An H&K USP .45 with attached light. A great close quarters personal defense weapon. Clearing or searching a building when someone may be in it (who also has a weapon) is a very dangerous task, and should not be taken lightly. Police and military often have training for such circumstances, but the normal citizen may be less than knowledgeable on the subject.


Tips

• Unless you are glancing over your shoulder to check a corner as you enter a T-intersection or a doorway, you should follow the "three-eye rule". This means that where your two eyes are looking your gun muzzle follows as well. This cuts down on reaction time.
• While clearing a house is very dangerous, if you do things correctly and you see the enemy first or are taking the aggressive action through hallways and doorways, you are forcing the intruder(s) to be on the defensive which allows you to execute tactics in their reaction time. Thus, in an offensive maneuver, no hesitation and speed are essential.
• If you do shoot, do not shoot dumb, do not shoot blind! When you end up on the offensive, you must take the time to guarantee your hits. You need to flash sight to allow solid hits.
• If you use your flashlight on a target, you have not received the full blow of the light, but much of your night vision will be diminished. A technique so you do not destroy your night vision is to close your support-side eye (non-dominant eye) every time you turn on your light.
• When turning on your light, never let it trail to your position. Only turn it on when the light is on your target, or when you are exploring dark areas of a room. Turn if off as soon as you are done. You may be looking for an intruder, but if the intruder sees the light, they know exactly where you are.
• Whenever you approach an area which does not allow the firm use of both hands on the weapon you should bring your firearm in to close contact firing position (with long guns, this involves putting the stock under your arm). This allows your eyes to precede your muzzle and makes it more difficult for an intruder to get hold of your weapon.
• Tactics rarely require speed, take your time around danger areas. Stealth and surprise are your biggest assets. If you make an unintended sound, stop! Step behind close cover and wait for 20+ seconds, listen, watch, be observant and patient, if no target indicators present themselves, move on, but be prepared, you may have just announced your location to an intruder.
• After clearing a room, it may behoove you to lock the door as you exit. Only do this if it is possible to do it silently, quickly, and while your firearm is still at the ready. Remain observant and alert as you do this!
• One of the first places you should be intent on clearing is parts of the house where loved ones are known to be. Protect them first, then guard your house.

Warnings

• Firearms can be very dangerous and even lethal (else they wouldn't be effective weapons). They should only be used for home or personal defense by experienced firearm users.
• Be sure to follow all state and local laws (though at times, decisions must be made for the sake of your life and those of loved ones). Note that many laws on firearms change drastically from state to state, and can even change between counties or even cities.
• Most firearm projectiles will go through residential walls and doors. Do not shoot toward areas where loved ones may be.
• When clearing a corner or doorway, realize that an armed intruder may be able to shoot you through the wall or door. If they do not know where you are, they will not shoot you, but it is best to step back from cover to make randomly fired bullet less likely to hit you.
• Make sure you identify your target before firing on them. The police may have already made entry, and you do not want to shoot a cop by mistake. Even if you have not called the police, it's possible that a neighbor saw someone breaking into the house and called, or a police officer just happened to be driving by.