Alternatives to fire arms
I live in a country where fire arms are illegal. I'm a bit concerned about how I would go about defending my familly if we get into a SHTF scenario. I'd like to get some tips on alternatives to fire arms from people on the forums.
RRJJ
Alternatives
Same problem in the UK. I'm having trouble with multiple cut/paste but if you search Cold Steel machete the magnum Kukri is probably best. Also this might give you some ideas: https://www.crossbows4u.co.uk/#/hawk/4539717336
I would rather be in your country than Devil's Island if things get difficult.
Can you own a flare gun?
Can you own a flare gun?
Bows and arrows, sling shots,
Bows and arrows, sling shots, swords, machetes, spears, baseball bats, lead pipes, ...
atl atl
they are fun and a 6 or 7 foot dart in pretty impressive, not quick to reload but if one guy has a 7 foot dart thru him it would make others think!
can you get bear mace? that
can you get bear mace?
that would at least slow a guy (or group of them) down significantly.
i would also suggest a small stash of coins separate from your main stash. in the event you are robbed, and there is nothing you can do to stop it, you give them you small stash, while keeping your large stash for yourself/family.
just trying to help.
1) Build community in the
1) Build community in the neighborhood where you live. Regardless of what weapons you own, you're much stronger with like-minded folk around you that alone.
2) Stay low-profile. Your best defense isn't barbed-wire, firearms and body armor, it's avoiding conflict altogether. Wiki the term 'OpSec' and consider what you might do to lower your visibility to potential trouble.
3) Square away food, water and shelter first before loading up on weaponry. The vast majority of us will need these three things far in advance of physical protection.
4) As mentioned above, there are many self-defense options available at your local sporting goods store. Aluminum baseball bats come to mind first if available in Sweden. They also have the advantage of being fairly innocuous in the back seat of your automobile. Pick up a couple of gloves and some softballs as well to provide some entertainment when the power goes out.
5) A good place to start, covering all of the above and much much more is www.survivalblog.com.
Best of luck.
Pax
Thanks for all the great
Thanks for all the great replies!
Maze is also illegal together with crossbows. Baseball bat is a good option but baseball and softball are almost non existing sports here so could be hard to find. I've thought about bow and arrow which are perfectly legal. Problem is I don't know how well that would work out in a close combat situation.
Best advice is of course to stay low, buil strong communitys etc. But in the unlikely event your family is in danger it's nice to feel you have some way to protect them.
It sounds like you need to
It sounds like you need to take up archery and fencing then. :-)
Check out flashlights by Maglite, their 3, 4 and 5 D-cell models in particular. They make dandy impact weapons. Also check out folding knives along the lines of Spyderco's Endura.
If mace and firearms are
If mace and firearms are illegal then you want to have good neighbors, strong doors, secure fences/perimeter, a sword and a large dog or two.
I have a good friend who lives on an impoverished Caribbean island on a fairly remote hill, and firearms are not permitted. He has a good perimeter fence, familiar neighbors, big well trained guard dogs and a machete. It is a shame he can't keep firearms since he is a USMC scout sniper...
A great tip I saw on the main thread here a few days ago
Get a few cans of wasp spray. The kind used to take down nests.
It'll spray a thin stream of wasp poison a LONG distance at high pressure.
With a little practice you can hit any intruder in the face with that stuff and they will HAVE to stop whatever nefarious plans they were enacting to deal with it. Thought it's not fatal to humans it will seriously screw you up.
My added suggestion is to get a can gun too:
They're made for spray paint, but would work for your wasp spray too. They just snap on the can & voila! They're also pretty cheap and easy to find online:
https://www.amazon.com/Can-Gun-Spray-Handle-11650/dp/B000GLHUXI
Incidentally, if you happen to be doing much spray painting you ought to have one of these anyway - they work great for spray paint.
Good luck!
Nighttime defense weapon
I believe this is a good alternative for those places were guns and weapons are illegal.
This is a very solid metal flashpoint with a sharpened bezel that can cut with a down strike. It also fits wells inside your fist for an added hit when it comes down to fisticuffs. Also at night time this sucker puts out 200 lumens and it will temp blind anyone beamed with it close up and that gives you a significant leg up in a bad situation. Also light itself tends to make predators stay away as it brings attention to themselves. Not a bad alternative at all.
