A firearm is the best tool for personal defense, bar none. Unfortunately, scandalously, many Americans live in states where the government denies them their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms (amongst other things). They can’t carry a firearm. So, what’s the best alternative weapon? Knife, chemical spray, TASER (where allowed by law)? Self-defense cane? What?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

161 COMMENTS

  1. Cap and ball revolver. Not a great option, but it’s not actually a “firearm” under federal law.

    • It is according to Illinois state law and would likely be considered a firearm if used as a weapon in most if not all states.

    • Although in NYC it is legal to buy and I think have one shipped to tournament door but not to own the caps balls and powder

    • First thought that came to my mind was. “Keep your brain on”. We are the weapon. A firearm is a really good tool but it’s no better than the person using said tool.

      Other good tools include any sharp or blunt instruments that are either on your person or nearby. 😉 objects that can be hurled are useful too….

  3. Even of us folk that carry guns, having pepper spray and even a cane is a good option for non lethal, violent encounters.

    I carry a cane where other weapons and defense tools are not allowed.

    • A good hardwood cane is an excellent melee weapon if the person wielding it is in good physical condition, weighs at least 125 pounds or so, and has a minimal amount of training.

      One good, strong strike with a cane to an attacker’s head will promptly incapacitate the attacker. A similar strike to an attacker’s arm should break it and render it useless.

      While canes are superior to knives in that they enable you strike an attacker at a longer distance, they still limit your reach to about four feet out.

      • Just one good strike should give you enough time to draw and put a couple in him, after which returning to the cane will conserve ammo.

        • A properly placed strike could puncture the heart. . . without an entry wound.

          The coroner would call off the search for the killer, just out of fearful respect.

      • Here in Commiefornia, where just about everything is illegal, I like to carry an Irish Blackthorn Shillelagh on my daily walks. The Irish used them for herding sheep and goat, and to settle the occasional dispute down at the local pub. I get a lot of stares and smirks from people, but then again no one bothers me either.

        • Interesting given that a baseball bat is considered an illegal lethal weapon if you cannot prove you were going to or from a baseball game or practice. guess the obscurity and scarcity means the laws don’t cover them.

      • A knife maker made my titanium cane. On days I need it, plenty of seniors ask me about it. It’s very heavy and expensive but that was before our children came along. The Irish cane (with a name I won’t try to spell), is a work of art and seems deadly in the right hands.

    • I’ve mentioned my daily carry Cold Steel Irish Walking Stick and a DeSantis City Slicker before… yup, still here beside me like faithful dogs.
      The edc knife in my pocket doesn’t count – I haven’t had the training to call it a defensive weapon and the cane has much better reach anyway.

      • When I was young and foolish (3 years ago) I bought one of those. It’s awful. The fabric of the umbrella acts as a cushion so it can’t hurt anyone, and the whole thing is held together by one tiny screw which snapped when I tried to use it to defend against some rain. They refused to honor their warranty, and I’m now stuck with a broken 200$ umbrella. I keep it as a reminder not to believe the hype.

      • Yes, but the advatage of a cane is that it is covered by the American Disability Act and you can not be denied it in any location

  4. “The problem is, in a lot(though not all) of jurisdictions, where you can’t carry a gun, it is illegal to carry a
    lot of other things. Some of these are under a catch all of “deadly weapons”.

    • That’s the Canadian problem as well. If an officer stops someone with something obvious like a padlock and a bandanna, they’ll be in a lot of trouble. If they use something obvious in self-defense, they’ll probably have to answer for it at trial. The decision on whether to hang around and face possible charges or run away and maybe never get caught will weigh heavily.

      The alternative is hoping you’ll be lucky.

      • Seriously? Carrying a padlock and a bandana will get you in trouble in Canada? What happens if they see you clench your fists?

        • The combo isn’t specifically illegal in of itself (unlike a Monkey’s Fist), but they’ll get you for carrying a concealed weapon. That’s why things like rolls of quarters are out.

        • I hope I get lucky after beating someone unconscious with a combo-lock / bandana SAP.

          Just as stress relief.

        • Well played sir! Having been hit with my fair share of pucks, that’ll make them think twice and a quality stick is a legitimate weapon.

        • They would probably still put you in a ‘penalty box’, and probably give you a 5 “minute” major.. Maybe a 10 “minute” game misconduct.

