ARMANDO BASULTO
Profession: Combatives instructor, outdoor writer, and history teacher
Current job title: Head instructor, Basulto Academy of Defense, Gracie jiujitsu third degree black belt, weapons combatives instructor
Describe your residence and its occupants as it relates to protective or defensive decision-making.
Our house is in an Appalachian rural area, surrounded by neighbors with everything from chickens and cattle to horses and hunting hounds. Because we are far outside the city limits, our first responders to 911, which might be state troopers, could take significantly longer than if we lived near Main Street. Luckily, even without formal organization, “neighborhood watch” happens organically in our little cove in the mountains. Even though it is a two-story home, the main living and sleeping quarters are on the first level, so the majority of potential home invasion/defense scenarios are based in and around that space.
How does your home/neighborhood environment affect your choice of home defense/bedside firearm and defense items?
Our house sits on a high bluff with a rise of woods behind our house that acts as a natural stop. Though I have to consider factors like ammunition and overpenetration within my house structure, I don’t have to worry about collateral damage to my neighbors because of distance and angle (elevation of our property). For our type of secluded, mountain-forest environment, I’m not a huge advocate of automatic outside lights and/or alarms. The lights would instead provide illumination for B&E. The alarm systems we have had experience with would constantly go off for every woodland creature that comes to explore our house or duck enclosure. A well-trained (or well-bred) hound dog with a good nose is the best first-warning system. With experience, you can differentiate the types of bays used by the hound dog to indicate a critter outside, a stranger at the door, or mom with groceries.
Describe each of your home defense/bedside items.
Glock 26
Glock 26 with Ameriglo front sight, black rear. Two mags with extenders, with Hornady Critical Defense 9mm. This ammunition provides the least recoil and muzzle flash to
