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What Are Your Alternatives To Having A Gun When The SHTF?

What Are Your Alternatives To Having A Gun When The SHTF?

Maybe it’s just common thinking in the United States, but many people, both preppers and non-preppers alike, default to thinking that owning a gun is the answer to all of their self-defense issues. And, it’s true, owning a gun is an effective tool for self-defense, but have you considered that you may not always have access to your gun? Maybe the gun-grabbers will get their way and confiscate all of the guns available. Maybe something else happens so that you just don’t have it with you, for whatever reason. What other self-defense options do you have?

Fortunately, you have a variety of options. Here are six options suggested by Brad Steenrod for other weapon options, along with our commentary:

  1. A crossbow or compound bow. This will be one of the most readily available options for you for ranged defense (as in you are not within arm’s reach of the person attacking you) because so many hunters have these particular weapons for hunting purposes. These weapons are especially appealing for our purposes because they shoot almost silently, unlike a firearm, and, with a little practice and a knife for whittling, you can make your own ammunition. This means an almost limitless ammo supply at no cost.
  2. A survival bow. This has the same benefits as a crossbow or a compound bow, but this could be more readily portable because it is designed to be strung or unstrung and taken apart as needed. However, unlike a crossbow or compound bow, you will need more strength to use a survival bow which means that people with less upper body strength won’t be able to use this option as easily.
  3. A slingshot. Whether you believe the Bible story of David and Goliath, the fact of the matter is that slingshots have been used for centuries as weapons. Depending on the type of slingshot that you use (yes, there are multiple types of slingshots), you may need to have access to a stream for smooth stones to throw. You’ll also most certainly want to put in practice time because accuracy with a slingshot can be a challenge.
  4. A machete. Think a long knife. Of course, a sharp blade with a long reach is dangerous enough in and of itself, but machetes have the additional benefit of, frankly, scaring people. People have a visceral fear of sharp blades swinging near them, so this could deter people from being aggressive towards you.
  5. An expandable baton. It’s small. It’s portable. And it can be used to club an attacker into submission. Maybe not the most “elegant” weapon, but it’ll do the job.
  6. A knife. Yes, this is the shorter version of the machete which, probably, has the additional benefit of being able to be used to stab an attacker (machetes don’t typically have points for stabbing), but, like a machete, a knife will do the job, albeit in a messy and unpleasant way.

Here’s a bonus option for you to consider: learn real-world hand-to-hand combat. Note that I am not talking about martial arts for sporting (i.e. competition) purposes. Those are great for getting in shape, but, in a real fight, are not designed to seriously injure an attacker. Why shouldn’t you train in combat sports for self-defense? In a stressful situation, you do what you practice, not what you want to do, so, if you practice to do things that won’t seriously injure someone, then, when you are attacked, you won’t seriously injure your attacker. And that means that they will be able to seriously injure you. So, choose to learn hand-to-hand combat that aims to teach you how to injure an attacker.

What other weapon options do you use? Tell us below.

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