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Old February 3, 2010, 02:14 AM   #1
Balog
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What's the most clever improvised weapon usage you've seen?

Saw a show on the teewee that reminded me of something a friend of mine did once. Back in the mid 70's my friend (let's call him Bob) was a college student living in the dorms. Although he's a quiet guy now, Bob was a a rather confrontational person in his younger days. One night, he got into an argument and managed to anger two beefy young gentlemen to the point they decided ole Bob could benefit from a whuppin. Bob may have been argumentative, but he wasn't stupid. When the guys came after him with a baseball bat he ran back to his room and locked them out.

If they had backed off, maybe yelled a bit on the way out for good measure, it would've been a rather mundane story. But they commenced trying to break the door down, all the while shouting threats. Bob was getting a mite worried, since the campus policy meant he was unarmed and cell phones weren't around back them. This is the point at which I should mention the dorm floors were tile...

As Bob desperately looks around for a means to defend himself, he spotted a tin of lighter fluid and inspiration struck. He squirted a generous amount under the door (and on the shoes of his attackers) and got it lit. Nothing says "Leave me alone" like a big puddle of burning petroleum, I always say...

So what is the most innovative, effective use of improvised weaponry you've ever seen? It's always good to get ourselves thinking outside the box, and remembering that the gun is not always the answer.
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Old February 3, 2010, 08:34 AM   #2
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A can of hairspray and a lighter. Makes a great flamethrower!
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Old February 3, 2010, 09:25 AM   #3
MTT TL
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So what is the most innovative, effective use of improvised weaponry you've ever seen?
IED's. The enemy has been constantly improving them to the point where they are quite good. They certainly are effective too. You could argue that the IED was designed as a weapon out of other weapons, but except for EFPs they were not intended to be used in the manner in which they are being used.

On the flip side I think the worst is the beer bottle as a club. I have seen several people get cracked over the head with a beer bottle and keep fighting without pause. Mostly I think because of the beer inside of them already, but still poor stopping power.
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Old February 3, 2010, 09:54 AM   #4
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Maybe not quite what you were expecting, . . . but my son (6' 3" and about 230) who is an excellent 3 gun shooter, . . . borders on being paranoid when the word "spider" comes up.

We lived for about a year in a trailor that should have been stripped for aluminum scrap long before we bought it, . . . and it had a number of holes in the floor where previous owners had wiring & piping coming up in his bedroom.

Living out in Boondock City, . . . next to a well wooded tree / fence line, . . . we are inundated with the brown "Wolf" spiders.

My son's weapon of choice? My "canned air" used to keep my computer up and running. Turn it upside down, . . . point it at the offending spider, . . . if you hit him, . . . he is an instant iceberg, . . . and can shatter like glass if hit right.

It really wasn't funny then, . . . but looking back , . . . and it cemented in my mind the availability and usefulness of anything in a spray can when an improvised weapon is needed.

May God bless,
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Old February 3, 2010, 11:51 AM   #5
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When you are put in danger, use whatever you have.

I was a student in x-ray school, and was working with Mike. We were going to
shoot a chest x-ray on a drunk. He was sitting up at about a 45 degree angle.
We used grid film cassetes in those days (weight over 20 pounds due to the
lead}. Well, Mr drunk pulls out a pocket knife, I yell "knife", Mike takes a
nice swing and Mr drunk's nose got hit and became much flatter and about
three inches wide. Blood began shooting out all over. Needless to say, we
then had to shoot a Nasal bones x-rays series in addition to the chest x-ray.
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Old February 3, 2010, 07:04 PM   #6
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Simple Green (in spray bottle) Kills ants and other creepy-crawlers dead in their tracks!
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Old February 3, 2010, 09:04 PM   #7
Capt. Charlie
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C'mon guys; I think the OP is looking for improvised weapons, as in self defense.

This one has the potential to be both fun and thought provoking, so use a little imagination. Surely there's still some MacGyver fans around .
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Old February 3, 2010, 09:12 PM   #8
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A sock full of rocks is a pretty good sap. This is old and classic, but so is the 1911 - and both still work well.
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Old February 3, 2010, 10:29 PM   #9
Balog
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I'm hoping to find a real life example of a crazy cat lady chucking kittehs as an offensive weapon...

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Old February 4, 2010, 09:49 AM   #10
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Fine, I'll play (even though these discussions tend to get a little too um...far-fetched(?) sometimes).

Really, just about anything you can pick up can be used to inflict damage (and if you can't pick it up, bounce their head off it). I prefer smaller objects like flashlights, staplers, sharpie-markers, etc. The reason for this is that these objects dovetail nicely into the empty-hand and edged/impact-weapons framework I already have in place. In other words, a reverse-grip thrust with a knife is no different than a hammer fist strike, or a similar strike augmented by the addition of a small flashlight, pen, or even a DVD case (striking with the corner).
Another benefit is that these objects can be found just about anywhere. One exercise I assigned the students in my self-defense class once was to come back the next week with a list of 10 items in their surroundings (home, work, etc.) that they could immediately access and use to strike or stab an attacker.
Furthermore, these types of objects can be carried with no negative attention. You can always carry a flashlight and a sturdy pen or marker w/o anyone giving you a second glance. This is even true when going into secured areas (courthouses, airports, etc.)