          Alternatively, it could get you a tryout….

      • Canadians prefer only criminals (and now unvetted rejected Muslim immigrants from the USA) have weapons.

    • Not only are other “weapons” often illegal in places with heavy gun bans, self defense laws are often MUCH MUCH worse in these places, especially in other countries. So essentially these states/countries have this type of system set up:
      1) You can’t defend yourself with the best tool available (a fiream).
      2) You also can’t defend yourself with several lesser, but somewhat effective tools (e.g. knives, pepper spray, etc).
      3) IF you somehow magically are able defend yourself WITHOUT any of the banned tools, you are likely to be criminally prosecuted/sued civilly for doing so.
      4) Have a nice day.

      • Yep in countries like those, running away, and leaving the country if you believe you were seen, is probably the best option. 🙁

  5. Carry a police officer. Duh! Isn’t that what you do when you can’t carry a gun? I’m flexible though, and would carry a Marine if there wasn’t a police officer handy.

    • I’d recommend one of them mythical “female infantry” Marines. They come in at about 1/2 the weight with far less profanity. (and they tend to smell a lot better)

  6. Expandable Baton… compact and allows you to keep your distance. Unfortunately, generally illegal (even in states that allow concealed carry).

    • I carry and use a 26″ ASP on duty. You’ve got to choke up pretty well and hit the corner of a window just to break it, whereas a heavy flashlight like a Streamlight SL-20X blows through windows with ease. Count me the heavy cane / hickory stick / heavy flashlight.

  7. A wooden bat in the car, a kubotan on my keys, a Surefire Defender flashlight and a Benchmade folding knife. A krambit and neck knife will soon be added to my daily cary.

  8. aluminum baseball bat?? Just carry a baseball glove, everyone will think you’re coaching little league or something. For you great white northern uber yankees, a hockey stick will totally suffice.

  9. marine flare gun, even the straight tube models. other than the smoldering apparel using one shouldn’t be too messy as it may cauterize the gaping wound on it’s way through. in theory.

      • Tested already by Iraqveteran8888 on YouTube. Effective but poor accuracy. Also, sometimes using it as a firearm legally identifies it as a firearm.

    • In ‘Nam, I fired one at an outhouse (refuse can loaded with kerosene) from around 25-30 feet, and didn’t get close. There may have been alcohol involved.

      • Excellent report. and more than sufficient parameters tested. Thank you Sir!

        No telling how a fake-news embed reporter would have characterized it.

    • Legit, it is a gun. An exception is carved out for them. They shoot a metal projectile often in excess of 100 grains (I am thinking the 12 gauge kind). Velocity wise at muzzle it is probably in the 300fps range if you are lucky. It would put the hurt on someone but would most likely be non-lethal. A 26.5 millimeter borders on being lethal at close range.

      However . . . however . . . they are not a fire hazard. They are a fire guaranteed to happen. Seriously, you can use them in a survival situation if nothing else will ignite your kindling in wet/frozen conditions.

    • Cane sword / gun with the folding thing that goes up.

      It has a threaded barrel, and a 3/16″ dovetail.

    • Agreed. Uhaul your life to a better place.

      Speaking from experience, it is not the easy path, but it is worth it.

    • Chances are, if your state has rampant gun-control, your state has other rampant problems as well.

  13. Gonna go with whatever doesn’t get the cops in your area mad, and will not attract any attention. If you’re in the server business get a nice heavy server rail to keep by your desk. “I’ll get to moving that junk one day.”

  14. Hand grenade. When you need crowd control (would have been great at Berkeley yesterday).

    Failing that, a good hardwood or high-impact plastic cane.

    • Those are just idiot kids for the majority they don’t comprehend how ass backwards their actions are.

        • No, they aren’t “domestic terrorists”,. Federal law defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives” (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85).

          Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski were domestic terrorists. These are idiot kids at best and at worst low-level vandals. The use of extreme language doesn’t add credibility to your argument, it diminishes the credibility of our side. Your push for extreme violence via summary execution of protesters and low-grade criminals makes us look like fascists and proves that you are unsuitable to possess any firearm.

        • So staging a riot to shut down a political speech is not the TEXTBOOK DEFINITION of using violence for political aims? Are you fucking serious?

