bad to carry other weapons along with your firearm?

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I'm pretty certain that if you shot someone trying to beat you it wouldn't end up in court. Maybe if it's a bar and you are both intoxicated or something, but if some drunk guy tries to beat me in front of my apartment (not just a punch or something but actually brawling) he's getting shot (assuming I cannot escape).

I don't know if he has some sort of weapon and if someone is attacking you like that they could very well kill you. I'm also a scrawny computer nerd with nerd muscle!

I sometimes carry a knife, but both a knife and a firearm are lethal weapons so it doesn't much matter.

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mdguy90 wrote:

I know there are quite a few people on the forum who carry stuff like mace, tasers, knives, and extending batons along with their sidearm.

What if (God forbid) someone had to draw their gun to stop a threat and fired. If the criminal lives, couldn't lawyers bring charges against the man saying "he had a (insert non lethal weapon, mace, baton etc) on him at the time and could have stopped the threat without having to shoot this person" ?

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Simple answer is:

Move to a state with a (good and robust) castle doctrine law.


For example, from Indiana:

IC 35-41-3-2
Use of force to protect person or property
Sec. 2. (a) A person is justified in using reasonable force against another person to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person:
(1) is justified in using deadly force; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;
if the person reasonably believes that that force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to the person or a third person or the commission of a forcible felony. No person in this state shall be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting the person or a third person by reasonable means necessary.
(b) A person:
(1) is justified in using reasonable force, including deadly force, against another person; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;
if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to prevent or terminate the other person's unlawful entry of or attack on the person's dwelling, curtilage, or occupied motor vehicle.
(c) With respect to property other than a dwelling, curtilage, or an occupied motor vehicle, a person is justified in using reasonable force against another person if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to immediately prevent or terminate the other person's trespass on or criminal interference with property lawfully in the person's possession, lawfully in possession of a member of the person's immediate family, or belonging to a person whose property the person has authority to protect. However, a person:
(1) is justified in using deadly force; and
(2) does not have a duty to retreat;
only if that force is justified under subsection (a).

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Grapeshot wrote:

RIAShooter wrote:

I carry a knife, sometimes a baton, pepper spray and the good ole 1911 with hydrashock rounds.

If i don't have to kill someone, even someone who is intending to do me harm, I won't.

Case and point, I was at a party (not drinking), I didn't know a lot of people, was on a date, and stepped outside to smoke. While I was out there apparently I rub a drunk guy the wrong way. I tried to apologize and walk inside to get my date and leave, that's when five guys formed a semi-circle between and the house. I had my BUG on me then, (.380 commander), I was in close proximity to five intoxicated chest thumping drunks, no way I was pulling out my gun. I was on their property, and if I would've pulled my gun, I would've had to shoot someone. Instead I grabbed a beer bottle that was close to me and clubbed the guy who was closest to me and my exit and ran like hell, leaving my date in the house, and no we never dated again.

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I'm not sure what the point/moral of that story is and of course I wasn't there. Have to wonder though what happened to the date that was abandoned to the fate of all of those drunks.

Never heard of a .380 commander either - do you have a picture?

Yata hey

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Don't worry to much they were her friends and that's one of the reasons they got rubbed the wrong way one of them was her ex and I didn't find that out till it was to late

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To the original question I don't think there is any liability to carrying less lethal weapons, you are justified in using lethal force or you are not. As for me I've carried pepper spray regularly, but I've recently moved up to a Taser C2 due to a certain situation I've been concerned about.

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Full disclosure: I have never been in a knife fight and I have no training in knife fighting.

However, from everything I have read and heard, if you are in a knife fight you are probably going to get stabbed or cut, even if you win. Period. If someone pulls a knife on me, the hell with equal force. I am not going to pull out a knife and fight the guy to satisfy someone's idiotic definition of equal force. I am going to pull out a gun. He can either then leave or get shot.

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heresolong wrote:

Full disclosure: I have never been in a knife fight and I have no training in knife fighting.

However, from everything I have read and heard, if you are in a knife fight you are probably going to get stabbed or cut, even if you win. Period. If someone pulls a knife on me, the hell with equal force. I am not going to pull out a knife and fight the guy to satisfy someone's idiotic definition of equal force. I am going to pull out a gun. He can either then leave or get shot.

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1st rule of a gunfight - Have a gun!

1st rule of a knife fight - Your going to bleed!

In my understanding, since a knife constitutes a deadly threat, use of a handgun in response would not be escalation of force - it's called self-defense.

