Let’'s say a hurricane comes through your area, and public services and the police are elsewhere dealing with other emergencies. A roving band of 10 or more looters have their sights set on your house as a target of opportunity. What’s the most effective legal weapon you could use to defend your house and yourself against this mob?
IMO, looters would not target a defended place. Why bother, when there are other – undefended – “targets of opportunity” in the area?
But let’s say that this unlikely scenario occurs and there is no other alternative to deadly force. A shotgun is well-suited for defense. It might not be lethal at a distance (or it may be), but it can keep the looters at bay. If they are armed, you may not want them to get that close. In a neighbourhood, this raises some problems. The more dense the poulation, the more likely it is that you can injur or kill someone who is not attacking you. You really need to take such factors into account.
An ideal firearm in a close-range firefight would be a small caliber semiautomatic rifle or carbine. An AR-15 or Mini-14 is easy to shoot, reliable, and can use large-capacity magazines. They have a shorter range than a 7.62 round, and less penetration ability, which would slightly reduce the danger to innocent bystanders.
But as I said, defending against a pack of armed looters after a natural disaster is probably pretty far-fetched. A riot may be another kettle of fish.
If you’re home, they’re not “looters.”
Wouldn’t the answer be a gun?
Dogs would be my best guess. Even little yappy dogs scare away a lot of people. Get yourself a well trained German Shepherd and no one’s gonna touch your place - whether you’re home or not.
Not in Cook County. Thank goodness right?
I’m not in Cook County.
I would (and have) patrolled my property with a 12 ga. in hand, and a 9 mm on my hip.
Presence of any kind visible gun would keep looters away, because they prey on undefended property. If it’s a more determined band of thugs (rioters, for example), YMMV.
Bullwhip
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A 12 ga. pump shotgun with a barrel just long enough to be legal, no stock, just a pistol grip. Loaded with 00 buckshot. One round fired off will make them think twice.
A shotgun, loaded with triple-aught, will make Mike Tyson cry like an itsy-bitsy baby, if it doesn’t kill him instantly.
3 good choices-[ul]
[li]a 12-gauge pump action. That ca-klick swound of jacking a shell into the chamber gets a message across fast.[/li][li]if high reliability–i.e. a jam-proof gun–is your thing, a 12-gauge double barrel is the thing for you.[/li][li]Hi Opal![/li][li]If you must go overboard, a 20-gauge double barrel weapon will turn somebody into a fine red mist.[/li][/ul]
Scared by a yap dog? Boy, they **are ** determined looters.
A shotgun is out - not enough rounds. There are 10 or more determined looters, and once they get past the yap dog, you have to deal with all of them. I’d say a mini-14 or other similar carbine with several magazines, preferably high capacity. It’s probably going to take a lot more than 10 shots.
Nuts to that!
A looter doesn’t want a fight to the death; he wants your petty cash & your VCR.
So if one looter ends up looking like the floor of a pizzeria after a pie fight, the others will quickly seek greener pastures.
Hell, the sight of an armed man will send most of em skedaddling.
A determined looter is merely one that won’t scram at the first sign of trouble. He scrams at the second.
Go with the shotgun.
They ain’t Mafia hitmen, or North Korean troops, or Ninja Orcs. They’re the lazy bums who shoplift beer at the 7/11 in safer times. Shoot one & leave the carcass out front to scare off the others.
This debate used to come up from time to time. It was generally agreed that the shotgun had several desirable characteristics: the sound of a shell being chambered is the sort of thing that gets ones attention; the barrel is long enough to give accuracy at a distance, but not long enough to allow a brave opponent something to grab as the wielder came around a corner; the err, shotgun approach allowed a relative novice to point in the right general direction and have a chance at hitting something; it is by its nature intimidating; there is less chance of injuring an innocent bystander half a mile away.
After careful consideration, we decided that there is a weapon that is even better in all of these categories.
The chainsaw.
