Home defense: axe better than gun? (from another forum)

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Re: Distance

Too many years ago a couple of us adult and some kids were outside, in the city, making cane poles from the bamboo that we had gotten off the owner's property down at the far end.

Some guy, just wandered up to the house, jumped the chain link fence with a machete and started walking up to the house. :eek:

Broad daylight, and the kids took off running inside, so did the ladies.
I got a J frame as did the other two male adults concealed.

One of the ladies called the Police Station on a direct line. I was off to the side, as I do not like being bunched up.

This machete guy was acting high as a kite and he was BIG! One of the other guys had one of the shorter bamboo "poles" about 5-6' long - stout and was going to use these kind for outdoor "torches" for BBQ and such at night.

Machete would start closer, waving that machete, about the third time, and just as the Police pulled up and come to where we were "Whap!" Buddy of mine went for the knee and BIG guy went down fast and hard, and stayed there.

Police sorta laughed, "You guys just called so I would have to go back downtown do all this paperwork, , take this guy to jail and not meet my wife for lunch as planned".

Police knew us, and chided us for only having J frames, until the lady of the house mentioned her Pet 870 in 20 gauge had our six from the back door.

Odd people in this world, and one never knows when one is going to just wander into your life.

Distance is good, Distance with a J Frame is gooder, Distance with a shotgun is goodest.

:)
 
I envy you, Aegis . . . most things that make me happy look like firearms & make my wallet thinner. Glad to be of assistance.
 
Some of the Home defense: axe better than gun?
arguments seem to believe the only option with a gun is
brandishing (go away or I will shoot) or having to shoot.
disable him temporarily, you can't do that with a gun
seems to have never heard of pistol whipping or butt stroking.
A steel framed pistol or a wooden stocked long gun can be
used as a club if the situation requires.

Winchester 1897 trenchgun with 1917 bayonent seems to cover
all the bases.
 
Well...in general, there is safety in distance. You give that up if you deliberately choose to close with a firearm.

I've done at least hundreds of hours of training with sticks and staff, so that's always an option, but I wouldn't expect Joe Homeowner to do more than point 'n click- and he shouldn't have to- all he should have to do is decide "lethal threat"? If the answer is yes, address the issue until the threat isn't.

John
 
Tomahawk vs a gun

Greetings everyone....PEACE BROTHERS!!!
I have seen by personal experience what a tomahawk can do to a person when he is struck by it or were it is throw at a person. A tomahawk like the cold steel vietnam can penetrate bone, cut true tendons, and pierce steel helmets. A gun is always the first choice, but there are times when you done have a gun or cannot have a gun. A camp hatchet (tomahawk) can be a good weapon if it is used and in the right hand plus the element of surprise in your own home has its benefits. I have seen people (my friend) miss a target with a 12 ga shot gun at about 10 feet when we were rabbit hunting. I have also seen people that are good shots miss at about 10 feet with a handgun. I guess it would be up to the perons using the tomahawk. A good blow with a tomahawk to the head or spinal cord will instantly drop a person. If you ever order from cold steel inc you will get a proof video. It shows what a there tomahawks can do. They use a head of beef and the tomahawks penetrate about three inches. Your talking about a 3 inch blade going through the skull of a cow. Humans are more delicte than cows. So what I am trying to say is that with the element of surpirse, Yes the tomahawk would be a good wepon.
Hope I dont get anyone mad!!! :D
Rots of ruk
saki
 
the evolution of weapons wasnt musket>breech loader>M16>spear

the reason we have the guns today is because its a step up from the past models and i am sure you could incapacitate someone w/ a hatchet, katana, nunchucks etc. but how much distance will you really get. after youve spent the energy beatin' on someone try goin for a follow up shot if you missed:)

if you throw your only weapon what will you fight with
 
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Grew up in tough neighborhoods and have put some thought in this issue keeping in mind the local laws. Have in my work truck super long "Craftsman" screwdriver of good steel for a short "foil" or 14" ice pick sort of weapon and a roofing 24 ounce steel handle "Esting" hammer/hawk combo under the seat. Have a quick light number one shovel with a sharpened blade in the back and also an old G.I. issue single folder also given a "slight" touch-up on the blade. Have 36 ounce "sluggers" under both front and back steps to the house and Yes a "few" guns inside.

Have used both the "foil" and a slugger to defuse what could have become nasty situations. Next time it might just be the Esting hawk, uh roofing hammer, who knows?
 
[I envy you, Aegis . . . most things that make me happy look like firearms & make my wallet thinner. Glad to be of assistance /QUOTE]
Heck I'm always broke. Feeding my Sig, trying to get my Kimber out of lay-a-way, already looking at trying to save for a H&K Mark 23... hey ya gotta have a dream. AND starting a want to go to the Frontsight school savings acct.
Yep if I get all that done, I plan on being broke for many moons to come!
OWW!! I've got a headache .
Click to expand...
 
