Ask HN: Non-lethal weapon to defend one's home? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Non-lethal weapon to defend one's home?

7 pointsmrb22 comments

What would be a good non-lethal (read: not a firearm) weapon to defend one's home from potential burglars caught in the act?

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Burglars generally want two things- get your stuff and get out.

I suggest if they've taken it as far as breaking into your house, and you can't scare them away (maybe something that _sounds_ like a shotgun getting cocked), you let them get away.

(Burglary implies you're not home- this is more robbery and home invasion at this point).

Losing a $3000 laptop is substantially cheaper than a $30,000 hospital bill and ambulance ride after you get lacerated from the knife they're carrying. If you're having trouble with the math, consider that you lose the $3000 laptop in both cases.

That's also assuming you're not more seriously injured or killed by trying to impede them. What multiple of $3000 is your life worth to you?

Shotgun with non-lethal loads. There's a large variety of ammo they make for shotguns.

The nice thing about a shotgun is a large amount of energy is transfered into the person. Unlike a hardball bullet from a rifle that may go straight through like a hot knife through butter. There are special rounds for rifles designed to fragment and dump all the energy into the person (but these are lethal).

Another benefit to shotguns is that when you rack them, the resulting sound will usually equate to sheer terror for most burglars—assuming that's what they're there for.

To rack or not to rack in a home defense situation is actually a somewhat debated topic. By choosing to rack, you're essentially giving up home field advantage in hopes that the intruders run. If they don't, you've just made your tactical situation far worse by announcing your position.

That said, if you're so committed to not taking life as to use less-than-lethal rounds in a shotgun (which I wouldn't recommend), you may as well rack it if confrontation is inevitable.

Some people will load non-lethal for the first 1 or 2, then mix it up with lethal loads of slugs/shot for the remaining.

There is no such thing as a non-lethal weapon, only a less lethal one, and in almost any situation where use of a weapon of any kind is justified in self defense, you want the most effective not the least lethal one.

That said, the appropriate choice (including whether a weapon is a sensible choice) really depends on the detailed circumstances that you are addressing (living situation, local crime characteristics, and any personal circumstances that modify the threat profile from the generic one applicable to the locality.)

A couple of German Shepherds.

Totally agree. A large dog usually keeps burglars from breaking in to begin with. Also install a visible camera and a sign

If you have the patience to raise one, I'd suggest you go in for a Caucasian Ovcharka. Preferably raise a puppy so they can get used to your children and family. I wouldn't call them non lethal but they'd certainly give pause to anything short of an armed robber.

Second choice will be a pitbull.

Also I've known a signpost with the following words to be very deterrent if deterrence is also an option : "Please do not walk on this property unescorted. Pet Cobra on property. Insert picture of large realistic cobra" How many people are willing to rob a house with snakes?

And finally on weapons, i know a guy with a homemade flashlight casing taser. Not sure it's even up to 5000 volts but he claims its come handy in an altercation with an intruder before.

A baseball bat. Keep in mind this is a last resort if you have no other option and you're cornered. A better option is to call the cops and wedge something under your very solid, hard to break bedroom door. If your bedroom door is hollow core, you should upgrade.

The equation changes if you have a family or other people in the house that are looking to you for protection.

In the UK the law is complicated on keeping weaponry in the house, that said when I was burgled the police officer attending in the morning suggested a baseball bat to be kept with a ball therefore it is a sports accessory and not a weapon. I personally keep a 4 D-cell maglite by my bedside, y'know, in case the power goes out.

Bear mace and a taser probably. Spray the mace and back out of the area (read: run), if they continue to pursue you shoot the taser at them.

What's the budget and goal? Do you want to capture them or scare them away?

$2k. Scare them away or incapacitate them if they become aggressive.

Fog-based pepper spray (5mil SHU), a loud speaker playing a pack of dogs getting closer, a mega phone to tell them to leave, and a taser if the first three don't work. Some cameras outside to see it coming or verify intruder is going away. A safe room similarly equipped for your family with good door and lock. A cell phone to call it in. A lawyer on retainer in case it goes to court.

Since you mention "caught-in-the-act" and scare them out, a simple klaxon will do.

You can buy a bang grenade on Amazon, but I prefer a rope, so I can get out any window.

Why can't you get a firearm and just aim for the assailants legs?

Accidents happen: I/kid/spouse/friend/burglar mishandle/steal/find/grasp the firearm. 30k+ deaths per year in the US.

Only 3% of those gun deaths (less than 1,000 per year) are accidental.

I don't mean to downplay the real possibility of people dying from a gun related accident, but using the 30k figure without context is misleading.

I still care about the other "intentional" 97%. Could be my future teen kid getting in an anger fit and murdering someone with the firearm.

>Why can't you get a firearm and just aim for the assailants legs?

Because real life doesn't work like the movies. Doing this in a home invasion situation might get you or others killed.

That isn't to say you can't warn the burglar(s) should it be safe to do so, but generally speaking if you're pointing a weapon at someone, the only valid reason is because you're prepared to deliver shots to center mass and kill them.

Your body, without clothes, stared at by the aformentioned potential burglars. They'll know you're loony and will stop bothering you.

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