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Non-gun self defense weapon of choice...

A

AEubanks

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My wife got a job at Potomac Mills so she can't carry to work. Kind of sucks since a tiny woman coming out of the mall, in the dark, late at night after closing kind of makes an easy target. What are your views on like stun guns vs. pepper spray or any other kinds of non pistol self defense that she could carry in her purse?
 
peter nap

peter nap

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AEubanks wrote:
My wife got a job at Potomac Mills so she can't carry to work. Kind of sucks since a tiny woman coming out of the mall, in the dark, late at night after closing kind of makes an easy target. What are your views on like stun guns vs. pepper spray or any other kinds of non pistol self defense that she could carry in her purse?
Click to expand...
#1 Taser!
Stun guns DO NOT WORK!
#2 Bear Spray (much more effective than regular pepper)
#3 Knife
 
H

hunter45

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I agree with the post above. Get her a taser. I have a stun gun and I've used it on myself. It hurts, but it's not going to stop someone if they are determined to do whatever it is they want to do.
 
peter nap

peter nap

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Tasers are expensive but have a lot going for them. They work!

You can carry them many places you can't legally take a gun. I won't discuss whether I had a gun at the Republican victory party. It would have been illegal and I never do anything illegal. I freely admit I had my Taser though. Before the party, we went to dinner and I wore it legally, concealed.

I frequently carry it in addition to my gun. It gives me options!

Last and important from your wife's stand point, they are acceptable where a gun wouldn't be. Even Anti's don't normally object to them.
 
Hawkflyer

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Many places also proscribe the carry of tazers along with guns. In Virginia carry of an effective defensive knife can be problematic as well. While pepper spray is usually not an issue, it is also ineffective in some cases and it can be difficult to apply in windy conditions.

You might want to consider a Bubba Stick or similar cane type device. With very little training a person can defend against most attacks very effectively with a cane.
 
G

Glock_21Carrier

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Surefire E2D LED defender flashlight. im a little discouraged no one mentioned a tactical headpealing knife......:what:. The OP stated night time at mall. I think we all know 120 lumens can be quite handy no?
 
tdbarge

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+1 !!

E2D LED is an outstanding light. I carry one of those and a Coldsteel Recon1 ( or sometimes a CRKT M16SF) at all times, sort of a lot of hardware especially when combined with OC'ing, but worth it.
 
C

cREbralFIX

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Knife...simple and deadly.

But, it has some requirements:

1) Training

The main idea here is to train up your reflexes in reaction to an incoming attack. This does not have to be extensive. A two day course where the instructor builds more complex actions based upon the same basic moves is all you probably need. The trick is to train the very basic attacks and defenses and use them in combination. Training up 10 basics with 5 combos is very do-able in a weekend.

Periodic retraining is necessary since this degrades faster than handgun skills.

What's really cool is that knife, hand, and gun movements can be virtually identical. Redirecting an incoming punch can be the same as redirecting it with a knife or gun in the hand.

The rest of is just repetition.

Check out what Larry Lindenman is teaching. I have found it to be the integrated system that I've been looking for.

2) Fitness
 
A

AEubanks

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Any preference on bear/pepper spray? (brands I mean, or what do I need to look for when picking one?) The "bear sprays" that I have found are like mini fire extinguishers it seems... I need something smaller that she can easily fit in her purse.... I really like the taser but with the cheapest I can find being $260 I just flat out don't have the money for that right now....
 
HankT

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peter nap wrote:
Tasers are expensive but have a lot going for them. They work!

You can carry them many places you can't legally take a gun. I won't discuss whether I had a gun at the Republican victory party. It would have been illegal and I never do anything illegal. I freely admit I had my Taser though. Before the party, we went to dinner and I wore it legally, concealed.

I frequently carry it in addition to my gun. It gives me options!

...
Click to expand...
Which Taser model do you carry, PN?
 
ODA 226

ODA 226

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Since I work at an official "victim zone" (military base) and can't carry a pistol or a knife, I carry my "Executive Ice Scraper". Four bucks for peace of mind. Besides, you never know when you might have to scrape ice off your windshield!
 
W

Wangmuf

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AEubanks wrote:
My wife got a job at Potomac Mills so she can't carry to work. Kind of sucks since a tiny woman coming out of the mall, in the dark, late at night after closing kind of makes an easy target. What are your views on like stun guns vs. pepper spray or any other kinds of non pistol self defense that she could carry in her purse?
Click to expand...

