Best weapon available without a firearm license?

Getting a firearm license seems like quite a bother. Plus in some survival situations, the government or an invading force may confiscate your weapons anyway. And if you signed paperwork to buy them, they know you've got them. Especially here in Canada it's more difficult to obtain most guns than in the US. Anything really useful for survival you need a transport permit just to move it around, etc.

So I'm wondering what is the next best thing, either as a substitute for, or a backup in case your main weapon gets confiscated/stolen/breaks, etc. Maybe a bow or crossbow? Is it too finnicky to really serve as a useful weapon? Airguns and pellet guns don't seem like they would have enough power, at least the ones that don't require a liscence.

So what does everyone think the best weapon not requiring a permit would be in a survival situation, both for hunting and also for defense. We aren't limited to just close-quarter things like knives and improvised weapons, are we?


mod edit, spelling in title

[edit on 5-5-2007 by DontTreadOnMe]

I hate to say it because I hate old sayings but in this case its true. Your best weapon is your brain. No permit required. They cant take it from you and its self healing. Unlike other weapons the more you use it the stronger it gets.
That being said I would have to say a second best would be a homemade recurve bow with homemade arrows. If it breaks you make another. Well thats my opinion anyway.

Good call. A bow of some sort would make a good option. As with any weapon, have it ready before hand and PRACTICE! There's nothing like being stuck in a dangerous situation only to find out that you couldn't hit water if you fired your bow from a boat because you didn't practice.

Also be careful if you decide to make your own bow. There are reams and reams of books written about this subject. Pick the wrong wood and the bow will snap, probably causing you serious injury. If you make the arrows, be sure that you research and practice making them in order to make them consistant enough to use.

Another option may be to buy a commercial bow and some arrows. You can then practice making your own arrows to your hearts content, but still know that you have a useable weapon if you find you're cr@p at making them.

In a complete collapse scenario, I'd favor a crossbow over regular bows. It takes a lot of practice with a bow/arrow to be able to hit game with enough accurately enough with an arrow to humanely dispatch them beyond 30-40 yards. Having to chase wounded game down isn't fun especially if your hunting near dusk. Cross bows are clumsier to use but are far accurate for the novice hunter. You should have an a small arsenal of weapons kept around your retreat. A blow gun could keep meat on the menu by taking rodents and birds at close range.

You may also want to consider carrying some sort of spear as well. Especially if there are wild boar in your area. Notoriously tough critters that will turn on you when wounded. A boar spear was a standard carry item of hunters in Europe for centuries.

when i was about 12 i made a bow out of a 6 foot long crape myrtle tree
the arrow i wade out of a long straight dowel rod myarrow head was a
skinny plumb bob from my step dad survey equipment and for fletching on my arrow i used the fins off of some darts from an old dart board i glued on it lasted about 2 weeks before the wood in the bow broke in two but it would shoot about 100 to 120 foot accurately enough to hit a bail of hay turned on its end.

I've never made a bow. I've always wanted to. I read a book on it about 20 years ago. What I remember hazily is that, unless your getting into recurves, the type of wood is less critical than curing it properly. I remember the survivalist who wrote the book described an intense process that made curing leather look like watching TV.

Crossbows are illegal in many parts of the US for hunting, due to the fact that they are frequently used by poachers. I think that says it all.

Phoning for fish is a great way to get food, if you can find an old army field phone, or an old bell crank phone. Also illegal as all get out.

Originally posted by dr_strangecraftCrossbows are illegal in many parts of the US for hunting, due to the fact that they are frequently used by poachers. I think that says it all.

I think it is illegal to hunt with any sort of archery equipment in the UK, something like that at least. In a survival situation they might be lenient.

Phoning for fish is a great way to get food, if you can find an old army field phone, or an old bell crank phone. Also illegal as all get out.

What exactly does that mean, phoning for fish?

[edit on 23-4-2007 by apex]

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft

Phoning for fish is a great way to get food, if you can find an old army field phone, or an old bell crank phone. Also illegal as all get out.

I must admit this was the first time ive ever heard of that. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Ime thinking more research is in order.
Maybe ill call a friend about this. LOL

What exactly does that mean, phoning for fish?

I'm not exactly sure either, but I assume he means that they give off some kind of electric current, enough to shock/kill a fish. Otherwise I don't see how it would work. Anything like a live wire put into water would probably kill any fish that came close to it, but in a survival situation you wouldn't normally have electricity. Probably only slightly less illegal than throwing dynamite into rivers .

In a full collapse, there will be no Game Wardens to bust you, so why be concerned about legalities? I seriously doubt that any remaining LEO will be concerned with how you obtained meat for your dinner. Most of our game laws in the US were created to ensure that game would remain plentiful for those rich enough to afford a license when they were first instituted. They did nothing to curb poaching. Poaching is relatively modern concept. There's no such thing as a game season in a survival situation. As a life long hunter, I can tell you that it's hard enough to get game under the normal circumstances much less when the local environment will be stressed by roaming hunter/gatherer groups. Trapping will probably yield you more meat for food than actual hunting. Stealth farming with natural crops like cattails, acorns or mesquite pods will be overlooked by most folks. Any one who believes they can easily support themselves by hunting is very ignorant of the realities of hunter/gathering.

what about the 'Ramset' impact guns that construction workers use for fastening steel to steel or steel to concrete.

they use a .22 primer and variouse size of pins. you can modify them so you dont need them pressed down before the fire.

i accidentally grazed a buddies guts with one of those. he screamed, i laughed, then the running started.

Hilti makes them too, iv'e just never heard of those being modified, but im sure they can.

