# How foolish would I be to keep a realistic-looking toy BB gun at home to deter intruders? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324 "2026-03-09T23:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/61 "2026-03-10T22:17:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Home Invasions are a global phenomena. Latin America, UK… Firstly there **aren’t** a lot of home invasions here in England. Secondly intruders won’t be armed. (Even our beat police are not armed.) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/62 "2026-03-10T22:54:17Z")
Very much this. I’ll add that things unfold very quickly in a 1 bedroom apartment. People who live in 8,000SF houses might have time from the alarm tripping to getting into their safe room or closet or at least bolting the bedroom doors before the bad guys are in their shit. When your bed is \<15 feet from every exterior wall, door, and window of your residence, they’ll be kneeling on your chest before you wake up. Different but related point … Some folks are required by dire economic straits to live in dangerous violent crimey neighborhoods. Others are not. What is motivating the OP’s desire now. What’s different than a month or a year ago? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/63 "2026-03-10T23:00:18Z")
I did move a few months ago into a different neighborhood. It’s not as bad as some other places I’ve been, but there are still residents nearby who’ve written online about various skeevy encounters with folks and I do see some teens/early-20s folks around here at night who look like they aren’t exactly up to good. There are cop cars here quite often. But yes, the statistical likelihood of a break-in is still pretty low. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/64 "2026-03-10T23:23:03Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The original thread was asking about how foolish it would be to keep a fake gun for home defense. Highjacked by the usual posters. > > Anti-guns and baseball bats were probably not what the OP had in mind when asking for advice. > > Carry on as you see fit. The OP has expressed interest in posts about dogs and baseball bats. You may have misread his intent. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/65 "2026-03-11T00:30:11Z")
If the OP is even semi-serious about firearms for defense, this recent thread is good reading. > [@What's with the double trigger set up on semi-auto pistols](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939): > > Because of the current political climate, my wife is considering a revolver. I have hand guns but they really don’t work for her. I would just like that she felt comfortable with firearms. And have something suitable for her. My question is in the title. What’s with the double trigger in pistols. I’m sure it’s some sort of safety, but that’s rediculous. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/66 "2026-03-11T01:45:48Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > > > If you pull a gun, it means you’re in Condition Red. Shit just got real. Your life is in danger, and you’re thinking about using a BB gun? That’s a very bad plan. > > This. And I think the OP is mistaken about how an encounter with an intruder is likely to go down. You don’t yell across the room, “I have a gun and I’m prepared to use it”, and the intruder immediately stops in his tracks, considers his options and then leaves. That’s just not realistic. Things are likely to happen much more quickly. A much more likely scenario is you wake up to a sound in the night. You get our of bed and see a person with their face covered coming down the hallway. They see you and immediately rush at you. If you have a gun in your hand you _might_ have time to pull the trigger once or twice. Hopefully you have gone to the range to practice shooting and have good aim. You will very likely NOT have time to shout some kind of warning to the intruder, and even if you did, they are more than likely trying to neutralize you by coming at you at high speed. They are not stopping at your warning. A BB gun is not cutting it. Yeah, I don’t think I would want to be in a position where I would need to test if my acting ability is greater than my marksmanship. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/67 "2026-03-11T02:56:35Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It is an extremely bad idea to use that inside a closed space unless you just want to commiserate with the intruder about how much pain you are both feeling. ??? The pepper spray that I’ve tested shoots in a thin stream. I’d be more concerned about using it outside when there is wind. Does bear spray shoot differently? I would recommend pepper spray training, if you can locate an instructor. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/68 "2026-03-11T05:51:36Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Does bear spray shoot differently Yes. It shoots wider and towards the end creates a cloud effect. Either way, spraying any pepper spray in a closed space can suck for both parties. I say this with experience having OCed dozens of people over the years. I’ve also sprayed animals. I sprayed a husky once with some strong Fox Labs stuff and for whatever reason it had no effect. None. > [@DrDeth](#): > > The only time a real looking BB gun might be a decent idea is if it is kids. In which case a blank gun would be better Gotta be careful on that. Some states have laws regarding blank guns that are more stringent than those on real firearms. Also, you can actually hurt or kill someone with blanks. For a few feet the wadding comes out as fast as a bullet and can penetrate. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/69 "2026-03-11T12:46:15Z")
I’m not really in favor of the idea, but I have to admit that some of the CO2 powered .177 pellet/BB guns can really hurt someone, even through clothing. Given the choice, I think I’d rather have, for example, a Crosman Vigilante (C02 .177 pellet 10-shot revolver) than a basic can of pepper spray if it’s a choice of something or nothing. Better yet would be a .22 pellet gun. People around here regularly kill vermin with those. They are not toys. