Weapons and Security

Security is a most unpleasant subject because it requires that you ask some extremely difficult questions of yourself.  In fact, many people simply refuse to address the issue of security because they don’t want to deal with it.  Sure, there are many disaster scenarios that will not require a high level of security but there are a great many that do.  A simple extended power outage could put you and your family at risk of home invasion, assault or worse.

If you’re not convinced that security is necessary, you should consider how people react in times of stress and desperation.  If a simple power outage in a city stimulates rioting and looting, just imagine what will happen when the situation is really desperate.  Desperation leads to desperate actions.

Here are some difficult questions that you should ask yourself to further demonstrate the importance of security and training:

1. If I was caught unprepared and my family was hungry and desperate; would I take what I needed from others?  If you are like most people, the answer to this question is yes, so it stands to reason that you can expect this behavior from other unprepared people.  It may very well become necessary to protect yourself and your family from these aggressions.
2. Am I willing and/or able to store enough supplies to provide for all of my friends and their families?  Like most people, you are probably not in a position to provide for those that have not prepared without jeopardizing the welfare of your family.  The best thing that you can do is to encourage your friends to exercise disaster preparedness and prepare yourself to turn those away who would not listen.  If you simply can’t turn some people away, you have no choice other than to identify them and include them in your preparation efforts.
3. If a family in need comes to my door, what will I do?  Most of us will do all that we can to help others, but at what point will you be unable to help?  It’s probably wise to stock a few extra provisions to deal with some of these situations.  Maybe some small bags of rice or a few extra canned goods (nothing extravagant).  However, the recipients of your good nature must understand that there is only so much that you can do.
4. Am I able to protect my family and my home without help?  It is important to understand that law enforcement agencies will be very busy or even nonexistent during some disaster scenarios.  They simply do not have the resources to deal with large scale problems.  It may be left up to you to provide your own security.  If you can’t do it, you might consider organizing some of your neighbors and developing a group security plan.
5. Just how far will I go to protect my family?  There are a very large number of people that believe that stocking huge amounts of guns and ammunition is the answer to security.  A lot of untrained people with firearms is a recipe for disaster.  This is not to say that you should not keep firearms and ammunition to protect yourself.  This may be a necessary option for you, but training is also necessity. Plinking at cans does not qualify as training.  There are a lot of very good firearms training schools.  They can be expensive, but the stakes are high and it’s up to you to prioritize your spending.

Security Tips

Dealing with the security of your home and family can get very involved but a few basic strategies can make all the difference in the world.

1. Plan Ahead:  Make a security plan. Make sure that everyone knows what to do and that you have all that you need to implement the plan.  If possible, organize some of your neighbors to prepare and develop a neighborhood security plan.
2. Be Strategic in Your Alliances:  Remember that you will have to depend on those that you become aligned with.  They have a responsibility to prepare their own homes and not depend solely on you to help them during a crisis.  Everyone has to pull their own weight.
3. Don’t Advertise:  Anonymity is the best defense. Aside from your close friends that you have encouraged to prepare, don’t tell anyone that you have stockpiled supplies.  This will make you a target for home invasion when a disaster occurs.
4. Keep a Low Profile:  Once a disaster scenario unfolds, it is best to keep to yourself for a while.  In some situations, it may be unwise to draw attention to yourself by running your generator and lighting up your yard, especially if crowds are beginning to form or rioting and looting is taking place.  It may also be a good idea to cover your windows so that you don’t appear to be the only house on the block with the lights on.
5. Keep your supplies out of sight:  There is no sense in tempting desperate people.  If they can’t see your supplies, they may just move on. Also, make sure that if someone comes to your door (and you decide to answer) that they cannot see your emergency supplies when or if you open the door.
6. If you have a firearm, keep it out of sight:  Your firearm will be most effective if it is only brandished when it is truly needed.  Use good judgment.  Even in the worst-case scenarios where there seems to be no law, there will be ramifications for shooting someone.
7. Don’t travel unless it is necessary:  If you are not forced to evacuate your area, it might be a good idea to stay at home until things settle down.  Try to resist the temptation to take a drive around town to satisfy your curiosity.
8. Keep an open mind about community involvement:  Even after a disaster occurs, watch for signs of community organization. The first step to recovery will be people coming together to help each other.  Be strategic but try not to be antisocial at this point.
9. Plan for different scenarios:  Try to think ahead about what could happen and how you will respond.  Make sure that everyone knows what to do.  Here are a few suggestions to plan for:
   • If there is a riot
   • If a potentially violent person comes to the door
   • Securing your home and property at night
   • If there is a home invasion
   • Locking up your fuel, generator, etc.
   • Covering your windows
   • Escaping if you are forced to leave

