From Jim Shepherd
There’s a big disconnect between having a home defense gun and having a home defense gun that’s stored safely, but still quickly accessible in an emergency. The inconvenient problem with things that go bump in the night is that most of the time they don’t go bump in the night; they go bump in the wee small hours of the morning. Those hours when most of us are sleeping our soundest.
Predators, including the two-legged variety, know hunting’s easiest when the quarry’s least alert. Cheetahs and criminals aren’t looking for long runs; they’re hoping for quick hits followed by stealthy exits.
There are criminals that will commit crimes in broad daylight, but they’ve usually done enough rudimentary scouting to know that if/when they come a’knocking, no one will be home to answer the door. And the kind of criminal I’m talking about isn’t the garden variety crazy; it’s the professional thief.
Having a gun introduces a second problem: responsibility for your family’s safety and keeping your family safe while having a weapon close enough at hand you can properly greet those who bump in the night.
In the years since a Miami home invasion, I’ve used more than a couple of solutions I thought would let me protect my home from uninvited visitors while protecting the residents of my home from the gun I would use to protect them.
Early on in that process, I waited until everyone else went to bed, then put my revolver within easy reach of my bed. That ended the morning my youngest daughter woke me up trying to tug open the drawer of my night stand where the gun was “close at hand.”
At that point, my “last-in” scenario meant I would have to be “first-out” every morning.
Not always likely. My TV schedule often meant I was last one home, but the next morning I was definitely not the first one out.
So back to the proverbial drawing board. I have a biometric safe. Fine for a small handgun. But it’s not 100% foolproof when fumbling around in the dark. Honestly, nothing is 100% foolproof -and the chances of a fool operating it successfully increases exponentially if/when you add darkness and sleep to the process.
Which brings me to the next option -a “smarter gun” for home defense. No, not a smart gun- a smarter gun.
No biometrics. No electronics -unless you choose to add a light or optic.
Most importantly, there’s just no way someone can pick it up and use it against you unless they have disarmed you. If that happens, nothing’s going to help- unless you sleep in body armor.
I’m talking about the Pivot “ultracompact folding rifle” from Trailblazer Arms.
Josh Honeycutt showed good form and accuracy the day I first saw the PIVOT. Since getting my hands on a T&E unit, I’m more convinced the unique features give it plenty of practical applications. OWDN Photo. Read more
