What if a Riot Comes Down My Street? , by T.S. in Ohio

A few weeks ago, I jumped on SurvivalBlog hoping to see discussions about the riots and good ideas being shared but I was very surprised with such a major disaster unfolding to see that there was barely a mention about the riots. (Sorry, I meant “mostly peaceful protests”!) But I was glad to see the discussion pick up a few days ago with the article titled: Is It Time to Worry? by Jim S. because I believe these riots and the groups behind them are the most “clear and present danger” that the citizens of America currently face. I believe that we preppers should be shifting our efforts in this direction. If you’re lucky enough to live on a 50-acre ranch in rural Idaho, then you may not be as concerned about a riot moving down your street, however the violent attempt to take away our freedom by these anarchists should be of serious concern to everyone. It just amazes me when I compare this “revolution” to the ones in other countries. Typically the people who are revolting because the government is not listening to the people and they want the right to vote, etc. Here we have a government elected by the people and instead of trying to persuade citizens to join their cause so they can win elections, these anarchists are trying to impose their will by force and intimidation. Basically, they are rioting to take away our right to vote because they believe they’re right and what the silent majority thinks doesn’t matter, end of discussion!

From my perspective, the major problem with these riots is that even though our police and military have the manpower and technology to quickly bring this to an end, many government leaders seem to be afraid to go against the rioters and they have hamstrung our fine police officers. The media is constantly censoring out all the stories and videos where violent rioters are beating people in the streets because it doesn’t fit the narrative that they’re trying to promote. People keep asking how the country has become so divided and I actually believe the agenda-driven media is one of the primary reasons. People on the right have been vilified by these media outlets and rightfully don’t trust them anymore. Meanwhile, the leftists are angry at conservatives because we don’t believe their “facts” anymore. This crisis of facts has made it impossible for the two sides to find any middle ground, but this is a discussion for another time.

If you haven’t seen these horrific beatings that I mentioned, for example: five guys with clubs circled around one guy in fetal position begging for mercy while they kick the #$% out of him, I encourage you to look them up online. Even though it will turn your stomach, we all need to see this, because it is worse than anything I’ve ever seen in America. You need to know how real this threat is in case it shows up at your doorstep, so you don’t make the mistake of walking outside thinking you’re going to have a “dialogue” with these ruthless criminals like many of the people in these videos did.

Some Key Considerations

I know preparing for riots is a massive subject, but in many ways, it is similar to other forms of prepping that are regularly discussed in detail in this blog. So I’m going to focus on things that perhaps you haven’t thought of. If one of these violent riots were to actually move down your street and you don’t have a chance to leave or if you choose to stay, here are some ideas that may be helpful.