        • Maybe not “domestic terrorists” but they were definitely masked rioters and possible looters. Those should be shot on site.

        • Interesting. They are definitely idiot kids that have no idea what they are saying or how they are being used. Most of them, the organizers are professionals. BUT! They are denying first amendment right to others. They are using force and threat of force to prevent others whose opinions and politics they disagree with from exercising their civil rights. Given that several of their targets have been knocked unconscious or been bloodied, many of these protestors have actually used deadly force and the threat of deadly force to prevent the exercise of other’s first amendment rights.

          So, how would you classify these ‘kids’.

          There quite likely is a federal civil rights case to be made at several of these protests.

        • Dave,

          Weren’t these “kids” using violence and destruction of property against businesses, government (UC Berkeley, the police) and private citizens to further their political goals? What they were doing seems to fit nicely into the definition of terrorism you provided.

        • Dave:

          Did you even read the definition of what you posted?

          No, they aren’t “domestic terrorists”,. Federal law defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives” (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85).

          By that definition they are certainly terrorists. Their political objectives were to suppress the speech, and they used force against both persons and property to do it.

        • “So staging a riot to shut down a political speech is not the TEXTBOOK DEFINITION of using violence for political aims? Are you fucking serious?”

          Yes, keyboard commando, I am “FUCKING SERIOUS”. The type of violence used in terrorism prosecutions equals deadly force (i.e., murder, kidnapping, explosive devices, shootings, etc.) Try to prosecute protesters for anything above disorderly conduct (or assault, if someone is injured) and you can watch your case get dismissed faster than a tax protester trying to shirk on his federal income tax in US District Court. Try again next time.

          And oh yeah, I am also “FUCKING SERIOUS” that a nut like you who advocates the summary execution – murder – of political protesters is unsuitable to own firearms. Face it, you’re the wrong guy for our cause. #sorrynotsorry

        • @Five “There quite likely is a federal civil rights case to be made at several of these protests.”

          42 U.S.C. 1983 governs federal civil rights claims. A Section 1983 claim cannot be maintained against a private party who does not act under (color) of the law. There is no case. Protesters have their right to free speech and are under no obligation to express an alternative viewpoint. To state otherwise would merely invite Section 1983 liability against the municipality.

          Protesters may not harm assault others or damage property. They should be held responsible for any damage they create and they should be arrested for any assault committed. But they aren’t terrorists.

        • Fucktard, when they destroyed property and assaulted people they committed “unlawful violence” to advance a political goal. That IS TEXTBOOK TERRORISM. The USC 1983 charge would be against the Berkley PD who stood by and let these terrorist ATTACK PEOPLE.

        • Fucktard, when they destroyed property and assaulted people they committed “unlawful violence” to advance a political goal. That IS TEXTBOOK TERRORISM. The USC 1983 charge would be against the Berkley PD who stood by and let these terrorist ATTACK PEOPLE.”

          Hey, keyboard tough guy “fucktard”, the law distinguishes between minor crimes and politically motivated terrorism. You should get out of your parents basement and go to law school before spewing erroneous legal conclusions.

          Now for the coup de grace:

          By “USC 1983 charge” you mean “Section “1983 claim”. If you had more brains than teeth, you would know that 42 U.S.C. 1983 is a civil statute. So it’s a claim, not a charge. Cause of action is a better term.

          In Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748, the Supreme Court held 7-2 that a town and its police department cannot bring a claim under 42 U.S.C. 1983 for failing to enforce a restraining order. Justice Scalia writing for the majority stated that an individual has no property interest in police protection and therefore cannot claim that the police violate a citizen’s due process rights for failing to enforce the law. Specific police action is decided by police discretion.

          You lose. Don’t like it? Tough. Take your gripe to a court and pray you don’t get Rule 11 sanctioned for your vexatious B.S.

          And one other thing: Your actions continue to show that you’re unsuitable for firearm ownership, loser.

        • Yeah… I’m going to take legal advice from a leftie faggot who obviously flunked out of law school in his first semester.

          I hate to break this to you, but it the police were INSTRUCTED to not respond to violence, they can be held responsive under USC 1983 AND their chain of command can be charges for MATERIAL SUPPORT OF TERRORISM.

