# Someone's breaking into your house with intent to do you and your family harm. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 14, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014 "2015-03-14T23:41:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/101 "2015-03-18T21:21:03Z")
Shodan, will you touch my monkey? ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/102 "2015-03-18T21:24:48Z")
I have an unloaded gun in the safe. Useless for self defense. I’d have to rely on a large heavy flashlight, two small-ish dogs, and maybe a kitchen knife. Btw whoever said Legos on the floor is a monster. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/103 "2015-03-18T21:51:09Z")
I own a large number of knives and tomahawks. Also spears and swords. I own a Danish axe from “Arms and Armour” and a halberd and poleaxe from “Cold Steel”. I own various swords; my favorite is my English longsword from “Museum Replicas Limted”. There are also clubs, maces, and a wickedly sharp assegai. Several machetes, as well. So I am pretty flush with sharp pointy stuff. No firearms, though… ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/104 "2015-03-19T02:57:38Z")
I am probably a dead man. However, if I am able to get to it, I have locked in one of my gun safes: a Beretta 96G Elite II with Hogue wraparound grip and Wolff Gunsprings INS trigger conversion spring, Beretta factory stainless steel trigger, Cylinder & Slide solid stainless steel recoil rod, Wolff recoil spring. Ammunition is .40S&W 180 grain Golden Sabers. Gun is in Blade Tech pancake holster, next to it is a Blade Tech combination holder for one spare magazine and a bezel end down SureFire 6P that has a Malkoff MC-E drop-in at 500 lumens of room filling flood light. Many, many hours training and using this set up. If I get to this gear and I am not too panicked, my intruder is facing a competent, capable and effective adversary. A [compact thermal imager](http://tplogic.com/products/commercial/thermal-imaging-comm/t10-commercial/) is next on my list. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/105 "2015-03-19T04:06:50Z")
> [@toofs](#): > > I am probably a dead man. However, if I am able to get to it, I have locked in one of my gun safes: a Beretta 96G Elite II with Hogue wraparound grip and Wolff Gunsprings INS trigger conversion spring, Beretta factory stainless steel trigger, Cylinder & Slide solid stainless steel recoil rod, Wolff recoil spring. Ammunition is .40S&W 180 grain Golden Sabers. Gun is in Blade Tech pancake holster, next to it is a Blade Tech combination holder for one spare magazine and a bezel end down SureFire 6P that has a Malkoff MC-E drop-in at 500 lumens of room filling flood light. Many, many hours training and using this set up. > > If I get to this gear and I am not too panicked, my intruder is facing a competent, capable and effective adversary. > > A [compact thermal imager](http://tplogic.com/products/commercial/thermal-imaging-comm/t10-commercial/) is next on my list. It’s like Bret Easton Ellis had a love child with David Weber… Anyway, for those in the thread with firearms locked away in a far away gun safe, and unloaded to boot, you do know they make secure pistol vaults, right? Often, they’re small, easily portable (or you can anchor them to something solid), and can be unlocked by your fingerprints. I’ve seen them for 100-200 bucks. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/106 "2015-03-19T08:00:06Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > I own a large number of knives and tomahawks. Also spears and swords. I own a Danish axe from “Arms and Armour” and a halberd and poleaxe from “Cold Steel”. I own various swords; my favorite is my English longsword from “Museum Replicas Limted”. There are also clubs, maces, and a wickedly sharp assegai. Several machetes, as well. > > So I am pretty flush with sharp pointy stuff. > > No firearms, though… No chloroform? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/107 "2015-03-19T12:55:05Z")
> [@Tibby or Not Tibby](#): > > Shodan, will you touch my monkey? Tell your monkey that I love her, but I still need to break into other houses. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/108 "2015-03-19T12:58:16Z")
A back door. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/109 "2015-03-19T12:58:59Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > No chloroform? Hee Hee! Nope. ---
**Author:** ![curious11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@curious11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curious11)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/110 "2015-03-19T16:29:42Z")
I have a cat toy that puts a red laser dot between their eyes. Then when the 20 pound mixed breed, including coon, 2-year old, cat goes after the red dot…I’ll sit on them till the LEO show up, trying to avoid causing positional asphyxiation. So in summary, cat toy, cat, me. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/111 "2015-03-19T16:37:35Z")
The same pistol as Martin Riggs. I understand it’s a lethal weapon. ---
**Author:** ![danhanegan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb9ed0/32.png) [@danhanegan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danhanegan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/112 "2015-03-23T06:33:07Z")
I keep a baseball bat near my bed. I am more comfortable with it than a firearm. Firearms have too much risk of injuring innocents from stray rounds for my peace of mind. I also feel it is more practical to disable someone without killing them with a bat than a firearm, and I don’t really feel killing is necessary to defend myself. ---
**Author:** ![Beelzebubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Beelzebubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beelzebubba)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/113 "2015-07-24T18:48:57Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > What do you have to stop them? Under my bed, I have a loaded shotgun and just inside the closet (between the bed and bedroom door), I have the .22 that I learned to shoot with when I 7yrs old (also loaded). I also have a Glock 19 that I carry in my car most of the time but bring it inside and put in the nightstand at night. So if all of the exterior motion-activated lights and the house alarm don’t send them running, I have several options to stop them! (FYI- I do have a legal permit to carry a handgun in my vehicle or on my person, it’s called a Carry Permit in Georgia). ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/114 "2015-07-24T19:05:18Z")
My Glock, but Ivylad is more comfortable with the weapons than I am. We have one of those shotguns that has the distinctive rack’em sound. I’d probably run to the bathroom with the phone to call 911 and Ivylad would deal with the intruder. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/115 "2015-07-24T20:04:35Z")
Killing an intruder is on my bucket list. I’m getting old and I want to get that item for sure so I kinda stay prepared. ( Oh, am I prepared… Bawahahaha ) _even have a wrist rocket = beanie flip_ ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/116 "2015-07-24T20:36:56Z")
I have my phone, I have a stern voice and instructions to leave. And if those fail I have 17 9mm hollowpoint bullets. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/117 "2015-07-25T04:49:32Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Killing an intruder is on my bucket list. lol ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/118 "2015-07-25T05:12:11Z")
Well I just bought this: [Ruger® SR22® Rimfire Pistol Models](http://www.ruger.com/products/sr22Pistol/models.html). Holds 10+1. Not sure if it would stop an intruder first shot, but I would hopefully have 11 tries. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014/119 "2015-07-25T11:08:30Z")
Cordless phones sitting in chargers in every room, including by my and my wife’s bedsides. Call 911. Really, this is like being prepared for a lightning strike. We live in a very low-crime area, there’s nobody who wants to do us harm, and there’s nothing in our house that would attract an intentional break-in, rather than grab-and-go burglars. Our doors are secured by deadbolts and bars, and our windows latch firmly; they can’t be jimmied. Really the only way in for an intruder would be to noisily smash their way through double-pane glass in either a window or sliding glass door. If we had any serious weaponry, the likelihood is far greater that there’d be an injury or death resulting from the Firebug’s playing with it than that we’d ever have the opportunity to repel an intruder with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someones-breaking-into-your-house-with-intent-to-do-you-and-your-family-harm/715014.md?page=5)