testtest

Bump in the Night - Lesson Learned

D

David N.

Professional
Founding Member
I thought someone was trying to break in last night when our dog Teddy would not quit barking. He had that "I'm scared, please come check things out!" bark, so I got up and armed myself. I surveyed the area and determined it was just a "bump in the night." Teddy settled down after I told him it was okay.

When I woke up this morning, I went over my actions and discovered that I never chambered a round. My gun was empty! I previously made a conscious decision to store my gun unloaded in my Hornady RapidSafe, thinking that I would have time to chamber a round as I prepared for action. The problem with this was I skipped that critical step in my mental checklist.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to exercise this area of my home defense. I don't know why I always stored my gun that way. Maybe, because I was taught never to bring a loaded gun into the house while growing up. Whatever the reason, my gun is now loaded with one in the chamber, ready to go if I hear another "bump in the night."

What areas of your home defense need improvement, if any?
 
David N. said:
I thought someone was trying to break in last night when our dog Teddy would not quit barking. He had that "I'm scared, please come check things out!" bark, so I got up and armed myself. I surveyed the area and determined it was just a "bump in the night." Teddy settled down after I told him it was okay.

When I woke up this morning, I went over my actions and discovered that I never chambered a round. My gun was empty! I previously made a conscious decision to store my gun unloaded in my Hornady RapidSafe, thinking that I would have time to chamber a round as I prepared for action. The problem with this was I skipped that critical step in my mental checklist.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to exercise this area of my home defense. I don't know why I always stored my gun that way. Maybe, because I was taught never to bring a loaded gun into the house while growing up. Whatever the reason, my gun is now loaded with one in the chamber, ready to go if I hear another "bump in the night."

What areas of your home defense need improvement, if any?
Click to expand...
Glad you’re safe, it’s a good thing you didn’t need to use your weapon, hearing that click on the 1st trigger pull would have been..... well hard to put into words.
I always make sure my handguns are loaded with one in the chamber and extra mags very handy. I have a clear view of the hallway into the living room from my side of the bed with a closet right next to the bed from which I can stage a stand if someone makes it inside. My cell phone is also handy and although I wouldn’t want to to be taking precious time dialing 911
5 pushes on the on/off button automatically dials 911 emergency.
I’ve yet to get my mind wrapped around Keeping a round chambered in my AR pistol.
 
Keystone19250 said:
Glad you’re safe, it’s a good thing you didn’t need to use your weapon, hearing that click on the 1st trigger pull would have been..... well hard to put into words.
I always make sure my handguns are loaded with one in the chamber and extra mags very handy. I have a clear view of the hallway into the living room from my side of the bed with a closet right next to the bed from which I can stage a stand if someone makes it inside. My cell phone is also handy and although I wouldn’t want to to be taking precious time dialing 911
5 pushes on the on/off button automatically dials 911 emergency.
I’ve yet to get my mind wrapped around Keeping a round chambered in my AR pistol.
Click to expand...
I am opposite. I am hard headed to keep a round chambered in my pistol on my hip, but every gun in my vehicle or house has a round chambered. Grew up with the “all guns are loaded“ family, because They Were !!. Mental game i guess.
 
Keystone19250 said:
Glad you’re safe, it’s a good thing you didn’t need to use your weapon, hearing that click on the 1st trigger pull would have been..... well hard to put into words.
I always make sure my handguns are loaded with one in the chamber and extra mags very handy. I have a clear view of the hallway into the living room from my side of the bed with a closet right next to the bed from which I can stage a stand if someone makes it inside. My cell phone is also handy and although I wouldn’t want to to be taking precious time dialing 911
5 pushes on the on/off button automatically dials 911 emergency.
I’ve yet to get my mind wrapped around Keeping a round chambered in my AR pistol.
Click to expand...
Thanks. My Son recommended that I have one in the chamber, but I disagreed. He's happy to hear I've changed my mind.
 
Annihilator said:
Yea, glad your ok, my house, I could use more outside lights, one area is real dark, plus my town are probably going to lose its police, the chief and council can’t get along, again glad your all safe, scary though.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I installed motion activated lighting to the exterior walls of my house, and ring cameras+floodlights recently as part of my home defense plan.
 
I’m different than a lot of people here, in that if a pistol isn’t on my person, it’s not chambered. It works for me.

It’s also why my bedside pistol, as well as my stashed pistols in the house, are almost all revolvers. The cylinder is loaded, but open.

Again, it works for me.
 
I'm kinda' like KillerFord in that I'm of a belief that an unloaded gun in the house is not much more effective than a brick in the house. One just about as effective as the other. I have had the advantage (?/?) of having no children in the house for many years and have become totally content with a loaded handgun in the bedroom within easy and quick reach of where I and my wife sleep.

Years before when we did have kids in the house, I was much more careful about where it was stashed and taught the kids to not ever touch them without my being there. I honestly believe neither of the kids ever gave a thought to touching any gun I had. They were never treated as anything secret or special, but they were treated as what they were ..... a useful tool for the right purpose, and very, very dangerous for any other use.

Over years I've had many discussions with many different folks about the "yea's" and "nea's" of having guns in the house with kids, loaded and unloaded. But I kinda went along with my own experiences as a kid. My dad always had guns in the house, some loaded, and taught me the same thing I just explained above. "Never to touch them without him being present" and that they were useful tools for the right purposes and very, very dangerous for any other uses.