          Oh, and a RIOT is not a “minor” act. There’s a reason that FELONY RIOTING is punishable by TEN YEARS IN PRISON in some jurisdictions. You have no idea what you’re talking about and defending this sort of scum makes YOU an accomplice and means that YOU can be charged with material support of terrorism. Enjoy your stay in GITMO cuck.

        • I was wondering if anyone was running an IR detector during any of the POS’ “hanging out until we get up the stones to break, steal, or ruin something”. I remember the EU having a problem over there with foreign, and domestic (Lib_prog_comm_gloablaist POS’s) using IR lasers to ruin / destroy the vision of some of the police/military/first responders on hand for the fake-news fake-“protest” events. There’s a few companies out there who have decided that making products to counteract such incidents might make them some revenues [e.g., https://www.revisionmilitary.com/%5D

          I F
          That WERE the case, that is at least assault, but they should be able to pay with their lives on the spot for it.

        • The idiot kids were the 1500 peaceful protesters, the terrorists were the 150 anarchists bussed in to trash and burn the neighborhood, whit their goals *EXACTLY* what you describe! There should have been 150 arrests, less however many were killed during their arrest.

        • Based upon my experience with law and the Constitution, places like Berkeley view law “more like guidelines than actual rules.” Whatever the law actually defines takes a backseat to the opinion of an activist judge or a group of people too stupid to get out of jury duty.

        • Which is why you put them in front of a military tribunal as illegal combatants. There is nothing in the CotUS that requires them to be tried in their place of residence or by civilians.

        • Ha. Ha. Looks like I hit a nerve with the keyboard tough guy who lives in his mother’s basement.

          No self-respecting Jewish man would ever want a mealy mouth neo-nazi like you to listen to them. Ever. Looks like my work here is done, loser.

          But all your ham fisted typing in the world doesn’t change the fact that the police have no constitutional obligation to protect you. That has long been one of the strongest arguments for gun rights. Haven’t been a liberal in all of my 52 years. I support a full repeal of the NFA. Always have, always will. And for the record – you’re still not qualified to be trusted with a squirt gun let alone a firearm, scumbag.

        • What part of “ordering the police to stand down constitutes material support of terrorism” didn’t you understand? There is a difference between failure to act and an order to deliberately NOT act.

        • I would point out a few things here.

          First, there is a distinction between the protesters and the organized criminal enterprise that call themselves “anarchists”.

          The protesters came with chants and silly signs. The anarchists came armed and prepared for what they intended to do and they have a decent grasp of police tactics to boot. These guys rolled in with backpacks full of fireworks, inflammable liquids and other fire making equipment. They also came prepared with bandannas soaked in milk to defeat tear gas. That’s organization.

          Once on scene they attacked people. That’s assault. They also lit things on fire, things they didn’t own, that’s arson. Their actions forced the cancellation of a political event and were clearly designed to do so. They then went out and damaged businesses to the tune of thousands of dollars, that’s felony destruction of property. They also intentionally mixed in with a peaceful crowd and while perhaps not illegal it’s certainly a form of using human shields which makes them cowards.

          Since the whole thing very clearly was organized I would argue that at best these people should hope for a RICO case for a charge of assault with intent for each person injured, felony arson, felony rioting, destruction of property etc. I don’t know if it rises to flat out terrorism in a strictly speaking legal sense, but serge is certainly right, they engaged in violent action for the express purpose of making a political point which is the textbook definition of terrorism. If the textbook and the legal definitions diverge from one another, that should be remedied.

          I’m sick of this shit. If the cops aren’t going to go grab these guys, crack skulls and drag these 150 assholes (or some portion of them) off to face some serious charges because mixing into the crowd is too much of a threat to officer safety then simply announce that the use of live ammo is authorized in five minutes and countdown to 0 using a megaphone.

        • This guy’s definition of domestic terrorism vvvvv is exactly the definition of what those felons, criminals and terrorists are doing. I suspect they took the REPLY button off of his post because he is in a padded room and really shouldn’t have contact with us.

        • Nits is a word. Knits is a verb present tense for turning yarn into a wearable product. I live to inform.

        • GNITS is a standard of software distribution.

          Gnats are a flying pest insect.

          Grits are a corn based breakfast dish.

      • “Which is why you put them in front of a military tribunal as illegal combatants. There is nothing in the CotUS that requires them to be tried in their place of residence or by civilians.”

        You’re a fucking illegal combatant, you antisemitic piece of shit.

