[terrorist hunter]

I pulled out the XCR last night for home defense for the first time. We got a ring at the doorbell at midnight and myself and our big baby pitbull were up within seconds, me with my Glock in hand and a surefire for illumination. I knew it was fast because my wife only had the chance to say 'um, hon' to let me know that it was in fact our doorbell and I wasn't dreaming. Get to the door, nobody there. Great neighborhood, plenty of lighting, all the house lights on and motion sensor in the back (which wasn't tripped). Dismiss it as local kids from the little party going on down the street and get back to bed. Not three minutes later something bounced off of our garage door. By this time, we'd already called community guards to come and check it out, but it actually took them 35 minutes to respond.

So we hear something hit the garage door, and this time I'm at the door in no more than 8 seconds. Nothing's out there. Made sure all the doors were locked, and grabbed the long gun as I've got a BSA dot and a Surefire M3 mounted to it, so pretty much no hiding for anybody. Secured the entire house, inside and out. Nothing. Twenty minutes later when the guards showed up, they asked what the problem had been. It didn't seem that they were too used to homeowners being capable of clearing their own properties but they were interested enough that they said they'd post outside for a bit. We're nowhere near rich here, just a little military family with some possessions we've picked up on the way, but last night was a good lesson. One point is I need to know at which point I want to transition from my pistol to my long gun. More importantly, I learned that the completely reliable HK mag I have loaded doesn't lock in the mag well without a great deal of force all of a sudden. Time to fix that. Also, the wife started following me around the house, even though we'd reviewed her spot is in the bedroom if I get up with a gun.

Just thought I'd share with everyone. I know as soon as I get back from this week's TAD I'll be going over our house defense plan and identifying what I could do better next time. Hopefully it's not a new trends for kids in the neighborhood as in Miami, it's much safer to assume people are trying to wrong you and it could lead to some senseless injury.

 

[DSM]

I'd mention the it with the neighbors to see if they had anything happen as well. If so, it's a good bet it really was a bunch punk kids doing what little punk kids do. And even if they didn't, if there was a party down the way it's still probably what it was. It's hard telling if someone would try B&E so close to a lot of people.
No one was hurt in the end so it ended well at least, and you discovered some things to work on before you had to work around them under pressure.

 

[traveler]

Set up some cheap video surveillance cameras outside the house, and make sure they record and have night vision. That way you could go back and review what happened at your front door at the time of the doorbell.

 

[terrorist hunter]

Set up some cheap video surveillance cameras outside the house, and make sure they record and have night vision. That way you could go back and review what happened at your front door at the time of the doorbell.

I'd already thought about it before, now it's certainly going to be a hotter issue with no problem to pitch to the wife. X10 dot com has some decent stuff for cheap, does anybody else have anything at home they'd recommend for a reasonable price?

 

[TomAiello]

I'd already thought about it before, now it's certainly going to be a hotter issue with no problem to pitch to the wife. X10 dot com has some decent stuff for cheap, does anybody else have anything at home they'd recommend for a reasonable price?

What's a reasonable price for you? Costco.com usually has some systems with several remote cameras and a central DVR unit.

Costco.com.

 

[uncommon commoner]

Northern Tool has IR cameras, monitors, etc at very reasonable prices. They have catalogs and are
on-line. Bright outdoor lighting that illuminates all of your property is the best first step. Leave them on sundown to sunrise, it doesn't cost that much more than motion setting only. From experience, I know the goblins can get right up on the house without tripping the sensor. Plus if you leave indoor lights OUT when you investigate you should be able to recon by sight outside without "them" knowing. Window film that is reflective to outside is a big help for this. Wife should keep pistol in safe room with her. If you are ALREADY investigating/expecting trouble, rifle or shotgun should be FIRST choice always. :2cents:
P.S. I hope you did not open the door to see who was there, even the first time. Not criticizing, just hoping the best for you and yours.

 

[Cid1911]

If your wife has a pistol inside the safe room, I'd make sure she's not the kind that would panic and accidently shoot you after you check the house and come back to the room. It's a good idea to work out some kinda signal that you are coming back into the room or just say "Hey, it's me. Don't shoot." There have been some tragic incidences where that exact scenario played out so I think it's worth mentioning.

 

[Sean K.]

If your wife has a pistol inside the safe room, I'd make sure she's not the kind that would panic and accidently shoot you after you check the house and come back to the room. It's a good idea to work out some kinda signal that you are coming back into the room or just say "Hey, it's me. Don't shoot." There have been some tragic incidences where that exact scenario played out so I think it's worth mentioning.

