Picture this: It’s a dark and stormy night. You’re sound asleep in your bed when suddenly, you hear a noise coming from the hall. Maybe it’s a mouse, maybe it’s a burglar–you’re not sure what it is. It could be either one of them–or maybe even both at the same time!
What do you do? If you want to protect yourself from whatever danger might lurk out there, use the following techniques to defend yourself while waiting for help to arrive or while trying to call 911:
1) Get up and get away from your bed before they see you.
2) Don’t turn on the lights. You might attract the intruder’s attention.
3) Open a window or door a little to keep the intruder from seeing where you are. If you can, make sure it’s facing away from your bed so that they can’t look inside and see what you’re doing.
4) Call out for help while trying to hide. If there’s a lamp near your headboard, pull it over yourself or under the sheets so that you make enough noise to distract the intruder as well as calling for help and giving away your location.
6) If you have pepper spray or another weapon with you, then use it as soon as it’s safe to do so. Don’t wait until the intruder is clearly in your sight. Take cover behind a piece of furniture or under the bed while using pepper spray liberally. You might want to use the aim-point setting on your pepper spray or disable your alarm system before using your pepper spray.
7) Try to keep calm even though you’re scared out of your wits by what’s happening.
8) If you can get to your phone, then call 911 while trying to call for help. Don’t give out your location unless you’re sure it’s safe to do so.
9) If you can hide in a closet or under a bed, then do so immediately. Use any items available as weapons for protection before the intruder finds out where you are and comes after you again. Lock all doors and windows that are not already closed–this will prevent the intruder from coming after you again if they leave unopposed.
Protecting yourself from intruders has never been more important. You can defend yourself from an attacker by using a variety of non-lethal home security devices. They’re designed to scare off intruders without harming or killing them.
Be sure to use whatever devices are appropriate for your situation and location. The best way to protect yourself is to use a combination of home security techniques–not just one or two. In addition, make sure you have the means available for contacting the police as quickly as possible once you get attacked.
Nice article, but what is a “Police Magnum pepperball gun”?
I’ve looked at TONS of Pepperball launchers, but never saw one called a “Police Magnum”.
I own several Pepperball launchers (one for every adult family member), including a 24 Joule Umarex TR-50, a 16 Joule Umarex HDS .68, Sabre SL7, Tippmann TiPX, and a Byrna SD XL.
The Umarex launchers are good “budget” launchers, although the .50 cal Pepperballs used in the TR-50 and Umarex HDP .50 can be difficult to find, and they do not produce as big a cloud as the .68 cal.
For the .68 cal pistols, the Byrna SD XL is at the top of my list. It is the most compact, has the best ergonomics, conventional lever safety. It is fastest to deploy, because it pierces the CO2 cartridge AND fires on the first trigger pull. The Byrna does have a very sturdy magazine, compared to Tippmann/Sabre, but the standard magazine holds only 5 rounds. The Tippmann/Sabre holds 7. The Byrna XL model takes standard 12 gram CO2 cartridges… the standard model requires 8 gram cartridges, which aren’t as common.
The Tippmann and Sabre require two trigger pulls for the first shot, and they use a crossbolt safety. The Umarex launchers require hitting a piercing device on the grip.
Although the Tippmann TiPX and Sabre SL7 are made in the same factory and are almost identical, I prefer the Tippmann over the Sabre for several reasons:
1. There is a tiny clause in Sabre’s warranty that says the warranty is void if you use any projectile other than Sabre… that is absurd
2. I am not pleased with Sabre’s Customer Service. My first launcher failed right out of the box. Sabre tried to avoid replacing or repairing it because they claimed that I voided the warranty by using non-Sabre projectiles. It took a lot of arguing to get the launcher repaired
3. You can not replace common wear items (such as o-rings) on the Sabre without voiding the warranty. The Tippman actually comes with a supply of replacement seals and o rings, and the manual goes into great detail on maintenance and repair
4. The power level on the Sabre is non-adjustable. Tippmann is adjustable.
I have not seen the Tippmann available in any color other than Black. I do prefer a bright color (Orange or Yellow) for non-lethal weapons to prevent them for being mistaken as real firearms
These are Not “non” lethal!
The first two are classified as less lethal for good reasons. Remember to learn what any tool can and can’t do along with how to use them before you blindly carry them. The bat just as any impact tool can kill quickly with a simple strike to certain parts of the body including head and core.
Remember that you are liable for your actions and responsible for your safety not some anonymous person posting on social media! #AddToYourTools and choose your sources wisely
This is an excellent reference that is both instructional and user-friendly. We all need one or two non-lethal weapons for self-defense from this list. But most importantly, we need to know how to use it and safe-keep it properly. I’m thinking of buying a taser baton for the car and my house.