All of this sounds pretty grim, but the reality is that you can always count on someone, somewhere doing something stupid in a desperate situation.  If you are prepared, you need not fall victim to their desperation. You can do what you can to maintain a level of safety and security for you and your family while hoping that things never get that bad.  And, always remember that during a disaster, cooler heads will prevail. 

Physical Skills

There is no substitute for being in good physical condition, especially in a crisis.  Having more physical strength and endurance will give you a natural advantage in terms of being able to do what you need to do to provide for and protect yourself and your family.  So, you might say to yourself that “I need to go to the gym” which may be a good idea, but you might want to consider joining a quality martial arts program instead.  A good program will give you all the benefits of the gym with the added opportunity to learn valuable self-defense skills.  If approached with a degree of dedication, being involved with the martial arts can be a life-changing experience.  Not only will it dramatically improve your physical ability but. It will be a source of confidence, stability, stress relief and improved judgement.

Some martial arts programs are better suited for actual self-defense than others. A good martial arts program is well rounded. It will include most or all of the following:

·         A Comprehensive Stretching Program - Designed to increase flexibility and reduce the chances of injury.  Most martial arts programs require a minimum of a 20-minute period of stretching and warm-up at the beginning of every session and another, shorter period, at the end of the session.

·        A Demanding Workout Program - These programs are designed to increase physical endurance.  This will usually consist of a lot of cardiovascular exercises in the form of repeated techniques such as punches, blocks and kicks.

·        An Agility Program - These programs center on exercises designed to increase your level of agility.  They generally range from simple footwork exercises to tumbling and vaulting exercises. 

·         Techniques – Most people like to simply learn new techniques and skip all the rest of the training.  A good martial arts program will consist of a collection of no-nonsense, effective techniques suitable for real life self-defense situations.  It is important to note that becoming proficient at techniques requires learning the basics first.  The basics will consist of taking part in the previously mentioned programs as well as learning stances, footwork, correct punching, blocking and kicking, basic grappling and joint locks to name just a few.

·         Weapons Program – If you find yourself in a situation where you do not have access to your firearm, knowing how to use a variety of different weapon could save your life.  A good martial arts weapons program will include instruction in the use of weapons such as knives, stick weapons and flexible weapons.  It will also include instruction on improvised weapons and empty hand against weapons techniques. 

·        Mental Aspects – An effective martial artist is not just a physical fighter.  If you are a competitor or MMA fighter, you learn the rules of the sport, stay within those rules, and do your best to win.  Actual self-defense and security have a completely different set of rules that are not always clear cut but come with a set of ramifications that are far more consequential.  By learning some of the mental aspects of the martial arts, you will gain the ability to be more aware of your surroundings, remain calm in high stress situations, consider cause and effect and take appropriate action in an instant.  You can learn more about this in the book “The Body and Spirit” by using the link on this page.

Firearms

CHECK YOUR LOCAL FIREARMS AND SELF-DEFENSE LAWS.  TACTICAL PREPPER USA DOES NOT ENCOURAGE VIOLATION OF ANY LAW. 

If you choose to arm yourself and get appropriate training, you will need a well thought out selection of weapons.  Firearms are tools and different firearms have different uses.  Of course, some are more versatile than others so with the right selection, you won’t need to buy a dozen different weapons to have a well-rounded arsenal.  You also don’t have to go out a buy all of your weapons at once.  Here’s a brief outline of the benefits of each type of weapon so you can prioritize you purchases

Handguns

The advantage of a handgun is that it is concealable, rapid to deploy and extremely effective at short range, but it takes more training to become proficient with a handgun than it does a long gun.  The realistic maximum effective range for accuracy and rapid deployment is only about 7 yards (for most shooters) so there are severe limitations at longer distances. 

