What do you grab when something goes bump in the night?
 

You can vote multiple times in the poll, so feel free to check if you would like to have something you don't have. For maximum accuracy, read on before voting!

Two part question, and can be answered by all members, weapon nuts and not.

1. You are in bed tonight. At 4 AM, you hear a window break. Tonight, exactly how things are right now, in your current state of readiness, realistically, what do you bring with you to investigate the noise?

2. It's now the next day, and a kid had just tossed a rock through your window and run off. However, now you're actually worried, and you purchase something to bring with you to investigate bumps. What would your ideal weapon for the purpose of disabling intruders be, without considering price (that civilians can legally own)?



My answers:

1. I have a .38 ACP semi auto in the nightstand that gets carried with me when the wife says "what was that? Go check on it!" She chuckled the first time that I brought it with me, to which I said "OK, either you think it's something, in which case I'm gonna be pretty useless confronting 'something' naked, or you think it's nothing, and I don't have to get out of my warm bed. Which is it?"

2. If I had one, my go-to would definitely be an 18" barrel tactical 12-gauge. I'm not in a very high risk area for home invasions, or I'd have already purchased one.

Is that a .38 super? I have heard they are powerful, but have avoided them cause of lack of easily available ammo, and price of most every platform that fires it- kinda niched a racegun anymore.....
myself, I grab a revolver, which one rotates based on mood, but often its a ruger speed six, one of the relatively few chambered in 9mm, favored cause it uses moon clips and is "revolver reliable"....

I voted for the flashlight AND a pistol. always like to see what I might need to shoot.

Nothing.

If I've been stalked recently and feel unnerved, I sleep with my best butcher knife under my pillow.

Guess I was used to having a big, bad dude there to do the dirty work. :|

Honestly, I've never even thought about getting some sort of weapon for such a situation. I guess I always figured I called drop kick the hell out of whatever it was that got me up. And my drop kicks hurt.

I grab my junk. One has to have priorities.

Honestly? If someone breaks in I'd just shout out, "You have 10 minutes before I call the police. I've not seen your face, so please take what you want and go." If he wasn't in there to steal, I'd attempt a physical attack, given the opportunity. That's so rare, though, that it doesn't make sense to plan for. Like a lighting strike or zamboni attack.

So if a window breaks, you're going to yell your little message through your bedroom door, on the assumption someone is in the house? Or is this your way of saying "Nothing or flashlight"

It's a favor to both me and the idiot breaking in. If he has a gun, then I don't want him to see where I am and I don't want to give him a reason to use it. Him taking my crap is fine with me if the alternative is him opening fire. If he doesn't have a gun, then he doesn't want me to come out and break every bone in his body. It's about accepting that there are serious risks involved in a home invasion and finding the best and most safe solution.

Besides, I have triple pain windows that would take gunfire to break and dead bolts on all the doors. The best way into the house would be to break into the roof, so I'm not all that concerned.

I would grab my pillow and bite... hard.

Or maybe get the cricket bat out and get all Shaun of the Dead on somone who is unarmed.

Or get the 1851 Walker Colt out if I wanna go all Fistfull of Dollars on his arse.

Or get the blowtorch and pliers and call up some headcracking niggas to go medieval on his ass.

Or just grab the shotty and make a huge mess.

Honestly, I don't know what firearm I would utilize against a zamboni attack.

sunglasses.

While she's deceiving me, she cuts my security
Has she got control of me
I turn to her and say
Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades; oh no
Don't masquerade with the guy in shades; oh no
You got it made with the guy in shades; oh no

...

Somebody inform me: What is up with this home invasion / magic handgun fetish?

The American handgun fetish amuses me. They're "sidearms" for a reason.

The handgun is primarily a defensive tool used as a backup to a primary piece.

By "defensive" I mean when you don't have a long gun readily available.

Concealed carry? Handgun viable. Home defense? Why not use a long gun?

Handguns are what you use when you can't get to your shoulder-arm.

A semi-automatic Bushmaster 9mm AR15 carbine with a rail-mounted flashlight makes a rather handy home defense piece for nervous surbanites who might be inclined to have such a firearm. It is extremely lightweight (carbon fiber, can easily be fired single-handedly if necessary), is a shoulder-fired arm (more accuracy, RoF, range), shoots the extremely common 9mm ( even +Ps) from 30 rnd stick mags, and can take most of the common AR family accessories such as sights, optics, stocks, rails, grips, etc.

Man, you really are The Dude. That's awesome.

"You mean coitus?"

sic the dog on 'em

This is after the shotgun blast to the nads, and before you steal his chopper, right?

Anyway, I'm working my way up presently :D

Used to be just a good flashlight, now is a flashlight and a 9mm Steyr S9 - a superb pistol.

