The best time to fight back and prevail against a criminal assault: immediately. Before the bad guys have you cornered or restrained. If you can’t fight back against a violent attack immediately, escaping and fighting back may be the next best thing. Washington State was home to two home invasions recently. The first, in Tacoma, involved medical marijuana. The second,  in Lakewood, involved fighting back after escape. From q13fox.com . . .

At some point during the robbery, the suspects stepped outside and the husband was able to free himself and untie his wife, police said. They shut the door and locked the suspects out before running into a back bedroom.

However, the suspects forced themselves back into the house, police said, and ran to the bedroom. 

The husband, who had since armed himself with a handgun he kept in his room, fired two shots as the suspects barged through the door. Police said evidence from the scene suggests one of the suspects was hit by gunfire, and the suspects fled.

 

One of the three suspects had fired at the husband, 62 year old Harry Lodhollm.  Mr. Lodhollm required about a dozen stitches for his head wound from the pistol whipping.  The body of a 20-year-old black man was found a short time later, 20 miles  away. Police determined that a fake 911 call was made to alert them to the location where the dead invader was dropped.

It’s a good thing that Harry did not have to unlock a safe or undo a trigger lock before he could fire his weapon. Decisive action was necessary. A firearm equalized multiple assailants, multiple weapons and age differentials. Too bad Harry didn’t have it with him when he answered the door.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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24 COMMENTS

  1. Home carry.
    Haven’t had my pistol long. But I have gotten used to having it holstered at home. I’m getting used to the weight of it and carrying it in general.
    When one reads the home invasion stories, I cant help but think “will I have enough time to go to the bedroom to get it if I suddenly need it.
    Will my neighbor freak if I am strapped while mowing the lawn? In my state? No.
    Better to ready and never need it than the alternative.

  2. This is a question directed at Robert as he has been more than outspoken for reasons he carries a 1911 but really anyone who takes it upon themselves to carry a fullsize 1911. What holster would you recommend for all around but more specifically home carry of a fullsize 1911? I was thinking about getting a pocket gun for CC but given that Texas appears poised to go OC I will just buy a new holster and call it good. I currently have a Wild Bill’s Fusion paddle but would like something a little more discrete for times when I take out the trash and when the kids are still awake. Retention might be nice too. I don’t really care about scaring my neighbors, more I just don’t like advertising that I have guns in the house to anyone. Is IWB really feasible?

    • Tex,

      I don’t see any trouble at all carrying a full size 1911 with an inside-the-waistband holster. The five inch barrel simply extends a little bit longer down your hip or wherever it rides. Just make sure you have a really nice, sturdy, thick, strong belt designed to carry handguns. Your choice of belt makes all the difference in the world.

      I am sorry to say that I don’t have any suggestions on a holster for a full size 1911.

      Note: for home/open carry I like the 10 round extended magazines for 1911s … with a spare 10 round magazine on your belt if your attire permits. There is something to be said for having 20 rounds of .45 ACP 230 grain goodness on your side.

      • “I am sorry to say that I don’t have any suggestions on a holster for a full size 1911.”

        Your hands make an excellent holster at home.

    • If you’re on your property, why worry about what the neighbors will think? Anyway, I use a K Rounds Kydex holster outside-the-waistband. A slightly large T-shirt covers it without any problem. Wearing a T-shirt underneath helps with extraction FWIW.

      • Yeah like I said above I don’t really care about what they think or of it scares them, more the fact that I live in a fairly liberal part of Austin if yard signs are to be believed and don’t really care to advertise what I have inside my house. I try and keep a low profile as I’ve been robbed before, not at home, dbags jimmied the door on my truck and got a rifle that I had had since I was 12 it was hidden so it was either a lucky guess or something about me or where I was said I had guns.

        • Tex, I agree with not advertising, even in an open carry state like Ks, I conceal carry. In my opinion if you cannot have 100% situational awareness at all times, and become a target, or in a generally bad situation and the bad guys have scoped it out you are the first one to get popped. Best to be underestimated.

    • It’s not a 1911, but I carry a 42 oz. full size, steel framed pistol IWB in a Crossbreed. Assuming I get it positioned just right, it is insanely comfortable – as in, just as comfortable as with OWB in a Bianchi I have.

      I counted the other day when discussing carry with someone looking to get his first firearm, and I have 5 holsters for my EDC pistol. I think that’s all too often what it takes to ‘get it right.’ I abhor when folks say stuff like, “just get x it’s the best” with holsters for EDC.

      My Crossbreed works for me. With holsters and EDC’s, though, it’s truly NOT a ‘one-size-fits-all’ and each carrier has to find what works.

