Home Invasion Response

[Tom Givens]

Our friend and colleague Eric Lamberson has an excellent blog. His newest entry is about rehearsing a response to a home invasion. I suggest you read it, and I recommend subscribing to his outstanding information source.

https://www.sensibleselfdefenseblog.com/2021/10/home-invasion-response-dress-rehearsal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sensibleselfdefenseblog%2FeJu h+%28Sensible+Self+Defense%29

[Phaedrus]

Great article! In some circles the idea of body armor is ridiculed which strikes me as odd. After all, if there's a gunfight then it means the other guy(s) brought guns, too! So while you're sending it you can reasonably expect to be taking it as well. Sure, you may not be able to get to it in time but the same is true of your handgun/nitro-pills/fire extinguisher/cell phone/etc but that doesn't mean you don't have it as an option. I keep a pistol by the bed, a carbine on the dresser (loaded mag, empty chamber) and a carrier loaded with Level IV ceramic/PE plates by the doorway. And of course, a fire extinguisher on the computer. The carrier I keep ready is just front & back, no cummberbun for the same reason the article cites, too slow to don in a hurry.

[CraigS]

Wife and I both have an armor vests. Ours have a 4x4 area w/ velcro on each side and there are also two plastic webbing buckles per side. We leave the left side permanently attached and put them on by sticking left arm and head through their respective openings. When I was trying to get mine on, the velcro would always grab too soon when the overlapping pieces were not lined up and then the buckles couldn't be fastened. I solved that by taping over the velcro. Now I can just snap the buckles together. We may not have time, but, if we do, we have what we need. One thing I note every time I practice w/ it is the weight. 4 AR mags, 3 pistol mags, crotch protection panel, drop leg holster and Ifak sure ad up. I hope I never need to run anywhere.

[GJM]

Anyone have a recommendation for appropriate, quick donning body armor.

[PNWTO]

Anyone have a recommendation for appropriate, quick donning body armor.

While not necessarily specific, I’m a big fan of anything that uses the First Spear “Tubes” attachment method; just nice to not always have a front flap and acres of Velcro to manipulate. Blue Force Gear also makes a nimble one.

The First Spear “First On” would be my starting point. Also helps the price is pretty fair.


Great article! In some circles the idea of body armor is ridiculed...

Agreed. I also like a plate carrier because I can slap a 3”x5” reflective flag on both sides for an IFF mitigator. Also I can stage two dog leashes and muzzles on it for post-incident management.

Edit to add: I use the same BFG carrier that Flamingo posted and really like it.

[Flamingo]

Anyone have a recommendation for appropriate, quick donning body armor.

When I worked overseas I kept a BFG plate carrier (https://www.blueforcegear.com/plateminus-plate-carrier-3) with SAPIs in my room and work area. It is pretty fast to put on and is pretty minimal.

[JHC]

I've got a very premium carrier with soft armor and plates (Mayflower carrier/Velocity systems steel). Original investment was for someone's Mil use but now I have it and have figured to put it to use. I use it a bit to add training load to some workouts. And I thought using it in this context of defense was obvious but holy crap it's not easy to shoot in.
An armor nimrod like me found it changed my pistol index dramatically as well as speed and performance and not in a good way.

YMMV. I've heard from a few with more experience it's not that big a deal.

[spelingmastir]

While not necessarily specific, I’m a big fan of anything that uses the First Spear “Tubes” attachment method; just nice to not always have a front flap and acres of Velcro to manipulate. Blue Force Gear also makes a nimble one.

The First Spear “First On” would be my starting point. Also helps the price is pretty fair.



Agreed. I also like a plate carrier because I can slap a 3”x5” reflective flag on both sides for an IFF mitigator. Also I can stage two dog leashes and muzzles on it for post-incident management.

Edit to add: I use the same BFG carrier that Flamingo posted and really like it.

My carriers all use tubes and I leave one cummerbund attached and practice putting it on like that. It's pretty quick.

[spelingmastir]

How many people have donning armor as a part of their plan? My top priority is getting to family members. Armor is put on if there is time. Also multiple belt-feds...

