Is it brandishing if in your own home?

[Jason Storm]

I would not even show them my gun if I have to answer an unexpected knock on my door after 6PM since I have a peephole. To do so may initiate a provocation and will cause them to report me. I'd rather not let them know and have the element of surprise in my favor. Only if the door gets kicked down or if a shot is fired will they realize that I have a gun on me.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OldVet]

I would not even show them my gun if I have to answer an unexpected knock on my door after 6PM since I have a peephole. To do so may initiate a provocation and will cause them to report me. I'd rather not let them know and have the element of surprise in my favor. Only if the door gets kicked down or if a shot is fired will they realize that I have a gun on me.

Ever seen the movie The Professional? Might make you think twice before sticking your eye up to one.

[Jason Storm]

Ever seen the movie The Professional? Might make you think twice before sticking your eye up to one.

If I decide to approach the door and look through a peephole, I would do it as silently as possible w/ the pistol already pointed at the front door. But that's usually after I take up a position behind a wall and challenge the knock after I bellow, "Who goes there?". If he/she replies and it is not to my satisfaction, I bellow, "Wrong address!!!!".

[DefConGun]

Its so odd that you have asked this when I was thinking about something similar the other day.

The same as everyone else has said, different states have different laws so its best to refer to yours respectively.

I would take the conservative assumption if I weren't clear even after looking at the law. You may want to call state police and speak w/their legal dept. and ask this if you can't find anything after looking at the laws that apply to your state.

In the meantime, If you find a need to answer the door with your gun readily available before you find a definitive answer, I would play it safe and keep it concealed like others have suggested. I know it sounds crazy but in KY, you aren't even allowed to carry concealed on your own property without a CCDW so I would imagine that you aren't allowed to brandish either. Now at the same time, however, I would imagine that I would be completely in my rights to answer the door open carry.

Legally speaking, in the capacity of being a citizen, a gun is for hunting and self-defense. I refrain from using a gun as a scare tactic. If I get it out, I'm going to use it. I'm not getting it out to scare someone just like I'm not going to fire warning shots, etc.

[Gene83]

If I decide to approach the door and look through a peephole, I would do it as silently as possible w/ the pistol already pointed at the front door. But that's usually after I take up a position behind a wall and challenge the knock after I bellow, "Who goes there?". If he/she replies and it is not to my satisfaction, I bellow, "Wrong address!!!!".

I've worked sales where you knock on doors before. At night, you can see the interior light in the home shining through the peephole. When a person steps up to look through it, the light goes out. You can't move silently enough for someone not to know you are there. They aren't listening for sounds, they watch that light.

[IWLAFART]

Why don't you just open carry in appendix position when you open the door - message received.

[noway2]

@Limatunes, thank you for fixing the thread title. I thought of that on the way home and had a DOH, moment.

have your hand on it in your pocket, hang a magazine over the gun in your hand, but keep it concealed

Good Suggestion for concealment tactic

Oh, Hi There, I was just getting ready to clean my firearm, can I help you?

Another good suggestion. Actually cleaning is what got me thinking along these lines.

A pounding/Brisk knock on the door may vary well be the local sheriff's dept and I'd suggest not having a firearm in your hand when opening the door

and

Seems to be a very grey area ... Those who knock on your door, see a gun, panic, and call the cops......it's on you

and

The next knock you hear at your door is a local sheriff's deputy. "Two salesman have called in that you threatened them with a semi-automatic handgun sir. Do you own a handgun?"

These things are my concern.

Hiding your gun/hand behind the door or door frame is one GREAT way. I have even had my hand behind my back with gun in hand while talking to people at the door. Hide the gun behind or in a book or newspaper, blanket, shirt, dish towel, etc, etc, etc. Your imagination is the limit.

More excellent suggestions!.

In NC as long as you don't point it at them you can have one visible. If you point it at them it's considered assault. (unless they need shooting)

Thank you for the reference. That is good to know. I tried to keep the conditions as don't care as possible. My thought was mostly on the legal factor and I could see this sort of thing happening, even unintentionally. It would really suck to be charged with an offense in your own home and then it occurred to me that I hadn't encountered any information on that situation.

At all, thank you for your insightful replies!

[The Old Anglo]

Always Carry,Never Tell....AND Don`t Let Them See It!!!!. The element of Surprise is Priceless!.

[xXxplosive]

If I'm not expecting you......I never open the door.......don't like that.......discuss it with our German Shepard "JAX".....maybe he'll let you in.
CCW.......always.

[starrman]

I always open the door, but with 2 great danes to the left and right of me. Zeus's head is at most peoples chest and at 170 pounds most people step back or in one case, just run. Makes me kinda jealous cause nobody ever notices the 1911 always on me.

[retsupt99]

I don't open the door to strangers...I can see who is knocking.
If I open the door, my Irish Wolfhound is next to me, and my Glock is in my IWB holster.

It's very accessible, but can't be seen...therefore, not brandishing.
I don't want anyone to know that I'm armed.

As long as you're not pointing the firearm AT someone, I don't believe that it would be considered brandishing in your own home.OMOYMV

[chiefjason]

OC has worked for me in the past. Makes the random security guys go away faster, and seemed to help with the Kirby guy my wife let in the house. They are like gnats. They were pretty friendly though, I guess an armed society is a polite society. They went below half of the original price, but seeing as I was in the middle of laying laminate flooring we just don't need a new vacuum. I did have to get pretty blunt to make that point though.

[noway2]

The random security salesman always concerns me. When we built the house we live in, we took advantage of the fact that we had access before the sheetrock went up to install a better than average alarm system that is hard wired. We do have a visible, but not obnoxiously so, sign by the front door from a local alarm company (rather than a national chain) and this always seems to attract the security salesman who starts asking questions about our setup. I am always very reluctant to answer and they never seem to want to take a hint that I am not interested in either discussing my system with them or purchasing theirs.

I could see where OC or a variant there of could be beneficial in making a pest uncomfortable and desire to leave. At the same time, someone else now knows that you have guns, which are worth stealing. This thread has reminded me of the discussion about not putting a sign advertising that intruders will be shot, for this reason. This weekend, my wife and I were joking about a way around that part. We said we could put up an equally ominous sign (playing off one of our favorite games): "All ye who enter unbidden will find themselves wrapped in the Nigh Mother's cold, loving, embrace" Of course, in reality we wouldn't, but thought it sounded fun.

[357and40]

I would presume that if your municipality allows open carry you can be open carrying, but I see no reason to have it in your hand....

[noway2]

I would presume that if your municipality allows open carry you can be open carrying, but I see no reason to have it in your hand....

In truth, I don't either. I am / was curious about the question in an academic sense. Specifically, how does the dynamic of being in your own home change things? We often times see references to private residence and property rights used in threads and this got me wondering.