My wife and I have a code word/phrase for trouble. Basically, if I'm outside working on a vehicle or she's out there doing some yard work, we've come up with an innocent enough sounding phrase that one might say (and the bad guy might think is normal) upon entering the house (say you are forced in at gun point).....if I ever hear that phrase, or she does.....needless to say we hope we never have to use it.

Sean

 

[jrsweb]

Set up some cheap video surveillance cameras outside the house, and make sure they record and have night vision. That way you could go back and review what happened at your front door at the time of the doorbell.

I'd already thought about it before, now it's certainly going to be a hotter issue with no problem to pitch to the wife. X10 dot com has some decent stuff for cheap, does anybody else have anything at home they'd recommend for a reasonable price?

I live in same area and have cameras installed covering all perimeter points. I ended up using a cheap PC that doubles as the media server for the house. It has a card so you can hook up standard cameras and expands easily as needed. One thing you need to be aware of is with the heat and sometimes violent stormy weather that is normal here, cheap equipment and cameras may not hold up. If it's one of those proprietary units that only work with their own brand equipment, then that may NOT be a good thing. I started with 3 cameras and now have 5 so you can expand as you go.

This system is the best money that I spent. It has already more than paid for itself. I keep all windows closed and blocked from outsiders looking in but I have clear view outside. On many occasions, I have fired off the car alarm or lights when there has been strange activity. Two of my front neighbors had their house broken into and one of their cars stolen but after I put the cameras they have not had issues. Also, I really like that I can view from remotely and even have others monitor for me. I had to go out of the country last year for almost a month and it was great being able to keep a watch while away. My only regret is not installing this sooner.

Thanks for posting, I have one camera where some of the recent stormy weather caused the camera mount to shift a little and I have been lazy about re-adjusting it back. I'm going to take care of it first thing in the morning.

Some last notes - my whole yard is enclosed by perimeter fence and all gates have padlock at night. So anybody in my yard has no reason to be there and are definitely up to no good. All my friends and family know that any surprise party or joke is completely off limits. I have motion sensor lights and the alarm system announces which door has been opened so I know which part of the house an intruder may be in. Just some extra ideas to think about... layers of protection can make the overall "system" better.

Glad you and your family are safe.

 

[aziator]

Man, that sounds like quite the system you have.

 

[PDBreske]

Better than any electronic alarm:

 

[jrsweb]

Man, that sounds like quite the system you have.

Actually it is not that special. I could not find what I wanted out of a packaged solution so as many of you on here, I custom built a solution the way I wanted it. I put the computer geek skills to use.

I don't want to hijack this thread so I will try to create a new thread with more details on the setup since I got a few queries. I'm adjusting the camera now so I will take my camera and take a few snaps of the PC and one of the cameras. This thread has inspired me to work on the project again. I had postponed swapping the camera mounts for better ones since the current ones are cheap chicom and not mounted correctly like they need to be. Good US made mounts are expensive but I am getting tired of adjusting the current ones because we have stormy weather in FL that causes a slight shift on a camera about once every 2 months. I have the XCR stock and trigger money that I have not been able to spend. >

As for the dog, I have the neighbor's dog as one of my other layers of alarm. That dog never barks unless there is something not right. Can't have my own because I don't have the time to properly care for it so I don't want to be one of those annoying dog owners that has an improperly trained dog that is a nuisance to the neighborhood. Lately I have been carrying more than usual because some idiot in the neighborhood has been letting their pit bull mix get loose and I was already confronted with it on one occasion. Maybe when I retire (I know Obama has probably made sure that will never happen). If I had more time then I would definitely consider the dog option too but only as another layer. They get past dogs easily - know some people that lost theirs when thieves drugged or poisoned them. Another reason that I hesitate on that option because don't want to go through that.

 

[jrsweb]

Several asked about the camera setup so I posted details in new topic:

http://xcrforum.com/index.php/topic,5010.0.html

I'm sure others can chime in with ideas or other options.

 

[terrorist hunter]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I will definitely look at some different camera options while I'm away at school and hopefully we'll have something put in before too long. The computer backup that can be monitored remotely sounds really nice...and I have the benefit of a Tiger Direct warehouse right down the street from the office so I'll see what I might be able to do for prices. If I come up with any great deals I'll make sure to post in the other thread for those who are looking.

