What should you do — if and when — you hear that dreaded “Bump in the Night” that awakens you from a sound sleep? There are things that must be considered as you try to clear the cobwebs from your mind. Unfortunately, you will not be at your analytical or physical best until you become more fully awake.
Depending on your age and health, your response time may be immediate. However, for others, it may take many seconds or even minutes to elapse before they are capable of life-altering decisions and actions. Certainly training, both physically and mentally, will help tremendously. Most people, however, don’t take the time to train.
If they make a decision to defend themselves, their home, and loved ones, they probably bought a gun, shot it once, and have it in the nightstand with the ammo locked away. More than likely, they have also (according to statistics) not taken any training and have no idea what to do. That is assuming they are not frozen in fear.
Even the best of the best in our military operate by the mantra that, “You will fight the way you train!” As an instructor, it baffles me that those who need training the most are the least inclined to take advantage of the availability of classes. I have good friends that have threatened to get a gun and take some lessons for years.
However, even with rising crime and my offer of free training, after many years they still have not acted. The only excuse they offer is they are busy! How busy can you be to avoid learning how to save your life?
There are others who invest the time to receive some training — unfortunately, only enough to be a danger to themselves. They get the basics but do not realize their limitations and attempt to do something above their level of training. Let me relate that to the subject at hand — being awakened by the bump in the night.
Home Defense Plan
Because he took some training and has read an article or two, Doofus gets out of bed, secures his loaded firearm, puts on his electronic hearing protection (see: Home Defense: When Something Goes Bump in the Night). At this point, we need to have some information before we can proceed.
Is it a house or apartment? Is he alone or are there others in the residence? If so, have they been trained or even discussed what actions to take? Is the home one or multiple stories? Is there a dog, and is it inside or out? What is the layout of the structure? All that information influences what one’s actions might be.
So, for this article, I will set a very specific scenario. You are alone (no people or pets) in a larger (around 2,000 Sq. Ft.) single story home on a large one-acre lot. Unfortunately, you left your cell phone on the charger in your kitchen, with no land line in your bedroom… Dumb!
The first problem to solve is to determine what your course of action will be before you do anything. Those of you who have read my column know that I recommend you get out of bed, put on your glasses, especially if you need them to see the front sight, and don a good set of electronic hearing protection, preferably a set with Bluetooth. This bit of advice will increase your ability to hear and identify someone sneaking around. More importantly, if shots are fired, it will protect your hearing and ability to function.
Shots fired in a small, enclosed space such as a room or hallway, will have the disorienting effect of a flashbang grenade. This may render anyone with unprotected hearing momentarily incapacitated. If your headset has Bluetooth, ensure you are monitoring the conversation, which you should be having with a police dispatcher.
Now pay very close attention, do not attempt to clear your house! Even if you went through some shooting school’s ‘shoot house.’ This is real, with the potential of real bullets coming at you. You are alone, without back up, and surely you do not want to get killed. Without teammates, you can’t cover all the possible points evil may lurk.
My advice, once again, is to find the most defensible place in your master suite, with good cover and concealment, and wait for the intruders to come to you. Stay quiet. Don’t issue a challenge, rack the shotgun, or go out to the balcony and fire some shots in the air. If you do, you have relinquished your most precious ally, surprise.
The bad guys should not know where you are until they see your muzzle flash. Wait for law enforcement to arrive and let them clear the house, they are trained to do that. Remember to stay in communication with them until you have eyes on each other.
Once you have made visual contact, remember to secure your weapon, or set it down. Show them your hands, be respectful, and whatever you do, don’t approach the police with a firearm in your hand. Follow their commands, and be appreciative of their service. As stated, this is what I do, and how I would act. It is also what I teach my students.
As stated, moving about a building when someone else may be in it with a weapon is a very dangerous task, and should not be taken lightly. For those of you that may have seen too many John Wick movies, here are some tips that might prevent you from committing an act that is tantamount to suicide. First, choose an appropriate firearm.
Searching your house for that unidentified bump in the night with bear spray and a baseball bat, as reader suggested in a response to one of my articles, is not a smart idea — no matter what he thinks. That means equipping yourself correctly — prior to the need to execute — is of paramount importance. So, let’s review the three main formats of firearms: handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
Make your choice based on your ability and the projectiles that you might be firing. Are they capable of going through the walls in your house, and hitting your neighbors or the cows in the barn?