[OldRunner/CSAT Neighbor]

My carriers all use tubes and I leave one cummerbund attached and practice putting it on like that. It's pretty quick.

Gotta say all this talk of FS tubes etc. has reminded me to get my gen 1 JPC to a modder for the tubes addition, thx fellas.

[Clusterfrack]

Our home invasion happened so quickly that by the time the alarm let us know someone was in the house, he was already just a few steps from our bedroom (where my 8mo pregnant wife and I were sleeping). Fortunately I had a handgun within reach, and the intruder fled as soon as he saw me.

[fixer]

Our home invasion happened so quickly that by the time the alarm let us know someone was in the house, he was already just a few steps from our bedroom (where my 8mo pregnant wife and I were sleeping). Fortunately I had a handgun within reach, and the intruder fled as soon as he saw me.

Dang that is crazy.

Did you have a dog?

[paherne]

None of the home invasion robberies I've responded to or that have occurred at my agency would have allowed time to put on body armor or retrieve a long gun that was not immediately at hand. You fight with what you have on you or what you can grab.

I work in a very high end community where home invasions are against normal earth people, not dope rips.

People scoff when I say my home defense weapon is the J-frame in my pajama pocket.

If you have time to don armor, etc. you probably have time to get out, like the victim did in the incident I ran last Friday night. The best gunfight might be the one you miss by virtue of the Chuck Taylor option.

[Clusterfrack]

Dang that is crazy.

Did you have a dog?

No dog. Fortunately no baby yet either. If it had been a few months later, the intruder would have been standing between us and her room.

[Nephrology]

Our home invasion happened so quickly that by the time the alarm let us know someone was in the house, he was already just a few steps from our bedroom (where my 8mo pregnant wife and I were sleeping). Fortunately I had a handgun within reach, and the intruder fled as soon as he saw me.

That's wild. Glad things ended safely!

[OldManClemens]

Great article! In some circles the idea of body armor is ridiculed which strikes me as odd. After all, if there's a gunfight then it means the other guy(s) brought guns, too! So while you're sending it you can reasonably expect to be taking it as well. Sure, you may not be able to get to it in time but the same is true of your handgun/nitro-pills/fire extinguisher/cell phone/etc but that doesn't mean you don't have it as an option. I keep a pistol by the bed, a carbine on the dresser (loaded mag, empty chamber) and a carrier loaded with Level IV ceramic/PE plates by the doorway. And of course, a fire extinguisher on the computer. The carrier I keep ready is just front & back, no cummberbun for the same reason the article cites, too slow to don in a hurry.

My criticism isn't owning body armor, because I'm sure in certain situations it's warranted. I've argued with others that you simply won't have the time to put it on in many situations. The person I was having the discussion with said, "Well, it only takes 5 seconds to put it on." My response was, "The average gunfight lasts 3 seconds."

With that said, nothing wrong with being prepared and it's better to have it and not need it instead of the other way around.

I have a Fort Knox pistol box at my bedside that gets unlocked and opened before bed and locked once I get up. The shotgun also comes out of the safe and is at the bedside, and goes back in the morning.

[MickAK]

Dogs are nice but they take training. Not 'protection dog' training, that's a whole different issue, but your regular good dog is going to bark at all kinds of things. Most of them non-threatening. They do that.

Reinforcing when they need to go nuts and alert you of a serious problem is time consuming but possible, especially if at least one dog is from an intelligent breed with good work ethic. Multiple barriers to entry help, even if the first one isn't all that secure.

[Coyotesfan97]

Dogs are nice but they take training. Not 'protection dog' training, that's a whole different issue, but your regular good dog is going to bark at all kinds of things. Most of them non-threatening. They do that.

Reinforcing when they need to go nuts and alert you of a serious problem is time consuming but possible, especially if at least one dog is from an intelligent breed with good work ethic. Multiple barriers to entry help, even if the first one isn't all that secure.

Most dogs are just a deterrent at best. But hey a couple GSDs barking at a door or window are going to deter a lot of people from fucking around finding out. A couple dogs to back up your alarm system and your hardened doors/ windows is a good addition to your multi layered security.