No, really. While a shotgun shell being pumped into the chamber will cool the blood of the most ardent looter, nothing compares to the sound of a running chainsaw. No chance someone is going to grab the end of a chainsaw and wrestle it away from you. Fire the puppy up and swing it around, and the area around you will be clear of hostiles, no matter how new you are in using a chainsaw in combat. Assuming you avoid cutting off your own leg, no innocent bystanders will be hurt. Finally, while holding a shotgun and standing on your doorstep says “I am willing to take measures, including the use of deadly force, to protect this property”, picking up a chainsaw and looking for targets says “I am seriously mentally deranged and am going to enjoy the process of cutting you into small quivering chunks if you give me the slightest provocation”. Of the two, I think even the most desperate hard core looter will pick the first. No waiting period, long run time, no stopping to reload. There’s always the chance that with a shotgun some brave looter (an admittedly almost oxymoronic phrase) will rush you when you stop to reload, if you’ve shot one of the gang. Very few people will wade into the spray of blood created if one uses a chainsaw to discourage looting. The legal defense is easier, too; “do you think he meant you bodily harm?” “Officer, he charged at a man holding a running chainsaw. Yeah, I think he meant to hurt me”. Just a quick hint: get the gas powered type. Accidentally unplugging your defensive weapon is unbecoming.
The chainsaw is good, but I think I’ll stick to using dogs as a defense. Or bees. Or dogs that when they bark, spit bees.
I’m not sure we’re being clear here on the concept of “looters.” Looters are thieves who come around and steal your crap when things have basically broken down entirely - natural disasters, civil disorder, etc. They are, by definition, thieves of opportunity where the opportunity is that nobody is around to stop them. If you fire ONE round, they are going to run like frightened rabbits.
I mean, if they’re actually planning to go to great lengths to attack and kill you, then logically your best weapon would be a company of Marines with M-16s and various crew-served heavy weapons, dug in around your house.
I forgot all about the WaspThrower!
I just checked, and for what it’s worth the cycling of a mini-14 action sounds just as scary as the action of a pump shotgun.
Yeah, I too have trouble with the concept of “determined looters.”
I mean, your basic looters aren’t what I’d call real crooks, although their actions are criminal – these are guys who are johnny-on-the-spot after a disaster, and are looking to commit crimes of opportunity, crimes that offer a quick, high turnover with low risk. These are the kind of people who’d happily stuff their pockets with merchandise in any store if all the video cameras suddenly died.
The idea of a “determined looter” seems kind of oxymoronic. If a target looks tough, they’ll just turn around and seek something easier, no? I mean, unless the word is out that my house contains a mattress stuffed with gold bullion and a closet full of cocaine, right?
My first thought towards “best legal weapon” would be a hastily lettered plywood sign reading THE OWNER IS HOME AND ARMED TO THE TEETH. FEELING LUCKY?
After that, I’d think that any decent handgun and/or shotgun would do. If I were a looter and Bosda or someone leaned out a window and popped off a warning shot, I’d be over the hill and past the horizon before he could shoot twice, regardless of whether I was armed or not. He, after all, has the advantage of home turf and plenty of cover. I, on the other hand, am walking across his lawn, fully exposed…
So, again, the question. Are the Green Berets trying to loot my house as some sort of weird training exercise, or something?
The situation you are describing is very “28 Days Later” or “Dawn of the Dead” (the more recent one, with the running zombies). After being sprayed with blood/brains/innards, the average looter shops elsewhere. I would imagine one cadaver, or just a bloodstain on the sidewalk would be sufficient advertising. Looters know you can’t take them all on, but they don’t want to be the one shot. It’s more of a individuals acting similarly, but not as a pack.
Mostly.
I did remove some of the post from the above quote.
That being said, I think the logic above is great, and certainly, a running chainsaw would keep me from even walking on the sidewalk across the street in such a situation. I would add that the chainsaw owner should probably wear some kind of goggles. That way, you look like you’re ready for the spray of blood 'n bone that’s a’coming your way when the shit starts to fly.
Oh, and… giggling and smiling like a crazed loon can’t hurt either.
Okay, that is the very first thing that actually almost made me spit Diet Coke all over my keyboard.
-mdf
Ok, 2 or 3 shotguns. Plus with the ASW ban going away, you mind as well get some AK47’s (which are already legal), but now with the bayonet and drum mags, brand new. And a jar of bees for backup.
And a tiny yapping dog.
Don’t forget the tiny yapping dog.
And a 1920’s Style Death Ray.