How do you protect yourself from killers or robbers?

Originally posted by manta78
Other than the traditional weapons mentioned, anyone here ever use a flare gun for emergency defense, or is that just in the movies?

This is an extremely bad idea.

Cheaper signal flares - ones commonly used for recreational boating - will bounce off the target, inflicting very little damage. Not even enough to char a denim jacket. Go ahead, ask me how I know.

The flare, after ricocheting around the room, will land on something. Like a sofa, perhaps. It'll burn through that in a couple of seconds and start on the floor below. Your assailant will be laughing quite hard at that point, so maybe you could jump him then.

Using a high powered signal flare (one that's designed to be seen for 40 nautical miles or more) would certainly knock over your assailant, but then you'd have a massive ball of burning magnesium to deal with.

I think about these types of things every day, but have never had to respond since I have never been burglarized or robbed while I was at home... The poster that mentioned running the scenerios through your mind over and over and having a plan is the best thing.. be prepared to use anything as a weapon...
I keep a 300 mW green laser pointer under the bed , one shot in the eye for a milisecond cause permanent retina damage...and overwhelm their eyes long enough to really put the brute force hurt on the perps.. This type of thing is quite effective at night... I would never shine it in a person's eyes until I knew who they were though...
I don't know of a better weapon that is cleaner than this for night time defense...and would cause less secondary trouble for the person than a gun would...

the only way available and legal in the uk - trained dog (i used sicballs as the command) and a cricket bat stored with corkie ball of course.

my illegal more deadly options in the beadroom are an iron cross (razor sharp martial arts sword) and a legal limit semi auto co2 20 shot pistol which goes straigth through a well padded jacket and jumper and stings like a b*tch, as such would easily break skin if no lacket on, my thought are if they get past the dog - i'd use the pistol, then the bat!!!

p.s. the swords for the mrs as a last line of defence

As one guy mentioned before. Make plans for how you would tackle this type of situation a head of time. Create scenarios in you mind.

At my home i have done a few things to prepare for this and in a case of fire.

In my home all the bedrooms are located at the second level. What i have done is put up a fire escape lathers outside every bedroom window. Its not a lather in that sense but a folding out lather, that can only be activated from the bedroom window.

With this lather it is very easy to get out of the house and away from danger.

This is what it looks like. These images are from a add.
www.redningsstige.no...

I have also installed a intercom between our bedroom and the kids. So we can talk to them without even entering their rooms.

I also have infrared motion sensor at key locations on ground level inside the house. It is a silent alarm that is connected to our bedroom and a security firm.


EDIT:

If there is a forced entry, dont try to interact with them or try to locate them. Just get dressed and get out of the house.



[edit on 27.06.08 by spy66]

Bear mace. I'm not even joking here, this stuff will drop you. Its like liquid taser.