  • You want your house to blend into the background as much as possible. Examples: avoid giant picture windows that rioters can’t resist throwing a brick through, fancy cars parked in the driveway, political yard signs that will cause them to target you.
  • Don’t give them free ammo! Many rioters are not carrying weapons with them, they’re picking up things as they go. Get rid of those river rocks in your flower bed that can be thrown through your windows! Same thing for yard statues, heavy flower pots, loose bricks, and anything that can be used as a projectile.
  • Reinforce your doors, install heavy strike plates, use 3” hinge screws, and add extra deadbolts or other locking devices, especially low on the door frame to prevent kick-ins.
  • Reinforce your windows, security film (this is a covering that holds the glass together in the event of breakage), there are also minimally invasive security screens that offer impressive protection from being struck with blunt objects, you could also add metal shutters for windows and doors that are particularly vulnerable.
  • Fire is a huge concern with rioters, they love to do the most destruction for the least amount of effort: arson. If you’re able to prevent them from breaching your home, then their most likely action will be to throw burning objects through your windows or onto your roof. If you have window films in place, this should severely restrict their ability to penetrate them with burning objects. As I learned in SurvivalBlog years ago, a metal roof is the best option for fire resistance. But note there are classifications of fire resistance for shingles as well, so some will resist better than others. If the riot is moving your way, get your hose ready. I actually thought of the idea of throwing a soaker hose up on the roof to keep it wet. Also, have plenty of strategically placed fire extinguishers ready to go.
  • Firearms: I know better than to start a debate with this audience about which firearms to use! I would just say I would have plenty of 30-round magazines and ammo on hand, and have a sling for your weapon because you may be holding it for a while. Also, have a sidearm holstered for backup.
  • Shooting position: You need a protected position to fire your weapon from defensively, with a good vantage point. Another topic that’s been discussed at length on this page is how inadequate the walls of modern homes are for ballistic protection. The short term solution I came up with is to purchase and fill some sandbags and store them in the garage. I can move them into position when needed. These can have double use in case of flooding.
  • You need to prepare yourself mentally for what action you’re going to take. It’s easy to joke with your prepper friends around the campfire that if there’s a group of domestic terrorists beating down your front door that you’re going to cut them down with your AR. And you may have to, but remember, even if the law is on your side, you will be castigated in the media, your picture be plastered all over CNN as a gun-toting racist, and you may have to go into hiding to avoid being attacked by these hate groups. Don’t think that the law will protect you right now. Now more than ever the decision to use lethal force should be made very soberly, and with understanding of the consequences that you will face even if you did everything by the book.
  • Less than lethal force: I have mixed feelings about this, it could just inflame the passions of the rioters But I think it’s worth considering. I have seen a good review on SurvivalBlog in the past for some near military-grade smoke grenades that are available to the public, which might help disperse a crowd. I think the sound cannons available to law enforcement and military would be a fantastic way to drive a crowd back, but I could not find any versions available to the public. A couple cans of bear spray would also be a handy item to have at your disposal.
  • Escape route: If you decide to defend your house, you need to have a way out if you get overrun and also a place that you can send vulnerable family members for safety before the shooting starts. For my situation, I have a shed along the wood line in the back yard that I think would work as long as you are not seen entering it. It’s not a good place to make a stand, but probably a good place to hide. I don’t think rioters would be too interested in stealing your mower, as I suspect most of them have never done any manual labor!
  • Prepare your house for looting. This may sound like “planning to fail” but I tend to think of it more as an insurance policy. Think about the critical things you need to protect, weapons, documents, photos, money. Conceal your safes, and prepare fireproof storage for papers and photos. I recently bought a couple of large fire-rated file safes, and I hid them inside a box on a shelf where they will not attract attention. It should help you sleep better at night knowing that if things go wrong and your house does get looted that your most important possessions are hidden and protected.
  • Fencing: I live in a community that does not permit fences in the front yard, so I have tried to create as much separation from the street as possible with trees and plantings such as thorny bushes and I’m also purchasing some large landscape rocks (make sure that they’re too heavy to be lifted by the rioters). I have no delusion that this will stop anyone, but it does conceal my house a little bit from the street and limit the number of points of entry onto my property. I also believe it’s a helpful mental barrier. I think that most of us can agree that rioters act with a mob mentality. This provides them with safety in numbers. If the mob is moving down the street, I believe many rioters would be hesitant to climb over some bushes out of view of the street where they are more isolated and less protected by the large group. If nothing else, it helps move the odds in your favor, where you can deal with a small number of people more effectively than a large group. This is even more true if they breach your fence and enter your backyard where they are really cut off from the mob.
Conclusion

I want to reiterate that this is not intended to be a comprehensive plan, I just wanted to share a few ideas that have crossed my mind. And specifically focus on the timeframe when the riot is moving down your street, not the aftermath. I encourage you to share your ideas in the comments or separate postings as well. I have learned a great deal from this site and if we all put our good ideas together we can greatly improve our chances.

Let’s hope that most of us have chosen our locations wisely so that our house will never be in the path of an angry mob, but it is prudent to make at least some minor preparations should we ever face the unexpected.




71 Comments

  1. none of this will work. once they are in your neighborhood you are finished. this is what we are seeing. they only remedy is to keep them away or move far from where these people may strike.

  2. It was common during the riots in the late 1960s, to observe armed citizens protecting their businesses. Rioters avoided those places.
    Today, armed citizens are promptly disarmed or arrested if they act in the same manner.
    In those democrat controlled nanny states, the marxists have already won.

    1. In some states–like Idaho, Montana, Kentucky, and others–armed citizens have successfully protected property against these rioters. And yes, it helps if the Sheriff is in on the deal.

  3. The Three Stages of America’s Collapse
    (YouTube Video, 18:01)
    TheModernSurvivalist
    Jul 23, 2020
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1fhK7NY_rM

    1) Indoctrination / Infiltration

    2) Revolution / Agitation

    3) Final Domination / Power through democratic election / overthrow ruling government

    Pandemic – Never let a crisis go to waste, Canadian Gun Ban…

    They do not relinquish power… No voting them out…

    1. History is our best guild. The Modern Survivalist has lived through something similar, what was a collapse of society in Argentina, sans racial strife. What happened there is well documented. I expect that what will happen in this country will be much worse. As Will Rogers once advised in so many words, don’t pee on the electric fence.’ Learn from the experience of others.

  4. TS – thanks for bringing this up. Many good ideas. I think one of the most crucial is finding like minded people in your neighborhood and making plans with them. Who is going to have your back?

    Dave in SW Ohio

    1. Yep, Dave.

      I just posted something to that effect on the Economics and Investing section. Long story, short…invest in loyalty and trust. Those who live within walking distance. Count on them, some of them anyway, to impede the progress of invaders.