But as Crompsin said, pistols are best used to fight your way to your rifle. Therefore, a rifle is next - the Kel-Tec RFB, if things work out right on its development. I'm saving my pennies $.$

And, after that's purchased, I'll probably look into a Remington 870 or Saiga 12 gauge - shotguns are the ultimate home defense tool :thumbsup:

Oh, man... I had a Steyr M357 and that piece was a sex machine. I sold it to a buddy after Afghanistan and I really miss it now. Such a comfy, solid design.

...

Remington 870 Express is $300 if you shop right. Priority? ALWAYS have a flashlight and ALWAYS have your cell phone. Tactical safety as well as CYA liability protection.

I guess I didn't consider carbines when making the poll. Unless I lived on a farm, or had way more sturdy walls than I do, I'd be VERY hesitant to discharge any rifle cartdridges in my house, due to over penetration.

However, even considering carbines, at home defense ranges, I'd rather be throwing buckshot than a rifle round. If I'm going for something shot from the shoulder, it's going to be a scatter gun, not a slug thrower.

One definition of carbine = lightweight pistol-caliber shoulder arm.

9x19mm (9mm Luger) is a popular pistol round. No duh, right?

Think of a carbine as a "big pistol you shoot with both hands."

Hence the Bushmaster, Keltec, and Marlin models available.

there are quite a few experts that dislike long guns for use in ones home, even carbine sized pistol caliber models- this due to the advantage of having a hand free to do stuff like use a phone, and the fact that a long gun is much easier to snatch, and harder to move around with it- not such a big deal if your weapon has a light, and a lot of carbines are much shorter than anything available before , but still something to consider - If you are military trained with a carbine its probably better to use what you know, and I am not sure if all the experts have thought of all the angles now that pretty much everything has a tac rail and a folding stock- I still would not want to try to clear a house with grandads goose gun though.......

Personally, I'm the last to worry about something that goes bump in the night. I do keep a small LED flashlight my pocket, but if someone is sneaking around the house, that would be a bad idea, since what ever went "bump" will see me coming. If it happened outside, rather than inside, I may just go back to sleep.

Anyway, I know Kung Fu, some Tae Kwon Do, and I keep a black cane nearby that makes for a great baton. So what ever went bump had better watch out.

Oh, I know what a carbine is. I was saying, I didn't include rifles because no sane person would be flinging .223 through his house, and I had forgotton about carbines when making the poll.

I was countering with, although a carbine has some advantages (and disadvantages, though less numerous and more arguable ) over a pistol, I would still prefer a shotgun over either.

First off, the dog will wake up barking his head off. Then I reach for the Beretta 40 cal in the nightstand. At that point, if I see someone and they aren't hellbent for the door or or trying to dig a hole through the floor and begging for their life then they are getting shot to death.
Anyone who invades a house with a person present and continues to stay there has given up their right to life. If you invade a person's last area of refuge then the implication is that you are willing to confront the homeowner and inflict violence. Therefore, you die. That is family, that is life, that you threaten by your very presence. Bang, and bang some more until you stop moving. No messy lawsuits here.

First, I grab my SO.
Then he grabs me, because inevitably, he's been sleeping hard and awakened the same instant as I have.
He grabs his pants and the 12" carving knife from the kitchen.
It's working for now.

The first thing I'd grab would be reality.

But, in a worst-case scenario, I'd probably grab the medium-sized houseplant we have on a table next to the bed. It would be interesting to see what flying dirt, metal, and shrubbery could do in a darkened hallway.

After that, I'd go apeshit, which wouldn't be pretty. I'm half Irish, half French, which pretty much means I fight dirty (especially when drunk) and only surrender if it will save lives (WWII) or after I've already had a good run at it (Napoleonic Wars). But, then again, the Irish side will likely just carry on until I get what I want, or until I'm dead.*


*The sooner of the two.

.45 auto 1911 by my nightstand loaded with the federal hydra-shoks, a big kuhkri machete is under the nightstand, and not far away in my bedroom closet is my AR-15 .223 ...

The AR isnt really considered for self defense... dont want to be throwing .223 rounds through the apartment walls.

I'm liking you more and more, Cromp... great sense in defense, and you've even got good taste in small arms :D

The Steyr S series is indeed very sexy, especially for concealed carry... no sharp edges to snag on anything. The M-A1 series is even sexier for all other purposes... the rail can be pretty handy I imagine, and virtually all the kinks have been worked out - even if you run into one, SAI in Georgia will take care of everything lickety split. They're the definition of customer service :)

By the way, in case you're interested in another, CDNN bought all the previous importer's stock when they switched earlier in the year... they're selling em off at $339 + s&h now, brand spanking new. I'm going to have to snag myself one before they run out :thumbsup:

Is too bad they only have 9mm and 40cal though... I could sure go for a .357!

Would it say something ironic like: "FEED ME, SEYMOUR!" ?

Warning... SUPER DUPER INITIAL-PART-OF-RESPONSE THREADJACK GO!

Moot... flattery is confusing. Yeah, I know a few things about firearms and their use. I'm very sane and do everything in my life with moderation. Defense of myself and others was quite literally my job for four years and I won't lie: I got to be pretty good at it. What I won't do is get into any "I'm-the-expert" pissing matches with any self-proclaimed badass... I've served my time in hell. Humility is the distinguishing quality in those who've experienced and those who blow hot air out of their face-mounted assholes.