A gun. And a CHP. And a CC holster. Screw job "rules" when it comes to Potomac Mills, or most malls for that matter. Too many unsavory types around them after dark.
 
M

Mini14

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Multiple layers of defense:

1. Bear spray.

2. Taser

3. Machete.



Your wife may wish to learn to use a short/bastard sword, too.
 
A

AEubanks

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paramedic70002 wrote:
I can't think of any job in a mall that is good enough to keep me from having the means to properly defend myself.
Click to expand...

Well when you are living on spaghetti because you can't afford anything else and are new to an area and expecting a baby, anything that pays money is a job worth taking just about. Hell I am looking for a second job for nights and weekends beause the Marine Corps doesn't pay enough....
 
W

Wangmuf

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AEubanks wrote:
paramedic70002 wrote:
I can't think of any job in a mall that is good enough to keep me from having the means to properly defend myself.
Click to expand...

Well when you are living on spaghetti because you can't afford anything else and are new to an area and expecting a baby, anything that pays money is a job worth taking just about. Hell I am looking for a second job for nights and weekends beause the Marine Corps doesn't pay enough....
Click to expand...

You can't afford spaghetti if you get robbed for all your food money, or die, because you took a second choice self-defense weapon to work just to capitulate to an employers profit-margin based "rules". I stand by my statement for her to CC and screw the rules, and don't tell anybody.

Congrats on the incoming offspring :D
 
A

AEubanks

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Wangmuf wrote:
AEubanks wrote:
paramedic70002 wrote:
I can't think of any job in a mall that is good enough to keep me from having the means to properly defend myself.
Click to expand...

Well when you are living on spaghetti because you can't afford anything else and are new to an area and expecting a baby, anything that pays money is a job worth taking just about. Hell I am looking for a second job for nights and weekends beause the Marine Corps doesn't pay enough....
Click to expand...

You can't afford spaghetti if you get robbed for all your food money, or die, because you took a second choice self-defense weapon to work just to capitulate to an employers profit-margin based "rules". I stand by my statement for her to CC and screw the rules, and don't tell anybody.

Congrats on the incoming offspring :D
Click to expand...

Thanks.... And I understand what you mean with the money thing, only there just isn't money... It real easy to not spend money on a taser when you flat out do not have it. It sucks, but I just do not have it. Hell, even if I could barrow the money from family I would, but they are even worse of than me...

And her CC'ing isn't really an option.... the clothes she wears to work, her size, and the fact everything will already be basically skin tight once she is the size of a beach ball, and I think it would be even dumber to have her like put it in her purse so she will either get it stolen when someone finds it or fired...

On top of that, she doesn't have enough experience to properly employ a pistol anyway.... I am working on it, but until I took her to the range not too long ago, she had never even shot a pistol, and even now she has only shot a .22 and 1 round from my .40.... Maybe once we are both comfortable with her having a pistol THEN we MIGHT look into her carrying a pistol on her person....
 
okboomer

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AE -

http://www.taser.com/products/consumers/Pages/C2.aspx

Also, if she fires this and files a police report, they will replace it either free or at a reduced cost.

They recommend deploy, drop and run to safety.

I carry the M18 or the X26 when a gun is not an option.

As for the mall, if she has secure storage for her purse and valuables, I don't think that she would have any trouble carrying a gun in her purse. I live in Oklahoma too and the attitude here would be on your wife's side if she had to use the gun for any reason. I firmly believe up to shaming her employer into not firing her.

Before concealed carry, any woman carrying a gun illegally was not ticketed nor harrassed for carrying. It was a wink and a nod.

If her employer does accidentally find out that she carries, here's a few links for her to use

http://www.newsok.com/article/2332413?searched=Attack%20in%20Mall%20parking%20lot&custom_click=search

http://www.newsok.com/article/2720893?searched=Attack%20in%20Mall%20parking%20lot&custom_click=search

http://www.newsok.com/article/3251998?searched=Attack%20in%20Mall%20parking%20lot&custom_click=search

As you can see, there is a danger out there, but situational awareness can go a long way towards keeping her safe. Also, does the mall have a Security Office? She can call them to escort her to her vehicle.
 
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