What weapons do you have at hand?

[Jdokan]

A couple of nasty dogs, an attack ferret and my personal choice :battery operated carving knife.....lay it on and push the button, cuts through most anything......after that.....a very angry wife...( I can just picture them coming in with "dirty shoes" ) God knows I wouldn't mess with her....

 

[tellner]

The point I originally made was that one can always be armed. It's a matter of mindset and preparation. If you've got the attitude and have learned to see everything as a potential tool you can win a fight with a toothpick or a roll of toilet paper. If that hasn't happened you could be in the middle of an armory and still be defenseless.

Having made that point, there's another one that bears repeating. If you think you will need emergency procedures and that special equipment will help you survive put some thought into getting that emergency gear.

In my case it's pretty easy. Our house is full of implements of destruction. But there are a few things we keep ready. Of course, if the bad guy comes around the corner to see me smiling and firing up the cutting torch while holding an optimistically-proportioned personal relaxation device in the other it might have a salutary effect on his morale... %-}

The first essential is a planned, practiced response. We have fire drills. We have earthquake drills (Toss the cats out the window, grab the dogs, head out the door). We have our own version of "General Quarters! Prepare to repel boarders." Take indicated actions. If there's a moment to spare one of us will call the police. Otherwise here's how it goes:

1. Grab the first gun or sharp thing that comes to hand. If you have time grab one of the other category.
2. Release the dogs if they're locked up for the night.
3. Get to a prepared defensible position.
4. Assess and deal with whatever comes into the field of fire. If it's one of us, a guest or one of the the dogs or cats hold fire. If it's the police, hold fire, point the gun in another direction, call the dogs off and do whatever the nice officer tells you. If it's an intruder neutralize that threat. Hold position. Repeat until we are sure that none of them is a threat anymore.
5. Apply any needed first aid.
6. One person maintains position. The other gets a phone and calls the police. Make sure they know what we look like (Overweight naked middle aged White guy with brown hair and a shotgun and hot naked Afro-Asian woman with a lever action rifle)

A good tool combines the sharp pointy and bang-stick aspects and has enough authority make someone stop being a threat. In my case it's a Mossberg 590 with a folding stock and attached M-9 bayonet. Extended magazine has 2-1 pattern of Remington Solid Copper Slug and #0 buckshot. You don't even have to switch hands to switch weapons. And in the confines of our home thrusting makes more sends than slashing. I used to use a Speed Stock. Then I realized that at home defense distances if you can't do the job with nine shots of 12 gauge, eight shots of JHP .30-30, a bayonet and a big Keris you don't need weapons. You need a priest :shrug: