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Unarmed at home?

V

vmathis12019

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May 7, 2007
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Troy, Alabama, USA
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Okay, this happened to me last night and really got me thinking about some of my habits at home.

My roommate from Florida had gone home for the Thanksgiving holidays, so when I got back to my apartment last night, I was the only one here. I had to unload a bunch of SCUBA gear from my truck, so I didn't lock my front door behind me when I came in. I had been driving for four hours straight so I directly ran upstairs to the restroom, and on the way, I took my pistol (which had been digging into my side for a while) and placed it on the coffee table. I was standing in the bathroom upstairs and heard the front door open and close, and realized that all of my guns were down the hall in my room and my carry gun was downstairs!!! This was the most helpless feeling I've ever had, and it scared the hell out of me. I took out my knife and flashlight and eased around to the stairs to see who was there. Luckily it was a very dear friend who was comfortable enough to walk into my house w/o knocking.

This got me thinking, a lot of times, I do take my gun off when I'm home. I usually don't leave the room without it, b ut often it might be across the room in the holster. Does anyone else do this, or do you ALWAYS have your gun on you. I think I am going to stop taking it off and being more mindful about having it on my side as much as possible.
 
HankT

HankT

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vmathis12019 wrote:
Okay, this happened to me last night and really got me thinking about some of my habits at home.

My roommate from Florida had gone home for the Thanksgiving holidays, so when I got back to my apartment last night, I was the only one here. I had to unload a bunch of SCUBA gear from my truck, so I didn't lock my front door behind me when I came in. I had been driving for four hours straight so I directly ran upstairs to the restroom, and on the way, I took my pistol (which had been digging into my side for a while) and placed it on the coffee table. I was standing in the bathroom upstairs and heard the front door open and close, and realized that all of my guns were down the hall in my room and my carry gun was downstairs!!! This was the most helpless feeling I've ever had, and it scared the hell out of me. I took out my knife and flashlight and eased around to the stairs to see who was there. Luckily it was a very dear friend who was comfortable enough to walk into my house w/o knocking.

This got me thinking, a lot of times, I do take my gun off when I'm home. I usually don't leave the room without it, b ut often it might be across the room in the holster. Does anyone else do this, or do you ALWAYS have your gun on you. I think I am going to stop taking it off and being more mindful about having it on my side as much as possible.
Click to expand...
Well, in a way, it's good that you didn't have your gun on you at the time. Since you were somewhat startled by the intrusion and didn't really know who it was, you might have been motivated to pull your gun on a friend. I'm sure he would have been impressed. But maybe not in a nice way...

I usually, but not always, immediately place my carry gun in its permanent resting spot upon getting home--not an intermediate point. That way, I always know where it's at. I don't feel the need, nor do I have the tolerance, to walk around armed inside my home.

I would say that, instead of being focused on the gun part of your event last night, you should take a look at the open access part of the event. If you leave a door unlocked, somebody's liable to walk in on you. This open access will continue to be a problem, even if you walk around in your apartment inyour pajamas with a gun on your hip. It's simply not a good thing to leave the door unlocked.
 
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Legba

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I'm usually armed - I often leave my work piece on when I get home, or have it at the readyanyway - but I also always keep the door locked for anything other than running the garbage can to the curb.

-ljp
 
S

sv_libertarian

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I live on a boat and own four guns right now, two rifles and two handguns. I keep my revolver and SKS in the main saloon, and my 9mm and 10/22 up where I sleep. There is always a handgun and a longarm handy to me.
 
D

Deovin1

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I pretty much always have at least one gun on. I think it is very important to always be ready even in your own home. I do have loaded guns in various places in the house and they are easy to get at, but if I ever got caught away from them then I would have my handgun on me.
 
R

ralphb72

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I have kids in the house, so my gun stays in it's holster when I am home, If I have to leave it here, I lock it up out of their sight and reach. I don't ever take it off and just set it somewhere.
 
V

vmathis12019

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Yeah. I think most of you (even HankT) are right about being armed at home. I agree with HankT that my door SHOULD have been locked, but it's a fact of life that there are going to be times where you forget to do something (like lock the door), not to mention the possibility of a forced entry that you may not notice (you were in the shower upstairs and someone forced their way into your home... it happens).

