re: Best non-gun weapon for home defense?

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I'm primarily looking for something that won't but a huge risk if a kid accidentally stumbles upon it.

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Just noticed this part.

There are numerous quick-access gun safes on the market that can be mounted to bed frames, walls, furniture, etc.

Again, just like with any other tool, all that you need is proper training. I hate seeing someone handicap his or her self just because he/she is afraid of an inanimate object.

But this is America and you are free to choose something less effective.

baseball bat

My alarm system is a pretty good repellent. If someone were to continue entering my house, Hans the doberman would be their next level of greeting. If they survive Hans, however unlikely, they meet me with a gun.

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To everyone else, if you're a responsible gun owner then you should recognize that a gun isn't the best fit for everyone in every situation. I myself have no problem with guns - I grew up with them and used to shoot. However, you don't know everyone's situation - including but not limited to certain concerns with children and/or mental health issues with people in the household - so please take a step back.

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You're right. It's your right to protect how you want to. But we are gun aficionados so the topic always migrates that direction.

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including but not limited to certain concerns with children and/or mental health issues with people in the household

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Probably the right call in your case. We don't need another Sandy Hook.

I would say a football bat is your best choice.

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I've made the judgment that bringing a gun into our house will increase - not decrease - the chances of harm falling upon someone. This is limited to my own personal situation and my own evaluation of it - as is my right. I'm make no value judgments about anyone else's.

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Perfectly valid weighing of risks based on your situation.

Living in a safe neighborhood with good neighbors and practicing some common sense goes a long way: lighting around house, good exterior doors which you keep locked and not opening for strangers, having an alarm and a dog. The odds of a stranger forcibly entering your home while you are there, disregarding a home alarm, and causing serious injury to you or your family is miniscule.

If someone breaks in while you are home and has a gun, a baseball bat or other weapon would probably end up causing more harm to you and your family than good. I think an alarm and dog combined would suffice. If you still felt uncomfortable you could add an indoor flood light set to a motion detector that you can turn on at night.

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Best non-gun weapon for home defense

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I don't want a gun

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something that won't but a huge risk if a kid accidentally stumbles upon it

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Ease of use for a very small wife

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Very well trained large dog or two (German Shepard). NOT PIT BULLS.

Alarm system with door and window tirggers which you keep armed
Fortified door jams and dead bolts (useless without fortified jams)which you keep locked
Bright Strobe hand held light at bedside table
Pull apart high decibel personal panic alarm at be side table.

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But we are gun aficionados so the topic always migrates that direction.

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+1

Guns are extremely effective defensive tools and most around here use them.

To the OP, sorry to hear your situation limits your using a firearm.

I think a dog and alarm system are good deterrents. You may have to rely on that since a contact weapon requires the perp to perceive the pain.

I always like to distinguish between two different types of "stops" when I teach my CC classes:

Psychological stop: the person decides to flip the switch to "off" for some reason. It could be your alarm system or it could be that the pain from one bullet to the shoulder is enough for them to submit. Know that the psychological aspect is severely diminished/effected if the person is on some type of drug.

Physical stop: the person is physically stopped from acting. It could be that your shot placement has caused enough hemorrhaging and that the body cannot circulate blood or it could be that you made one well-placed shot in the pelvic girdle and the person can't stand. This is the most effective type of stop and is usually required for a target that is under the influence of a drug.


These aren't end-all, be-all type principles but I think they apply well to almost all circumstances. Know that you will most likely be relying on a psychological stop unless your dog physically incapacitates them or if they actually get past your dog and you manage to break a bone with the bat.

Just some things to consider.