      Carry on in grace

  5. U.S. Law Shield just put out a video for my state explaining Castle Doctrine etc. Most readers here understand fully what NEEDS to be done which won’t jive with what is LEGAL to do.
    As for myself I’ve prepared for complete SHTF when in fact I missed the mark and am in the slow boil. I’m making adjustments and am fortunate to live in a place where this nonsense isn’t tolerated(for now).
    As far as Law Enforcement it’s done, toast a complete mess. I’ve got 9 mths left and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it. I’ve no idea where the pendulum is pointing nor which direction it’s swinging. All I can do is do what I know is the true job and let the chips fall where they may because right and legal ain’t always the same. Again I live in a good place but the disease of lib mentality runs deep in all professions.

    1. I never thought we’d see these “peaceful protests” in our town; a fat spot on a map dot, yet there they were, defacing property, smashing windows, and looting stores… Funny; the cell phone stores are always the first to fall; them and anyone who sells Nike… Next day, another “spontaneous peaceful protest” was planned. The “protesters’ were met by business owners sitting in lawn chairs in front of their businesses, shotguns laying across their laps. There was no further destruction, and no further “peaceful protests. Funny how that happens.

      For the record, I stated this fact on a company chat room. I was LAMBASTED for “stating an opinion,” and told to basically shut up. Of course, nothing was said when the department manager virtue-signaled by directing us to a website that listed “75 things white people can do to fight racial injustice.” Hint; it started of with “reparations…” That’s the workplace atmosphere now; chose one; your job, or your freedom of speech… Indeed, this Fascist censorship is more dangerous than any Molotov cocktail…

  6. Another thing to remember is that you will be on camera when this goes down. The revolution will not only be televisied, it will also be live streamed. from the clips i’ve seen from Portland, there are 3+ people recording with their phones for every person actively engaging in rioting.

    almost want a helmet mounted GoPro to show my side of the story.

    1. The helmet mounted Go-Pro is a good idea. Also, if you Google or Amazon search: “Picatinny Gun Rail Mount Adapter” where you can mount either a small video camera or Go-Pro right to your gun. One low cost idea…Do you have an old Android or iPhone stuck in a drawer? You’ve upgraded, but the old phone still has a video camera that works. Charge it up, delete as many apps as you can to free up space. Cover the back of the phone with velcro. Stick it on your tach vest. Start recording when things start hitting the fan. Your own bodycam. The video may not be great, but you will be recording. You will have the audio. After action you will have a record. Perhaps as a test, fully charge the camera, start recording and point it at your nightstand clock. Come back a couple of hours later, review the video and see how long the recording lasted until the battery and-or “disk” space ran out so you know your camera limit.

      1. An older go pro is super cheap, and you can easily replace the battery and get new life from it.

        Even a 5+ year old go pro is at least HD quality. That 5″ cell phone’s form factor is bulky and reflective.

    2. In my humble opinion, we should not be planning how we will video document how things go down as we repel boarders for use in court later.
      We should be planning on moving to our first fallback position outside of the urban area before things reach that point, and making sure everything important is moved.
      Let insurance take care of the structure and the furniture, if the worst comes to pass. You can’t defend your family further from a jail cell, or the morgue.

      1. Chris-I disagree. Video helps the righteous defend their actions far more often than it hurts them and Marcos idea is cheap insurance and takes about 5 minutes to implement. Not that we shouldn’t plan for your idea, but why not record your retreat for those same insurance purposes and to record any action you’re required to take as a result?

        1. I’m not at all clear how video taping you defending your property is a good thing.

          Video evidence goes both ways. Look at the couple from STL. There is video evidence of them applying the MO castle doctrine, and the radical leftist circuit attorney is still rolling their lives over the coals. Two weeks ago, they were donating leftist benefactors. Now, they are arch conservatives who threatened peaceful protesters lives. No video = no crime in their case.

  7. Good Luck, Stay safe. I decided to “get out” in 2013, and moved to the country on 60 acres for this very reason. Did off grid solar, dropped 4 deep wells for irrigation of gardens & got into small critters. Every day is a learning experience, but what a blessing. If you can swing it, GET OUT NOW!

    JWR has been saying for years, and it is past time. I sure hope everyone that can survive the rough future, and will emerge on the other side to help build a true “Capitalist” “Libertarian” society that we will be proud to call “USA”, or just “America”.

    1. Here here!
      Vote with your feet FINALLY hit home for me in 2014, moved to TN in 2015.
      Barely got out alive…

      Good and timely article. Have these thoughts and decisions now while its peaceful rather than in-the-moment. Case in point is the McCloskeys in St. Louis (Ken and Karen with guns?). They likely weren’t mentally prepared for an angry mob entering their (private gated) community. They had guns, and made the decision to discourage the mob openly with them. Now they are dealing with the consequences. As the author states, it might have been better to be less conspicuous? Perhaps holding that AR at the ready behind the front door, would have avoided the whole situation? Maybe,maybe not; point being be mentally prepared for what circumstances may throw at you.

  8. Those “peaceful”protestors (rioters and looter types) are not the enemy. They are only the pawns doing the work of our enemy. The real enemy never shows their face. Only in provoking us to fight their pawns will our enemy know who their enemy is.
    Having a close knit circle of family and like-minded friends is key to surviving this ~ as well as NOT living in the city.

    1. CORD7…YES.

      They are only the pawns doing the work of our enemy. The real enemy never shows their face. Only in provoking us to fight their pawns will our enemy know who their enemy is.

      Now, be aware that there are those in uniform who will destroy our lives. Remember Waco, Malheur, Ruby Ridge.

      Those in uniform, who go rogue, are also pawns.

      Your key phrase is “close-knit”.

      Carry on in grace

  9. Although I live in a really safe area, for now, I have view windows on half the downstairs. They provide tremendous value during the winters here, bringing in solar warmth when it’s 0 degrees outside. I would be interested in the safety/security film? Does anyone know where something like that could be obtained? I realize it’s only a small deterrent to keep the glass from shattering everywhere. The other option was to purchase thick sheets of plywood cut to the size of the windows for boarding up, if one had time and money to do that (and pre-warning). Thoughts?

    1. The problem with protective film is that the glass stays in large chunks and that presents a whole other set of problems. Plywood is your best bet, it doesn’t have to be that thick and depending on your location you should have some warning.

    2. Motorized rolling shutters. It provides security, insulation in winter and can be fabricated to fit any sized window. I’ve had them for almost 20 years and am very happy with them. The ones I have are 2 inch, insulated aluminum slats which are operated by a motor and can be programmed with a timer. They come in different colors as well.

  10. We all saw what happens when you even suggest protecting your digs from these heathens.
    The cops come, apologize for what they are about to do ( you know, Because they are just doing their job. ) serve you a warrant and take your guns. I think we all know whats needed, and I dont mean deeper holes to hide in.

    The thing I cant figure out is why do cops take an oath to protect and serve and uphold the law, then take orders from an elected official to stand down and allow the carnage and destruction to commence.
    Why do city cops follow their mayor off the cliff. Why don’t they arrest the mayors for inciting a riot… Current events surly don’t look good for the rioters, but they look even worse for cops when they allow politics to take the place of simple law and order.

    1. I was once told by a state trooper that it is true they take an oath to protect and serve, however, it’s the STATE they protect and serve. It looks nice in reflective letters on a cruiser, and most cops are definitely built to do the right thing, but in reality, they are agents of the state.

  11. TS> I’m also purchasing some large landscape rocks (make sure that they’re too heavy to be lifted by the rioters)

    If those rocks are at least 6 inches or more tall, it might just keep the rioters from driving vehicles into your yard. Or at least they’ll get hung up on the rocks with their low-riding vehicles. Lots of good advice in the article and in the comments so far. Hope to see more.

    1. A line of boulders spaced just a few feet apart helps, if you can get them in your area.

      In my town, a house and a convenience store were rammed by careless/drunk drivers. Different years, same street. With the house, the driver rammed the side porch! Maybe thirty feet from the street.

      Make sure a car can’t fit between the boulders.

  12. The article and all comments are excellent and correct.

    As these anarchists take over cities the natural progression will be to move to the suburbs and then to the countryside. Initially, it is possible that the suburbs may be safer than the countryside as protective neighborhood groups will be quickly formed. Living in an isolated place does buy time that should be used to set up a mutual protection network if they don’t currently exist. It would be difficult to defend a place alone.

    In all cases this will be ugly and my hope is that Trump is reelected and implements a plan that will clean up the mess. But don’t count on that.

    Ultimately, these young anarchists will have to face some real jeopardy and their faceless leaders rooted out and destroyed. We owe it to our country, ourselves, our families and the patriots who lost their lives and health fighting for our concept of freedom.

    I trust that if Trump is reelected he will implement a plan.

    Make no mistake, these are communist produced henchmen are the work of Satan

  13. Reply to a neighbor asking why you are digging those deep trenches in the back yard: Golly gee Bob, I am working on an organic composting method that would help prevent odors going to the neighbors. Tee hee hee.

  14. Overwhelming force is the only thing that stops rioter/communists. the problem is that they have govt endorsement for the most part. You start turning heads into canoes in the wrong state or city, the “law” will snatch you up. Not in my AO, but in many others. If enough neighbors come together and are fairly unified, that threat diminishes. Lets face reality. To protect you and yours in certain municipalities, you will need to create an area where the enforcers of the municipality are not welcome. Local nullification.
    Not going to happen in too many areas. This is going to be nationwide in a few months. Then the real fun begins. Bosnia x Rwanda on crack.

  15. Consider the Thin Blue Line demonstration in Denver a few days ago. Law abiding citizens showed up to demonstrate their support for their police. Ample police, dressed for riot control, showed up as well. But alas, when Antifa soldiers showed up, police allowed Antifa to beat their own supporters mercilessly to the ground and did not lift a finger to help them. I didn’t see any sheriff’s deputies helping the pro-police folk, either.
    This event moved police into my enemy column, or at least agencies I’ve observed obeying Leftist mayors and police chief have made prostitutes of these officers. They took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to protect life and property. They have the authority to enforce the law independent of what the mayor’s politics are- yet they slavishly allow felonies against the citizenry to occur right in front of them because their bosses bribe them (paycheck and pension) to do so.
    Prostitutes. Enablers. Many labels fit here.
    Police had better figure out which side they are on and it had better not be the side that pays them to allow criminal violence (see definition of prostitute) in any form. Police now appear to be private armies that serve the interests of their paymasters. Maybe this is why so many officers are leaving the profession in droves. Indeed, it’s why so many brighter citizens are leaving Dem cities as well.
    Salt Lake City has a super gun store downtown. Employees inform me that rioters approached from the west, marching down the street starting fires, smashing windows, chanting their garbage. As the mob got within about 75 meters of their store, the crowd got quiet, vandalism ceased, and they politely moved past in orderly fashion. They resumed their criminal behaviors when they got some distance beyond the store.
    Seems to me that if police can’t protect the citizenry, they also can’t protect the criminals. Once felonies such as arson, aggravated assault, attempted murder are likely, it’s your call. Follow the criminal code of your state. What? Haven’t read it? Get a copy and get busy.
    I’m lucky enough to train regularly with some retired military and LE folk, as well as a few other fine citizens. We’re not militia. A phone call can bring friends i can count on to my door should a lawless mob begin forming up, as unlikely as this scenario is. I don’t live in a Leftist haven.
    I/we may or may not save the urban property (we have rural backup), but whoever destroys it will pay a dear price. Call this a hint to my police. Do your job to avoid overwhelming the health care system and ME’s office.
    Some commenters have rightly pointed out that whites are slow to get off the couch. However, when they do, continents burn. We were slow to anger in the 1930s. But one incident in the Pacific ocean changed apathy to righteous anger and the perpetrators burned in hell.
    Be the wrong driver. Go armed, everywhere. You can’t predict which street you travel on may develop into a swarm of violent rioters. If you must fight for your life, be an overachiever.
    My thanks to T.S. for bringing this topic to the fore. I like many of his suggestions, especially the window film. Along the same line, Lowe’s sells a fantastic security storm door that strongly resists impact insult. Robust locking lugs that extend into the door frame. It’s by far stronger than 99% of the front doors installed on houses. It also provides a secure barrier between the homeowner and whoever is outside when answering the door. It is not a ballistic door, but a thug with a crowbar cannot smash through it.
    I might add that in the end, your house may not be saved because if your neighbor’s house goes up, yours will, too unless there is sufficient space between.
    Being from St. Louis many years ago, I can assure everyone that the charges against the homeowners for defending their property will go nowhere. It’s political grandstanding by their Marxist prosecutor. It will be interesting to see if Ms Gardner still has a job after November.
    Stay busy.

    1. See SCOTUS cases DeShaney vs. Winnebago and Town of Castle Rock vs. Gonzales. You’ll find that under the constitution, police do not have any duty to protect the lives of citizens unless that citizen is in state custody. I don’t blame cops for doing their jobs. The elected officials and their corporate sponsors are clearly who deserves blame for instigating the violent lawlessness.

    2. From a post above:
      “…it’s the STATE they protect and serve.” This is the beginning, and the end, of everything we need to know about law enforcement. Many officers are fine individuals, upstanding citizens, but the police forces take orders from above, which means they are ultimately controlled by politicians.
      Don’t ever be counting on them to help you.

    3. “It’s political grandstanding by their Marxist prosecutor. It will be interesting to see if Ms Gardner still has a job after November.”

      She may not last until the end of the month. Her office was caught altering the pistol Mrs. McCloskey was holding. She was actually foolish. Her firearm had been rendered inoperable, and she knew it. The prosecutors office had the gun taken apart and reassembled into a working firearm. In other words, the prosecutor’s office is guilty of tampering with the evidence against the McCloskey’s. Hopefully there will be forthcoming criminal charges, Federal charges, against this immoral prosecutor (persecutor).