There are two main categories for self-defense handguns; automatic (which is actually semi-automatic) and revolvers. The most popular self-defense calibers for automatics are 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP but there are plenty of other calibers to choose from and this becomes a matter of personal preference.  The three most popular calibers for revolvers are 38 Special, 357 Magnum and 44 Magnum.  Most first time defensive handgun buyers opt for an automatic in at least 9 mm because they hold more ammunition and are easier to learn to deploy rapidly with a degree of accuracy.

Shotguns

A tactical shotgun is probably the most effective home defense weapon you can get.  They are extremely effective at close range and rapid to deploy.  Depending on the gauge of your shotgun, barrel length and type of ammunition, they can be effective as far as away as 50 yards and farther if you use rifled slugs but their real advantage for security lies within the 25 yard range where they have massive knock down power.  Another advantage to a tactical shotgun is that they take less practice to be able to hit a target than a handgun.  This is not to say that you don’t need to practice.  Any firearm requires practice if you expect to be able to effectively deploy the weapon in a stressful situation.  

Most serious security conscious preppers prefer a pump action over a semi-automatic because they are less complicated and generally more reliable.  The pump action makes it easier open the chamber and to clear malfunctions under stress.  The most popular shotgun caliber for defense is 12 gauge but some preppers elect to use 20 gauge models if the expected shooter is smaller person.  Firing a 12 gauge during practice for more than about five rounds can be pretty punishing on the shoulder. 

There are three basic types of shotgun ammunition: buckshot, rifled slugs and birdshot (various sizes).  Although buckshot is the most popular for home defense, one must consider the possibility for over penetration when selecting a buckshot round.  See the article on the side navigation about selecting the appropriate shotgun ammunition. 

Just because it’s generally easier to hit your target with a shotgun than with other firearms doesn’t mean that you can pick one up and automatically be proficient at its use.  There are many techniques and drills that you can do to improve your shotgun skills.  Here’s a good intro to the tactical shotgun video by TWANGnBANG.

Assault Rifles

In the hands of a competent, law abiding, well trained citizen, an assault rifle can be a very effective deterrent to being victimized by heavily armed aggressors.  The fact of the matter is that millions of people in the U.S. own assault weapons and not all of them are good people.  Some people think that banning these types of weapons is the answer but, unless the government can guarantee that ALL criminals (not just law abiding citizens) are disarmed, banning assault weapons would simply be taking away a very real deterrent and protection for the good guys.  So, we’re faced with the reality that there are a lot of guns out there and a lot of them are in the hands of bad people.  In this case, we are left with two options, accept that we will become victims or arm ourselves with equal or better weapons and be better trained in their use.  The latter seems to make more sense. Added to this is the fact that there is a faction of people that believe the only thing they need to do is to store lots of guns and ammunition to prepare for a SHTF scenario.  This is a dangerous and lazy approach to prepping.  It sets them up for only one option when things go bad; victimize other people and take what they need.  As preppers, we need to make sure that we are not the victims they seek.   

The AR 15 is by far the most popular assault rifle in the U.S.  They are easy to use and dependable.  The AK type of assault rifle is also popular.  Whichever type of assault weapon you choose, be aware that access to inexpensive ammunition is a factor.  You will be going through a lot of ammunition to get to the skill level you should have to be effective.

Survival Rifles

A useful addition to your weapons collection is a good quality survival rifle.  These rifles are usually 22 caliber and some of them come in break-down models.  The advantages to having a good quality survival rifle are many. The ammunition is inexpensive, so it becomes very affordable to practice a lot.  You can also store adequate amounts of ammunition without breaking the bank.  They are versatile and are useful as emergency hunting rifles.  They are relatively quiet compared to larger calibers so you may not draw as much attention to your location when using them.  Although these rifles are not the best for self-defense, the 22 caliber can be effective with a well placed shot and will certainly make an assailant think twice about engaging.

Hunting/Sniper Rifles

Long range weapons can be very useful if you are forced to defend your position from a long distance as well as providing the possibility of securing larger game for food.  Most of these weapons are equipped with scopes that afford a high degree of accuracy but also limits the ability to rapidly acquire a sight picture, so they are not as effective as a handgun, shotgun or even assault weapons at closer ranges.

Becoming proficient at long range shooting is very scientific and requires a lot of practice.  Hitting a moving target at long range is beyond the capability of most shooters unless they have often practiced the appropriate techniques.