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Do you answer your door while armed?

  • Yes, every time, weapon at the ready.

    Votes: 14 12%
  • Yes, I have a pistol in my pocket ready to go.

    Votes: 22 19%
  • Sometimes. If its at an odd time and nobody is expected.

    Votes: 47 41%
  • No, I never open the door for anybody.

    Votes: 4 3.5%
  • No, I've never felt the need.

    Votes: 12 11%
  • Other. (Specify in comments)

    Votes: 15 13%

When you answer the door do you bring a gun?

6.2K views 131 replies 65 participants last post by  Indianation65  
#1 ·
This thread was inspired by a recent thread in which a teen was shot/killed by a homeowner when he came knocking.

I've heard similar stories before which have always left me rather puzzled because while I always have my LCP in my pocket, I've never answered the door with a firearm drawn, nor would I open the door for anybody I presume might wish to do me harm.
 
#2 · (Edited)
I rarely get a knock on the door as I live in a small neighborhood probably 4-5 miles out of the closest town.
There has only been one attempted break in here in many years. But if there is a knock on the door at night- I will have a gun in my hand. In the day time I can easily see out and judge what I should do.

Edit: Plus...I have security cameras all around and a Ring on the front door.
 
#10 ·
Yes. If you're going to be careful enough to buy and carry a gun, then be careful enough to buy a doorbell camera.

In my area, people have developed the habit of stepping completely back off the porch after ringing the doorbell.
 
#8 ·
well, i keep it in my pocket most of the time so...
I look to see who it is. I don't know them? its in my pocket. I think they they are suspect? The 85LBs bulldog is nose first on the glass door and my hand is full. Play stupid games and find out.
 
#11 ·
My Ring doorbell tells and shows me there is some there. If I don't know who it is or they are just dropping off a package I typically ignore them.
 
#12 ·
I just got rid of my 3rd Ring (died just like the previous). Almost fell for buying another but sick and tired of paying subscription. Found the Eufy E340. Has WAY better video, dual cameras to monitor packages, and stores video locally. Also has AI and the ability to input people I know and it can then identify so instead of "ding dong" it would say "Charley's at the front door" Haven't set it up yet for the AI functions
 
#14 ·
I'll tell ya, my neighbor behind me darn near got herself shot by me a few weeks ago. All of a sudden all my cameras are telling me person nearby. It's like 1030 at night. Next thing the camera under my back deck is notifying. Wife is already on the phone with sheriff dept 911 I'm in the dark inside, with my G3C, full, one in the chamber. Next footsteps on the deck stairs. I'm not gonna make a move unless the patio door gets jimmied open. The the person goes down after lifting my grill covers and such. Back down the stairs, and by this time, sheriff deputy is at the front door.
What a darn fool! She knows us, she's been here, had cocktails on the deck with me and wife at my outdoor fireplace, A quick text or ring on the door bell to simply let us know she was looking for her dog!
Sometimes I think people have :poop::poop: for brains LOL.
 
#15 ·
If anyone is knocking on our door, they have disregarded the No Trespassing signs, climbed over a locked gate, and made it the 150 feet to the door.
In the 30 years we've been here there's never been anyone that stupid. We live on a dead end dirt road six miles outside a one stop light town of less than 2,000.

But, in answer to the question - if someone knocked on the front door I would slip out the back door and around the side of the house carrying a 12 ga.
We have a street light on a tall pole in the side yard about 50 feet from the house that provides good illumination, so target aquisition would be easy.
 
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#16 ·
We live in a very rural place, pretty remote. I'll see headlights hit the house if someone is coming in, the driveway to the house is very long, plenty of time to see who it is. If it is a knock on the door without seeing a vehicle pulling on the property, I will have one out of sight but very much at the ready.
 
#18 ·
I can open the front door and look out the storm door. Although not as safe as a solid door it does buy time for the .38 in my back pocket in case it's goblins.

If it's the PD you sure don't want to have a firearm on display as they shoot first and write a report later. This btw illustrates why you don't go to the door with a long gun as it will generate the same but slightly longer report.
 
#68 ·
I can open the front door and look out the storm door. Although not as safe as a solid door it does buy time for the .38 in my back pocket in case it's goblins.

If it's the PD you sure don't want to have a firearm on display as they shoot first and write a report later. This btw illustrates why you don't go to the door with a long gun as it will generate the same but slightly longer report.
I got a knock on the door around midnight a couple of years ago, I was already in bed, and I grabbed my 1911 and kept it behind my back and I saw through the peephole that it was the police. I opened the door and he was doing a wellness check on the neighbor, and was asking questions so when it became obvious that I wasn't shutting the door quickly, I told him I need to set my gun down, and he just said sure, go ahead, and I set it on the table. We finished up talking, and he went back next door to keep knocking. No fuss at all about my gun, it was like he expected it.
 
#21 · (Edited)
This thread was inspired by a recent thread in which a teen was shot/killed by a homeowner when he came knocking.

I've heard similar stories before which have always left me rather puzzled because while I always have my LCP in my pocket, I've never answered the door with a firearm drawn, nor would I open the door for anybody I presume might wish to do me harm.
Was this the story of the teen who was shot thru a closed door? I remember a thread about a case like that, but it wasn't recent.

The most recent thread I'm aware of wasn't knocking but ringing a doorbell and then they ran off. While it's understandable that this is annoying, that is not a defense to shooting them by itself.
 
#24 ·
This thread was inspired by a recent thread in which a teen was shot/killed by a homeowner when he came knocking.

I've heard similar stories before which have always left me rather puzzled because while I always have my LCP in my pocket, I've never answered the door with a firearm drawn, nor would I open the door for anybody I presume might wish to do me harm.
I'm in the same state of mind. My firearm is always on my person but would only present it if the need arise. I've got glass in the doors so can easily observe the caller if I decide to open it to interact.
 
#26 ·
Exactly! I can't wrap my head around opening the door to a stranger when you can easily speak to them from behind a locked door and view them through the window. If they break the glass or start kicking the door in, then it's going to be a lot easier for you and your attorney to make the case that any shots fired were done in self defense.
 
#27 ·
I rarely open the door, but every once in a while I have a lapse in judgment and open it. I do not answer the door with a gun, but I've thought about maybe holding a shotgun when I answer the door.

A couple weeks ago there was a (I later figured out) process server looking for someone who didn't live at my house. My porch is about 6 feet deep and covers the entire front of the house. In front of the porch is the sidewalk that extends from the driveway, with about a 10-inch step up to the porch. If I do open the door for anyone, I almost always command them to step back off the porch. In this case, the woman was advancing to the door and I yelled, very sternly, GET BACK! My wife happened to be home at the time and thought I was a bit abrasive. I told her that the person was advancing and I don't want anyone getting that close to me. Our storm door is never locked, but I locked it immediately after I pulled the door open. If someone had been hiding there, they could have easily opened the storm door as soon as I pulled the door open and could have compromised our safety--not too wise on my part. I wish I could remotely lock the storm door before opening the front door.
 
#29 ·
....and a big 10-4 on cameras....4 around the house and one on the door.
Ring and Blink.....they are more than worth it (y)
I probably have a 200 degree view of my home using Ring cameras. However, they are so unreliable, I would never recommend them.
 
#30 ·