  15. I’m waiting for someone to hobble together the first portable directed energy weapon or lethal coil gun in their garage out of pure spite. If it uses electromagnetic acceleration or a particle beam, it’s not a firearm!

    A guy can dream . . .

    • It’s coming. With the rate that battery and capacitor technology has been improving, that day will be soon. And I would totally carry a coilgun.

      • Bah, get a rail gun. It’s a solid piece of gear that you can club people over the head with. Properly designed, it will be just as durable as modern firearms.

  18. What does the Declaration of Independence proscribe against such tyranny?

    Found these quotes yesterday:

    “Guns are a lot like parachutes ~ If you need one and don’t have one,
    you’ll probably never need one again”.

    The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a
    living are out numbered by the people that vote for a living

    “No man who refuses to bear arms can give sound reason why he should
    be allowed to live in a free country” Teddy Roosevelt

    Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it
    tougher for sober people to own cars.

    • Honestly, I prefer a rip hammer or framing hammer.
      One can buy perfectly serviceable reproductions of actual medieval warhammers, though.

  20. The old fashioned wooden crossbow can be an effective home defense weapon; can being the operative word.

    Fairbairn explains how to use a smatchet. The smatchet is an effective home defense weapon, but it isn’t a ranged weapon. You’ll be at a big disadvantage if your attacker has even a .22 zip gun.

    Slings are effective and carry the energy of a .38 special but they can’t be used indoors and require a lot of practice.

    • Exactly, a lot of medieval handheld weaponry ( halberds, war hammers, axes ) could do some major damage ….and propelled by nothing more than the user’s own physical strength. Even f**king steel plate armor could be pierced by such weapons. Imagine what they would do on today’s streets against unprotected flesh ? Yikes.

  22. Whatever won’t get you sent to jail is the best weapon for your area. Chances are that if you can’t carry a gun you live in a state where the lawyers are just itching to send people to jail for self-defense cases anyway so I guess your best self-defense weapon is a new job in a free state.

  23. Good old fashioned hand to hand combat training from a reputable instructor. It’s the most work, but also the most useful option.

      • I would say it also has the advantage of keeping you in good physical shape. This in of itself makes that type of training worth it. Most of us are more likely to die of obesity related Health issues than any type of ‘gun violence’.

  24. I don’t know from “best.”

    I was very happy with my post-stroke walking stick: cane length, shaped like a shillelagh, but of oak, with a brass knob vs. the traditional one-piece of brackthorn.

    That one I’d carry, would be useful if needed, and I had an excuse: “I had a stroke, officer. Sometimes I get a bit shaky.” Since I stopped needing, or generally carrying that stick, I have a few times declared myself to fatigued, and taken the walking stick just in case. I seem to be a bit more concerned about fatigue when the silly people are out in force.

    There’s something about a moderate-length stick, and people who’ve trained in any of the blunt stick disciplines, vs. bare hand, edged weapons or pole-arm length. The late Donn Draeger said that even someone who’s main focus is open-handed practice should train in at least one hand-weapon, for the insight into distance, space, and timing. That’s been true for me. I was a klutz before the brain injury, but with even a little practice with jo and bokken, my placement & movement in space were way, way better, and that’s still true, even now.

    There was some marvelous video of one of the pre-war cohort of Aikido teachers working with a standard walking cane. He was also a Western-rules boxer, and it showed. You can tell the people who have trained in hitting, up close, at power, too.

  25. Weponized Anthrax.

    If I’m going down for the “crime” of self-defense I’m taking as many of those jerks with me as I can.

  26. I’ve had a Pepper Blaster in my pocket every day for 5 years +various knives.Never been made. Working on CCL. And it occurred to me that except for weight a blaster is thicker (more than 1 inch)than a great many small semiautomatic pistols. I have a dandy small hickory handled axe in my car to as well as a knife. And I have had various baseball bats in vehicles.

    • former water walker,

      Beware: I heard reports that pepper spray loses its heat after a few months. If your pepper spray is five years old, it may be nothing more than a can of water.

      • It depends a little on storage, since police pepper spray is food-grade Oleoresin of Capsicum in a water solution. We replace our after 4 years of manufacture. Given a variety of OC shenanigans, it’s still hot, but not quite as hot as well new.