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/70 "2026-03-11T14:06:15Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/i93SR5OG058/maxresdefault.jpg "Vinnie Jones - Desert Eagle 0.50 (full scene) "Snatch" (2000)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i93SR5OG058) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/71 "2026-03-11T14:09:05Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > Things are likely to happen much more quickly. A much more likely scenario is you wake up to a sound in the night. You get our of bed and see a person with their face covered coming down the hallway. They see you and immediately rush at you. If you have a gun in your hand you _might_ have time to pull the trigger once or twice. Hopefully you have gone to the range to practice shooting and have good aim. You will very likely NOT have time to shout some kind of warning to the intruder, Interior drywall doesn’t have great stopping properties; hopefully, you have the brain power to think in that not-fully-awake & panic-induced adrenalin-filled scenario to think what’s beyond the intruder. It can be hard to hit your target if you’re shaking & quaking. You don’t want to shoot the neighbor, or even worse, your own loved one in the next room. > [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > The pepper spray that I’ve tested shoots in a thin stream. & when you’re awakened in the middle of the night, with the adrenalin pumping are you 100% positive that you will grab the bottle the right way 100% of the time & not spray yourself? I bet if you search youtube you’ll see videos of people accidentally spray-painting or wasp-spraying or any other aerosol canning themselves…& that’s when they’re starting out fully conscious & _not_ panicking. There are some canisters that need a finger on the front, which are much harder to aim wrong but there are some that only need the top depressed. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/72 "2026-03-11T14:44:59Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > not spray yourself If you did that, the ensuing guffaws on the part of the intruder may be enough to save you! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/73 "2026-03-11T15:22:11Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > The pepper spray that I’ve tested shoots in a thin stream. I’d be more concerned about using it outside when there is wind. Does bear spray shoot differently? All pepper spray aerosolizes when used. The mist makes it effective. You are more likely to have blow back issues in the wind but in a small enclosed spaces that mist will linger for a bit and most likely will affect the user to a lesser extent. Bear spray is 50% stronger than the strongest pepper spray and designed to disperse in a wider area. No bueno using that indoors. It’s also quite possible to fight through the pain. A small percentage of people seem to be barely affected. Anyone else can fight through it with sheer force of will. There’s a reason why police and some military are trained by being sprayed then having to defend themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/74 "2026-03-11T15:50:53Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Bear spray is 50% stronger than the strongest pepper spray and designed to disperse in a wider area. No bueno using that indoors. Woof. I was in the big Seattle REI when some jackass pulled the trigger on a can of bear spray. Even in a large, 20,000sf space, there was nowhere to go that wasn’t at least moderately unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/75 "2026-03-11T17:18:45Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > & when you’re awakened in the middle of the night, with the adrenalin pumping are you 100% positive that you will grab the bottle the right way 100% of the time & not spray yourself? Yes. 100%, no 200%, because I have extensive training from Batman. 🙂 I was asking a narrow question and it was answered upthread (thanks to Loach, pkbites). Pepper spray is a tool: it does not make you invincible. My go-to is more likely to be the cell phone by my bed. Also my voice. A former neighbor once heard commotion downstairs in the early AM. She figured it was a workman hired by the landlord. When she stumbled to the crime scene, she saw a guy removing her cute bottles and accessories from the window sill so he could get in. She looked at him. He looked at her. Then he smiled, waved goodbye, and ran off. If she had a gun in hand, she could have told her friends, the NRA, and survey questioners that she used her gun for self defense. LOL. I don’t spend too much time worrying about home invasion or attack by ninjas --and I certainly don’t take seriously sensationalist accounts by organizations with transparent financial interests in their audience’s agitation. That said, I’m considering the purchase of a Ring system. I balked this year, when I heard about their information sharing to 3rd parties, but that just means I need to look into providers more carefully. Ring might be fine. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/76 "2026-03-11T17:23:21Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > She figured it was a workman hired by the landlord. When she stumbled to the crime scene, she saw a guy removing her cute bottles and accessories from the window sill so he could get in. She looked at him. He looked at her. Then he smiled, waved goodbye, and ran off. I think that’s pretty typical. The vast majority of break ins are burglars who don’t want to be caught. If there’s sometime out there who wants to hurt you, that’s different, but that’s not most of us. And i guess if you are likely to have drug-addled burglars, you are at greater risk, because they are more likely to something irrational and therefore potentially more dangerous. Yelling “who’s there” while you stumble in the dark for your phone is probably a good first response. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/77 "2026-03-11T17:28:45Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lHmIkwTr7xs/hqdefault.jpg "Clark Griswold Shoots Wally World Guard With BB Gun") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHmIkwTr7xs) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/78 "2026-03-11T17:31:32Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > because I have extensive training from Batman That fool doesn’t know enough to wear his underwear _under_ his clothes! 😜 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/79 "2026-03-11T17:32:51Z")
But, but, but, he’s _very_ proud of his custom bat-underoos underwear. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324/80 "2026-03-11T19:48:36Z")
Do dogs really defend against home invasion? We have two. They bark loud. Are decent sized And would never bite anyone. They are zero threat. I am not afraid of any pet dog that barks when I come to the door. Oh sure there are mean dogs and dogs trained to guard but most pets are neither and most robbers know that. Don’t they? Give my barking dogs some loving, tolerate the jumping up to say hi, tell them “down” and they cool. If they could they show you were the valuable stuff is … of course that’s the treats! Another vote to buy the toy for fun but not for defense and that having a gun in the house is more net risk than not having a gun in the house. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-foolish-would-i-be-to-keep-a-realistic-looking-toy-bb-gun-at-home-to-deter-intruders/1028324.md?page=5)