{"id":1617,"date":"2014-07-03T15:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-07-03T19:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?p=1617"},"modified":"2014-07-09T12:12:57","modified_gmt":"2014-07-09T16:12:57","slug":"self-defense-tips-scare-tactics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-defense tips: Scare Tactics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Normally here on the Lounge, we talk about stuff like guns, shooting gear, and techniques. I like to share what I\u2019ve learned about how to select the right gear and get the most out of your firearms for self-defense. On the other hand, I usually avoid the purely philosophical or strategy-based topics pertaining to personal protection because, frankly, it\u2019s not quite as much fun to talk about and there are plenty of qualified experts out there sharing their knowledge on those topics. But today, I\u2019m going to deviate from that path a bit to address a somewhat alarming trend that I\u2019ve noticed in discussions both on and offline. I\u2019m talking about the practice of relying on\u00a0intimidation as a primary tactic for self-defense.<\/p>

Intimidation and Scare Tactics are\u00a0Not Plan A<\/h3>

The most common iteration of this concept is the old myth that a pump shotgun is the best home-defense tool because the sound of chambering a shell\u00a0will scare away any intruder. A pump 12 gauge might be the right tool for the job, but the sound it makes is not among its most useful qualities. My favorite response to this mentality\u00a0comes from another article<\/a> in which the author says \u201cScary noises are not a good tactic for saving your life, just like a rape whistle will never replace a gun. Arrive to the fight ready to fight, not with a $500 scary-noise-making device.\u201d Or put more succinctly by Travis Haley<\/a>, \u201cI don\u2019t use a pump to scare somebody. I use a pump to shoot somebody.\u201d<\/p>

\"Desert<\/a>
The bulky Desert Eagle, with all its noise, muzzle flash, and Hollywood-fueled reputation is the very epitome of intimidating. That doesn’t necessarily make it the ideal choice for protecting your home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

But this mentality of using \u201cscary guns\u201d to avoid a fight goes beyond the pump shotgun. I\u2019ve also heard similar comments in relation to mean-looking muzzle brakes, bright muzzle flash, extra-loud magnum loads, laser sights, muzzle size of large bore pistols and rifles, bright flashlights, and hollow-point bullets visible in a revolver cylinder, among others.<\/p>

It\u2019s possible<\/i> that any one of those things could sufficiently scare an attacker and persuade him to find something better to do. It\u2019s also possible they could further provoke him. More likely however, the encounter will be over before he has a chance to notice some detail of your firearm or ammunition that was selected for its intimidating effect. If you actually have to shoot\u00a0at the guy, he\u2019s probably not taking note of the bright flash erupting from your barrel because, you know, the bullets might present a more pressing concern.<\/p>

I understand the mentality. Believe me, I don’t want to be forced to shoot anyone either, and if I thought there was a reasonable expectation that making some sound or hanging the right accessory off my gun would be enough to avoid violence happening in my house, I’d be all for it. The problem is that although some of these scare tactics or “plans” may have a small chance of success, many of them have a 100% chance of making the gun less effective if you\u00a0do\u00a0<\/em>have to use it. Then you’re stuck with a sub-optimal self-defense solution and a false sense of security.<\/p>

Take the muzzle flash issue as an example. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about how premium self-defense ammo has less muzzle flash<\/a> in order to prevent the shooter from being blinded in a low light self-defense situation. A disturbing number of comments on our Facebook page<\/a> completely dismissed the desire to reduce muzzle flash because “it’s more intimidating to someone on the other end.” Assuming these guys aren’t just trolls and actually believe this, then they’re essentially admitting that\u00a0if faced with a choice, they’d rather bet their life on the intimidating effects of muzzle flash rather than their own ability to see what they’re shooting at.<\/p>

For\u00a0an even more extreme example, I once read an online discussion where a guy was quite sincerely trying to argue that a Mosin Nagant is a better home-defense weapon than an AR-15 because a bayonet at the end of a 7-foot long Soviet bolt gun will strike terror in the hearts of any criminal daft enough to trespass onto your property whereas the AR will just “blend into the shadows” and not be noticed.<\/p>

