No Ding Dong

[solo1]

I was sitting in the front room of my apartment a few days ago. It was about 2PM.  The front door , about fifteen feet away, was open and the screen door unlocked.  It's ok in our senior apt. neighborhood to do this. Never had a problem.

The screen door opens and a white older guy starts walking in.  He stops and looks toward the back of the apt, I was immediately watching his eyes. First thing I reached for my safe by the chair, ready to finger touch and open it for my 320 .40. I asked him what he wanted.  After a couple of words, I told him there are two sets of apt's each with a number six.  He had the wrong apt complex.  He left with apologies.

Made me wonder. Even my kids don't pop in the door without calling me out or ringing the door bell.  Anyone who 'pops in" like that better rethink what he's doing.  When I watched his eyes I knew that he wasn't casing the joint as his eyes didn't wander.  I think that he expected to see something that wasn't there. In that case, why did he get the wrong Apt if he'd been there before?

I didn't really get too excited as it happened quicker than it takes the time to explain it plus I could've had the 320 laser sighted .40 within two seconds complete with one 14 round mag loaded and one in the spout.

[Tx Bohemian]

Never had a stranger walk in on me like that but years ago when my second wifes parents would come to visit, invited or NOT invited, they (mainly she) would just walk on in like they owned the place!! No knock/ring ... nothing!

Used to bug the crap outta me!

I never did that. I'd knock/ring and wait for the door to open or hear a "come on in"!

Even if I go visit my kids and grandkids, I always knock. To me it's a sign of respect.

I see I'm getting off the main subject here, sorry to hijack...

[solo1]

Not a hijack, I like to hear from others.

[fudgie]

I don't go in dads house without knocking or yelling and I lived there for yrs. Same for the gf's house. I live in a rural housing addition and I still carry a gun with me outside.

[solo1]

Absolutely, Brian.  I wasn't raised to barge in and neither were my kids.  That guy some day, might barge in on the wrong one.

[Serk]

I've had a few friends in my life insist that I'm family, don't knock just come on in.

They seem insulted that I still knocked or, at the very least I'd pop the door open a crack and loudly announce my presence.

Other than at the address on my driver's license, I'm gonna at the very least make sure whoever's there knows who I am and that I'm here, and not just run in and make myself at home...

[Jess from VA]

At least lock your screen door Wayne.

Never allow the entire world to just waltz in uninvited.  The entire world includes an awful lot of fruits and nuts and crazy and malicious.  Even in small town America.

And my go to guns, now including a 320, are never locked up (unless I'm leaving town).  Out of sight yes.

I absolutely love the 320 (and never thought I would say that about a half plastic, striker-fired gun).

Never had a problem.  You have now (albeit a little one).

 

[Jess Tolbirt]

i was sitting in the living room one night about 6 pm. the door flew open and two teen agers ran in and hollered ok lucy get off your dead ass and lets go.. i leveled off on them with my 9 and said lucy will never see you again if you dont hit the floor spread eagle right now..they laid down and proceeded to tell me that they got the wrong house.. they wanted to go next door...I let them up and never saw them again.. about 3 months later I saw Lucy outside and asked her about the boys and she told me they were afraid of coming over because of the old man next door has a gun...that day they were lucky and i guess so was I that i didnt pull the trigger..

[solo1]

At least lock your screen door Wayne.

Never allow the entire world to just waltz in uninvited.  The entire world includes an awful lot of fruits and nuts and crazy and malicious.  Even in small town America.

And my go to guns, now including a 320, are never locked up (unless I'm leaving town).  Out of sight yes.

I absolutely love the 320 (and never thought I would say that about a half plastic, striker-fired gun).

Never had a problem.  You have now (albeit a little one).


You're absolutely right, Jess. I will be doing that especially since my computer is at the other end of the Apt and I can't see the front door.  Also it's hard to break the habit locking guns. My two small safes have the five mechanical buttons, two pushes, even in the dark and they open.

I think that I'll stash a gun in the computer room too. BTW, my 320 has a much better trigger than my former Glocks.

[Jess from VA]

A little creative thinking can result in great hiding spots that almost no one would find, short of a full blown search. 

Underneath a table (on the side you always sit, near your dominant hand), you put a single nail-screw, wrap it with some electrical tape (no mar finish), and hang the piece from the trigger guard.  A nail or screw head is good so it can't slip off.

This same deal up under a kitchen sink is harder to get to, but would not be found in many searches.