Why not practice with your weak hand with the gun and carry the tomahawk in the other? I have no experience with a tomahawk, but Mel Gibson sure put one to use in his movie about the revolutionary war. Pretty frightening weapon if you know how to fight with it. Cutlass might be just as effective.
 
Mel Gibson also could have had a self-loading firearm in this time, and not needed an entire armload of rifles. ;)
 
POINTLESS UPDATE: putting it here rather than posting to the other forum's thread, as it's downright silly.

Thread has divided into two camps (several thousand hits, 6 pages of posts)

Group 1: maybe 20% of posts, mine included, saying "If an axe is all you have, it's better than nothing, but a firearm is a far better defensive tool. There are almost no scenarious where HD with an axe is preferable."

Group 2: "*pounds chest* Some sheeple don't understand the amazing power of tomahawks, and how I'll stealthily achieve a silent kill on the goblin who invades my home. I don't care if I spend 100 years in jail for axe-murder, it's better to be 12/6! You don't understand what criminals are like these days, but I have had 25 members of my immediate family murdered during home invasions! Anyone who breaks into my home is taking their life in their hands, and will get a ColdSteel tommyaxe through the skull!" That's the rough gist of 80% of the posts on the thread.

This is why I like THR. It's not perfect, but it's dang better than most weapons forums.

-MV
 
Sounds like PAY PER VIEW !!!!

I have read this from the first post to the last and all I can say is it sounds like an event on PAY PER VIEW... Think about it we get all the dirt bags together and leave an assortment of the forementioned weapons in a pile in the middle and turn em loose. Forget about ULTIMATE FIGHTING. This thing would be a gold mine. All this hacking stabbing slashing chopping it would be a ratings bonanza. Not to mention ridding the world of some unwanted evil doers. Someone get me a cable exec or somebody from the SPIKE network.
:evil:
 
If an axe is all you have, then you're in deep trouble. I have some knives and such at my disposal, but in a HD situation, I'm still reaching for my SKS.
 
I do have this axe, and yes it is sharpened, and capable of inflicting some serious damage. My shotgun still remains my primary HD weapon.

HerosAxe.gif
 
uh...... no? You don't bring an axe to a gunfight..... and you don't pass up a gun for home defense. A gun creates distance. An axe reduces distance, although it has more than say, a knife.

If you want to make it interesting though, maybe a better argument would be between an axe, and pepper spray. Then you have the pepper spray which creates distnace but is less than lethal (or less lethal depending upon your personal thoughts), vs an axe which is lethal, but has less distance. Personally I'd rather have both.... but then again, I have guns, so I don't need to worry about arguing the pros and cons of pepper spray vs an axe.

While a gun isn't the end-all for home defense..... it's hard to find something better.
 
badman - movies have been made around that general idea, usually though its convicts given an assortment of weapons and fight to the death to live another day for the entertainment of the masses...... and just look at history to see examples of it being done in real life.
 
Economist

Yeah I know about the movies but I got carried away with the thought and had to run with it. For a real answer I am too old and had too many knee operations to think about useing an ax or any blade for home defense. I want that space a gun can give you. So if need be it's hello Mr KIMBER..:)
 
I think I would choose a gun over a knife. In my room I have 2 knives, 2 swords, and 2 guns. I'd probably bring a gun and a knife as back-up.

CIMG0395.jpg
 
a gun or an axe? hmmmmmm.......

it's pretty clear that a gun is a better choice. even in 'may issue' states, you can still own a gun and keep it at home, so there's no good reason not to own a gun. there's a thousand different reasons why a gun is better than an axe; i can't really think of any reason to counter any of them. besides cutting firewood, of course, and orc/goblin/troll killing.

i have sat here and ran different tactical scenarios thru my head, and in each case, a gun has been preferable. i took into account the idea of a "less-than-lethal" option, but it didn't hold weight. it's 3am, your 3 kids are asleep down the hall, and there's a loud crash in the den. are you really going to worry about an intruder's health and well being? if faced with that situation, i know my only thoughts are on neutralizing any perceived threat. in a home invasion, a "less-than-lethal" option is not an option.

from a legal standpoint, you're probably better off shooting an intruder than hacking him to death. taking a shot at someone constitutes defense of life and property; hacking a guys arm off can be construed as intent to inflict bodily harm/death. basically, if you can get close enough to chop at him, you probably had room to retreat to a safe distance. plus, there have similar cases in the U.S. where a home invasion was prevented by a machete-katana-tomahawk, and the victim ended up having to defend their actions and choice of weapon. luckily, i don't think any of those people were charged with a crime, but you can't take that chance these days.

so buy a gun today, and thank yourself tomorrow.
 
I think we've about explored this one as far as we need. If someone wants to start another thread re this, feel free.

To sum: about the only time one should reach for an ax when defending your home, is if you happen to somehow be distanced from a firearm, and something sharp is all that's handy-and your life, or the life of a family member or friend, is on the line.

J
 
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