Think it Through<\/h3>

I’m assuming you’re smart enough to spot some holes in that logic. And this article isn’t intended to persuade those who are so stubborn as\u00a0to base their entire home-defense strategy on bravado and urban legend. The issue is that some of these self-defense “plans” don’t seem quite so ridiculous at first, especially to someone who’s new to the whole self-defense conversation. If that’s you, and you’re trying to discern whether it makes sense to pursue a particular tactic, technique, or piece of gear that has some supposed intimidating effects, here are a few questions to ask:<\/p>

1. Does it improve<\/em> your ability to fight?<\/strong><\/h4>

The reason you have a home-defense gun is to defend yourself and your family from death or serious bodily injury. If you’re lucky, it’ll scare somebody away first, but if that’s all it was good for, you’d probably instead opt for a can of OC spray or a baseball bat\u00a0or something that was actually useful in a fight.\u00a0If some alleged improvement to your firearm or ammunition doesn’t actually improve your ability to use it effectively in a fight, then it’s probably unnecessary.\u00a0On the other hand, some\u00a0accessories that are occasionally promoted for their intimidating effects might actually be more helpful when they are instead used for their intended purpose\u00a0like, for example, laser sights and flashlights. I have them because it’s much easier to shoot in low light with them than without them. If they happen to scare somebody, then great, but that’s not the primary reason I’ve invested in them and how to use them effectively.<\/p>

2. Does it impede<\/em> your ability to fight?<\/strong><\/h4>

If the strategy or gear in question doesn’t actually help you fight better, is it\u00a0hurting<\/em> your effectiveness with your firearm? If I thought painting sharks on the side of my AR would scare away bad guys, I might do it. Doing so wouldn’t prevent me from using the AR just as effectively as before. As long as I’m not\u00a0counting<\/em> on my “improvements” to do the fighting for me, then at the very least, it’s probably not hurting anything.<\/p>

<\/p>

\"shARk-15\"<\/a>
Check it out, ya’ll: Shark stickers for my AR. Get ready to pee your pants, criminals. Look out for… shARk-15!<\/figcaption><\/figure>

3. Do the scare tactics pass the reality test?<\/strong><\/h4>

Who’s suggesting it? Do they have a good reputation for providing reliable information about self-defense? Is their suggestion based on evidence\u00a0or experience, or just the theory that it “might” scare somebody? Keep in mind that most people who routinely attack others\u00a0or break into houses are not doing so because they have a track record for wise decision making. Something that might act as a deterrent to a rational person will not necessarily work the same way on a career scumbag or desperate addict. Think realistically about the desired outcome and just how likely it is versus the potential drawbacks of relying on your ability to be frightening to a hardened criminal.<\/p>

