I’m about to remodel my home, including installing new doors. I was told that doors that swing outward are more secure than doors that swing inward. Is this correct? Should I buy outward swinging doors?

-From Bart M.

Answer: The problem with most inward swinging doors is that they aren’t as strong as an outward swinging door.

For example, when criminals kick in a door, the majority of the time it will be an inward swinging door, since most homes are built with these types of doors.

An inward swinging door is only as strong as the screws or nails holding the hinge in place, while most outward swinging doors will have full contact with the door to the frame making them stronger.

Now, since most homes have inward swinging doors, I like a product called Night Lock, which is basically a brace you can place behind your door to hopefully prevent it from being kicked in.

Outward swinging doors aren’t a bad idea. They just aren’t the norm when it comes to home building.

 

What is the best way to store ammo long-term? I worry about what would happen to my thousands of rounds of ammo if there was a fire in my home.

-From George T.

Answer: During a fire, ammo will most likely explode, but without a gun containing the ammo, there’s nothing to stop or direct the pressures created by the cartridge igniting.

The popping noise people hear when ammunition is burning is usually not the bullet flying around, but is the cartridge burning, regardless of what you may have seen in the movies.

So, you’re in a lot less danger than you think you are. In the best-case scenario, you would store ammo in a fireproof safe.

However, if you have a huge stockpile of ammo this may not be feasible. In that case, I would suggest a cool, dry location such as your basement.

 

My wife is from the Middle East. We regularly travel back and forth from the U.S. to visit her parents who still live there. I try to blend in when we are visiting but being a white male, over 6 feet tall, I tend to stand out. Any advice how to blend in when you look nothing like the locals?

-From Justin W.  

Answer: The key is to blend in as much as possible to make it appear that you have lived there for years.

For instance, when you arrive to a new place, the first thing you should do is go shopping at a local store and buy clothes from a local shop.

Another thing is, avoid wearing sneakers, especially white sneakers as this isn’t as common in other countries as it is in the U.S.

Lastly, avoid wearing anything flashy, such as an expensive watch or anything that will draw attention that you may be an American.

Also, let your wife do all the talking and keep your mouth shut as much as possible. I know that might sound funny, but it works.

When you’re out and about shopping or whatever, don’t open your mouth (which immediately identifies you as an American) and that’ll be a big help.

Unfortunately, there’s no perfect answer for this.

 

I live in a senior retirement community. I have a small, one-bedroom apartment. I don’t have a lot of space for storage. What should I do about survival gear when I have no place to keep it?

-From Martin L.

Answer: If there isn’t any space for your survival gear, I suggest at the very least storing a 72-hour kit in your closet.

Then rent a small storage unit where you can store the rest of your emergency supplies.

 

When a website asks if you want to “Remember me” is it safe to do this? I have trouble remembering my passwords for all the websites I use. But, is this safe?

-From Betty P.

Answer: You never want to save your important passwords in the browser for two main reasons.

First, this means that your browser has a data log of your entire login information and if it were hacked, a criminal would easily have this access.

Second, the physical security risk of your computer being stolen means that a thief would have access to all your accounts and information in a heartbeat.

I agree that remembering all your passwords is a task. I would check out a password manager application. There are many of these applications out there such as 1Password.

 

Have you ever owned any rifles that shoot the .260 Remington round? Is it a round worth considering? I know it’s not very common.

-From Fred V.

Answer: The .260 Remington bullet came out in 1997 and has been a popular round with hunters because of the low recoil and accuracy of the bullet.

The .260 is most effective in 120-grain and 140-grain bullets, delivering muzzle velocities of about 2950 fps and 2750 fps.

The thing is, the .260 bullet never gained wide popularity, except among hunters.

One of the reasons is there was a lot of competition for the .260, such as the Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor round.

Lastly, these days, we are seeing fewer guns chambered in .260, so there simply isn’t a huge market for the round.

So, it’s a good round, nothing wrong with it, it’s just not popular and I don’t own any rifles that take this round.