What Do You Carry For Protection

What would you carry for self defense?

  • Lethal Weapon (Gun, knife, etc )

    Votes: 271 98.2%

  • Non Lethal Weapon (Pepper spray, taser, etc)

    Votes: 5 1.8%
  • Total voters
    276
Self Defense

I carry a cane all the time and am quite proficient with it. When I was Shore Patrol I became an artist with a nightstick. I modified a few techniques and sought additional help from a professional. The cane is a constant companion. So are many of the knives I've built. Had just enough training with the knife to be dangerous. All are capable of being thrown accurately at "inside the house" distances. Only bad thing about throwing a knife though is that once it's thrown it's of no more use to you. Also carry a mini-sap. About 8 1/2" long. It'll break an arm or knee. So will my cane. I'm not licensed to carry a handgun, although they ARE in the house.

One bad guy became the laughing stock of the Police that showed up one night. When they arrested him he had a broken wrist, severly enlarged testicles and a knee that generally isn't supposed to point that way. I'm just an old man that refuses to be a victim. Cops got a big kick out of seeing this kid in all manner of disarray. Just before the officers arrived I told the kid (kid, he was 26) that he really sucked at this line of work and that he really needed to seek employment in another line of work. He did. He became a guest of the State of Michigan for 5-7. Makes really nice license plates.
 
What would hitting someone with your gun do to the gun? Maybe render it inoperable? Bend or break something on the gun?
Click to expand...

A good steel 1911 will just about kill a person if hit on the head with the right force.

In this day I would hesitate to hit anyone with anything other than a fist and only after he hit me with witness's watching. Most times you will find the event on youtube..... we live in a sue you society where no one is responsible for their actions except for me..... You hit someone, they call 911, you may go to jail. Be careful out there.
 
103-1 as of this post.

That may be some sort of record as far as percentage of members agreeing on a subject here at TFL! :)
 
You left out the third choice:

c) both of the above.

I carry both pepper spray and a handgun any time I leave the house except for those rare occasions when I'm going somewhere where one or both are prohibited. Gives me more options. I *like* having choices.
 
Pepper spray...

... for me, it wasn't so much the pain, as the seemingly unending flow of mucus from my nose and tears from my eyes.

The stuff is not fun.

But I'm not so sure it would have been instantly debilitating. Partially disabling, yes; debilitating, no - at least not in the training exposure level I was subjected to.
 
If you need pepper spray or another less-lethal force tool and don't have it or use it, you'll get beat up or bitten or somesuch.

If you need a gun or another lethal force tool and don't have it, you'll probably never need anything ever again.

That's why if you could really only carry one of the two (a nonsensical premise), the gun makes more sense. Less-lethal options are useful in a wider variety of situations, but the reason we carry deadly force isn't because we think we'll need it (statistically quite unlikely) but because the consequences would be fatal if we needed it & didn't have it.

Although humans are tool users and it's usually better to have proper tools than to not have them, a few basic physical skills can usually provide adequate coverage through non-lethal force levels. This is especially true if you know how to use the environment around you to good advantage. If you need a non-lethal force multiplier, look around. There's almost certainly a non-lethal but decently effective weapon near you right now if you know what to look for.

Legally speaking, firearms are always lethal force, whether you aim at the guy's center mass or his left big toe. Physically he might survive the big-toe shot (though nothing's certain), but legally it's the same thing. Improvised instruments such as canes and frying pans can certainly be considered lethal force if you use them that way, but the courts are just as likely to see them as a non-lethal force level if you use them as such and your lawyer articulates your actions properly.

Best bet: Make sure the situation warrants the level of force you plan to use, then use that level as fast and as efficiently and as hard as you can. Don't dither.

pax
 
According to my roommate the lawyer, lethal force should only be used if similar or greater than lethal force is presented. And in this case, it should be succinctly used, to lessen family lawsuits after lethal force was used.


Therefore, I do only carry lethal force. If a need arises where I don't need to use lethal force then I will talk/walk/move my way out of the situation.
 
I have pepper spray but it's no good against the wind and wouldn't be much good to have to get so close to use it. I carry both in my vehicle but usually just my gun when walking around. I try to watch where I go and avoid potential situations. I something does start up, merely showing the pistol will deter a lot of people. I doubt showing the spray would stop anyone in his tracks.
 
I carry a handgun and assisted opening 3-inch knife every day, because this is Texas. I've yet to convince my wife to get a CHL, but she does carry a Kimber pepper spray gadget ... I can see the value of spray as opposed to a gun; as one poster said, you can reverse the results of the spray ... but there are so many cases where a gun is really the only solution, unless you're willing to let the BG close to within a few feet ... for me, a handgun is really the only solution when I'm out and about; I hope I never have to use it ...
 
Full sized pistol (Glock 22 or 21) pair of spare mags to balance the weight of the gun and let's face it...the mag is the weak link in the chain of a bottom feeder, so it makes sense to have at least one spare. I also religiously carry a BUG in my left pocket. Lately it has been a Ruger LCR.
 
I usually have a knife, but it will be a rare day I use it to fight. Hand to hand combat is not my strong point. Never has been and I am older than I used to
be. I'd stand a good chance of getting killed in a knife fight.
 
I would and do go with a firearm. It is better to have the option if necessary than need it and not have it.
 
Well, this is a gun forum so it's no surprise that over 98% of respondents will want to carry a gun. Ask the same question on one of the more liberal touchy-feely forums and the results would likely be reversed. Me? I want my .38 Detective Special.
 
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