mkmag said:
Pale Horse said:
Glock 19, 19 round magazine inserted and one in the pipe.
Not only do I not want to rack the slide and invite a potential FTF while groggy but racking the slide makes noise. I don't like making noise if I think I might need to shoot someone.
I understand the noise thing, but the added safety it provides with children in the house is well worth it to me. And while there may be a slight benefit in your element of surprise, I believe I already have the upper hand anyway - I know the layout of my home far better than any intruder can. Plus...
If the BG hears the slide rack and leaves with his tail between his legs - Advatage ME.
If the BG hears the slide rack and knows this is going to be a fight, starts second guessing himself, getting nervous and shaky with adrenaline, while I routinely practice shooting after doing 20 jumping jacks and 20 pushups to get slightly winded and my heart rate pounding - Advantage ME.
Anyone
stupid enough to stay in my home after hearing that slide rack is leaving full of holes......
This post put me over the top. I have been waiting to add my personal storage status, wanting to hear eveyone elses without contamination from me. Having said that... currently we are a loaded mag and empty chamber couple, gun safe in the night stand. Why?... well for much the same reasons as was stated above. Great Post!
Most criminals are oppotunistic... most don't want a fight, especially a fight that is advantage to me. They want control and the upper hand and they want it from the start. They couldn't ever get it in real life, so they decided to take it from people at their most vulnerable times. Point being, many intruders would probably exit stage front door if they heard a slide racking. And this actually makes my wife feel a bit better if I am not at home. She can rack a slide, and would much rather have that be enough of an exit motivator than having to pull the trigger. My LE 1/2 brother has a pistol grip shotgun (among many others), bigger bang and louder rack noise, and he says noise counts. Again, most criminals don't want a fair fight, and losing the element of vulnerable surprise that they were hoping for can sometimes be a deterant in and of itself to them.
I have never thought about getting myself physically winded/pumped before shooting. Excellent tip there mkmag! I will try that! (oh, and the only reason I ask where you store your gun is because so many people seem to offer it in their posts. no offence meant by it.)
Anyway, the other advantage is that it is my house, I know the lay out, as MK mentioned. On top of that, (again, another tip from my LE 1/2 brother... he does SWAT type stuff as well, which is where this comes from I think) I lay out tactical advantages for myself. I have a bedroom toward the fron of the house at the end of a hallway. Tactically, if someone was in that room, I would be at a disadvantage going there if all was dark. I thought about leaving the hall light on, but quickly realized the shadows would tip of the criminal that I was coming down the hall. But, leaving that bedroom light on (it is an office/guestroom, so the light on is not a problem), the shadows would actually then tip me off if anyone is between the light in the room and the doorway; in other words if they are coming at me or not. This is one example of how I set things up in my favor. Some would say this is a little much, and it is definitely not fool proof, but some would say having a firearm is a little much too, not to mention coneal carrying it. I personally think it is irresponsible to not take such precautions when the understanding of how they could benefit you and your family has passed through your mind.
BUT... I have not yet voted. Why not? Because, I am pretty sure that my vote will change to full mag and loaded chamber, trigger pull away. We should be having a kid here in the next year or so (if my little Phelps' can swim for pregnancy gold), and that changes things for me. I have my firearm in a handgun safe, and practice getting it in the dark. Same procedure I practice repeatedly each week. I have the gun, racked, pointed and extra mag in my pocket with-in 5 - 6 seconds. (another tactical thought, I always were shorts to bed that have pockets in the them since sleeping on a holster with my spare mag in it would really complicate life way too much.) Anyway, the firearm is in the safe, so I don't need to worry about kids getting at it. But, the last thing I want is some oppourtunistic criminal hearing my slide rack and then dashing into the first bedroom he sees... possibly creating a hostage situation or worse, with my kid now involved.
Again, some would say this is a little much. And I say that same thing at times when I read the headlines about what some of these folks do. I once saw that show about criminals who are locked up (was playing on a public TV), and this guy was bragging from prison about how he loved to bust into a home in the wee morning hours with a bunch of other armed guys. House Alarm, no problem. Just force the homeowner at gun point to say it was a false alarm. And then he said he would have time to do what he wanted, the police were not coming. Ok, so my one gun might not be able to stop that gang of armed thugs, but I sure can use the advantage of having planned for things before they might happen. That could seriously put the bad guy and a disadvantage. So right now, noise is good. Once a children begin to fill the other rooms, then noise is bad. Then a rail flashlight and a CT laser grip (come on CT, love the SR9), would be the way to go for me. Then instead of the slide racking, the intruder would be welcomed with a red laser letting him know he is in trouble (or that I am a college professor, well, I have time to think this all through!)
Thanks all... anyway, keep your votes and stories coming... Speak to me sway me to your side of the Home defense force
getting a bit stir crazy!