Those little safes are great if there are kids (or other ill mannered people) running aorund.  A hollow/fake book doesn't lock, but it's better concealment.

On the occasion there may be people in your place, stuff can be be moved back to a bedroom.

The 320 trigger is amazingly light, and reset in a mm or two.        But what I really like about them (full size) is the identical angle and feel of a 1911, but just a bit fatter.  If you're a 1911 guy, you'll love a 320.  And my 9 came with 4 21rd mags.   

[Valkorado]

Years ago in my college days I had a buddy that could party harder than most.  Not that he could handle partying harder than most, mind you, he just did.  He pounded fifths on a daily basis (yes, sometimes plural).  I remember hearing of one keg party in particular where he was a full-on 'faced, and the host told him to go crash on his couch next door.  Well, ol' Buck ("Buckskin") went next door and passed out on the living room sofa.  Apparently about 7:30 next morning a lady walked out, saw him and backpedaled back down the hallway.  Her hubby promptly came down said hallway, and as he was getting ready to say something ol' Buck blurts out, "I guess I should leave, huh?".  Said the guy nodded, and he hauled azz outta there.

The guy also managed to rack up like four DUIs in four years of college.

I sometimes wonder just how the heck Buck graduated, and if he is still alive.

[hubcapsc]

Those little safes are great if there are kids (or other ill mannered people) running aorund.  A hollow/fake book doesn't lock, but it's better concealment.

I like my little safe. It's right there, they can steal it if they want it, I can get
in it, most other people could not. I don't think I'll ever come home to
someone armed with my pistol.



-Mike

[Jess from VA]

Those little safes are great if there are kids (or other ill mannered people) running aorund.  A hollow/fake book doesn't lock, but it's better concealment.

I like my little safe. It's right there, they can steal it if they want it, I can get
in it, most other people could not. I don't think I'll ever come home to
someone armed with my pistol.



-Mike

I don't think I will either Mike, but I also think if someone has broken into my home, I'm probably going to know it before I enter.  Living in suburbia with many people around and in view of each other's property is a bit different from living out in the sticks in your own space where one or more could possibly spend a long time getting in, searching, and maybe wait for you to come home.  Anyone getting in my suburban home will want to be in and out as quickly as possible.  I do have a big safe with most firearms in it, and they will get into yours before mine.  And stealing mine will take equipment and a truck and a bunch of work.

One thing very good about those stealable safes (which usually can be bolted down) is that you are in a better position than me (for my go-too unlocked firearms), if one of them gets stolen and later used in crime.  Like in a civil suit where it's argued I'm at fault for negligently providing criminals a weapon.  I don't think that's a very good case, but it could still happen.  But making them steal and crack a mini safe is a better defensible position than mine.

But when home, unlocked firearms are better than locked ones (at least one). 

[solo1]

My two small safes use the same locking mechanism as the above Ft. Knox one.  I also have a main big Frontier safe for the firearms.

I live on a dead end street with lots of nosy seniors. They don't miss much. So far, it's a real quiet neighborhood .  no traffic and no punks.

Jess, I just added a .357 to a hiding place in my computer den. I feel that I'm covered.  Good hearing about other ways to protect the home.

[Serk]

Just curious on those 5 button safes, are your combinations 1-2-3-4-5, 2 & 4 at the same time, then 3?

(And if it's not, there's still only 1081 possible combinations. Those Simplex based locks can be guessed in about 10-15 minutes if someone knows what they're doing.)

[solo1]

Keep in mind Serk, it'll keep the casual kids out. If someone enters the home, they wouldn't bother trying to open it, they would just take it.

[Serk]

Keep in mind Serk, it'll keep the casual kids out. If someone enters the home, they wouldn't bother trying to open it, they would just take it.

I agree... And in fact it's a Simplex lock based safe that's next to my bed with a XD .45 in it, specifically so that I can get into it quickly and little hands can't, not as worried about it getting stolen.

[solo1]

I did some changing. My car gun is now my Charter Arms bulldog. No big deal if swiped but the hole in the barrel is rather intimidating. The Miata's car gun is half the size. NAA , 4 inch barrel,  .22 mag,  40 gr. Gold Dots for short barrels.. It would work for car jacking and dog attacks. despite the 'bigger is better' thoughts. (Don't tell Chris, 500 Smith, I said that tho  )  Easy 'bird in hand'  concealed.   Top down allows full perimeter coverage at close range,  'Nuff said.