Pistols
Let’s review the choices. Pistols are a lightweight, popular choice for personal defense. However, they are difficult to learn to shoot accurately under stress. The truth is, very few people take the time to become proficient.
Shotguns
The next popular alternative — according to many — would be a shotgun. Shotguns have much better stopping power than handguns. However, shotguns take as much or more training and practice than handguns and require two hands.
Rifles
Rifles are the less-common option, because they are significantly more powerful than most guns in home situations. That being said, my preferred and recommended choice is from this category, the M1 Carbine (see: What’s the Best Gun for Home Defense? It’s not a Handgun, Shotgun, or AR-15…). It is of paramount importance to remember that whichever weapon you choose, you must be proficient using it with both hands, strong and weak side. That way, you can use whichever side will keep you the most concealed.
All that said, let us assume for this exercise that you are using a handgun.
Keep a hand-held flashlight (with a lanyard) next to your weapon of choice. Many prefer to have a flashlight attached to the frame of the firearm. I am not one of those, except on long guns. Handheld lights give you options that attached lights do not. Again, an attached light is a good feature to have on a long gun, but it will not replace the hand-held light.
To identify a possible target (without violating safety rule number one) and temporarily blinding him by flashing your light at his eyes with the goal of disorienting them, you must have a separate handheld light. Aim the light at the head. Turn it on for only a moment (a flashlight with a temporary-on switch is preferable). Be aware that you need a flashlight with at least 50 Lumens to temporarily disorient an attacker at night.
Grip mounted laser sights are also an option that I highly recommend. They will allow you to see where your firearm is pointed without having to use the sights to aim. This can be very helpful if you don’t have your corrective glasses on.
Tactics
Now, a quick note on tactics. Carry your firearm in a firm, two-handed, compressed ready position, always pointed where you are looking. That allows you to react more quickly and provides better retention than when you have your arms extended. Make sure your stance is a stable fighting stance and never cross your feet as you move as it will make you unstable and your accuracy and balance will be compromised.
Fatal Funnels
Probably my most important tip… avoid the fatal funnel. Hallways and doorways are similar. They are a narrow passages or choke points — that your adversary will be expecting you to come through, making them what is referred to as a fatal funnel. If you must negotiate a hallway, walk on one side and never down the middle.
Understand, hallways present some of the more difficult, dangerous, and dynamic areas to clear. At some point, you will be forced to turn your back on an area you have not yet cleared. That is unjustifiably dangerous and will most probably get you killed. That’s why my advice is simply, “Don’t do it!” Stay safe, train often and practice, practice, practice!
as a retired cop if i think only have 1 or 2 then clearing myself. if poss more then waiting for pd to arrive and pick up bodies if come close
Is there anything “The Most Interesting Man In The World” doesn’t know???
I have changed several things about my home defense plans based on Mr. LaPorta’s various works.
First- the electronic hearing protection.
Pure genius- and something that most folks, including me, don’t think of.
Second- I don’t “clear the house”. I call 911 and hide where I can cover the stairs up to the bedrooms.
As Bob Cambell said- that all goes out the window if anyone is sleeping downstairs.
Third- I consider myself at “master” level with a shotgun, but just “good” with a pistol.
My home defense weapon is a Mossberg 940 tactical with light and sights that glow in the dark. I may upgrade to a laser…
I have set up my fall back and defensive positions with ammo, and there is nowhere in the home that I can’t be armed and defensive in more than 3-5 seconds.
I also want to comment that the pretty lady in the article with the pistol has clearly had the best instruction!
On a long gun, in my case a shotgun with 18.5″ barrel, I have a combination flashlight and laser with remotely controlled switch locate on the frame.
I was taught that with a handgun, never use a rail mounted light. Use a laser sight and a separate, high output, strobing flashlight and hold it away from my body. The idea is that some intruders will react by shooting in the direction of the light in panic. I don’t want that light in front of my chest or head.
