The chance would be small but it is still there and I don't want to be caught off-guard.

I favour the baseball bat as a defensive weapon. It has good amounts of plausible deniability, especially if you own a ball and glove as well.

Yeah, if you're going to use a bat, you need balls.

thank you, behind the scenes, un-thanked moderator! much respecK

There is a lot of talk about "taking a gun away from you," with or without misfiring. There doesn't seem to be a lot of real-world basis for this Hollywood stunt, especially if the gun defender is not willing to go paralytic and is determined to win.

Martial-arts mindset, again.

Doesn't take a lot to fumble a gun if you are suddenly put in a position that is frightening and without precedent in your life.

If you don't feed the roommate much, it'll become mean enough to attack an intruder for you. Otherwise, think human shield!

Hey!

Yea, my first thought was just buy a gun and learn to use it.

I suggest pole-arms. A nice halberd, bardiche, or spear will fuck a fool up while keeping the pointy end far away from you.

(I'm only kidding.)

Yup.
Bust his fucking head to the whitemeat.

Raiders of the Lost Ark ... even Indiana Jones got tired of the bullshit in the market place and just blew the big dude away.







You ain't no Indiana Jones. :headshake

General smiting of the ungodly
 

DanaC, that is why you train, and such instruction is available generally, if somewhat thinly spread, over all the United States. Assiduous training teaches you to function in spite of fear, novelty, or startlement. Martial arts stuff again. Those without it can't grok it. Those who have it wonder at the not-grokking.

A gun is not a magic wand -- it is more like a musical instrument. Like a musical instrument it repays practice; the more diligent the better.

Polearms, glaives and halberds, work well in their mètier -- out of doors, and as long as the other guys didn't bring along too many matchlocks and other gonnes. In house hallways -- use thrusts. But if the other fellow is brisk enough to deflect your point into the wall, the drywall is likely to swallow your warhead end right up.

That's when you want a shotgun for backup -- skeet loads, which are light and small pelleted, which both reduce overpenetration (handy in civil situations) while still delivering a smack like a hard driven deadblow hammer. It won't spray the whole wall at home defense ranges though: the shot charge will essentially make one hole, not much wider than the bore. Always think of it as a bullet, just finely divided and heavy. The light charge of a skeet load also means the report of firing is less likely to cross your eyes and bring down the ceiling, touched off indoors. This is why your preferred gun for this fight should not be a rifle -- too big a boom and too penetrative a bullet.

I think I did say in an earlier post, if you get a weapon, also take some training on how to use it.

Good idea, even with polearms. ;)

In which case they are in no worse a position than they started; if you are in a life-threatening situation already and you screw up a potential save, you are still in the situation.



If you are truly concerned about your safety taking a firearms course should be top priority. I would suggest getting a handgun which is small enough to carry around everywhere you go, but the hardest hitting in that range. Familiarity is better than the stopping power of a shotgun you don't have, or only pick up once a month.

If you are not willing to take a training course, then you don't really feel you are in danger. In that case I suggest getting a folding pocket knife since they are handy to have around and will make you feel better. Keep in mind that without training fending off a potential attack is not an option; if they come at you unarmed intending to take a knife from you they probably can (or are just crazy, which is possible). Your best bet is to never let them know you have a knife until they are already bleeding out, and assume that in the process you will lose a few fingers. Knife fights are no fun for anyone involved.