Originally posted by Yarcofin

What exactly does that mean, phoning for fish?

I'm not exactly sure either, but I assume he means that they give off some kind of electric current, enough to shock/kill a fish. Otherwise I don't see how it would work. Anything like a live wire put into water would probably kill any fish that came close to it, but in a survival situation you wouldn't normally have electricity. Probably only slightly less illegal than throwing dynamite into rivers

.

With the old military phones that had the big ol' cranks on them you'd rip open the wires coming off of the dynamo and stick them in a shallow spot where you think some fish will be hanging around and start cranking. If theres any fish down there theyll float up.

It doesnt work for a whole lot of water. The current will only travel so far and the fish will still be alive when they float up.

When I was a kid I thought it'd be funny to be a super-villian and throw a toaster in the ocean thereby killing all of the sea life. The image of whales floating belly up from a toaster was hysterical to me.

Then I found out it wouldnt work that way.

Originally posted by Yarcofin

I'm not exactly sure either, but I assume he means that they give off some kind of electric current, enough to shock/kill a fish.

Actually, it stuns the fish long enough for you to scoop them up. Using one of those old crank phones, stick a wire on each side of a creek and crank it when a fish swims between the wires.

It stuns them long enough to scoop them up. Not that I've ever done anything like that.

A little jug fishing a time or two, though, which is legal here, in flowing water.

I'd use a spork --- you know those white plastic half spoon, half forks you get in the cafeteria. Just unwrap and thrust into the neck of an unsuspecting target and watch the blood splurt. No license required. Improvisation at it's finest. The fleshy area of the neck is oh so fragile.

I believe that the best weapon you can get without a firearm license would be a firearm of some kind. Since you're probably going to be using it for self-defense only, I'd suggest some short weapon like a pistol or a sawed-off shotgun that'll make a nice, loud warning click when you're getting ready to unload it into some intruder.

Oh, the license? Well, in my experience guns work just fine without them, and that if you really need a gun, they can be relatively easy to get without a license with just a little effort. Maybe someday they'll require some kind of electronic key card to unlock a gun to make it work, but probably not any time soon.

Don't shoot yourself by accident. If you intend to shoot yourself on purpose, make sure your aim is good so you accomplish what you set out to do.

Good luck!

http:// www.amazon.com/Traditional-Bowyers-Bible-1

For anyone wanting to learn how to make your own bows. Buy it, read it, and try it. You will be suprized

I have to agree with crgintz, if you are looking for a way to survive if the shtf, learn how to trap. While thinking now of the option of eating a deer or boar over a muskrat or possum, deer sounds better. But throw into the equation starvation setting in, and that damn possum or muskrat will start looking pretty tasty. look into other things that can be comsumed other then the obvious also. IMO I wouldnt use a cross bow for survival, they are too bulky and there are too many moving parts, I would cast a vote for a recurve. I am assuming that if you are looking for something to survive with you would pratice pratice pratice, and wouldnt go into a survival situation without knowing your tool. If you arent going to practice then my vote would be for something easier, like a crossbow. it doesnt really matter what is legal and what is not in a survival situation, when it comes to surviving laws be damned.

, like a crossbow. it doesnt really matter what is legal and what is not in a survival situation, when it comes to surviving laws be damned.

I know what you are saying but I would not recommend it.
Specially not here in Australia where Xbows are banned in some States.
If the Xbow is found you will get in trouble (possibly jail).

2 month ago I ordered 2 Slingshots on ebay from Overseas. I received a letter from the Customs that they are illegal in Australia and they where confiscated + cautioned not to bring illegal weapons into the country . ( I did not know they where illegal)
I know what will happen next times I go through Customs - since I'm blacklisted

Yes - I contemplated the same thing about what to use in a survival situation since I live selfsufficiant in bushland. I'm currently a legal gun owner but I'm very suspicious about the future of gun laws.
Looking through the
PROHIBITED WEAPONS I can't find any LASER GUN
so maybe that's something to look into

Originally posted by crgintx

As a life long hunter, I can tell you that it's hard enough to get game under the normal circumstances much less when the local environment will be stressed by roaming hunter/gatherer groups. Trapping will probably yield you more meat for food than actual hunting.

I'm still thinking about that.

I see the obvious truth of what you say about hunting pressure. I also noted your local as the hill country. The populations stresses are indeed pretty crazy there.

On the other hand, I live west of you, out where it's less than one person per square mile. Even with a huge redistribution of population, I don't know if the ecosystem here would be easily pressed past the breaking point.

I'm not arguing with you. Just thinking about the fact that 80% of all deer killed in Texas are taken within a quarter mile of a paved road. . . .

In many years, the best texas counties have 15,00 to 25,000 deer harvested from them, year after year. An awful lot of that is people from Houston, SA, Dallas or even *sigh* New York flying down to the hill country for the sport of it. A lot of those tyros will be factored out of the equation, if fuel becomes an issue.

Likewise, even the simplest barter economy will have the Texas cattle industry up and moving before anything else, probably including petroleum production. After all, tame beef on the hoof can walk itself to market. Before the ATSF came to Tx, cattle were driven all the way to Kansas for loading onto trains bound for Chicago and New York. Again, that will take pressure off of hunting, when there's efficient beef handy.

I expect a lot of people will be poaching alright. But their targets will be saying "moo" instead of grunting.

Best weapon available without a firearm liscence?

A water pistol with holy water?

Actually a baseball bat might be a good weapon, but it requires some physical strength from its user. It wouldn't be good if your target took the bat from you and used it against you. In Norway, frozen fish can be used instead...