Even a “protection” dog that’s trained in bite work and may be out of working lines isn’t a guarantee that’ll they’ll do much more than bark. Protection dogs have been trained on suits and 99.9 have never bitten for real. You have no clue really whether they fold when attacked or bite for real when needed.

We don’t really trust Police K9s until they have found suspects and bitten for real. Until they actually do it you don’t know. Now some dogs you just know they will when you train them but they’re still unproven.

I have one small dog I call snake dog or coyote dog. Heck I could call her javelina dog too. Her bark when she finds a snake or smells coyotes is a different tone and intensity than say barking at the Amazon delivery. You should and can learn your dog

Now my retired dog that has numerous street bites and has been trained to fight humans I’d trust to go out and defend us. Not because he loves us but because he loves the hunt and the bite.

[Phaedrus]

My criticism isn't owning body armor, because I'm sure in certain situations it's warranted. I've argued with others that you simply won't have the time to put it on in many situations. The person I was having the discussion with said, "Well, it only takes 5 seconds to put it on." My response was, "The average gunfight lasts 3 seconds."

With that said, nothing wrong with being prepared and it's better to have it and not need it instead of the other way around.

I have a Fort Knox pistol box at my bedside that gets unlocked and opened before bed and locked once I get up. The shotgun also comes out of the safe and is at the bedside, and goes back in the morning.

It's certainly true that you may not have time to put on your armor, but the odds are zero if you don't own any!;) In my place there's only one plausible way to get in and both will take some time and make a lot of noise. My door is steel with a reinforced night lock accessible only from the inside; even with a sledge hammer it would likely take numerous blows to get through (all screws replaced with 3.5" deck screws, etc). Odds are pretty good I'd have time in most circumstances. Of course sometimes you may have more warning, too. For instance, you see guys casing the joint or your neighbor's place on your security camera.

Worst case I can't get to it and it does me no good but it's about stacking the odds in my favor. Seatbelts save a lot of lives as do airbags but they're not a guarantee you won't die in a wreck.

[paherne]

Our home invasion happened so quickly that by the time the alarm let us know someone was in the house, he was already just a few steps from our bedroom (where my 8mo pregnant wife and I were sleeping). Fortunately I had a handgun within reach, and the intruder fled as soon as he saw me.

Your experience is typical for honest, normal citizens who are not engaged in unlicensed pharmaceutical sales, or who have not engaged the services of a trans lady of negotiable affection for a large sum of cash.

The important factor in the story from the blog is that the victim had left his door unlocked which allowed the brigand easy entry.

Before you buy body armor, a plate carrier and MSA headset to go with your Ops-Core helmet, upgrade your entry doors with deck screws, 3M security film on your beautiful slider, get an alarm and motion lights, etc. to give you time to wake up, grab a gun and a LIGHT and start the missus calling the cavalry.

Look to Phaedrus' post for security clues, however, in all likelihood most home invasions start with the HO being assaulted, IME.

[Ed L]

Two common things that I read about in accounts of home invasions are unlocked doors and people who open doors for strangers either without asking first or in response to a ruse by the stranger.

[Hambo]

.
Before you buy body armor, a plate carrier and MSA headset to go with your Ops-Core helmet, upgrade your entry doors with deck screws, 3M security film on your beautiful slider, get an alarm and motion lights, etc. to give you time to wake up, grab a gun and a LIGHT and start the missus calling the cavalry.


I regret that I have only one like to give.

[peterb]

Before you buy body armor, a plate carrier and MSA headset to go with your Ops-Core helmet, upgrade your entry doors with deck screws, 3M security film on your beautiful slider, get an alarm and motion lights, etc. to give you time to wake up, grab a gun and a LIGHT and start the missus calling the cavalry.

Deter, detect, delay, defend. A good home defense strategy has all those layers.

[JCN]

None of the home invasion robberies I've responded to or that have occurred at my agency would have allowed time to put on body armor or retrieve a long gun that was not immediately at hand. You fight with what you have on you or what you can grab.

