It's Time to Revisit Your Home Defense Plan

by
posted on April 3, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
sheriff-jim-5-28-15.jpg (10)

Most folks have been stuck at home long enough that they are getting pretty bored. I mean, you can only watch so much of the doom & gloom on the news channels. It’s about time that you did something productive. And I can think of nothing more productive than getting the family together and re-visiting and revising that home defense plan.

Just to review—it’s a good idea for the family to discuss home invasions and other criminal attacks with the idea of developing a family response to them. Dig out your collection of Shooting Illustrated magazines and refer to the Armed Citizen column for ideas. Everyone in the family should have a job to do and they should also know what jobs the rest of the family will be tending to. You will find that in going over previous plans you can revise, modify, and improve on them.

An important part of this project would be to have a refresher course in gun safety. Again, all of the family should be involved.  And, let’s be realistic, even those of us who have spent a lifetime around guns need to be occasionally reminded of the basic safety rules.

But, home defense is not just about guns and bad guys. It is also about dealing with the natural disasters that might befall us.  Tornadoes, earthquakes, and house fires, are just some of the tragedies that we need to have a plan for dealing with. And, again, everyone in the family can have a role in the planning.

You also, by now, may have a much better idea of what supplies need to be stocked in order to deal with emergencies. It might even be time to start making a list of those supplies and stocking up on them. Man cannot live by toilet paper alone, you know.

Finally, this time at home is a good time to make sure that the residence is more secure. Now you have time to install those better locks that you been intending to get. Also, in just the past couple of years, so-called doorbell cameras have come on the market and can be a great asset to determining who is outside and what their business is without having to open a door.

In short, we can spend this time feeling sorry for ourselves or we can get busy and find ways to make our family and home more secure. Staying busy makes the time go faster. And a safe, happy family is a good thing.

Latest

 .458 SOCOM
 .458 SOCOM

Ammo: .458 SOCOM

It’s a bigger, badder version of Jeff Cooper’s “Thumper.”

First Look: TAG Precision Optic Plate for Kimber Pistols

Fans of the Kimber 2K11 have a new option for optics-mounting plates.

Shotguns: Cleaning Tips for Your Shotgun

Yes, even shotguns need cleaning. Here’s a quick primer on how to do it properly.

First Look: Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Lever-Action Rifle in 360 Buckhammer

Smith & Wesson's popular lever-action rifle now has another straight-walled cartridge option.

Handguns: Carry Rotation Downside

Back when I first got into the gun business in the mid-1990s, my gun-handling and shooting skills were, to put it charitably, extremely—well, let’s go with “mediocre.”

First Look: Crossbreed Lightguard Holster

Crossbreed has released a holster for pistols with attached weaponlights.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Illustrated delivered to your inbox.