In The Wee Hours of the Morning

[randomoutburst]

There's a nice little curved bullet path about 2 inches long under the carpet that isn't too noticeable now and a never-ending "what-if" that keep us pointing our guns to the sky.

So much for that security deposit...

Unless you know where it is, you can't find it. :)

As far as the tactical situation goes, I'd say you acted responsibly and having good communication methods worked out in advance is what's required. Every situation provides a learning opportunity and a chance to improve.

Thanks for your story about your wife and daughter. Hoping things work out eventually with my mom.
Yes, I think having talked about different scenarios before this happened definitely had influence over my actions - especially since I was half-asleep through most of it.

[gregthehand]

Ok I'm not trying to point out the fact that you were undressed to be funny and I have a serious point to make, or at least try to make. When I sleep at night I, like you, sleep with a pistol on my nightstand. I also keep a t-shirt, and some shoes I can slip-on (house shoes, old tennis shoes, etc) by my bed. I sleep in workout shorts so that's not an issue. Now the reason why I do this is so that if I hear noises while I am sleeping (as you did) I don't have to walk around half way dressed in order to check them out. I too work a late shift so I am usually in bed until around 11-12 am. This is more online with hearing noises since most houses are burglarized during the day when people are at work instead of at night when they are home. I know some are going to think I'm really strange for thinking this but the reason I'm not too cool with walking around in my shorts and nothing else is because of my previous law enforcement experiences. It seemed that many people I dealt with or knew about who had awoken to someone breaking in walked around as you had either naked or only partially dressed. In the course of chasing the hoodlum off they always stopped short of their front door because they didn't want to talk outside in a state of undress. Now I know that many will say chasing out of the house is unwise but I disagree. If you are unwilling to do so why clear your house? Call the cops and hold up in your room until they arrive or the guy attempts entry into that room. Also most times the person didn't follow the guy outside they couldn't provide us the make and model of a car, what the guy looked like, license plate, nothing. All they knew was that someone was inside and they hauled butt when the home owner made their presence known. I also saw cases where homeowners were shot and killed in their homes and they were undressed. In fact I remember reviewing an old file cabinet full of old cases one time and noticing that a lot of people murdered seemed to be naked in the crime scene photos. I thought this was ironic that so many people left the world dressed the same way they came into it. But I digress. Wearing clothing gives you a few seconds to wake up, I can slip an extra magazine into my pocket, or if need be I can actually leave my home in order to gather information about a fleeing suspect. Also maybe I'm just very shy but if I get shot and killed I don't want to be naked in the last photos someone will ever take of me. I realize this sounds grim but if you are sleeping with a firearm beside you at night you already understand there is a need for it. By understanding that you have to acknowledge the fact that you may lose an armed confrontation in your own home. So many people think it's automatic that they will come out on top in such a situation and while I believe most time they do that's not always the case. As far as following the burglar, think about chasing someone through your home with the lights out. If they are hauling butt more than likely you aren't going to get a good look at them. They can turn corners and run through doorways pretty quick. However for most of us once they exit the house they will have to cover open ground in order to flee the scene of their crime. This is a good opportunity to gather a good description of them as well as a direction they fled in and how they made their exit. Now if you can do this from inside the home through a window that's good but some can't. I know I can't. I'm also not suggesting you chase them down the street. Just stick your head out, get a good description and then go back into your home.

I may have been rambling a bit but I just don't feel that clearing your house naked is advisable. It lends itself to being unprepared in my opinion.

[USA1]

wow , thats the biggest paragraph i've ever seen .

[joe817]

wow , thats the biggest paragraph i've ever seen .

[KD5NRH]

I also keep a t-shirt, and some shoes I can slip-on (house shoes, old tennis shoes, etc) by my bed. I sleep in workout shorts so that's not an issue.

Another thought along these lines; even if you don't use a vest for normal carry, a 5.11 with lots of pockets and holster pockets makes a good place to store a spare gun, light, house and car keys, etc. You don't need any other piece of clothing to throw it on, and you're all set for most problems. Even though it looks strange with a tank top or no shirt, it just looks like bad fashion sense, which is less likely to get the cops called on you than wandering around with your gun in hand.

Since I carry in my Coronado every day, I sometimes find myself throwing it on to check out noises, or just to grab something out of the car at night. Even if I've changed pants, I still have a .357, two speedloaders, taclight, ID and cell phone ready.

[The Annoyed Man]

Well, I was going to just ignore it, but whatever...

We were just funnin' yah a little bit. No hard feelings, I hope.

[LostInAustin]

Well, I was going to just ignore it, but whatever...