      • I am aware of the expiration date. Got a new one. Never used yet. Almost shot a few dogs riding my bike.Ho nestly I think pepper is mos ly reserved for 4 legged critters. 2 legged scum get a blade…

        • John: some dogs chase a bicycle and attack the rider’s legs. I’ve seen it happen on some groups rides. Pepper spray is better than shooting them.

  28. When I’m in a gun free zone like a highway rest stop or shopping mall here in Illinois I carry a gun.

  29. i asked my democrat neighbor and he suggests a rubber dildo’ something in the 12″ or longer range.

  30. I think Joe R knows the answer to this.
    Your best weapon for those that can’t carry a gun? Stop voting for Democrats.
    Your second best weapon is a real estate agent.

    • knuckle dusters and a good set of work boots for when they hit the ground.

      Slide them back in your pocket after the initial hit. If its dark there a good chance no one will see what you did.

  31. I keep pepper spray, a 3-Dcell maglite, and a quick-open Kershaw blur knife in my truck (I also carry an HK VP9, but not as accessible). For those who think the maglites suck, you are right. However, I converted mine to LED and replaced the plastic lens with a glass lens, and the difference was huge. If someone advances my truck in a threatening way, I can legally spray them from 10-20 feet away and drive away, and would be largely justified under the law. If they stick a hand in my truck, I can cut their hands or beat the living snot out of them with the maglite.

    • I had a 4D mag lite and I replaced it with a 2D LED Mag lite. It’s less useful as a club, but an awesome flashlight. The 4D mag now rides in my daughters truck.

  34. I currently carry a Fox Knives DART (straight blade karambit) in my right pocket and a Strobeforce D-Tac 1000 lumen flashlight in my left pocket. They’re both similar in weight and balance, both effective striking implements and have complimentary features. Plus they’re deployed in a very similar manner, so training for one is effective training to use the other…

  35. As other people have pointed out, many places where you can’t carry a gun will severely restrict what other “weapons” you can carry. This may mean you can’t carry a knife, kubaton etc. In places that are restrictive you certainly can’t carry a swordcane or similar weapon. If you can carry an improvised weapon, in say your car, a 4′-6′ length of Roto-Rooter snake makes a vicious weapon that will send even serious hardasses running if you hit them with it once or twice. There’s a guy at my BJJ school who’s 70 year old mom beat the absolute hell out of a drugged out 200+ pound road rager with one those.

    A cane fits the bill nicely except for a couple things I’ll note about it. First, as someone who needed one for a while, I note that when you need a cane it’s obvious. When you don’t carrying one stands out. On top of that, other than baiting someone into taking a strike from it, a cane is difficult to use if you actually need it because you lack the mobility to effectively use the greater range it gives you over say, a knife or fists. Reaction by definition being slower than action it’s not going to be a great weapon for someone who actually needs one unless they happen to be Bruce-Chuck-Chow-Jet-Statham-Lee-Li recovering from an injury.

    Some people have discussed fitness. The truth, IMHO, is that other than a gun, pepper spray or an air taser (something you can use to incapacitate at range) everything we’re going to discuss here is some variant of hand to hand or melee combat. In such fights fitness matters. It matters a lot. If you can’t run 50 yards without being winded you’re not going to last more than a few seconds in an actual fight before you’re gassed. Fit and strong people are just harder to kill. On top of that there is evidence from studies, notably a couple out of USC Medical Center, that suggest that people who are significantly overweight or obese are twice as likely to die from trauma as people who are not significantly overweight. Why exactly wasn’t addressed in the study I read but I have my suspicions. Either way, obese with traumatic injury = 32% fatality chance while not obese/significantly overweight = 16%. Lose that weight folks, that’s really all I can say.

    Back to the weapons topic: One thing I’ve found that doesn’t even raise an eyebrow from the most anal retentive TSA agent is a small, bright, well built flashlight. Something at 200+ lumens is disorienting and uncomfortable when directed at the eyes, even if the person you’re shining this thing at is in bright sunlight and wearing sunglasses it still sucks. On top of that it’s a serviceable impact weapon/fist pack if you have to use it and know how. SureFire has a number of offerings. Some of the Streamlight ProTacs come to mind as well. Personally, I like the Fenix PD22, small, bright, tough as nails and it just happens to fit my hand perfectly. Glass breaks are nice to have on a light like this because now it’s a rescue tool but also something you can use, like a kubaton, to exploit pressure points if someone is really strong and gets a hold of you.

