Weapons Options

Some of My Favorite Choices

When it comes to weapons for self-defense, it’s up to you to understand the legal ramifications of your choice. Choose something that you’re confident you can put the violence behind if needed. Understand that if you choose to use a weapon in self-defense, you’ll need to be able to articulate to the police why you were in fear for your life and why you needed to act in self-defense. I do not say this to sway your decision in acting violently to defend yourself or your loved one but rather to prepare you that what you say after an altercation is very important. A little sub-note on that:

Don’t be unsure in your words. Many times our nerves can make us spill out words that we may regret. If that’s you, know that about yourself and know that you can simply say “I acted in self-defense and I feared for my life. I’d like to have a lawyer, please.” And then close your mouth and wait politely.

Ok now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to some of my favorite things to carry. Weapons fall under 3 categories: Lethal, non-lethal and less-than-lethal. We won’t go into which ones are legal where. If you choose to carry one or all of these, make sure you do your part in knowing when and where you’re allowed to and if it’s the best option for you. These are pretty personal decisions and it can be different for everyone. I hope that this will at least inspire you to explore options and choose something that you will love to carry! In no particular order…

-Knife.

Smith and Wesson M&P spring-assist is my favorite right now but I’m in the process of finding a fixed blade that is suitable for me. I have small hands, even for a female, so I want something that I can easily and quickly retrieve and handle with confidence. K-Bar is a great one and I’m excited to check out Shivworks’ El Nino. When choosing a knife, think about where you will carry it, how easily you can get to it and have it out and blade length. Most normal knives are legal to carry unless the blade is absolutely massive. Choose something that’s comfortable in your hands. Think about blade angle and what type of damage it will do when used.

-GoGuarded Runner’s Ring

This is a great one to have when I’m walking or running trails alone. I don’t wear it around my kids because it does have an exposed blade that is just covered but a silicone layer. When you make your hand into a fist, this allows the blade to stick out. Think sort of like Wolverine but just one blade. The pros in this option is that you don’t have to worry about carrying it or dropping it. Side-note: When adrenaline is rushing and you’re in a fight, have you ever noticed how your small motor skills decrease so you have to rely more on your large motor skills? It’s because God created our bodies to draw blood in to cushion our organs to protect them. How cool is that?

-Pepper Spray

There are many different types and brands of pepper spray or gel. Think about factors like if it’s windy, pepper spray may blow back and affect your own eyes! We don’t want that. Also know that while it can slow them down, it might not necessarily stop an attack altogether. If you choose this, don’t just leave it in your purse. Have it readily accessible and be aware enough of your surroundings that you can easily get it ready in your hands and the trigger unlocked. If you wait to do this, it’ll most likely be too late and there’s no point to carry it except to give you a boost of confidence. Which is good because it will probably subconsciously make you walk in a more confident way and therefore be less of an easy target. Byrna is a brand that has lots of options in this category. There’s even a Byrna Gun that shoots out a spread of a special combo of pepper spray! The one I have is by Sabre that I just got off of Amazon. It also has a seatbelt slicer and window breaker. It came in a pack of two and was pretty cheap!

-Gun

My favorite is the Hellcat and my favorite way to carry is appendix but familiarize yourself and find a holster that you like. There are so many resources now – even “belt bags” (we all know they’re just fanny packs called a different name now!) that have compartments to safely holster your firearm. Handle different brands and find one that is perfect for your hand size and does the job you need it to do. Practice drawing your firearm while it is unloaded so that this action can become smooth. Please practice your skills and understand that there are consequences to those around you, should you choose to carry.

-Baton. There are different sizes and types. The one I have I’m familiar with is a Smith and Wesson telescopic one. It’s a little larger and can’t just slide into your pocket but could be kept in a car door. This one falls under the category of “less than lethal weapons,” which I think is a funny name but it does make sense. Be sure you know the legal ramifications of where you might strike someone. Look it up!

-Self-Defense Kitty Keychains

These sound silly but they’re actually a pretty good option to have on you. It’s usually a keychain in the shape of a cat’s head. Your fingers go through the eye holes and the ears are sharp and can be used to…improve your punch. Again, this is only as effective as the violence you can put behind it.

-Defender Ring

This is one that I don’t own yet but I’m pretty curious about. Check it out. It has great reviews, a lifetime guarantee, most likely will not be flagged and taken by TSA but if it is confiscated, they’ll send you a replacement. How cool is that?! There are a few different options. Some look like a pearl which unscrews to reveal a blade. Others look like a band with a wave on it but the tip of the wave is sharp. There are small and large size options. Obviously with the pearl or otherwise topped ones, you’d need to be very aware of your surroundings to know it’s time to unscrew it. You can’t just “Hold on, sir. I’ve go to unscrew my ring. Hang tight…” However if you do unscrew the top when needed and you lose that piece, their customer service seems pretty great and will replace it if lost in that situation. I’m unsure how much damage these rings would actually do but I love that you can wear it and take it almost anywhere.

-Tactical Pen

If going through airport security you *might* be able to get through (I have successfully through 2 large airports). I did put the cap on the end of it to cover up the narrow end and put it in the same pocket as my other normal pens. You can find this on Amazon and it works as a normal pen too.

There are so many options and varieties of options even from the ones I have listed here. I hope this list helps you and even if you don’t choose one listed here, I hope that you will be inspired to find a weapon that you feel safe and comfortable carrying.

You got this!