      The Missouri governor has already stated there will be pardons forthcoming for the McCloskey’s should the prosecution continue. Frankly, were I the governor of Missouri, I’d arrest the prosecutor and charge her with malicious prosecution and tampering with the evidence. Put this evil creature in jail, now!

      Rather than call her a creature, I had another word in mind, to describe this prosecutor, more closely related to a female dog. However, I chose not be unkind.

      1. Charles is quite right, Ms Gardner is on very thin ice. Prosecutorial misconduct is a likely charge for her. Someone educate me…does a pardon undo a conviction? Would the McCloskey couple remain convicted felons if they are pardoned by the guv?
        As an affiliate instructor for a vetted firearms school, I am well acquainted with the non-requirement of police to respond to a call for assistance, but I never expected them to ignore blatant, violent felonies committed right in front of them.
        My mentor instructor has reminded me that Denver, and indeed all major Dem-run cities are sewers and that police will not be protecting anyone at least until after the election. We are all on our own. Until then and likely in the future, police are basically revenuers for the agencies they work for. I remain amazed at how many people get caught unawares by these mobs and still have no provisions for their own defense.

        Seems to me that race relations during the W years seemed to be pretty good. When 9/11 happened, there was no looting, rioting, or mischief. Same thing after the northeast power outage that left NYC dark. People of all races helped each other and did not contribute to the problem.
        Enter the Community Organizer In Chief. He had 8 years to pitch divisiveness and discontent and what we see now is the fruit of his labor. Baltimore (the Freddie Grey Riots) in Baltimore was probably the first time I saw the “let them have a space in which to riot” concept. Too bad for the business owners in the burned out area. The mayor has designated your business operation as the headquarters of social justice violence. Ferguson, MO was a redo of Baltimore. Note that not a single window was broken at city hall while the dreams of many hard working blacks were wiped out by thugs.
        Thanks for the update on the prosecutor’s office. I was not aware that they were caught tampering with evidence. This is wonderful news….if anyone in state or federal office care to do their jobs.
        Stopped by a nice gun shop today to fit out my 14 inch shotgun for a sling. The place was packed….and it warmed my heart. i find the handy TAC 14 quite maneuverable in the Lincoln or pickup cab. Hint: Managed recoil buckshot is your friend in this little package, and so is friction tape on the rear grip. The goons ripping open my door will not notice the missing 150 ft per second of buckshot velocity.
        In The Pacific, a miniseries about Sergeant Basilone and the Pacific war, there is a scene where a Marine unit had just finished cutting down a large number of Japanese Imperial Marines during a Banzai charge. Their rifles and machine guns were still smoking when they broke out K rats for lunch. A young Marine asked Basilone if he believed in God. After some thought, the sergeant said, “I believe in ammunition”. The sergeant no doubt had his feelings about God close to his chest, but I think he answered the question in the context of their surroundings.

      1. JW
        The door is manufactured by Larson, and here is a link.
        https://www.lowes.com/pd/LARSON-Secure-Elegance-White-Full-View-Aluminum-Storm-Door-Common-36-in-81-in-Actual-35-75-in-x-79-75-in/999956446
        Home Depot does not carry this door. Lowe’s will have a contractor evaluate your house door and frame to make sure they can install it. My installer did a fine job and I think the install ran about $125.00.
        I finally bought the door after a man shoved a pamphlet in my face as I opened my door and pushed me back inside my threshold. He saw my Glock clear leather as I screamed at him to get back and he tripped over the threshold as he backed out falling to the ground. He got up and ran off. I could have legally drilled him, but as he was backing up at “All Back Full!”, shooting didn’t appear necessary. I don’t think he’s coming back. But who needs all of this drama? The Larson door will give me enough time to strip, clean, lube a rifle, load it, and maybe have a sandwich before having to deal with a forced entry. The door will add a huge layer of security for your family.
        In any event, do not answer your door unprepared.

        1. Oh, my gosh. I love your story and comments. I’m smiling and laughing and laughing. Sorry, I’m sure it wasn’t funny for you, but I have to say,

          “you da’ man!”

          Then, you said; “But who needs all of this drama?”

          Me: Bahahahaha

          Then the whole, clean the rifle and have a sandwich before dealing with forced entry, had me dying of laughter again.