We were just funnin' yah a little bit. No hard feelings, I hope.

Yeah...for a while I couldn't figure out if it was still fun or serious now!~

You did good ROB, just jump in there and give it right back to us!! Like TAM says....just having a little fun

I loved your post and got a good laugh out of the picture you painted for me!

[USA1]

Well, I was going to just ignore it, but whatever...

We were just funnin' yah a little bit. No hard feelings, I hope.

You did good ROB, just jump in there and give it right back to us!! Like TAM says....just having a little fun

we wouldn't pick on ya if we didn't like ya .

[randomoutburst]

Oh, no, I know the comments were in jest. Joshing someone is typically friendly, even online.
I'm aware that being naked is quite a hindrance if one needs to chase an intruder out of one's home. In any case, I always have a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door that I could throw on if need be.

Finally got to go to the range today to shoot my revolver. The Monarch .357 I bought just for shooting seemed much rougher than the Remington Golden Saber .357 that I keep in my revolver when at home. I also seemed much more accurate with .357 than .38 when shooting both my and my husband's revolvers. I think I outshot my husband with his, but he definitely outshot me with mine.

[randomoutburst]

Our situation could easily have ended up like this --> http://tinyurl.com/ylous7y

I'm glad it didn't and I'm glad I had enough sense to consider that the "intruder" could be my husband. And glad that I wasn't pointing the gun at the door.
My safety is important to me - knowing now what I didn't know on Sunday morning I would still have done the same thing. It's scary to think I could have shot my husband, but then I remember that because I was half-asleep I was running on instinct and common sense. I think my brain has a good idea of what's considered suspicious or dangerous and can work a lot faster on the "common sense" level than the "higher level" cognitive thinking when it comes to a fight or flight response. My experience was a good lesson in gun safety, common sense, and identifying the target FIRST...and my hubby learned that he needs to be louder when he comes home. I'm glad we didn't learn the hard way like the poor man in the news story did.

[dihappy]

How else am I supposed to make my Blackhawk work?

Guess I'd better have the safety on my 1911 pinned up, too.

I knew id get some of the, "im too perfect to ever have an accident" members to chime in.

Walking around with the hammer cocked wasnt even my concern.

You start pulling the hammer back, or letting it down enough times, its only a matter of time before it slips out your finger.

But thats ok, i know it cant possibley ever happen if your "careful".

[randomoutburst]

How else am I supposed to make my Blackhawk work?

Guess I'd better have the safety on my 1911 pinned up, too.

I knew id get some of the, "im too perfect to ever have an accident" members to chime in.

Walking around with the hammer cocked wasnt even my concern.

You start pulling the hammer back, or letting it down enough times, its only a matter of time before it slips out your finger.

But thats ok, i know it cant possibley ever happen if your "careful".

I think what he was pointing out was that some guns MUST be cocked in order to fire.
No need to be catty about it (from either side of course), but I must say that I still do not think there is anything wrong with cocking a firearm in preparation for fire. When de-cocking, if you're worried about your finger slipping, look in the S&W owner's manual where it suggests keeping your non-dominant hand's thumb between the hammer and firing pin as you use your other thumb and forefinger to release the hammer. As for the actual cocking and letting a finger slip...that's just up to the shooter to ensure a firm grip. Accidents do happen and I'm not suggesting that if procedure is properly followed that everything goes according to plan, but I am suggesting that perhaps it's a little much to say you should never cock a firearm because of a small risk inherent with any gun - accidental discharge of small lethal projectiles.

[nils]

My 2 cents...buy a weapon with a safety...no more revolvers...too dangerous!!!!

[randomoutburst]

Yes, a friend of mine was absolutely shocked that neither of my handguns have safeties.
I was like, "Well, a revolver doesn't HAVE safeties. And my pistol is meant for concealed carry, it's incredibly small for the caliber size (9mm) and it really doesn't bother me because I practice common sense."
I do sometimes wish my hands were larger as it would open up many more options for me as far as handguns go. The smallest J-frame revolver still presents a problem in reaching the trigger, but I've found several semi-autos that work. In any case, (and I'm quoting someone but can't remember who) the best safety is between the shooter's ears.
A good holster covering the trigger is a good idea, too. ;)

[quidni]

Yes, a friend of mine was absolutely shocked that neither of my handguns have safeties.

Just tell him, "All guns have at least two safeties. One's digital, one's cognitive. In other words - keep the digit off the trigger until ready to fire, and THINK. Some guns also have mechanical safeties on top of those. But if the first two don't work, the mechanical ones aren't guaranteed."