Self defense - what is your weapon of choice?

[ebair]

A couple items for your entertainment

When danger is at your door, the cops are only minutes away.


Fellow is stopped by the local gendarmes for some minor mechanical issue.
"License and proof of insurance please" requests the officer.
Right here officer, I also have a firearm carry permit.
"Oh? do you have any firearms with you?"
Um, yes I do, I have a .40 cal pistol in a shoulder holster,,,,I also have a 9mm in my belt holster and a .38 in a ankle holster,,, and a folding knife,,,,,Oh and there is a AR15 and a shotgun in the trunk.
"Sir, are you on your way to a shooting range or a competition??
No,,
Then what are you afraid of?

Not a darn thing Officer, not a darn thing



prepared, not paranoid

If you choose to keep a weapon there are many factors that go into the choice of hardware, too many for anyone to make a blanket statement that "this one is better than this one" lots of variables go into the choice.
Most overlooked is lots of training with the equipment, awareness and the mind set to be able to make hard decisions NOW.
Oh yeah, the first rule of a gunfight is,,have a gun :~}

[aluminomad]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Rotweiler.

Well trained, socialized. Loyal.

Fearless.

Legal.

Need a BIG shovel. To bury what's left after the rottie has dinner.

or a friend with a pig farm

[aluminomad]

we have several sharp weapons @ hand @ any moment, 2 dogs, several baseball bats & have a rifle on the way... best friend also works for Xe Services... add all that w/many years of customer service & we are a campsite you don't want to mess w/if not invited

I have no quams on beating the **** out of some scumbag that tries to break in & there will be no evidence in scums wake... there will be no wake

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY

[Goin camping]

Originally Posted by aluminomad

add all that w/many years of customer service

This line had me laughing out loud!

*Witness to Police Officer*

"He just seemed to snap and it was just like the Tasmanian Devil in those old cartoons. And when it was all over shreds of the badguy were hanging in all the trees around the campsite."

[Melody Ranch]

Some will remember.....a couple years ago there was a great Vintage Airstream for sale here. Beautiful except for the evidence of a shotgun blast to the fridge and entry (from the inside) and a couple of large caliber bullet holes ( from the entry door area) to the front drivers side above the gaucho. Don't know where the Airstream ended up....I'd love to hear the story.

[DKDarrow]

For years have traveled with a "short barrel" 12 ga pump in it's home on the far side of the queen bed. It just lays on the floor but is out of sight and handy. The box of 00 shells are next to the breaker box in the overhead minus the 5 kept in the weapon.

Recently I got a CW license here in Georgia and yes, carry on my person in those states that have reciprocity with Ga. Sometimes a .22 revolver in a pocket and others a shoulder holster with 1911 style 45..........

Best peace of mind is a simple motion detector type alarm posted at my campsight and aimed down the side of the trailer/truck........God bless.....Dennis

[Woosch]

Athough my preference for home defence would be a 12 ga shotgun, I don't think this would be prctical in the AS. If someone was considering a pistol I coldn't imagine having anything smaller than something in a .380 ca. (my preference is the Walther PP or PPK which could be a whole different thread) On the larger side nothing beats the.45 but my wife has some diffuculty with it.

[PJohnson]

Originally Posted by Dave Park

I have to contribute that I think a shotgun is unsuitable for defense of an Airstream. They have several shortcomings:

1. They're too long. You cannot hold the gun pointed at a person, and turn 360 degrees without lowering or raising it. It's too long. Even a youth model would have this problem.
2. They make a terrible mess at close range. In the event you have to use it, you're alright, but you'll have a 1" hole in your trailer with a lot of biological matter on the entire wall behind it.
3. They're bulky to store. Where can you put it that you wouldn't rather be putting fun, travel-enhancing items?

Apparently, Airstreams are smaller than duck blinds.

Hopefully, you will never have to use a gun, but if you do, you definitely want to have the power to knock tha assailant down. This is why the police use 38 specials or 9mm. The problem with pistols is that you have to be an excellent marksman. Furthermore, they may not be allowed or may be illegal in many locations. On the other hand, unloaded rifles or shotguns are legal in most locations, including Canada.

The advantage of a pump action shotgun is the sound of the action when you chamber a round. Most if not all criminals do not want to be on the wrong end of a shotgun because they know that you do not have to be accurate, assuming that you are using anything but slugs, and that it can be pointed and shot from almost any position, including from the hip. Therefore, if they hear a round being chambered, they will most likely go somewhere else. If you do have to use a gun, a hole in the trailer is the least of your worries.

Dogs are good for early warning but they can be overcome and your "wheels" are useless if you are in the trailer when you need to escape. Finally, I am not sure how effective your "frontal lobes" are when you are confronted with someone that wants to do you harm.

