Baton for the home

[skeetsak]

I have been reading about the legal issues of batons and Im not finding what I am looking for.

Im looking for a less leathal option for home defense and I believe that I want a baton. I understand that my first action should be to call 911 and my second option is to let the pittbull do the talking. Meanwhile, if someone has the guts to come in my house while I am asleep I feal like a need a weapon to protect me and my girlfriend.

Im not comfortable with a gun so my reasons for wanting a baton are, no one can accidently shoot themselves with it, it is less leathal, works in close range, and pepper spray in a house seems like a way to choke my self out.

If properly used, is a baton a reasonable way to defend my home? what is better (besides a gun)? Should i spend the money on a LE quality baton or is a security grade good enough for me?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[gasmitty]

My suggestion is to find out where you can get training with impact weapons first, and let the training guide you in selecting what's right for you.

[tokerblue]

Welcome to the forum.

No offense, but if someone comes into my house, a non-lethal option is not going to be an option. I'm worried about my wife and kid's lives, not a home invader's. Calling 911 is going to be the furthest thing from my mind when something needs to be done immediately.

[Yankeejib]

Pepper spray? If I'm not shooting them, then I want something to keep distance.

[Pistology]

Lethality doesn't have degrees. A thing is either lethal or not. True, a negligent discharge of a baton usually involves a lamp, ceiling or wayward knee - the latter two probably without penetrating very far.
On some level of consciousness, most on this forum subscribe to what Navy Seal vet, Richard J. Machowicz, calls the "three dynamic elements of combat": targets dictate weapons, and weapons dictate movement. An intruder in my home is a target asking for hot metal faster than a man can swing, and I don't have to violate my safe-distance combat zone, necessarily, i.e., I don't have to get within touching distance. I can take up a position and have my best advantage. The law is much with the homeowner and against a home invader in California.
I like gasmitty's idea: get training with a baton, first. Here's a video that might get you started. Michael Janich has good street cred, and he offers a cane video - as you can see in the above link. Another possibility for long-term committment is Peketi Tirsia Kali training that is also rounded to include blades and empty hand, stick grappling.... Hope this helps.

[Hoganbeg]

Gasmitty has it right. You need some serious hand-to-hand training with special instruction on impact weapons, i.e., batons. Once you have that training you will be able to decide. You will also realize the value of a stand-off weapon such as a firearm. as well as a perimeter security system. A baton is great as long as you know how to use it and the bad guy doesn't have a gun. A cane is another excellent defensive tool that can pass through society virtually unremarked. Again, training is the key to effective use. Really, you need them all.

[Burns]

Batons work good if you know how to use them. Gasmitty mentioned getting a little training, but in this economy, not many of us can afford that. There are a few videos that you can find online that will show you the best places to strike: basically any place where there is a lot of exposed bone such as shins, arms, hands... Keep in mind it can be deadly if you go for the head/spine.
If you decide this is the way you want to go, they sell quite a few on amazon.com. Be sure to look at all the reviews on them before buying. You could get an awesome one for $20 or could get a bad one for $100, so don't judge how good it is based on price rather than quality. ASP is known for quality but they are very pricey. But again LOOK AT REVIEWS FIRST. :)

There are other options for HD too. You can get a big can of pepper spray. Fox labs makes the best there is, followed by Sabre.
http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Enforcemen...words=fox+labs

Even a simple baseball bat would work.

[Hoganbeg]

I would still recommend a pepper spray but for indoor use I would specify one that shoots a stream of foam that liquifies on contact. That way you are not left fighting through your own defensive fog, and the BG cannot just wipe off the foam and fling it at you. I'm pretty sure there are others that function this way, but check out Cold Steel's Inferno. Pepper Spray : Inferno by Cold Steel

[Once]

I have to disagree with you on this as well if someone is coming in my house with bad intent and both my truck and the wifes car in the driveway, which means they know someones home, I'm stopping the threat with Mr.Colt.

[Once]

And let add I love batons. Even though I've just the basic traing with them. I used to carry a small one in my back pocket.

[miller_man]

Ya, I also see no need to go dancing a few rounds with a home invader with a baton. What if he has a gun? what if he has a knife? what if there is 3 of them? I want all the advantage I can get. I want to be able to stop the threat from across the room or house - way before getting within 2 or 3 ft. But what about the good ol american classic - the louisville slugger?

I think you'd be better off spending time and money reinforcing your doors and windows. Thats what I did. And for prob less than $100. Now I KNOW nobody is getting in my house without a good bit of time and effort and making ALOT of noise. I have felt alot more comfortable knowing that it would take more to get into my house and my chance of having to deal with an invader is a lot less likely.

[scott625]

The pepper gel remains a solid and gives you a little extra distance over a baton. Even a taser gives you more distance.

[ctr]

If you are not comfortable with a firearm, that is a personal choice that everyone should respect. However, the reality is that you and your loved ones will be at a disadvantage.

You might start with a good baseball bat while searching for baton training.

[whoppo]

Any form of short-range impact weapon will be a woefully inadequate response to one or more aggressors unless you're extremely proficient in it's use, along with other forms of close quarters hand-to-hand combat.
If you're not comfortable with the use of lethal force to defend the well-being of your family and yourself, you may want to simply consider making your home a hard target. Install motion senor lighting, a good alarm system, reinforced doors and door frames with security film on any windows. A "Door Club" security bar is a good option as well. Remove / trim back any shrubs that may conceal an aggressor near the sides of your house, close and lock all ground floor windows whenever possible. There's a long list of actions you can take to make your home a less desirable target for would be home invaders. If you've got anyplace local to take some form of home defense training, then you and your family should avail yourselves of such a resource. A good course will cover making your home and yourselves "hard targets", focusing on developing situational awareness. Tuning your "spidey senses" can go far towards maintaining personal safety, both at home and away from home.

There.. all that said, welcome to the forums and stay safe!

Ron - Southern Maine

[Dutch1951]

Try getting some training and get comfortable with a firearm. It is a tool, and like every tool you need to use it and train with it to get comfortable with them.