I agree with everything in the article – and I’m going to add hearing protection my night stand. I hadn’t thought of that. One caveat though – if you’re the only one at home, I agree that waiting for them to come to you is best. But with kids in the house you have to balance two things: [1] Protecting your kids from the intruder may require you to clear the house, or at least a path between you and the kids, and [2] you most certainly do NOT want to be in the situation that, in your half awake state, you mistake a sleep walking kid for an intruder! For me, the handgun stays in the nightstand finger-print safe or my holster until I have my wife & kids with me in the same room, but i have a high powered flashlight to carry with me. The risk of hand to hand combat is less scary to me than the risk of accidentally shooting a family member. Once we’re all together, we hunker down with firearm ready and wait for help to arrive or the intruder to walk in on us and meet the business end of my home defender, if necessary.
I have gun and ammo stickers on every door, and a “are you bulletproof or just stupid” I don’t have a wife or kids, so there’s a loaded black rain 556 behind one couch, a colt M4 556 behind the other couch, an Sw fpc9mm unfolded and ready to go, and two loaded sw m&p9mm un night table, a 9mm handgun in the kitchen drawer and another one in the bathroom always be prepared, if your in the bathroom you might not have time to get to other rooms. Definitely not ideal for families. I live out in the country, and we leave keys in vehicles, but I’d rather have them and not need them, then need them and not have time to get them
Id use my full size handgun since thats what Ive trained with the most. After reading/hearing the pros & cons of a weapon light i did go ahead and put one on my handgun recently. Ive chosen to leave a light on in each room so use of the weapon light is only to make a more positive identification before pulling the trigger, not to be a searchlight.
I keep a loaded handgun with rail light beside my bed. Agree to call 911 if there is time. I do worry the light will show an intruder my location in my bedroom but do want to light them up before pulling the trigger and ensure it’s not the other family member in our home. What do you think of a warning shot into bedroom door frame initially instead of shooting the intruder. Of course,if they are armed and coming at me, forget the warning shot. Thx for these great tips and guidance. Hope they are never needed!
I keep a loaded handgun with rail light beside my bed. Agree to call 911 if there is time. I do worry the light will show an intruder my location in my bedroom but do want to light them up before pulling the trigger and ensure it’s not the other family member in our home. What do you think of a warning shot into bedroom door frame initially instead of shooting the intruder. Of course,if they are armed and coming at me, forget the warning shot. Thx for these great tips and guidance. Hope they are never needed!
I keep a loaded handgun with rail light beside my bed. Agree to call 911 if there is time. I do worry the light will show an intruder my location in my bedroom but do want to light them up before pulling the trigger and ensure it’s not the other family member in our home. What do you think of a warning shot into bedroom door frame initially instead of shooting the intruder. Of course,if they are armed and coming at me, forget the warning shot. Thx for these great tips and guidance. Hope they are never needed!
I like my M1carbine as a home defense arm too, but I would recommend 15 rnd mags, never had a 15 misfeed, have had 30’s misfeed more often than I like. I have 3 15’s taped together, 2 up and the middle down and backwards in the magwell and 2 more spares in a buttstock pouch for a total of 75 rnds on gun. And yes the bayonet too as last resort!
What’s the most important thing in the house ? you are ! Call cops,
IF you have bedrooms on a second floor, post up at the top of the staircase…and await developments.
Engage anything that comes up the stairs. Until the cops get there. Let them take anything on the ground floor, ‘Stuff’ can be replaced by your insurance company. Have a way to illuminate the ground floor from Upstairs. Separate ‘high beam’ lights controlled by the second floor can be used to dazzle/blind intruders. Hopefully, you have no guest rooms in the basement, or grandkids ‘camping’ in the basement. IF you wanted to get ‘ugly’ you could have a three drawer file folder cabinet you can push down the stairs to create an obstacle for ‘people’ trying to sneak upstairs.
The ragbag lawyer for the Bad guys are going to go after you for ‘pre-stationing’ the cabinet on/near the top of the stairs. Shows ‘willful’ prethought and planning..
Good luck. RJ Sends.
I don’t understand folks questioning the flashlight advice being different for a handgun vs. long gun. I would think it’s obvious: a long gun requires two hands to operate. So are you holding the flashlight with your third hand? Just seems pretty clear that’s why you’d have gun-mounted light on a long gun, but if you’re using a handgun you’d take advantage of keeping them separate. What am I missing?
I hear things around the house all the time, but not IN the house.
If the dog runs toward trouble I dont follow her.
