...Some years ago now I remember reading a story about how two armed robbers held up Santana's for a fair amount of cash and cigarettes. The owner, seeing the situation on his security camera upstairs, proceeded to lock the store's front door and lurk outside the back door. When the robbers emerged from it, he proceeded to attack one with a shortsword that he was (apparently) carrying on his person...
the debate of sword vs gun was decided in the middle ages, and military's of the world have never looked back. i've got a small collection of reproduction swords (NOT dulled)/axes/etc...but for home defense my trusty ak47 clone is the go to guy.Ole Humpback - there was a cafe near my buddy's place in Minneapolis where a robbery was thwarted by a sword weilding owner... I couldn't find the news story (it was several years ago) but someone else mentioned it in a discussion about the place (quote below). I'd bet a potential invader would think twice about being in your home if you had that sword in your hands.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/santana-market-minneapolis
I like my 12 ga daly and a good set of ear muffs, I don't ever want to use it but if I had to I really don't want to end up deaf because someone decide they wanted what I had to work for.