          May the Lord bless you in abundance, keep you and your family safe, and give you wisdom. Krissy

          1. Krissy,
            Thanks for your kind note. I’ve always been a stickler for being armed when I answer the door. Maybe it’s growing up in St. Louis. When i worked nights (making missiles), I’d be in the shower when the UPS guy showed up fairly often. So I’d grab a towel and a Glock, and then a church magazine off the table to hold over the pistol with my thumb. Not to worry, I never read the magazines, but they hid the pistol well enough. Dripping wet, I’d set the pistol aside when I concluded it really was the UPS guy. It just happened to work out that I was all dressed up with nowhere to go when this clown stopped by. Could be the same idiot that barged into my 85 year old parent’s house 8 miles away a year earlier, or some outfit just has aggressive sales tactics. Took BOTH my aging parents to push the babbling garboon out the front door. I don’t even remember what he was selling.
            Don’t laugh, but you/we spend over a year of our lives in the shower. Most burglaries happen in the mornings, when most are at work. Or, when I’m in the shower. I never got near the upstairs bath until the girls were through and gone to school or work. How would it work out if Goofy broke in and walked into my bedroom and found my two Glocks on the night stand? So I bought this Glock model 27, the “Baby Glock”, from a friend who was off-loading it. Not a favorite for carry, but in the bathroom it would be better than a bar of soap. [my favorite instructor knows a police chief who shot a burglar climbing into his bedroom window while buck naked. The day shift got to learn a lot more about their chief than they ever wanted to know] Put it in a freezer bag and it lives behind the shampoo on a high shelf behind the shower head. I have to stand on my tippy toes to reach it so my grandson can’t get it. I have 14 Glock pistols. Mind you I have four daughters and the wife, and they all train. Most carry. What about spares? Theft? Fire? Seizures during oh, I don’t know, the nitwittery going on right now? Police seized a gun? No PROBLEM! I just pull another one just like it out of my…..hiding place. Better to lose A gun, than THE gun.
            And for the record, I can strip and service an AR-15 in about five minutes, so maybe Goofy will get tired of beating on the door and go away. Maybe he WON’T go away. Either way, I am not depending on anyone else for our safety. The girls are very dangerous in their own right, and I can “leave the building” knowing they can take care of themselves.
            Get the door. And be the “wrong woman” if Goofy comes your way.

            Be safe.

            Paul

  16. Words are important.

    Instead of ‘demonstrators’ or ‘protesters’ or ‘rioters’ or ‘looters’, we use the word ‘terrorists’ to describe them.

    They are terrorists, their intent is destruction.
    The destruction they are laboring toward will transform our Western Cultures and European Cultures into something resembling the ‘short brutal’ hand-to-mouth existence of a millennia ago… at least, for the few survivors.

    Say goodbye to electricity.
    Say goodbye to medicine.
    Say goodbye to suffrage for women… because females return to the status of ‘property’.
    Say goodbye to jurors and the concept of a trial under written/rational laws.

    The result will not be hippies peacefully farming hydroponic gardens with vegentarianist muffins in the oven.
    Everything you own is anything you can hold in your hands as you run to escape the cannibal slavers surrounding you… every moment of every day and night, 24/7/365 around-the-clock, until you die from starvation and bad water and weather and infection.
    In the extremely unlikely event you survive until your reproductive age of thirteen-years old, ninety-nine percent of your offspring will perish prior to birth, during birth, or immediately after.

    The terrorists destroying Western and European Cultures are identical to alQueda and ISIS.

    Much is written about the Soros and Rothschild (‘Red Shield’) bankers, and the inoculations proposed by Microsoft owner Gates.
    If today’s terrorists are allowed to continue their free hand, I think a few years ‘distancing’ will prove them to be mere minor irritations compared to the heavy-weight players pulling the strings behind the curtains.

    Terrorists.
    Words are important.

  17. Lots of good advice, but the best advice….leave now. A friend who has been flipping property in mostly Idaho, says his full price offers are now opening bids. Bidding wars have begun. He has so far seen up to 5 bidders on one property. He is been priced out as he believes the risk is not worth the potential margin he needs. Of course he is highly selective as this is a business, but those looking for a safe haven are not looking for a profit. Those who wait, or are fussy about what they buy, will be priced out very soon.

    There is simply very few justifiable reasons for staying in the big city. Old age and financial limitations must be on the extreme end. Making the jump is not easy, but it is easier than defending the lives of loved ones and the essential supplies they’ll need for years to come. And it is not simply angry mobs, but the liberals in control who will easily be flipped by the commies, that will one day soon systematically go from door to door flushing out subversive traditional Americans.

    History is our best guild. This is what they do.

  18. From my perspective, the major problem with these riots is we’ve allowed the wrong people to be elected and set up a bureaucracy for the past couple decades and now the chickens are coming home to roost.

  19. Good article that brings up some valid points. I believe, in my simple mind, the issue boils down to this:
    When the lawless make the laws – Houston – we have a problem!
    Solutions do not have to be hard. Hard to implement in our so called modern society, perhaps. Freedom is not for the faint of heart. Harden your heart!
    Kill enough of em and they’ll quit doing it. They’ll either figure out the cost of their illegal activities is simply not worth the effort, or they’ll run out of bodies. Either way – Problem solved – Rule of law, Liberty, and Freedom restored.
    Happened in 1776 and many times previously, will undoubtedly happen again.