Hindsight-I did open the door. I was able to see the porch from the blinds and our entire yard is well lit by the energy efficient bulbs I put in our exterior lights. That was my first move and the little -60 watt type neon twist types do an awesome job. But yeah, I opened the door, pistol in hand and close held to make sure it wasn't a neighbor in trouble. I should have noted (as it wasn't real clear in my mind until later-I think another post commented that regarding speaking with cops immediately after and incident) that my wife had her can of OC in hand. She has her own Walther, perfect for her little hands, but she prefers the OC and that's pretty alright by me. Need to work on the safe word.

We do have a pretty good pup who keeps an eye out for us (more so when the wife is home alone) but there's something more alarming about a two-dog alarm that might grow on me as well.

So anyway, thanks again for all the feedback and hopefully this post will be a decent reference for anyone who may be looking to come up with home security ideas. I like to think I'm sound in my home defense but little things like opening the door make me think again. Another post should be coming soon, I mentioned school at the beginning and we start class tomorrow. Thank you to my command for mobile force protection and clandestine weapons courses ;D :vehicle: :machinegun2: :rockon: http://www.gryphonsecurity.com/

 

[crenca]

Just as a reminder: In most neighborhoods a ringing doorbell at night and no one there is a kid. Can't remember how many times I did this as a pre-teen. Please keep cool and identify your target...

 

[jrsweb]

Just as a reminder: In most neighborhoods a ringing doorbell at night and no one there is a kid. Can't remember how many times I did this as a pre-teen. Please keep cool and identify your target...

This is a very valid point but the op did mention he is in Miami and there has been a lot of crazy stuff happening lately so I can understand his mindset. As someone else mentioned, the best advice is to stay inside and defend yourself there until help comes. Violent home invasions are on the rise so you don't want to put yourself at higher risk going outside to try to find out who is out there. Even if armed, they have the drop on you once you step outside. As you mentioned, you will have to hesitate to identify/assess before shooting. Always think defensive and not offensive unless you are LEO.... that is something that I preach to new gun owners all the time because they get into Rambo mindset once they are armed. It is also something that we can easily fall into if we were not completely ready and have plan in place - which I believe is the lesson that the op shared with us.

 

[crenca]

jrsweb,

Several valid points. As any firearm self defense class will teach you (well, most any), it's best not to try to "clear" your house - stay defensive and you will more likely make it through the incident unharmed. Particularly since you first duty is to your children and wife, not trying to "get" the bad guy.

Now, perhaps your having a slumber party with several of your trained gun club buddies in your house (weird, I know ;D ). I suppose then you would have the resources to go on the offensive, but short of that your duty lies elsewhere.

Besides, once your outside in most states your on very shaky legal ground. I wish this were not so, but it is the facts for now...

 

[SINKER]

Everyone please remember, "HARD BULLETS" GO THRU WALLS! The ABSOLUTELY BEST WEAPON IN OUR HOMES IS A 12 GUAGE PUMP! There is not a living soul that when you jack that slide back and holler "whatever it is you want to yell"!, nine times out of ten, they will crap their pants getting out of there! If you do have to shoot, the real pros suggest a couple of HI POWER #8's and then #1 Buck! We have a much better "hit" rate, sleepy eyed, in the dark, barefooted, scared, etc. Most times, using a shotgun keeps us from making things worse by hurting or killing someone we love and were trying to protect.......FYI! We are like a Family here and I know that most of us are very used to having our pistols, one under my pillow and one on the night stand, but the shotgun is also handy. Yelling for everyone to stay in the bed or whatever, usually doesn't do much good. It is a proven fact, with teenagers especially, they don't even hear the smoke detector(s) when they go off. Parents usually still have to physically wake them up!
Sinker

 

[crenca]

Sinker, you post makes me think of a couple of things. First, the penetration thing is overdone. It's simply not high on your list of priorities when your life is in danger. A quick mental check as to whether a loved one is standing directly behind the bad guy is all the most consideration you will give it given the circumstance. Second, a shoty at close range still has to be aimed as the pattern is still tight. The advantages are still there, excellent terminal ballistics, ease of use and reliability, etc....

 

[jrsweb]

I did not want to be the one to say it, so glad you mentioned it. The last thing I would pick up for home defense is a .223 due to the penetration issue stated and also if you hit the bad guy there is still a high chance you will have to fight him hand to hand until he bleeds out. I have AK's as well which would be better but I still have several pistols in different locations that are my go to choice. I have been considering the shotgun option as well but I'd rather go to something that I train with regularly - so that keeps me from the shotgun option unless you can convince me.

Also, remember that the LEO will take your weapon if you ever are unfortunately put in a situation to use it. The XCR is the last thing I want them taking.... especially with the mayor's complete war on EBR's where he is looking for excuses to outlaw them.