Also, my rommate and I are both firearms owners/daily carriers, so it's not that big of a deal to have a gun laying on the coffee table or on top of the television. We obviously don't leave them out when we have company, but when it's just the two of us, we usually put them w/in reach and leave it at that.

In response to HankT's comment about drawing on the friend, I'm afraid you may be right. I had no idea that my friend was coming over, as I had not been home all day. She never knocks when I'm home because she has her own key to my apartment (I trust this person very much). I'm glad nothing bad happened, but it did open my eyes a little.:banghead:
 
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JB

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Not to hijack the thread, but I was curious how many of you guys and gals lock your doors while your home. Much to the dismay of my family I always lock the door when I come in the house. In fact I just had to run down stairs to let my mom and sister in. They had both hands full of gifts and were annoyed I had locked the door. I don't care if they call me paranoid, as long as they don't call me a victim.
 
V

vmathis12019

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As a general rule, I lock it when I enter and leave. This was a rare occurrence where I didn't, because I knew I was going right back out. I think what scared me about the situation is that I KNEW I had left it unlocked and heard someone in the house. Like I said, my friend has her own key, and had I heard the door being unlocked I would've assumed it was her or my roommate. I didn't know WHO might've come into my house, and my gun was downstairs in plain sight, and my other guns were down the hall... man everything about that situation was ugly. Won't be making those mistakes again!
 
M

massltca

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I have two kids so I wear my carry gun openly around my apartment unless they are in bed, then its on the couch beside me. So I'm armed pretty much all the time unless I go somewhere where I can't carry.
 
deepdiver

deepdiver

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Being I don't have kids in the house I usually put it on cocktail table in the room I spend the majority of time in when I get home. I carry it to the bedroom at night, but do not usually carry to say the bathroom or laundry room. But then I do keep the front door locked, or if that is open the storm door is locked and I do have 2 large dogs in the house. When I didn't have the dogs I was not quite as lax.
 
O

openryan

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I don't keep any guns in my home, theres no need, I live next door to Mr. J. Horn. (I hope you can appreciate the sarcasm)

I usually have guns laying around the house, and am almost always carrying one on the hip -- Door always double locked.
 
HankT

HankT

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openryan wrote:
I don't keep any guns in my home, theres no need, I live next door to Mr. J. Horn. (I hope you can appreciate the sarcasm)
Click to expand...
He's not protecting anything much lately. I wonder how the neighborhood is managing to survive....


openryan wrote:
I usually have guns laying around the house, and am almost always carrying one on the hip -- Door always double locked.
Click to expand...
Only double-locked? I dunno....those can still be kicked in.....have you ever considered dual carry at home?
 
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massltca

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HankT wrote:
openryan wrote:
I don't keep any guns in my home, theres no need, I live next door to Mr. J. Horn. (I hope you can appreciate the sarcasm)
Click to expand...
He's not protecting anything much lately. I wonder how the neighborhood is managing to survive....


openryan wrote:
I usually have guns laying around the house, and am almost always carrying one on the hip -- Door always double locked.
Click to expand...
Only double-locked? I dunno....those can still be kicked in.....have you ever considered dual carry at home?
Click to expand...
I've been known to carry my two 1911's around my apartment from time to time.:lol:
 
R

ralphb72

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Yes, my doors are always locked, it took 20 years of me acting like I was shooting my wife (with finger pointing only) when I come home to find an unlocked door, before she finaly got the message that they should be locked even when she is home. Actually I think it was the forced entry and attempted rape of an acquantiance that convinced her to keep them locked. Double locked and screen doors locked at night with alarms and a big black dog who barks very loud.

Yes, I almost always carry around the house, no need for dual carry as the shotgun is usually a few steps away too.
 
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BIG E

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Glad everything turned out ok. Could have been bad.


Can I as what holster you are using? The reason I ask is the comment on the "digging into my hip". I would suggest that you check your holster and its position. Also, I would suggest purchasing a quality gunbelt and holster if you do not own one. It makes all the differense in the world. I use a Belt Man belt, but i'm sure you can find many good makers here on this site.


My EDC is a S&W M&P9. I carry my weapon and spare mag OWB everyday. I get up.. pants on .. gun on.. Pants off.. gun off and next to the bed. If you don't have it on you, it won't be there when you need it. Yes, obvious I know, but sometimes we forget.