There’s nothing wrong with hoping that you’ll be able to scare off an attacker\u00a0to prevent a fight before it even starts, and fortunately, that happens fairly often. The best reports we have indicate that the majority of defensive gun uses don’t involve any shots fired. However, usually it’s the mere sight of any\u00a0<\/em>firearm\u00a0or the fact that the potential victim is resisting\u00a0that sends the bad guy looking for an easier target. There’s\u00a0no indication that the type of gun or ammo or accessories used often\u00a0factor into that decision making. But if\u00a0the appearance of the gun doesn’t have the desired effect, scaring him away is off the table and you’ll want to have the best possible self-defense tool in your hand and the training and willpower to use it effectively. As the clich\u00e9 goes, hope for the best, but prepare\u00a0for the worst.<\/p> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Normally here on the Lounge, we talk about stuff like guns, shooting gear, and techniques. I like to share what … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[20,17,156,19],"class_list":["post-1617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-toolbox","tag-home-defense","tag-self-defense","tag-shotgun","tag-tactics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSelf Defense Tips - Don't Rely on Scare Tactics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scare tactics are great in theory but there is a lot more to consider when it comes to self-defense and defending your family. Check out more details here.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Self Defense Tips - Don't Rely on Scare Tactics\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scare tactics are great in theory but there is a lot more to consider when it comes to self-defense and defending your family. Check out more details here.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lucky Gunner Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-07-03T19:00:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-07-09T16:12:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1140\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"490\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris Baker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Chris Baker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/\",\"name\":\"Self Defense Tips - Don't Rely on Scare Tactics\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-07-03T19:00:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-07-09T16:12:57+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7\"},\"description\":\"Scare tactics are great in theory but there is a lot more to consider when it comes to self-defense and defending your family. Check out more details here.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg\",\"width\":1140,\"height\":490,\"caption\":\"12 gauge muzzle brake\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Self-defense tips: Scare Tactics\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/\",\"name\":\"Lucky Gunner Lounge\",\"description\":\"Reliable shooting advice for regular people.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7\",\"name\":\"Chris Baker\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Chris Baker\"},\"description\":\"Chris Baker joined the Lucky Gunner team in 2011 and, among other roles, serves as the editor of Lucky Gunner Lounge. Chris has a broad interest in all types of\u00a0shooting activities, but he's most passionate about firearms as tools for personal protection. Prior to working for Lucky Gunner full time, Chris taught basic handgun skills and concealed carry permit classes to a diverse range of clients in his home state of North Carolina. He is a Rangemaster-certified Shotgun and Advanced Handgun Instructor and NRA Handgun Instructor. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the shooting world has included over 500 hours of professional firearms and self-defense training from instructors like Ken Hackathorn, Tom Givens, Ernest Langdon, Craig Douglas, Gabe White, Darryl Bolke, Wayne Dobbs, Chuck Haggard, Claude Werner, John Hearne, Jim Higginbotham, Kyle DeFoor, and Randy Cain,\u00a0among others.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/author\/chris\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Self Defense Tips - Don't Rely on Scare Tactics","description":"Scare tactics are great in theory but there is a lot more to consider when it comes to self-defense and defending your family. Check out more details here.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Self Defense Tips - Don't Rely on Scare Tactics","og_description":"Scare tactics are great in theory but there is a lot more to consider when it comes to self-defense and defending your family. Check out more details here.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/","og_site_name":"Lucky Gunner Lounge","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris","article_published_time":"2014-07-03T19:00:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2014-07-09T16:12:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1140,"height":490,"url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Chris Baker","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Chris Baker","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/","name":"Self Defense Tips - Don't Rely on Scare Tactics","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg","datePublished":"2014-07-03T19:00:52+00:00","dateModified":"2014-07-09T16:12:57+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7"},"description":"Scare tactics are great in theory but there is a lot more to consider when it comes to self-defense and defending your family. Check out more details here.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/intimidation-featured.jpg","width":1140,"height":490,"caption":"12 gauge muzzle brake"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/self-defense-tips-scare-tactics\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Self-defense tips: Scare Tactics"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/","name":"Lucky Gunner Lounge","description":"Reliable shooting advice for regular people.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/e5f16064c8ef9168e878956da3123dc7","name":"Chris Baker","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/media\/chris-profile-96x96.jpg","caption":"Chris Baker"},"description":"Chris Baker joined the Lucky Gunner team in 2011 and, among other roles, serves as the editor of Lucky Gunner Lounge. Chris has a broad interest in all types of\u00a0shooting activities, but he's most passionate about firearms as tools for personal protection. Prior to working for Lucky Gunner full time, Chris taught basic handgun skills and concealed carry permit classes to a diverse range of clients in his home state of North Carolina. He is a Rangemaster-certified Shotgun and Advanced Handgun Instructor and NRA Handgun Instructor. His ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the shooting world has included over 500 hours of professional firearms and self-defense training from instructors like Ken Hackathorn, Tom Givens, Ernest Langdon, Craig Douglas, Gabe White, Darryl Bolke, Wayne Dobbs, Chuck Haggard, Claude Werner, John Hearne, Jim Higginbotham, Kyle DeFoor, and Randy Cain,\u00a0among others.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lucky.gunner.chris"],"url":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/author\/chris\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1617"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1636,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1617\/revisions\/1636"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luckygunner.com\/lounge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}