[PJohnson]

Originally Posted by Goin camping

If you don't have experience shooting take a course or two. You need to be familiar enough with your gun to be able to use it properly under duress.

This is excellent advice!

[Boondocker]

I guess you could have Dick Cheney in the next campsite and hope the cross fire discourages evil doers. (I would be careful about making friends with him though.....)

[aluminomad]

one can always go old school w/a can of Aqua-net & a lighter

[jokes... I do not want to be responsible for some dumbass lighting their hair on fire]

[rock60]

when its all over, bad guys have rights to , thats what the courts say.

[tkasten]

I use SW 9 mm and my wife uses a Tauris 38 w/laser grips. We both have CCWs and practice on a regular basis.

[aluminomad]

Originally Posted by rock60

when its all over, bad guys have rights to , thats what the courts say.

hence pig farm

[az-streamer]

a couple of observations -

i don't anticipate a car accident, yet i wear a seat belt.

pre-armed trumps fore-warned

to protect yourself -you need to be proactive. after the fact is too late.

a .22 is better than nothing but probably a bit on the small side.
carry a .38 or .380 at a minimum

shotgun - also good, but bulky and you need to be able to get to it.
a small pocket semi-auto, carried at all times, is probably a better bet

really helpful - a dog that will bark and alert you to any mischief.

know your firearm laws [they are all available on line] - act within them whenever possible.

when travelling, many places consider the inside of your trailer your 'domicile' and possession of a firearm inside your 'home' is okay.

don't advertise whether you carry or not - you should not provide others with info that might help them harm you. keep them guessing. in AZ it's prudent to assume that many people do carry - since they do.

above all - be alert and look alert.

travel safe

[Ray Eklund]

The safest place to park your AS is in the public lands of the Western USA.

Our first line of defense are our two Australian Blue Heelers. Visitors to our camp site do not understand Australian and see the 75 pound male Heeler and 30 pound female pup and wait patiently until we inquire if they need help...

Our second line of defense is loaded. Since we are in bear/mountain lion country often, something that makes noise (9mm, 38 special, 44, 45) will discourage beast or human. Unloaded you might as well be carrying a garden water sprayer.

When Rockdocking we ALWAYS carry a loaded pistol in a holster, belted on the waist, when exploring on BLM or National Forest land. I swing the holster around to my backside, when wearing a long sleeved shirt or tee shirt. We have never faced a threat, but if you have handled a weapon (military, which it seems everyone in their 60's had their two or three years handling pistols, rifles, LAW and similar noisy items) you have a head start.

Always keep the chamber, empty. On a revolver, keep the one cylinder in front of the firing pin empty.

99.999% of Airstream owners will never have an encounter where your life is at risk. But... the security of knowing that you can defend yourself is powerful. Criminals with intent do not give a rat's posterior about laws. If you do not believe in a firearm for security, take a broom to swat the bad guys.

I think some of the humor scattered within these posts are bumper sticker quality. Most important... Quit watching this crap they call entertainment on television with serial killers and drug gangs. You watch the movie "No Country For Old Men" will prevent you from stepping out a campsite.

Women. If you find yourself in the woods, confronted by some nasty bad guy... aim at his testicles. They figure they can survive a flesh wound... but... some wounds are worse than fatal.

[DanielB]

I definitely will be purchasing some sort of firearm.

Dogs are great, except the one that I have now (to me) seems unpredictable. Sometimes he will bark, sometimes not. I really wish I knew what he was thinking sometimes. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, however.

I think that it is a good idea, and not really hard for me, is to not look like you have much money or much of anything worth the effort to try to steal.

The idea of using lethal force against another human being bothers me. But having the ability to do so if a person deserves it makes me calm.

I'm thinking some sort of non-lethal alternatives first.
I think that this world is getting crazier every day.
Definitely want a good .22 rifle in case I get stuck somewhere and need to kill some food.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by DanielB

...
Dogs are great, except the one that I have now (to me) seems unpredictable. Sometimes he will bark, sometimes not. I really wish I knew what he was thinking sometimes. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, however.

...

Perhaps you need a canine decoder.

[Airtandem]

I know of 380 reasons not to mess around. But there is a new kid on the block and that is a can of Wasp spray. the spray will reach out about 30 feet and is effective against most prowlers ie people, dogs, bears etc. A shot to the face will do the job, it will temp blind and also cause respiratory problems. Saw this on a survival show. Also one doesn't have to consider the laws of the land.

[batman]

Belly laughs.
DanielB is sound like your comfort level with fire arms is .22cal and that is better than nothing However Daniel if you are serious about killing some food .22 is not large or powerful enough for anything but small game, rabbits and squirrels. That is why it is illegal to use for big game hunting. I think a shotgun would be a best choice for defense and survival, if I only had one. Easily modified to fit any situation, bird shots, buck shots, slugs and sabot rounds.