Much has been written about gun control in this country and this past weekend a “red flag law” was passed here in NJ. It allows authorities to temporarily remove guns if a person is thought to be a danger to himself or others. That got us thinking. What do you do if you’re completely defenseless in your own home? A lot of New Jersey listeners are extremely creative and resourceful and have homemade weapons at the ready. Some of these are already in your home! I’m not claiming that any of these are great ideas.. or that it’s legal to use them. But nonetheless, our listeners have given this a lot of thought. Here are the makeshift “weapons” that people keep around... just in case. (And that some have actually used!)

Flare gun

It’s perfectly legal to have around, and some people even have them in their cars and boats all the time for emergencies. But don’t forget - a projectile is a projectile.

Chair leg with nails sticking out

It’s probably not legal to use a medieval weapon called a mace. A chair leg however, with nails hammered in halfway would be equally lethal. Could you really get in trouble for having a chair leg in your car or your home?

Wiffleball bat weighted with liquid nails

I think you have to be pretty creative to realize that an innocent looking wiffleball bat could turn in to a pretty threatening object with some weight added to the top. Liquid nails was the perfect solution for one of our listeners. He shot some inside the hollow bat to give it just enough weight to be scary.

Three hole punch

A very smart listener, after finding herself threatened in her office, picked up the closest thing she could find and realized that it could really be used to inflict some damage. A three hole punch is weighty, looks innocent, but could be as threatening as a bludgeon.

Wasp spray

Just about everyone has some type of insect spray in their homes, but who would ever think of using it to fend off an attacker? Apparently the ones meant to kill wasps are the best kind. (And by best I mean worst.)

WD-40

This seemingly innocuous household staple can also be a scary weapon sprayed in a bad guy’s eyes. (See above)

Aqua net

Ever get sprayed in the eyes with hairspray by accident? Well I have and it’s not fun. Not only will it be painful, but your attacker will not know what hit him. It won’t do any permanent damage but it certainly will send a message. (Again, see above)

Fire extinguisher

These babies are ubiquitous! They weigh enough to hurt someone but they’re not too heavy to pick up and club someone with, if the unfortunate moment arises. I bet you never realized that something meant to help you in case of emergency could help you in a different emergency scenario also.

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