One of the biggest problems for someone who is seeking to defend him or herself is that many of the weapons developed for self defense are just as effective as offensive weapons and, therefore, a person who is seeking to purchase them can be in unclear legal waters. This article is intended to assist a potential purchaser is choosing a self defense weapon and understanding the legal ramifications that that weapon may carry.
The first category of weapons that people always think about when they consider self defense is the category of lethal weapons, such as handguns or something even larger. In every state there is at least some availability for the general public to purchase these weapons, but these laws can sometimes be complicated or hard to follow. For example, some states forbid concealed carry entirely, while others give a license to almost anyone who requests one. For someone who wishes to defend him or herself and at the same time, do so legally, navigating the complex waters of gun licensing can be very dangerous. In most cases it is far easier to stay legal using nonlethal weapons or martial arts training to defend oneself.
A much safer category of legal self defense weapons is nonlethal weapons, such as pepper spray or stun guns. Regulations on these weapons will vary from state to state, and therefore we will not discussed individual legality here. But there is at least some availability of these weapons in every state and laws are always more lenient than those for lethal weapons. The most popular of these legal self defense weapons is the spray: mace, tear gas, and pepper spray.
All of these sprays are incapacitating, but the most effective is pepper spray. This is because the active ingredient in pepper spray, capsaicin, bypasses the pain receptors in the brain. Regardless of if a possible assailant is drunk, high, or otherwise impaired, pepper spray will still be able to disable him or her. It is also a naturally-occurring agent and is unlikely to cause permanent damage. Mace and tear gas, on the other hand, are both man-made chemical agents that can cause great harm and sometimes permanent damage to a person. However, one must always be careful about when he or she uses these weapons, despite them being non-lethal and legal. They still are weapons and a person can get into a huge amount of trouble for using them on the wrong person.
Another non-lethal option is the stun gun. Laws for stun guns are less permissible than those for sprays, but they remain legal self defense weapons in 45 of the fifty states. Stun guns are a better self defense weapon than sprays for many people because someone can hit their attacker anywhere on his or her body and disable him or her. They also are effective even against people who may be impaired and are more visible, which can dissuade an attacker before he or she even considers an attack. However, one must get very close to an attacker to use a stun gun, which can be difficult for many people. They also retain the disadvantage of being potentially deadly against an attacker with heart problems. For a nervous person, stun guns are better as a supplemental self-defense weapon than a primary one.
Finally, for the person looking to defend him or herself and be utterly certain that he or she is obeying all relevant laws, martial arts training is the best way to go. It is impossible to outlaw martial arts training, and it has a large number of benefits for defending oneself. Beyond the obvious of merely allowing one to have an always-available weapon, staying fit is itself a very effective legal self defense “weapon.” In many cases, the best defense against an assault is to simply run away, and people who are in good shape are far more likely to be able to escape from a more-powerful or better-equipped assailant. Similar benefits can be had from training with and carrying a baton or small blade.
Of the above weapons, the most effective is the stun gun while the most legal but least effective is martial arts training. Choosing a legal self defense weapon can be very difficult due to the inverse correlation between the effectiveness and the legality of these weapons. Therefore, it is very important for a person to do research, find out what is legal in one’s area, and analyze one’s own strengths and weaknesses before choosing a weapon. And, of course, remember that staying fit may be the best form of legal self defense of all.