    In terms of what you can carry literally anywhere… a quality flashlight, that’s what I’ve got. A tactical pen can go a lot of places but, some states/cities may say it was a “weapon” if you actually use it.

    • I’ve heard the glass breaks on a flashlight can get it classified as a weapon, can’t remember where I heard that though.

        • MagLite lenses are made of Lexan or something very similar.

          Nearly impossible to shatter.

          If your flashlight has a glass lens, remove it from the flashlight, clean it spotless, then cover both sides with a clear flexible tape, trim, and re-install…

        • Geoff:

          Were you being sarcastic? (Good tip on toughening glass btw though).

          We were talking about “glass breaks”, they’re pointed bits on a flashlight that allow you to use it to break windows. Some flashlights like the SureFire E2D Defender have teeth around the lens.

          Others have something like this on the tail: https://www.amazon.com/Bust-Cap-Breaker-Streamlight-Flashlight/dp/B005T9Q0WE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486099431&sr=8-3&keywords=flashlight+with+glass+breaker

          Regardless of the specific design, they’re meant to allow you to concentrate force and break car windows to get someone out or you can use them to bash someone. Whether meant for cars or as a PDW, they have the same effect when used against a person which is to turn the light into a makeshift kubaton.

        • I read it as “if the glass breaks on your flashlight, the sharp bits can be considered a knife”

          Re-reading this AM, I obviously mis-read it yesterday…

  36. Pepper spray is a fairly useful defensive weapon that is easy enough to use by even someone with no training and limited physical ability. It’s no gun but…

  37. Wear a fake suicide vest and flash the perp screaming “Allahu Akhbar!” If he doesn’t die from instant dysentery, he’ll die from windburn as he runs like hell. And you don’t need a government-issued permit to act nuts.

  39. You’ll never be able to carry anything worthwhile if you’re going to go into a government office and they’re sprouting like mushrooms everywhere after a fetid wet decade of rain.

    Now, if you’re in a normal office, there’s almost always a broomstick or mop-handle somewhere. That with a lot of tape and a letter opener = decent improvised weapon. In the field, any walking-stick can be used immediately and without any changes as a quarterstaff or just a stick to push back, deter, or defeat an attacker.

    On city streets its another thing altogether, particularly in more hopolphobic zones. I’m partial to the so-called “glass-breaker” utility tools that have seat-belt cutters, glass breakers and a modest blade on them. There’s a fully legitimate reason for one to be in any vehicle or in a pocket and they’re really cheap.

    But at the end of the day, any firearm is still going to be the preferred weapon.

  40. I’m not sure I understood the QOTD. Are we in a state like NY where even basic knives are forbidden? Are we in my house where I’m no longer a legally able citizen and can’t own a firearm?

    If I’m no longer legally able to own a firearm, I’m going down the path of history, and I’m grabbing edged weapons, or the same in a blunt force object.

  41. Maybe just carry a sock in one pocket, and a hefty padlock in the other side. Separately, just items you’re carrying. Combined, something that will knock the daylights out of any felon messing with you. And I think we’re getting to the point that calling someone a “fucktard” is equivalent to the Hitler citation in jumping the shark when trying to make your point. If you are doing something so suspicious the Police feel obliged to pat you down, maybe consider doing other things in other places.

  42. …wasp spray can be an effective deterrent, despite the warning on the can against “unlawful use”…Spraying it in the eyes WILL send the assailant to the hospital…

  43. Flashlight. One to two thousand lumens or more (especially with strobe) are good for briefly disorienting an assailant and beating a hasty retreat.

    Completely legal and very pocketable. Not so effective in daylight, but indoors, in a parking garage and certainly at night, a great tool to have.

  44. I’ve watched YouTube videos of guys testing wasp spray on each other , much much less effect then pepper spray .

    Happen to know a guy who,shot another guy in the chest with a flare gun on a boat, he basically said ouch and brushed his hand across his crest , so basically nothing happened . Other then they don’t rent boats to firefighters for the Pike derby anymore….

  45. Unfortunately, the same states that don’t allow concealed carry also don’t allow Tasers, pepper spray, metal batons, cap-and-ball black powder revolvers, sword-canes, daggers, or even slingshots. I know this because I live in the People’s Republic of New Jersey, where only criminals are armed, while law-abiding citizens are left totally defenseless, ripe for the picking!