    • I carry a full-size 1911 Kimber Custom II, and I have multiple holsters, depending on where/how I want to carry. For IWB, which is totally feasible, and comfortable, I have a couple of different holsters. N82 (Nate Squared) Professional model. I love the comfort on this one, and you don’t have to wear an undershirt if you don’t want to. It protects you from the gun, and the gun from you, and the Pro model provides retention, you just have to practice your draw a bit to get used to it. I also recently picked up an Aliengear Cloak 2.0, and was pleasntly surpised with how comfortable and well-made it is, considering the price. Also, their customer service is phenomenal. And if you ever change pistols, you can trade in your shell for a new one. You can get a better full grip on the pistol with this one, but you are better off wearing an undershirt when using it, or you will get some friction from/sweat on a bit of your grip and frame.

      OWB for concealment, I have a Black Point Tactical kydex holster that is also very comfortable, and really hugs your body for concealment, just drop a t-shirt over it, and you’re ready to roll. I have a twin mag holder from them as well, and they have some new holsters out that I haven’t gotten to check out yet, but they offer a ton of customization options. Also great customer service.

      Last, but not least, I have a Blackhawk SERPA CQC holster with the top cut-out for faster draw and reholster. A lot of people will talk sh*t about their gear, but I have not found any issues with it. They come with a couple different mounting options in the package (paddle and belt loop), and the have other attachment accessories available for quick changes from one belt/piece of gear to another. However, it is a bit bulkier than the others, even with the belt loop attachment (lowest profile). Again, depending on your body size/shape, you can wear a loose longer t-shirt over it, or a light jacket or vest, sweatshirt, coat, etc., and cover it pretty well. And it has positive retention. This is also the holster that I wear on the rarer occasions when I open carry.

      I also carry two spare 8-round stainless Kimber KimPro Tac-Mags, plus the one in the gun, with a round in the chamber. As I mentioned, I have the BPT mag carrier, and also Blackhawk single mag holders that are modular, so I can convert them to a double-mag holder if I want, but they are bulkier. Believe it or not, and I can’t wait to see the sh*t-storm this kicks up, but the best one I have for OWB concealment with easy on/off capability, is a Fobus paddle twin mag holder. Love them or hate them, I haven’t found another one that is as slim that I trust to actually retain my mags to my satisfaction.

      And I saw another comment on here that I second, wholeheartedly. Get a good, quality, stiffened/reinforced, belt. I’ve seen a couple of guys at the range with high priced guns, and pretty nice holsters, which were flopping around because they had them hung on some flimsy little canvas belt. Again, there are tons of options out there, depending on your needs/style of dress, so take a look around, and keep asking for advice/pointers, just like you did here. There is no “gospel”, but you will get a lot of suggestions that will help you start down the path.

      Basically, it will likely boil down to experimentation on your part. What works great for me, may not necessarily work well for you. You will probably end up with a drawer containing several different holsters, just like the rest of us, before you find the one (or few) that work best for you. I wish you luck in your search.

  3. “Home Carry” the gospel, according to RF, which I follow for many reasons. Mostly because it’s common sense gun control.

  4. I am curious as to why the home owner only fired two shots at the attackers. For whatever reason I picture needing to fire between four and eight rounds to stop their attack.

    • well, maybe that was the case. According to the linked news report, Bad Boyz buddies may have dumped him twenty miles away and shot him dead before they fled. So there’s your four shots.

  5. But, but, but… this can’t be! Washington state just passed new gun control laws that prevent this sort of thing from happening!

  6. Milt Sparks, Galco, and Alessi all make good leather holsters for full size ( and commander size ), 1911s.

    • Milt Sparks are high end but hard to come by–waiting lists. Galco are reasonable and well made, but Kirkpatrick are better and priced about the same. Bianchis deserve a look too. Belt slides are ubiquitous and handy, but a pancake protects the gun better. (Obviously I have a preference for leather OWB. YTMV.) OWBs are far more comfortable than IWBs, especially for just hanging around the house.

  8. Just saw an interview with him on KING5 news, stitches, bruises, and all. He very calmly explained after the initial home invasion and being roughed off, they managed to get into the bedroom and lock the door while he got out his pistol from the bedside safe. They told the men to go away, but like idiots, they charged through the door, and the first guy caught 2 shots before they ran off. Brave man.

  10. I’ve been carrying a 4.25″ Ruger SR1911 in Simply Rugged’s new “The Shootist” holster. It carries the gun high and close, and is easily concealed under a vest or untucked shirt.

  11. Maybe I’m just abnormal, but for home carry, I usually use a shoulder holster for either a Glock 17 or a 1911 in .45. Why you may ask? I’m a very large guy at 6′-3″ and 310 lb. There ain’t much room inside my pants for inside carry, and my belly hangs over the top of my belt, making rubbing, and poking of a gun very uncomfortable. Also most chairs in the house are barely wide enough for my butt alone, making it tough to sit down without the holster catching on a chair arm or getting jammed into my side. My point being that everyone is a little different build, and there is no one “magic” holster.

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