CRAZY PREPARED

[Cain]

The best defense is not being there, tbh.

Also, you need a special license in Canada if you want a handgun.

In the UK, you are not allowed to carry a weapon at all, for any reason other than work-related purposes (so, if you are a builder, you can probably get away with a knife of sorts, a martial arts instructor can have a sword in his car....farmers are allowed guns for pest control).

Therefore, its best to carry totally innocuous items which any person could have on them, but learn to use them in such a way that it can do serious harm.  So, for example, I trained with a knife in ju-jitsu, and a pen, when aimed at soft tissue, works just as well with the same stabbing motions.  Deoderant, when sprayed into someone's face, isn't as painful as pepper spray, but still does horrible things to the eyes.  Small mag-light torches are made of aluminum and hurt like hell when they strike a limb.  And so on and so forth.

[East Coast Hustle]

maybe it's just a difference in cultural backgrounds, but I know FAR more people who have saved life/limb/property with their firearms than I know people who have accidentally injured/killed themselves or others with a firearm.

[Doktor Howl]

you DO know what a Derringer is, right?

it's a single-shot (sometimes two shots in a double-barrel configuration) palm-sized pistol that is meant to ONLY be used at point-blank range.

If you can miss your target when your gun is jammed into the target's guts, well, evolution does not favor you.

I have one, a .38 reproduction.

And you're right.  At point blank range, you really can't miss.

But you CAN blow your johnson off getting it out of your jacket pocket.

[Doktor Howl]

maybe it's just a difference in cultural backgrounds, but I know FAR more people who have saved life/limb/property with their firearms than I know people who have accidentally injured/killed themselves or others with a firearm.

I just know more dumb people, I think.

[East Coast Hustle]

also, it takes all of a half-hour to learn basic firearm safety and use. Given the state of the world we live in, there's really no excuse for somebody NOT knowing these things.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

you DO know what a Derringer is, right?

it's a single-shot (sometimes two shots in a double-barrel configuration) palm-sized pistol that is meant to ONLY be used at point-blank range.

If you can miss your target when your gun is jammed into the target's guts, well, evolution does not favor you.

Yes, I know what a derringer is. It doesn't matter, when someone is in a life-or-death situation all sorts of shit happens. It's not a simple as you make it sound. That aside, I would trust a derringer much less than I would trust a revolver in terms of reliability and in terms of accidental discharge.

The attitude that just because it's a derringer anyone ought to be able to carry it around safely and be able to use it properly if they absolutely had to is irresponsible. It's still a gun and shouldn't be in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

[Doktor Howl]

The attitude that just because it's a derringer anyone ought to be able to carry it around safely and be able to use it properly if they absolutely had to is irresponsible. It's still a gun and shouldn't be in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Balls.  Things get more interesting when idiots have firearms.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

The attitude that just because it's a derringer anyone ought to be able to carry it around safely and be able to use it properly if they absolutely had to is irresponsible. It's still a gun and shouldn't be in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Balls.  Things get more interesting when idiots have firearms.

AtD,
wishes they'd make comfortable and affordable bullet-resistant clothes already.

[Doktor Howl]

The attitude that just because it's a derringer anyone ought to be able to carry it around safely and be able to use it properly if they absolutely had to is irresponsible. It's still a gun and shouldn't be in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they're doing.

Balls.  Things get more interesting when idiots have firearms.

AtD,
wishes they'd make comfortable and affordable bullet-resistant clothes already.

Takes all the fun out of it, AtD.

Though I'd be lying if I said I don't own an SCII.

[Remington]

The best defense is not being there, tbh.

Also, you need a special license in Canada if you want a handgun.

no, you need a special license in Canada if you want the government to be OK with you owning a handgun.

big difference.

Yeah, but who wants to wind up in one of their reeducation camps near Yellow Knife?

We're not supposed to talk about those places.

[Doktor Howl]

The best defense is not being there, tbh.

Also, you need a special license in Canada if you want a handgun.

no, you need a special license in Canada if you want the government to be OK with you owning a handgun.

big difference.

Yeah, but who wants to wind up in one of their reeducation camps near Yellow Knife?

We're not supposed to talk about those places.

Then don't.  We here in The Land of the Free™ can talk about anything we like¹.




¹  Some restrictions may apply.  Void where prohibited.

[Remington]

The best defense is not being there, tbh.

Also, you need a special license in Canada if you want a handgun.

no, you need a special license in Canada if you want the government to be OK with you owning a handgun.

big difference.

Yeah, but who wants to wind up in one of their reeducation camps near Yellow Knife?

We're not supposed to talk about those places.

Then don't.  We here in The Land of the Free™ can talk about anything we like¹.

So long as you stay in your Free Speech Zone^TM, sure.

[Doktor Howl]

The best defense is not being there, tbh.

Also, you need a special license in Canada if you want a handgun.

no, you need a special license in Canada if you want the government to be OK with you owning a handgun.

big difference.

Yeah, but who wants to wind up in one of their reeducation camps near Yellow Knife?

We're not supposed to talk about those places.

Then don't.  We here in The Land of the Free™ can talk about anything we like¹.

So long as you stay in your Free Speech Zone^TM, sure.

And as long as our speech isn't, you know, radical or anything.

Safe free speech is safe.

[Freeky]

Freeky couldn't shoot anyone to save her own life.  It's just not in her programming.

She might if her monkey was threatened, of course.  But she'd be better off with bear spray or a spike.

If my monkey was threatened, all I'd need is my fucking TEETH.

I bet I could weild a hammer or other blunt instrument. It somehow doesn't seem the same as puncturing someone or blowing holes in them, bashing their skulls in.

[Cain]

Any close combat weapon is probably going to be more difficult than one which allows you distance, from a "causing other people pain" point of view.  With a gun, its point and pull the trigger.  With a knife, you get covered in blood.  With a hammer or other blunt instrument, you feel the bones breaking with the strikes....

That said, not every psychology is the same.  I'm quite comfortable with knives, because I've trained with them and worked with them in several jobs, I'd probably be more nervous with a gun, since I don't currently have the same level of familiarity, though subsequent training could change that. 

Best thing to do is grab something large and durable and try several different weapons with them, to see what is the most comfortable.  Using something that feels more natural will help, once you get an adrenaline dump and your fine-motor movements go to shit.