  46. How ’bout one of those pistons and a tank of compressed air like the guy in No Country for Old Men.

  47. Walking the neighborhood and open spaces near by, I generally have two gsd’s on leash in my left, a stout ironwood walking stick in right.

    Surefire in back left pocket, and Benchmade tanto folder in the right rear.

    Coyotes and homeless sleeping in the bushes really hate that light.
    So far neither has taken on the GSDs, either.

  50. Many years back (funny how most of my posts start this way) I was hobbling around on a broken left ankle. The ankle was in a plaster walking cast so that gives you an idea of how long ago it was. I also used a hardwood military issue cane. I was in my dress blues and waiting for a train in NY city. A punk with a knife decided that he needed my wallet more than I did. I came across his collarbone with the cane and I’m sure that I broke something or several things on the BG. I also kicked the guy in the shin and he limped away as fast as he could in obvious pain.I don’t think that I’d try to kick anybody if I was wearing one of the new resin casts but the combination of the cane and that clunky old plaster cast worked great. I was 20 years old at the time – just home from Vietnam and so crazy that I really didn’t care.

  51. I had a buddy in the Navy who would find a good, palmable throwing rock as soon as he would get ashore every port call. If he would have ever gotten questioned about it, he would have said he collected rocks from different places he visited. When we were on a port call in St. Thomas, he was walking along a road and got accosted by three local tough guys who demanded his money. He reached in his pocket as if to comply and beaned the leader in the forehead, putting him down. Then my buddy ran. The two other BGs did not follow. They probably didn’t want to leave their fallen leader.

  52. I”m thinking cane, since I’m older now and have a few issues with a torn Achilles tendon….still under treatment.

    Currently, I’ll carry pepper spray if I can, always carry a folder, steel bodied pen and a nice bright flashlight.

    Sometimes I carry my laser pointer, since I do presentations a lot (that ‘professor’ thing) but it isn’t your run of the mill one….quite a bit brighter. Because…distance to screen…I got it on sale…etc.

    I’ve also studied NLP/Hypnosis/Persuasion/etc., for over eight years now, including some of what is considered “Dark Side”. So, if it is a situation where possible, I might go something like
    “I know I should have bought the yellow shoes with the green laces. They had some with red laces, but they reminded me too much of mustard and ketchup. And when I last did catch up with my dad, we talked about and made faces about tying my laces, with we did in many places, though never at the races. ……”
    Yeah, it is longer, but the basic concept is there…their brain goes into a “WTF?” overload adrenaline dump mode and they become, oh, lost, let’s say.
    Only had to use it one time on a belligerent drunk and it was incredible to watch him just shut down.
    Now, in a riot, I’m putting on a hoodie and heading to the edges until I can get the heck out of the area.

    Overall, the most important thing I think you can carry yourself. Your brain is still your first weapon.

    Or,of course, with the right budget, you could go all Hollywood and carry the pen that signs the paychecks of several personal guards..

  53. When I am anywhere where carrying my pistol or revolver CCW is not permitted, I always carry my cane. An overhead strike upon or about an assailant’s head or arm with one will usually stop any attack. And if the first blow doesn’t stop the attacker, the second strike should do the job. Cold Steel makes indestructible canes; and regular aluminum ones can be had in any department store for under $20. And as others here have commented, canes can not be prohibited anywhere.

  54. Use a wooden baseball bat rapped in barb wire. It was on a video from the 2017 shot show. I don’t know the name of the company selling them. Walking Dead inspiration.

  55. My karate/kung fu/kickboxing/tae kwon do/aikido/judo, and many other skills, are impeccable, I am an umpteenth black belt in all. I don’t need no stinking firearm. Bunch of wussies, stand up and fight like men. (Yeah, right).

  56. I’ve only been carrying for two years, and I’ve only owned my own guns for three, but I’ve been carrying knives for at least ten, and I still carry them now. Not as effective as a gun, but hey, any port in a storm. And, honestly, if I’m somehow caught unawares and don’t have the time or space to draw because the assailant is physically in contact with me, immediately closing the distance with a knife and fists seems like a better strategy than backing up to get more room.

Comments are closed.