I work in a very high end community where home invasions are against normal earth people, not dope rips.

People scoff when I say my home defense weapon is the J-frame in my pajama pocket.

If you have time to don armor, etc. you probably have time to get out, like the victim did in the incident I ran last Friday night. The best gunfight might be the one you miss by virtue of the Chuck Taylor option.


My criticism isn't owning body armor, because I'm sure in certain situations it's warranted. I've argued with others that you simply won't have the time to put it on in many situations. The person I was having the discussion with said, "Well, it only takes 5 seconds to put it on." My response was, "The average gunfight lasts 3 seconds."

With that said, nothing wrong with being prepared and it's better to have it and not need it instead of the other way around.

I have a Fort Knox pistol box at my bedside that gets unlocked and opened before bed and locked once I get up. The shotgun also comes out of the safe and is at the bedside, and goes back in the morning.

When I prepare for scenarios, I try and run through them as realistically as I can.

The quickest response situation for me is:

Bedside pistol and bedside portable shield. Grab one with each hand and go.

79494

79497

That shield is level III+, the way our house is set up an intruder would be only forward facing so I’m willing to compromise rear protection for the fastest deployment. It also allows me to protect my head if that were exposed (around doorway or window).

The other option is a soft IIIA blanket that is under the bed for the family to shelter in place.

79495

USPSA target for size reference.

Blanket on right is a tri-fold and could be used folded or unfolded depending on time.

Unfolded it looks like this:
79496


Anyone have a recommendation for appropriate, quick donning body armor.

I can dig up the companies that I purchased from if people are interested.

And yes, I have ballistically tested all brands I have purchased from to get a sense of deformation and validity of ratings.

[BehindBlueI's]

My "prepped supplies" is a shoulder holster thrown over the headboard. Pistol, two spare mags, and a flashlight. Shoulder holster so I have a secure means to carry the gun holstered while naked (and I sleep naked, so if you invade my home you are going to get the mental flashbang of a partially shaved bigfoot appearing in the hallway...) and the ability to draw the handgun from the bed if need be. I have a long gun a few steps away if time allows.

The only time I staged body armor is when I had a credible specific threat.

[JCN]

carry the gun holstered while naked (and I sleep naked, so if you invade my home you are going to get the mental flashbang of a partially shaved bigfoot appearing in the hallway...) and the ability to draw the handgun from the bed if need be. I have a long gun a few steps away if time allows.

Shock and awe!!!!

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I have a smaller handgun on me at most times. By the bed, we have (locked easy open case - which is unlocked at night) a Glock, mag and a BUG revolver and a speed loader. Surefire right next to it. Long arms in the closet (which can be locked). They have RDS but that takes time to deploy.

Now, a question, I have a pair of electronic muffs, good to go by the guns. Are they more useful that the armor? What's the priority. Extra pair for the wife if we do have time to gear up.

[Hambo]

I have a pair of electronic muffs, good to go by the guns. Are they more useful that the armor? What's the priority.

It depends on whether you want to stop tinnitus or bullets. I don't consider either of them a priority.

[MickAK]

I can dig up the companies that I purchased from if people are interested.


I would be, yes.

Can you mount a light to the shield?

[JCN]

I would be, yes.

Can you mount a light to the shield?

I’ll look and let you know re: name.

If you’re talking about the hard shield, absolutely. The handle and Y mount are screwed into drill holes. It would be easy to mount a pic rail or other clamp to it.

If talking about the soft shield it might be difficult but you could probably stitch a patch of Velcro or a loop for attachment.

[underhook]

Interesting thoughts on the shield. I've staged a Vertx backpack with a soft armor panel and drill using the back panel pass through to "captain America" it. It's a lot of coverage.

I have the first-spear first on and can confirm the tubes make it fast on if you you stage it correctly. I wish they sold it slick as the fixed panels are design for rifle and medical. I want pistol holster and magazines.

It's interesting to time running from your door to your bedroom to see how little time you have. I look at my house from outside and think were would I breach and have invested in harding doors and windows.

I stage weapons around the house. Door to door salesman can be a good reminder of how little warning you can get.