[J.Mencalice]

A common shout out that greenhorns (as I was) are taught as useful in their early education of residing in rural western Colorado is this:  Upon alighting from your horse, car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle and moving to the front walkway or porch of said home, a calling of "HELLO IN THE HOUSE!" signifies your presence and intention to the occupants.  This reduces the odds of having the dogs set upon you or being drawn down on from the corner of the yard.

That advice has served me well over the decades from barging in on couples "in flagrante delicto" (when we were young(er) and wild(er).  Nowadays it mostly refers to the above.

Our friends have a prominent, yellow, bullseyed sign nailed onto a post as you come up the drive at about 150 yards from the house:

"Smile, You're Within Range."  Good sign.

[Jess from VA]

Then there's the old adage........... If the van is rockin', don't come a knockin".


No one ought to ever walk into anyone else's residence, because no one should ever leave their residence unlocked.  Period.

My brother for years has foolishly liked to believe his property and house are remote enough, and the area safe enough, that he doesn't have to lock his doors.  We've had heated words over it, and I've had to stop, since it's his house.  But our 88yo mother lives in an attached house, and there is no lock on the door between them.  And he's deaf as a post (without his h. aids).  I told him if his stupidity gets our mom hurt, I will double (to him) what was done to her.

Most people with this defective mentality just haven't ever been attacked, assaulted, jacked, robbed, raped or murdered, yet.   

[old2soon]

                 IF Wayne is in the same place I've been in his casa. On the matter of a walk in our known local-half block away-meth house burned down last week AND his "customers" have been roving lookin fer another hook up!  AND my .40 with the 165 grain hollow points is now NEVER out of arms reach.  So far no ONE has just walked in-YET. And as the former and current Chief of Police have informed me-if you do shoot someone DO NOT under any circumstances move ANYTHING. AND while I am NOT looking for this I would Love to see someone's reaction when they enter illegally and the green laser dot shows up on them!  RIDE SAFE.

[MarkT]

I'm not talking about my security methods /weapons here - this site isn't secure and my addy is published online.  I'll just say, no one coming aboard my casa is not in jeopardy if they are unexpected and especially unrecognized.

[Jess from VA]

our known local-half block away-meth house burned down last week

Gee, that's really too bad Dennis.

Funny thing, when I lived off-base in CA, a house in my cul de sac was a known dope house (I think not meth, and not gang bangers, but bad enough with comings and goings all times of the day and night).  And the guy like to pound on his wife/girlfriend.

One night someone put a half dozen shots through the house and the guy moved right away.  I had nothing to do with it, but I sure would have liked to buy him/them some beers and a pizza.  (It wasn't competitors, and it wasn't zoning enforcement, it was the reverse welcome wagon.)

[old2soon]

our known local-half block away-meth house burned down last week

Gee, that's really too bad Dennis.

Funny thing, when I lived off-base in CA, a house in my cul de sac was a known dope house (I think not meth, and not gang bangers, but bad enough with comings and goings all times of the day and night).  And the guy like to pound on his wife/girlfriend.

One night someone put a half dozen shots through the house and the guy moved right away.  I had nothing to do with it, but I sure would have liked to buy him/them some beers and a pizza.  (It wasn't competitors, and it wasn't zoning enforcement, it was the reverse welcome wagon.)

                    Anytime I go out-cage or scoot-I come by that place and-CHUCKLE.  None of my immediate neighbors far as I am able to ascertain are broken hearted bout this turn of events. NOT that it matters a whit-we all have iron clad alibis! Believe my closest neighbor to the north-retired school teacher and now Minister-said it best-The LORD does Indeed move in mysterious ways.  RIDE SAFE.

[solo1]

Dennis your Chief of Police gave you the best info. Even moving by accident the shell casings could make a difference. A plus for using a revolver,  .  We are responsible for maintaining the 'crime' scene until the police show up and even then------------. Reminds me of a doctor I once knew in the  gun class we were teaching.  He was asked by another student what he would do if he shot someone in his home. "Well, first, I would make myself some coffee and then tend to the perp if he's still alive"

I'm a bit more concerned about the peacefulness of New Haven.  We've been talking to a friend of ours, who's a captain in neighboring Ft. Wayne Police dept and he say that New Haven is seeing an influx from Ft. Wayne of arseholes.

I'm going to talk to our PC and see if this is true.  I hope that our LEO's are qualifying well with their new Sig 320's in .45 ACP. Overall, our city has 19 police officers for 16,000 population plus reserves. Our dispatch is tied in to Allen County/Ft. Wayne with state of the art communication.