  20. Every business in the Portland area is exploring moving their business. Many won’t, it’s not easy to do. Many will, because they finally understand that is the only way they can survive. Between riots and lockdown/masks,etc. many businesses have either gone bankrupt or will go bankrupt. I lived in Portland before they changed the name of Union Blvd to MLK blvd. I have walked many of the streets in what is now the bad part of town. Back then they were full of beautiful but somewhat uncared for craftsman homes. Today they are in even worse shape as the city changed. Even back then you walked in those areas only during the day, today daylight won’t assure your safety. What we are watching on TV with these race riots is the Detroitization of Portland. It will divide itself into two cities; those areas where it is still safe to walk or live and those areas where it is not and will get worse every day.

    1. My husband and I also remember Portland from a time when it was a beautiful and thriving city. Your description of what is happening as the “Detroitization of Portland” is both heartbreaking and true. There is no possibility we would ever return.

      We are also concerned that the PNW may become something of a keyhole access for an invasion by the CCP which may be supplying various and sundry armaments (and including modifiers) to agitators and anarchists. These have also been seized by federal authorities in other parts of the country as well. It’s a terrifying thought really.

  21. Urban combat is extremely chaotic along with being a fluid battle space
    My take you bring the fight to the rioters
    10 men Divided into two groups one group armed with short range weapons 12 gauge shotguns with buck shot along second group as over watch with long rifles 30-06 deer rifles will control the battle space
    the short range weapon squad is based on mobility with hitting power
    people follow patterns let them come down the road/street shoot the first ones with deer rifles as they do a 180 open up on the flanks with shotguns
    Leave the dead with the wounded on the ground they are still a viable threat do not break cover deal with them with the deer rifles
    Remember no one is coming to save your hide better gird your lions for combat

  22. Aim small, miss small … what are called “rioters” and “protesters” are just thugs and a large number of dumbness asking for trouble. Once they cross my property line they are targets . Bu then I live in an area where I’ve seen and photographed moose, grizzly bears and other assorted critters in my yard so I think if I drop one of those bozos the bears may eat them and that would be a game law violation … I think?
    Bring it on bozo’s …

  23. Stop the threat before it gets to your house. Our little subdivision entrance in the country is located between 2 steep hills. Our group (redneck neighbors that all carry) will barricade and guard the entrance from cover. Already discussed.
    It may not come to our area for a long time, if ever. but we have a plan. Make a plan with neighbors. More people are expecting this is going to happen with the latest craziness. Neighbors are more willing to talk now about this scenario now. Talk to people. Many don’t think that preppers are so crazy anymore.

  24. “…I actually believe the agenda-driven media is one of the primary reasons.”

    As someone who spent the last decade plus working in the broadcast industry, I agree that this is absolutely true.

  25. TS in Ohio… It’s good that you are thinking through scenarios, and thank you for sharing your thoughts with all of us. The conversation that followed was excellent too. For as much time as we have, we should all continue to prepare in earnest, and security is a critical part of our preparedness planning.

  26. Less lethal ammo? What ever happened to rock salt in ye ole shotgun? Think one would be arrested for using it to drive off the marauding hoards?

    1. Short answer… YUP!….Up is down, and left is right. its getting so a guy cant even drive off a few hundred rioters from his property anymore without getting charged…

  27. A few weeks ago, I got to live this. During the initial riots in Seattle, the anarchists fanned out into the suburbs. One of their targets was a large shopping area 1 block from my daughter’s house. I live miles away, but grabbed what I could to protect her and her home. As it went down, there were protesters, armed citizens protecting businesses, overworked police from far and wide, shots fired, general chaos. No damage to me or mine. No shots fired by me, thank God.
    Lessons learned: 1. POLICE SCANNER needed – we had one and were able to know what and where the action was. 2. If this might happen again, have a ready-to-go bag or kit of what may be needed to defend a position away from home. This may include weapons, spare ammo, binoculars, high-energy food, etc. 3. pre-scout anyplace you may likely need to do this for field of view, vantage points, probable lanes of approach by anarchists, then chose what weapons and equipment will be most effective for the area you will protect. 4. Many areas are organizing armed citizen groups to react to these situations- if you are so inclined, join one. 5. Scout alternate driving routes to and from trouble areas so you are not blocked in or out by events or police.

    1. Sam on left coast, Eee gads. What a story. So thankful you and yours are safe, and the house too. I am an hour-ish south of Seattle/Bellevue. If you need help in the future, just email JWR to get my email address to email me & I’ll get it on my phone. (I give JWR permission per this comment.) No military experience on my part, but I do well in emergency situations, especially if it’s protecting someone, and I am dependable. If they can intimidate with numbers, so can we. Thanks for sharing learned advice, Krissy

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