The wrist rocket
has a pretty good fps, and doesn't look as threatening.
Get to know your neighbors, allies are the best weapon.
Do a search for Air-Rifles and pistols. There are international competitions in these. Some of them can outperform a 22-cal weapon.
A fishing pole can be a very nasty weapon. If a small basket or sling cup is put on the end it becomes a ranged weapon.
Practice, practice, practice for every family member.
The Lacross thingy (lol...sorry) was a weapon that joined the sports world. The same thing with the Jaialai thingy.
Go practice in private, the sling. One of the oldest projectile weapons in history.
It doesn't take much of a spear to do damage, and to get range on it the Atlatl is a pretty good weapon.
Practice all of your options. I have guns, but I need more practice. TV and Movies greatly exagerate the accuracy, and inaccuracy of weapons. They display both improbable shots, and improbable misses.
Did I mention practice?
A sling can be loaded with a rock, ball bearing, lead fishing weights, darts....etc. It can be made from a sash, a belt form the waist or from a purse, or backpack.
The martial arts weapons were used in lieu of owning a sword. Nunchucks, fighting sticks and sais such were farming implements. Hoe, rake and shovel are things I would not want to face.
Hope this gives some ideas.
are tazers or the like legal
are tasers or the like legal where you live?
Depends on how much damage
Depends on how much damage and pain you need to inflict.
Pipe bombs are pretty easy to make from common items in
a grocery store. Potato cannons are also easy to build and
are powerful enough to go through a car door. If I couldn't
own guns I'd probably start building my own pneumatic weapons.
A FIRE EXTINGUISHER
I used to visit another site where this same question was raised last year.
An EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) stated that she felt the best weapon for self defense (other than a gun) was a fire extinguisher. She stated that it needed to be aimed at the face of the intruder as it will sting (blind) the intruder's eyes to the point that they will will have to cease their activity due to the pain and lack of vision.
Once activity ceases, a good bonk over the head with the extinguisher will render the assailant helpless.
Fire extinguishers can be located in every room for easy access and are relatively inexpensive. They also put out fires!
Seems like a great solution to me...
Great Thread
This is a great thread. Just remember, you best weapon is in your head! I didn't mean to rhyme there, but self defense, martial arts and tactical training are worth looking at. As is a good dog. I find the shelter dogs are very loyal. They know when they have a good home. Just don't forget to stock up the dog food for man's best friend! My 2 cents
Thanks for the additional
Thanks for the additional ideas! I actually just got a powerful air rifle. They are legal here and the one I got will do damage especially with pointed ammunition. But to be honest I almost regret the purchase since I think some of the ideas in this thread will work much better in a close combat situation. I love the idea of using a fire extinguisher as a weapon. Think I'll get a few more of those.
Just to clarify. I'm talking
Just to clarify. I'm talking about weapons for self defense ONLY. Of course non violent options are the best. But when it comes to defending my loved ones I want to have the option of using whatever measures are required.
Anther Vote for WASP SPRAY!
legal, cheap, available all over the place (even some 7-11 type convenience stores...), kids can use it, looks 'normal' to have around your home (like under daughter's nightstand), and in a pinch, can be used for it's intended purpose...
we had a yellowjacket nest establish itself in the ground beside the compost heap -- sadly/luckily our dog got stung first, not the kids -- so I 'ninja-ed up' at nightfall, sprayed the cr*p out of it and covered the entry hole with a heavy duty plastic bag filled with a gallon of water ... no more yellowjackets...
Stopping evil-doers in all sizes.
wasp spray : home 2012
AS
duct tape : home 2010
PREVENTION is the best option
four words... FOX LOCK / STEEL DOOR
when I was a starving artist (female-type) living in NYC in various rough industrial buildings that emptied out at night, I always slept well in my commercial studio behind a Fox Police lock in a steel door.
these legendary locks -- little-known and unavailable outside of NY -- stopped being made for awhile, but are available again via mail. Hooray!
unless you believe that function is beauty, you may find them slightly unaesthetic, but they become VERY loveable when you realize how they make a virtually unassailable barrier of your doorway.
info here: https://www.nokey.com/foxstylpollo.html
but google saves u money...
(Now, how to find some suburban-quality window bars??)