Yata hey

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Meyer Lansky, an infamous '30s (and later) gangster, famously said, "Run from a knife and rush a gun..." Even the old school bad guys knew that BGs often miss with a gun but even an uncoordinated idiot can cut you by flailing with a knife.

I had knife fighting training in martial arts many years ago. I am by no means an expert however I learned more than enough to be of the opinion to ALWAYS bring a gun to a knife fight.

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I usually carry an ASP with me. I think they are the optimum compliment to a gun. No ammo to run out, hugely effective, not very lethal unless used on a skull, and no possiblility of cross contamination like with pepper spray. Plus, they offer a solid psychological deterent factor. For the money, batons are really quite a bargain.

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Michigander wrote:

I usually carry an ASP with me. I think they are the optimum compliment to a gun. No ammo to run out, hugely effective, not very lethal unless used on a skull, and no possiblility of cross contamination like with pepper spray. Plus, they offer a solid psychological deterent factor. For the money, batons are really quite a bargain.

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Don't think that batons are legal in all states. Too tired to search it this morning though. Best to check it out first.

Yata hey

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Grapeshot wrot

Don't think that batons are legal in all states. Too tired to search it this morning though. Best to check it out first.

Yata hey

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In Tennessee, you have to provide either a valid state security guard registration card issued by the commisioner, and a valid certificate issued by a certified person which states that you are trained and qualified in the use of that weapon, or provide the valid certification and proof that you are legally not prohibited from buying a firearm.

Tn code ann. 39-17-1308(8)
http://www.michie.com/tennessee/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=tncode

as for "equalization of force"

I have always said all men were created, and then Sam Colt made them equal. In Tennessee, the Castle doctrine stipulates that you must hold a reasonable belief that you are in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.

Tn code Ann. 39-11-611(b)(2)(A)
http://www.michie.com/tennessee/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=tncode

and provided that you didn't provoke that force, you aren't in the commission of a crime, and you didn't consent to the exact amount of force used.

Tn code Ann. 39-11-611(e)

so, if you get in a fistfight, you consented to the force, and lethal force is off the table.
of course, there is also the problem that if you DO get into a fistfight (misdemeanor), and you display your gun, you are suddenly guilty of a felony offense.

short and skinny of it when you're in Tennessee:
don't let an alligator mouth write checks that a bird a$$ can't cash, at least while you got a gun on you

don't bring a knife to a gunfight, but do bring a gun to a knife fight.

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Grapeshot wrote:

va § 18.2-308(A) Not legal for concealed carry, possessing them is not illegal.


N. As used in this article:
(snip)
"Spring stick" means a spring-loaded metal stick activated by pushing a button which rapidly and forcefully telescopes the weapon to several times its original length.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-308

Yata hey

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Just to argue the point. That law does NOT cover typical expandable batons (i.e. ASP, Monadnock, etc). These expand when you flick them or pull them. Some may have a button on the base but that is to release the tension and allow it to collapse easier (normally you have to all but chip concrete to push those batons back in).

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i carry a 3/4 kabar on my opposite side just in case

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LcCPL fatherdeath wrote:

i carry a 3/4 kabar on my opposite side just in case

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There is an extreme variance in knife laws and rules/regulations. Since no state preemption exists regarding knives, even counties, townships and cities can enact their own ordinances.

Legal length of blade, automatic/assisted/manual, folder/fixed are just a few of the things that can change when traveling in and about the various states and internal localities.

http://www.knifelawsonline.com/knifehome/

Yata hey

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So far i believe where I live there are not laws on fixed blade knifes

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LcCPL fatherdeath wrote:

So far i believe where I live there are not laws on fixed blade knifes

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Oh yes there are.

Notably the cities of Phoenix, Tucson and Chandler - there are assuredly others. Additionally the state has a number of restrictions i.e school grounds, courts and secure government buildings.

You need to carefully research your local and state laws for your own information/protection. Each state/municipality will have divergent laws.

A good place to start is the link I referenced above - there are others.

Yata hey

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Grapeshot wrote:

LcCPL fatherdeath wrote:

So far i believe where I live there are not laws on fixed blade knifes

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Oh yes there are.

Notably the cities of Phoenix, Tucson and Chandler - there are assuredly others. Additionally the state has a number of restrictions i.e school grounds, courts and secure government buildings.

You need to carefully research your local and state laws for your own information/protection. Each state/municipality will have divergent laws.

A good place to start is the link I referenced above - there are others.

Yata hey

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keeping inn mind that those are no weapon areas i wouldnt think of taking one there

but it does look like i may need a ccw to be safe few more years