Home Defense Planning: More Than Just a Gun by the Bed

A firearm is one piece of a home defense plan, not the whole plan. Here is how to think through your home defense strategy from the ground up.

Start With the Goal

The goal of home defense is not to shoot an intruder. The goal is to protect yourself and your family. A good home defense plan layers multiple strategies: deterrence, detection, delay, and response. A firearm is part of the response layer, but it is not the whole plan.

Layer 1: Deterrence

Most burglars and home invaders are opportunists looking for easy targets. Anything that makes your home look less like an easy target reduces the chance that you will ever need to use your firearm.

Lighting. Motion-activated lights on all exterior entry points are inexpensive and effective. Criminals prefer darkness.

Reinforced entry points. Most residential doors can be kicked in with a single blow because the door frame is weak, not the door itself. Door frame reinforcement kits are inexpensive and dramatically increase the time it takes to force entry.

Visible security measures. Security cameras, alarm system signage, and dogs all serve as deterrents.

Layer 2: Detection

Alarm systems. A monitored alarm system that alerts both you and a monitoring center is valuable. The noise alone often stops an intrusion.

Dogs. A dog that barks at unusual sounds is an excellent early warning system. Criminals consistently rate dogs as one of the biggest deterrents to home invasion.

Layer 3: Delay

Every second of delay between an intruder entering your home and reaching you is time you can use to call 911, gather your family, and prepare.

Solid core interior doors. The door to your bedroom should be a solid core door with a quality deadbolt. This buys you critical time.

Safe room. Designate a room in your home as a safe room. It should have a solid door, a lock, a phone charger, and your firearm.

Layer 4: Response

Firearm selection. For home defense, a full-size pistol, a shotgun, or a rifle are all valid choices depending on your living situation and skill level.

Ammunition selection. Use quality hollow-point ammunition. It is designed to expand on impact and is less likely to over-penetrate walls and endanger family members in other rooms.

Storage. Your home defense firearm needs to be accessible to you but inaccessible to children. A quick-access biometric safe is the standard solution.

The Plan Your Family Needs

Sit down with every adult in your household and walk through the plan. Where does everyone go? Who calls 911? What is the signal that means everyone needs to move to the safe room? A plan that only one person knows is not a plan.