Protection - Gun Alternatives?

We have been putting off getting a gun for a while. Debating the issue. Neither of us have really ever handled a gun before. We know nothing about the subject and are quite intimidated by it. We do plan on getting one real soon, but have been so busy with moving, starting new jobs, registering kids in school, etc. I am afraid the SHTF scenario may go down before we get around to buying one and learning how to use it.

What are other effective ways of protecting ourselves and our belongings? Assuming a shelter in place situation. I plan on getting pepper spray and a good survival knife. What are some other things I should consider?

Also, what if I'm caught totally off guard? What are the best makeshift weapons and methods of protection, using common household items?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Look around your garage, there could be weapons galore in there.

Things do not have to move at hundreds of feet per second in order to defend yourself.

But guns do equalize things rather well. In your busy schedule try to find time to take some firearms classes to start learning the rules for safe gun handling and other important information regarding them.

You could always get a nice taser for around $400 - 600/

www.taser.com...

You could also use common gardening tools, cooking tools, fire extinguishers, baseball bats. Basically anything you can swing. Crowbar....

Best two alternatives

1) Brain - Don't get into the situation in the first place (gob and ego is the culpret here)
2) Feet - walk away rather than confrontation.

reply to post by Skewed


I've got some ideas. I guess my real fear is trying to defend our home without a gun, against people with guns. Maybe I should look in to elaborate boobie-traps or something.

anything can be a weapon when used correctly...a well trained dog will probably be the best thing since it will obey on demand and will even defend the pack without command should it be needed

but the best thing is to not get into the situation where conflict is needed so look at your property and where people can get in and make it as uninviting as possible as crawling through a 2 foot holly hedge for example will put off alot of the lesser idiots

reply to post by SubPop79


This is what I've been considering. But, if there were an EMP, the taser be rendered useless, right? I don't know, it'd be good to have under every other scenario. I'm going to the sports and outdoors place in a bit, I'm going to take a look at them.

reply to post by thinkingthing


I wouldn't put a whole lot of faith in pepper sprays...
remember We military types are trained in a gas chamber how to ignore that type of irritant and just keep going... plus when you come from my part of the world... we use the same stuff they put in pepper spray... to season our tacos

anything is better than nothing baseball bat cast iron skillet... coking knives not so much... you want a longer reach... Bow and arrows are not cheap and take a good deal of practice... that taser the poster above pointed out they do work if your close enough and they are not wearing thick clothes so the probes can make contact with the skin... for the same money or less, a lot less... you can buy a good qual used shotgun...

Originally posted by SubPop79
You could always get a nice taser for around $400 - 600/

www.taser.com...

You could also use common gardening tools, cooking tools, fire extinguishers, baseball bats. Basically anything you can swing. Crowbar....

Better off taking some classes with the
misses and get a nice pistol for that...

Take the baseball bat and hammer nails
through each side at the end of the bat..

Adds that *o crap factor*

But if they have a gun, your done..

No offense but from what you've stated you don't sound like someone who will survive this type of desperate situation. If you even need to ask this question than you are going to be over-run quite quickly I fear by the militaristic gangs that start forming up.

Your best chance is to try to get you and your family into a group of people you trust where hopefully they have people who are more knowledgable in this type of stuff. Focus on things you can trade for protection such as liquor and smokes and hope they are nice enough not to just kill you and take it.

Well, if you have NOTHING else handy, you might use wasp spray. No studies on its effectiveness, and there is a warning on the label that it is illegal to use it in a "manner inconsistent with its labeling." But if there's a choice between wasp spray and your bare hands, it would be wasp spray hands down (no pun intended.)

A nice baseball bat could work, too!

Originally posted by DaddyBare
reply to post by thinkingthing

 

I wouldn't put a whole lot of faith in pepper sprays...
remember We military types are trained in a gas chamber how to ignore that type of irritant and just keep going... plus when you come from my part of the world... we use the same stuff they put in pepper spray... to season our tacos

I concur.
While being gassed several times myself it will usually only slow me down a bit but does not stop me. Pepper sprays in my opinion only buys the person a few seconds to put some distance between them and the attacker.

reply to post by hillynilly


I'm the wife. And actually more in to the idea of getting a gun than my husband is. He practices criminal law, so you would think he'd recognize the necessity.

Anyway, my brother is big in to survival and guns. He promises to come help me learn everything I need to know. But he won't be coming to visit for a few months.

I'm actually out the door right now to go and take a look at some guns. Maybe the guy behind the counter will be helpful. I have not had much luck with that before though. Crossing my fingers...

A dog or two will do a lot of good when it comes to protecting your house and family.
A gsd or rottie will also make a nice pet especially if you have kids.

Originally posted by SprocketUK
A dog or two will do a lot of good when it comes to protecting your house and family.
A gsd or rottie will also make a nice pet especially if you have kids.

And a meal if things get really bad.

reply to post by kro32


I read your post and couldn't believe someone would waste their time saying such nonsense. Then I saw the username and it made sense. You're suggesting that I NOT solicit advice from people in the know? That I resign myself to defeat rather than try and learn anything new? Right. Thanks for the brilliant advice.

I'm not reading any more of your posts so feel free not to respond.

To hell with pepper spray, you can shrug that stuff off in a heartbeat... BEAR SPRAY, that's the ticket.

Seriously though, Jenna said it best, your brain is your best weapon. Try to stay out of any situation that could result in harm, be smart. Failing that, you need to strike with overwhelming force and a firearm would provide the ability to project power. No gun? No problem, confuse the crap out of the assailant to get that distance down, an old camera flash unit and yelling will work wonders, once in range it's time to man up and start flailing.

Keep this in mind though, something a driller told me once, "If you get close enough to use a bayonet then you f*cked up somewhere."

reply to post by thinkingthing


For you a smith and wesson air weight would be great. Model 642 specifically with a crimson trace laser. No hammer, point and pull the trigger. Easy least and safer for non experienced people such as yourself. About 500 bucks. 5 shot .38 caliber. Load it with a good hollow point such as cordon, Speer gold dot. And practice. Please practice.

My wife is not into guns either. We had a scare and she bought this. I use a clock 27 and a glock 22. My house gun is a moss berg 500 pump shotgun, 00 buck shot.

But that's me.

reply to post by JennaDarling


Your advice is spot on, JennaDarling, where possible. Unless... you are backed in a corner in your own home, at night, half awake, with no means of escape.

We are'nt allowed the luxury ( ? ) of routinely owning guns in the U.K; which means I'm unlikely to face an intruder with a gun.

I keep a two handed axe hidden in the bedroom ( My wife would go mad if she new. . Though I do use it for splitting logs ! )

Also have a Cocker Spaniel and a Golden Retriever, which, while not measuring up as protection dogs, ( !!! ) would let me know if we had intruders. Apparently, burglars ( If this is what we are defending against. ) would rather pass by a house with dogs.

shotgun.

period.

No one fks around looking down the barrel of a 12-guage.

They're cheap, and require little training on the part of the shotgunner, much to the chagrin of the shotgunee.

I have a Mossberg 590. Holds 8+1. get 00 buck for home defense (9 steel balls comin at you at 475 m/s are a helluva deterrent).