I will stay put if I think someone is in the house.
Unless the grandkids are in the house. If they are the (quasi) dog is sleeping beside them. If there is an invasion and the grandkids are in the house I am going to clear the place fast, very fast.
Home gun- 12 gauge shotgun and buckshot, 1911 .45, sometimes a 9mm with +P+ loads.
Bump in the night? Have you contacted your local law enforcement? If so, how long until you expect them to arrive? 5 minutes? 30 minutes? An hour or more?
I don’t believe there is a better home defense/self defense option available to the average Joe than an 11″-12″ AR-15 “pistol” with a brace; unless you had the foresight to register an SBR. Younger, or weaker, or smaller statured shooters, a Ruger 10/22 with a 30 rd magazine; the same preference for barrel length and legal guidelines apply.
I was faced with 4 ex-cons trying to do a home invasion while also trying to protect my handicapped mother. The driver stayed in the car but 3 ran up the driveway while I was on the phone with a deputy. I had seen one of the 3 running toward one of our gates, so I knew by looking at his bright green gloves that he was about to jump over. I only knew that other two were somewhere in the front yard and perhaps about to break into one of the windows or even the front doors. I immediately calmed myself down by breathing slowly after telling the deputy in the phone I was grabbing my shotgun and going downstairs. I swept my shotgun around in a semi circle when I saw through the rear doors that the green-gloved ex-con began to appear. He probably saw my shotgun pointed at the rear doors because he disappeared in an instant, and the car they came was leaving down the cross street. They were eventually caught and my mother and I IDd them where they were all caught and paraded before us to ID. I’ve asked others if I did correctly in going downstairs. I think I did because I don’t know if I could have stopped several threats in a bedroom if 3 or more threats had broken into that bedroom. I also had the health and welfare of my mother.
First I would call the police if I was really concerned. My first concern in the event of a home intruder would probably be my dogs. They will show me where the problem is. They’re just friendly pups who bark and growl a lot but would probably be harmed By a determined intruder. I have a model 37 with the light in the bedroom and both bed stands have a pistol. Another concern would be when you hear something that might be suspicious do you take a firearm with you when it’s late at night, for me that would be after 10:00. I would hate to get there on something I really didn’t consider hazardous sound and find out I was wrong and not be armed. I always would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. If I go look I’m taking a firearm . If someone was seriously trying to kick my door in we would get behind the bed across the room, lay the shotgun on the bed both of us would have pistols and wait to see if they were really that dumb.
Preparation is the key, and I would say take preventative measures long before the incident occurs. Where I live in Oklahoma, there have been a number of home invasions in various metro neighborhoods. When viewing the news reports, there seems to have been one common denominator in the vast majority of those cases and it is easy to identify. In almost every story where pictures of the scene are shown, one can see the damage to the door trim of the house or apartment where the door was kicked in. Most of those resident victims failed to check the door strike plate and hinge screws on the entry doors whereby miscreants gain easy access. If your doors only have those short screws that come with the strike plate and hinges, (they barely secure the jamb to the molding, you know, the ones usually put in by the builder) you are almost defenseless against a home invasion. A swift kick, the trim splinters and gives way, the door flies open, and entry is immediate. Even an old fart like me could break one of those doors down. Not addressing this problem gives bad guys easy access to your home in less time than it takes you to get your glasses on your face, much less get a gun.
Homeowners should check for this problem before they ever move into their home. For those apartment and rental home dwellers, this is easily fixed, and the apartment manager/landlord doesn’t even need to know. It is not a hard fix, and it will cost a lot less than a box of your favorite ammo. The only tools you need are a drill, with appropriately sized drill bit, the right screws, and a screwdriver. Or you can get a driver bit and use your drill. The helpful hardware people at Ace can get you everything you need. There is also Home Depot or Lowe’s. They all give a Veteran’s discount if you qualify.