IMHO
 
V

vmathis12019

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This is how I carry. It was only digging into my side because I was in the truck with a bunch of crap in the seat for about 4 hours non-stop.
 

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Bravo_Sierra

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vmathis12019 wrote:
Okay, this happened to me last night and really got me thinking about some of my habits at home.

My roommate from Florida had gone home for the Thanksgiving holidays, so when I got back to my apartment last night, I was the only one here. I had to unload a bunch of SCUBA gear from my truck, so I didn't lock my front door behind me when I came in. I had been driving for four hours straight so I directly ran upstairs to the restroom, and on the way, I took my pistol (which had been digging into my side for a while) and placed it on the coffee table. I was standing in the bathroom upstairs and heard the front door open and close, and realized that all of my guns were down the hall in my room and my carry gun was downstairs!!! This was the most helpless feeling I've ever had, and it scared the hell out of me. I took out my knife and flashlight and eased around to the stairs to see who was there. Luckily it was a very dear friend who was comfortable enough to walk into my house w/o knocking.

This got me thinking, a lot of times, I do take my gun off when I'm home. I usually don't leave the room without it, b ut often it might be across the room in the holster. Does anyone else do this, or do you ALWAYS have your gun on you. I think I am going to stop taking it off and being more mindful about having it on my side as much as possible.
Click to expand...

I carry while I'm taking a shit/showering. I leave my beadroom, so does my sidearm.
 
O

openryan

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Bravo_Sierra wrote:
vmathis12019 wrote:
Okay, this happened to me last night and really got me thinking about some of my habits at home.

My roommate from Florida had gone home for the Thanksgiving holidays, so when I got back to my apartment last night, I was the only one here. I had to unload a bunch of SCUBA gear from my truck, so I didn't lock my front door behind me when I came in. I had been driving for four hours straight so I directly ran upstairs to the restroom, and on the way, I took my pistol (which had been digging into my side for a while) and placed it on the coffee table. I was standing in the bathroom upstairs and heard the front door open and close, and realized that all of my guns were down the hall in my room and my carry gun was downstairs!!! This was the most helpless feeling I've ever had, and it scared the hell out of me. I took out my knife and flashlight and eased around to the stairs to see who was there. Luckily it was a very dear friend who was comfortable enough to walk into my house w/o knocking.

This got me thinking, a lot of times, I do take my gun off when I'm home. I usually don't leave the room without it, b ut often it might be across the room in the holster. Does anyone else do this, or do you ALWAYS have your gun on you. I think I am going to stop taking it off and being more mindful about having it on my side as much as possible.
Click to expand...

I carry while I'm taking a shit/showering. I leave my beadroom, so does my sidearm.
Click to expand...
You have a gun on your hip while in the shower...?
 
SouthernBoy

SouthernBoy

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openryan wrote:
Bravo_Sierra wrote:
vmathis12019 wrote:
Okay, this happened to me last night and really got me thinking about some of my habits at home.

My roommate from Florida had gone home for the Thanksgiving holidays, so when I got back to my apartment last night, I was the only one here. I had to unload a bunch of SCUBA gear from my truck, so I didn't lock my front door behind me when I came in. I had been driving for four hours straight so I directly ran upstairs to the restroom, and on the way, I took my pistol (which had been digging into my side for a while) and placed it on the coffee table. I was standing in the bathroom upstairs and heard the front door open and close, and realized that all of my guns were down the hall in my room and my carry gun was downstairs!!! This was the most helpless feeling I've ever had, and it scared the hell out of me. I took out my knife and flashlight and eased around to the stairs to see who was there. Luckily it was a very dear friend who was comfortable enough to walk into my house w/o knocking.

This got me thinking, a lot of times, I do take my gun off when I'm home. I usually don't leave the room without it, b ut often it might be across the room in the holster. Does anyone else do this, or do you ALWAYS have your gun on you. I think I am going to stop taking it off and being more mindful about having it on my side as much as possible.
Click to expand...

I carry while I'm taking a shit/showering. I leave my beadroom, so does my sidearm.
Click to expand...
You have a gun on your hip while in the shower...?
Click to expand...
Hey! Great idea for cleaning your gun after a trip to the range. Two birds with one stone. You clean your body, you clean your gun at the same time! Wow!! Great idea.
 
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