn't like the idea of me actually carrying. But by the same token, she also slept better knowing that I had my .357 at the time.

I hope no one here takes this as a sexist remark because I certainly don't mean it that way. Many women are a bit (and I HATE to use this word) hypocritical when it comes to guns. They'll tell you that they wish all guns would just disappear, but they feel 100% safer because you have one in the house "just in case."

Above all, I'm glad your family is safe. That supersedes everything else. But like others have said, this is a golden opportunity for you to impress upon your wife that bad things can happen anywhere at any time.

Oh, and welcome to Tennessee from an Alabama native!

[CowboyColby]

Glad everything worked out well for you. your safe the family is safe and the bg is in jail. Plus you get a new shotty and a dog. Lucky!

What shotgun did you decide to go with? Also how bout the dog?

[AzB]

So glad everyone is safe and sound!

This was hours ago...needless to say my wife has had an instant change of heart. She has talked about nothing but how thankful she is for my military training, my security background and statements/questions like "when are you going to pick up your new gun?", "I think you're right about getting guns", "I think I want to learn to shoot" and my personal favorite..."Maybe we should think about getting a shotgun".

This part made me tear up just a little. I love happy endings!

[PSLOwner]

Wow, that is one scary story and probably a man's worse nightmare getting "that" call.

That is one lucky meth head that he was not shot dead. Also glad that you guys do not to live with the nightmare of having to be forced to take someone's life...... Even justified.

The german sheppard is a great idea..... The kids will love that dog, and vice versa.

[dcghostrider]

What a world we live in. I read these and my heart starts pounding, so glad you and your family are safe and sound!!

[retsupt99]

Not much to add, just well done and glad all are safe.
I'm sure that your will see more dirtbags in the area. Meth-heads are like cockroaches...if you see one, you have a lot more around somewhere.

[boricua]

You did an excellent job! I'm glad that you and your family are safe. Now, go and get your HD shotgun.

[chiefjason]

Depending on your wife's size a youth stock or adjustable stock for the shotgun may be a good idea. Rem 870 has lots of aftermarket possibilities in stocks. My wife is shooting a 12 ga Rem 870 with a knoxx adjustable stock. She LOVES it!! It also depends on whether she intends to fire the shotgun from the hip or shoulder.

If gun safety is an issue with keeping a round chambered you may want to look into a holster for the gun. Covering the trigger keeps anyone from a ND when nervous and picking it up. Both of our pistols are kept in holsters so we don't grab one and snag the trigger. You may also have other reasons, so to each his own. Just a suggestion.

And most importantly, Good Job!

[tkruf]

Well everyone else here has already added their great advice, so I'll just add my congrats to theirs that everyone in your home is ok and no one was hurt. I think you've got a good head on your shoulders and you have a good plan. Go with it. Stay safe.

[sandman1212]

Great to hear! my other half thankfully likes guns and loves to practice. She even has me teaching her three daughters...we make it a family affair around my home.

[ncsteveh]

Ok, days up, what did you buy?