The Steyr S series were too small for my taste, the M series was a perfect compact pistol IMO. Small, heavy slide, awesome ergonomics. My M357 was "just right" as a small pistol will full-size power. Man, the barrel axis was WAY LOW and that thing was an absolute tack driver with any ammo brand. Sexy!

I like .357 Sig lots. .357 Sig is a potent sleeper cartridge that'll never do well commercially but has many excellent qualities. .40 is the future, I figure.

I don't like the new MA1 models. The addition of the standard rail was nice (and logical) but I really loathe how they did away with the Garand-style safety and how they altered the pistol grip. The easy-to-use manual safety and the loaded chambered indicator on the back (so you could feel it with your thumb) that pistol better than a Glock or XD... hands freakin' down.

Thanks for the CDNN tip. I've bought a lot of crap off them over the years. I might snag a .40 from them so I have another .40 for my years in fed LE.

/threadjack

I don't wanna play that asinine game of "my kungfu is better than yours" but... why not? Discussion and debate turn me on.


Carbines are just big pistols. It shoots the same rounds as your pistol (sidearm), and often can take the exact same magazines (Keltec, Beretta, Marlin). It weighs slightly more due to receiver / barrel... but not enough to be unwieldy with one hand. The Keltec Sub-2000 and Beretta CX4 have proven to be easy one-handers.

Carbines have three points of contact on your body as you move and shoot with 'em. The firing hand, supporting hand, and the shoulder. This means more accurate fire, more stable fire, and makes you capable of faster shots due to recoil dissipation directly into body.

Carbines can be equipped with a sling that allows for easy one-handed manipulation by pushing the weapon away from the body a la "MP5K PDW."

Carbines have a large capacity magazine option, can mount a flashlight, and electronic optics, thus offering that increasing grab-just-one-thing option. Don't forget to tape your cellphone to the folding stock, though. :D

...

The modern carbine is almost always superior to the pistol in home defense situations. What is not superior, 99 times out of 100, is how it is improperly utilized. Poor tactics. All of this is quite irrelevant of course... as a warrior smith, you already know this: Training makes the warrior, not weapons. The tools change, the man doesn't.

As Baraka_Guru, my new age Canadian Jesus, has said in this thread... I like to grab reality before I ever equip myself with crude tools that man has invented to solve the infinitesimal number of life problems that cannot be resolved by a good man with a cool head.

Threads like this make me kinda sad inside. I'm not sure if I can explain it.

If I hear bump in the night, it's a cat. If I hear barking in the night, then I pay attention. If I hear voices, then it's unarmed. Short of a firearm at range, I am confident that my size, strength, and training would make life miserable for anyone who tried to attack me. I would expect to go to the hospital after, but I would expect them to go to the morgue. (Not internet tough guy - honest assessment of training.)

I make sure I have access to something.

Deployment? You sleep with a M4! Hahah... only thing that goes bump in the night are those Chinese mortar rounds tapping at the FOB.

if someone was fucking around with my motor or something I'd just take out a 3 foot length of copper pipe that is lying around behind my bed.

is that a "melee" weapon?

Mainly Fists, Shins, Elbows, and Knees.


I do own a blade though. I mainly use that for work however.

.223 overpenetrates soft targets and drywall less than most pistol rounds.

With respect, a website called box o' truth tests various rounds against a, well, box, which is set up to simulate a variety of different wall thicknesses and constructions- in one of their tests they tried .45, 9mm and .223 - the .223- the .223 blew through most everything, and penetrated far more than the pistol rounds- its a neat site, and if you have not checked it out, its a nice real world analysis of what stops bullets ( by the way, not much does ) Vs a standard household wall, most every round is going to go quite a ways.....

Sleep with a PR-24 side handle baton next to the bed - basically, a police night stick.

I am paranoid enough to keep a gun ready back home, so I sure as shit have one here.

I don't know about you guys, but I would grab my telephone and hide under the pillow.

RIGHT NOW - I am sleeping in a guest room in my parents house. Due to having a 14 year old child present, my shotgun had been rendered a hammer (it's unloaded, ammo packed away where the young'un can't get it). So I guess I grab a Louisville slugger and go to town.

Normally, I have a loaded, unchambered 12 gauge within arms reach of my bed. When things go bump in the night, it'd be the first thing I grab if necessary. Failing that, I have a metal bat and a big Mag lite.

I'd eventually like to get a pistol, but those are expensive. :(

That first part is probably the right answer. The second part, well, if you're willing to write off the contents of the rest of the house, then, that's cool, but when the contents of the house include the wife & kids, you worry about the kind of fools who would break into an occoupied house.

A pillow. I'm pretty sure that's what I'd instinctively grab. How a pillow fight would chase away intruders, I have no idea. But that's what I'd most likely go for.