The Best Home Security Weapons without Ammunition

Most home security experts will tell you that the best weapon you can have – and the last line of home security defense – is a gun. You want a gun that you can handle, that will take down your opponent with one shot, and that won’t go through your exterior wall and cause collateral damage. There are times, however, when you run out of ammunition, or when you may not want a gun in the house for a variety of reasons.

Here are some of the best weapons to have for home security that don’t require ammunition:

• Pepper Spray. This is one of the older and more effective personal protective solutions that doesn’t require ammunition. Also known as “mace,” this category includes just about any small bottle of spray designed to debilitate an attacker. Some of the more advance pepper spray such as the Mace brand Defense Pepper Gel have added features. This one sticks to an assailant’s skin, and any attempt to remove it only causes it to go further into the skin. It even contains a UV dye to help identify your attacker.
• Stun Guns. Also known as Tasers, these devices provide a small, discreet way to protect yourself. It uses a simple battery to produce a high-voltage current, causing your attacker to become confused and disoriented. The effect will usually last from 5 to 10 minutes, allowing you to get away. They don’t work well on thick leather jackets or thick rubber raincoats, however.
• Stun Batons. Stun batons work on a similar principle to stun guns, although they may offer a higher voltage charge. The advantage to these devices is that they have a much longer reach than a stun gun, and some even double as a flashlight.
• Knives. Knives can be an effective home security weapon, but they’re not for everyone. You need to be highly skilled at using a knife in order to use it for personal protection. As with any weapon, there’s always the chance that it will be turned on you by your attacker, as well. Finally, knives don’t always incapacitate, and so they aren’t always the best choice. In the right hands, however, they can be a valid  way to protect your home.
• Exotic weapons. Along the same vein as knives, there are a number of exotic weapons you might use for home security. This would include things like blowguns, batons, or even throwing stars and nunchucks. Here again, however, unless you’re highly skilled attempting to use these weapons to protect your home is probably not the best Plan A.

Be smart about your home defense. Make sure you’ve got a high-quality home security system in place, and if appropriate make sure you have a gun for personal protection. The quickest way to take down a home invader will always be with a gun, and any of these other choices – while potentially effective – don’t have the kind of reliability and success rates that you’ll have with a gun.