Hard as it may be to believe, neither I nor any of my three siblings ever touched any of daddy's guns unless he was there with us and showed us the proper way. We just never had any desire to touch them as I recall. We believed what daddy had taught us about them, and what he had actually shown us they could do.

That's just something to ponder on y'all.
 
Keystone19250 said:
I’m working on setting up my Alexa to turn on a light or two at my request.
I’m glad I live on the second floor, I will not live in a 1st floor apartment, to easy to break into.
Click to expand...
we bought the bluetooth Lightbulbs to work with Alexa for most of the house . Fun on the first week of having them, from work, I used my phone app to turn them on and off and then multicolored random thru the day. Freaked my wife out ! I later told her it was me screwing with the lights. I still have a bruise and a limp
 
HansGruber said:
I’m different than a lot of people here, in that if a pistol isn’t on my person, it’s not chambered. It works for me.

It’s also why my bedside pistol, as well as my stashed pistols in the house, are almost all revolvers. The cylinder is loaded, but open.

Again, it works for me.
Click to expand...
I totally agree, this is a decision that only you can make. Thanks.
 
jumpinjoe said:
I'm kinda' like KillerFord in that I'm of a belief that an unloaded gun in the house is not much more effective than a brick in the house. One just about as effective as the other. I have had the advantage (?/?) of having no children in the house for many years and have become totally content with a loaded handgun in the bedroom within easy and quick reach of where I and my wife sleep.

Years before when we did have kids in the house, I was much more careful about where it was stashed and taught the kids to not ever touch them without my being there. I honestly believe neither of the kids ever gave a thought to touching any gun I had. They were never treated as anything secret or special, but they were treated as what they were ..... a useful tool for the right purpose, and very, very dangerous for any other use.

Over years I've had many discussions with many different folks about the "yea's" and "nea's" of having guns in the house with kids, loaded and unloaded. But I kinda went along with my own experiences as a kid. My dad always had guns in the house, some loaded, and taught me the same thing I just explained above. "Never to touch them without him being present" and that they were useful tools for the right purposes and very, very dangerous for any other uses.

Hard as it may be to believe, neither I nor any of my three siblings ever touched any of daddy's guns unless he was there with us and showed us the proper way. We just never had any desire to touch them as I recall. We believed what daddy had taught us about them, and what he had actually shown us they could do.

That's just something to ponder on y'all.
Click to expand...
I was brought up similarly, with no fascination of guns. They were merely tools for putting food on the table or home protection. Thanks.
 
When our kids were younger and at home, I kept my guns unloaded. Ammunition was handy, though.

Now that the kids are grown and raising families of their own, I keep several loaded firearms handy, but unload most of them when the grandkids visit.

It is kind of scary, David, and you can probably now understand what the "experts" say about fine motor skills, stress, etc. It is easy to be cool when you are sitting in your rocking chair, but not so easy when you think you may be shot at or hit with something any minute.
 
somorris said:
When our kids were younger and at home, I kept my guns unloaded. Ammunition was handy, though.

Now that the kids are grown and raising families of their own, I keep several loaded firearms handy, but unload most of them when the grandkids visit.

It is kind of scary, David, and you can probably now understand what the "experts" say about fine motor skills, stress, etc. It is easy to be cool when you are sitting in your rocking chair, but not so easy when you think you may be shot at or hit with something any minute.
Click to expand...
Yes, indeed. Thanks.
 
jumpinjoe said:
I'm kinda' like KillerFord in that I'm of a belief that an unloaded gun in the house is not much more effective than a brick in the house. One just about as effective as the other. I have had the advantage (?/?) of having no children in the house for many years and have become totally content with a loaded handgun in the bedroom within easy and quick reach of where I and my wife sleep.

Years before when we did have kids in the house, I was much more careful about where it was stashed and taught the kids to not ever touch them without my being there. I honestly believe neither of the kids ever gave a thought to touching any gun I had. They were never treated as anything secret or special, but they were treated as what they were ..... a useful tool for the right purpose, and very, very dangerous for any other use.

Over years I've had many discussions with many different folks about the "yea's" and "nea's" of having guns in the house with kids, loaded and unloaded. But I kinda went along with my own experiences as a kid. My dad always had guns in the house, some loaded, and taught me the same thing I just explained above. "Never to touch them without him being present" and that they were useful tools for the right purposes and very, very dangerous for any other uses.

Hard as it may be to believe, neither I nor any of my three siblings ever touched any of daddy's guns unless he was there with us and showed us the proper way. We just never had any desire to touch them as I recall. We believed what daddy had taught us about them, and what he had actually shown us they could do.

That's just something to ponder on y'all.
Click to expand...
So true same at my house.
 
All are mine are unloaded except one. The only reason I do that now is becasue the kids are grown and can all safely handle and fire them now. I always had them unloaded when they were younger.

Need to put up that one last spotlight on a dark corner of my house.

Glad all worked out @David N.
 
I have guns in the house with loaded mag but none in the chambers always have so it is just nature to rack them if needed. Just to be safe. I always treat guns as if they are loaded and that is what I was taught and how I taught my son. I think it is bad not to teach your kids about gun even if you don't have any in the house. You never know what is going on in someone else house. We where at a friend house and his son was going to take his rifle out of the gun cabinet to show my son and he came down right away and told me after he told the boy not to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top