Unscrew the short screws from the strike plate, drill deeper holes to accommodate 3 inch screws and put the best 3 inch screws you can find in place of the little stubby worthless screws. Remember, you are protecting your home, and your loved ones; this is not the time to scrimp on cost. You probably spend more on ammo per month than the cost of this one fix, and it can save lives and thousands of dollars in losses due to a home invasion should that event take place. Then with the door still open, address the hinge plates. Remove the screws holding the hinge to the doorframe, one at a time, drilling and replacing those cheap, stubby screws with the 3 inch screws. Do NOT take all the screws out at once or you may find yourself in over your head. Do this for all the hinge screws, for the frame AND the door. Now anyone trying to break your door down will have to take out the 2 bys that make up the door frame instead of the very flimsy door trim. And those 2 bys are usually anchored securely in multiple points to a second one. This one act alone increases the security of your home and is recommended by most security companies, at least the ones worth talking to. You can also buy deadbolts that have a longer bolt with a better striker plate that are go deeper and are more secure.
In my house, all entry door strike plates and hinges have 3” screws securing the hardware and doorframes to the studs in the walls. Hard to break into, and would make a lot of noise, giving me enough time to collect my weaponry. The steel front door could be broken down with a lot of work, as could the back door, but doing so will eat up time and be difficult. If one has hedges in front of the house and around the windows, that will delay entry by any miscreants.
You know the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This kind of preparation could prevent or at least significantly slow down someone from illegally entering your home. Not many bad guys will stick around if the door doesn’t give right away. If they do, you will have already dialed 911, and be waiting for them with your chosen weapon. As for my house, my wife would call 911 while I am dialing up 1911.
In answer to Larry WIEGHT is a main reason as I see it sir . A handgun is primarily made to be used 1 handed after all and the added weight of a flashlight ( yes small I know) is added weight + it can and will impede the inherent ability to maneuver easily . Hope that addresses the issue . Good stuff Ed I am still stuck with everything in the gun safe due to our laws .
Really interesting article! I had not considered keeping ear protection near our firearms for this purpose, but that makes a lot of sense.
I understand the premise of remaining quiet in order to maintain the element of surprise but I do wonder about the trade-offs.
I don’t know if there are statistics on this, but anecdotally (in the cases filed that I have seen), it does not seem like the majority of home invaders (at least in LA County) are armed.
It also seems like most thieves do not want to confront anyone and might just flee if it becomes apparent the home is occupied. Obviously I don’t love that it means the invader may “get away” with it but if you can deter a thief with your firearm without having a more direct confrontation, that does seem safer.
Good and interesting info!
Great article on home defense. one more thing that I would like to add. I use electronic headphones without a led power indicator, so i’m even more invisible. I like the flashlight advise…
Not sure why you would justify a flashlight on a rifle but not a handgun
I agree with you Mr. LaPorta, flashlight Marin on handguns, make for great targets for the enemy to shoot at. Flashlight also tell everybody where you’re at.. Shotguns in a home are cumbersome at best and a poor choice statistically. I prefer not to try to clear my house and barricade myself in a safe area and wait for them to come into funnel . Another very well written article by the man himself.
Excellent article.
I appreciated the advice regarding the use of a flashlight. And practice, practice, practice the plan you have in the event of a home intruder.
Excellent article.
I appreciated the advice regarding the use of a flashlight. And practice, practice, practice the plan you have in the event of a home intruder.
As always excellent article.
Especially the advice to select a defensive position, wait for the bad guy to come to you and announce yourself to the police. And finally practice, practice, practice.
As always excellent article.
Especially the advice to select a defensive position, wait for the bad guy to come to you and announce yourself to the police. And finally practice, practice, practice.
The ‘most popular president of all time’ said to fire both barrels off the porch… I’m glad there is better advice provided by Cheaper Than Dirt and The Real Most Interesting Man In The World.
How does one walk down one side of a narrow hallway without scraping the wall and making noise or knocking over wall art? Why do like a flashlight on a long gun but not on a handgun?
My choice of home defense is a tactical shotgun. I live close to other houses and don’t want something that could easily penetrate into a house beside me. I definitely know how to shoot having been shooting since 1971. Being raised by a Korean war vet I’ve been an NRA member for as long as I can remember and I grew up shooting on different rifle teams. I like my shockwave. It’s small and yes it takes some practice to get used to and it’s not for everyone. Actually it’s a handful but I like it a lot. I take it to the range and keep myself very comfortable with it. I love your articles! I save them in a folder. Thanks for what you do and what you share with us
My choice of home defense is a tactical shotgun. I’ve been shooting since 1971 raised by a Korean war vet. Iv