Obviously, anything you can easily swing (but that still has some "heft") can be used to bash someone upside the head. (chairs, lamps, lap-tops, etc.)

I don't really place a whole lot of value in anything you have to "assemble" before use. When you need a weapon, you're going to need it NOW... Items in this category would include the coins/rocks/padlock in a sock, etc.
Yeah, something like that will definitely put someone in the "coloring books for Christmas" category but are you really going to have time to fiddle around with it?
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Old February 4, 2010, 09:57 AM   #11
BobCat45
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Well, I'm a man (not a lady) and I don't throw them, but my cats would be likely to trip anyone who broke in the house. One of their favorite games is "Trip the Human".

They also have all their teeth and claws and are very fast - capable of severe damage if provoked. Trying to clip claws constitutes provocation - they know all about General Gage at Concord.

However, unlike dogs they do not obey commands. No cat will ever be tried for "just following orders".

And - a can of Carb and Choke Cleaner is almost as good as pepper spray, cheaper, and has practical uses besides blinding an intruder.

Regards,
Andrew
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Old February 4, 2010, 10:58 AM   #12
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Tennis racket! I was a Jimmy Connors fan and played with a Wilson T-2000 just like he had. I was 16 years old, me and my buddy were playing in a park at night under lights, and when we left, got accosted by somebody either very drunk or very stoned. I stabbed him right in the throat with the racket, and then took out his knee. We jumped on our bicycles and got the heck out of there..
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Old February 4, 2010, 11:01 AM   #13
petemacmahon
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Garden hose mortor..of sorts

When I was in High School and College, anything that went bang was my hobby. You name it, I tried to make it. Had very little success making any real HE (except for getting a hold of those original era "break to work" cold packs. Did you know that the white stuff in those is high grade Ammonium Nitrate?!) But one of the simplest things I stumbled upon was that an expended 12 gauge shell fit's nicely over the cut off end of an average garden hose.

So, take a foot long section of garden hose. Cut a small V-notch out of one end. Fold it in a Z shape and hold it tight in one hand. Place a run of the mill firecracker in the open end facing up with the fuse just sticking out of that V. Place the empty 12 gauge shell snugly over it in such a fashion as to hold the tip of the fuse in place. Light it, and then push the shell down tight and hold on with both hands and it will launch that empty shell up well over 100 ft.

Of course version two had to be better. You know those fancy wooden tournament darts? Pry that dart tip out and it will fit very snugly into the primer hole of that 12 gauge shell. Super glue it in place. That simple little hand mortar will sink that dart all the way to the base in a 2X4!

How that for improvised?
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Old February 4, 2010, 01:13 PM   #14
Hank15
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Key chains wrapped around the end of a belt.

Swing it and let the key chain smash the BG in the face. Repeat if necessary.

I've also seen belts used to choke and "snatch" opponents like they do in rodeos.

Also, jackets make good "trapping" tools as well.

To be frank, no improvised ranged weapon can really take the place of a gun.

So if we're only talking about melee, any thing you can pick up and has any weight, edge, or hardness will aid you.

Nothing compensates for a lack of a social utensils like a good pair of arms and legs though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeP_AcmIzqU
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Old February 4, 2010, 02:01 PM   #15
Balog
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I was rather hoping for more first/second hand experiences of actual usage, less bland theory and "anything sharp or heavy." I'm sure we all know almost anything can be used as a weapon, I'm more interested in actual accounts of that usage.
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Old February 4, 2010, 02:03 PM   #16
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OK, Capt. Charlie, I'll agree that my Simple Green comment was a lame attempt at cleverness and off subject, so I'll try to redeem myself with this one:

A BICYCLE can be an effective weapon against attackers, both the two and four-legged kind. Where I live and ride cougars and bears are everywhere. I've come nose to nose with a full grown adult cougar on one of my early morning mountain rides. I do carry a gun with me, but stopping a full grown cougar or bear that is in all-out attack mode with a hand gun would be iffy at best. My best defense against such an attack would, I believe, be my bike. At 26 pounds it's light enough that I can easily pick it up and use it as a shield.

As far as two-legged attackers go, a bike wouldn't help much against an armed attacker other than to get you the heck out of the area as quickly as possible.

BTW, I read about a guy in California who fended off a cougar attack with his bike.

Last edited by cycleguru; February 4, 2010 at 03:14 PM.
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Old February 4, 2010, 02:13 PM   #17
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in my office...

Everything not affixed to the floor could conceivably be a weapon. Right at hand in my office, i have letter opener, multitool, mini US Flag (pointed spire), scissors, and a mini dart set on my credenza (unbelievably sharp, but only about 1 gram apiece , hundreds of pushpins (work well with a properly-sized blowgun, i'd imagine) within my immediate grasp. Computer monitor, paperweight, desk clock, speakers, stapler, coffee cup, even a staple puller.

Then there's the big stuff. Chairs, laptop, marble business card holder, printer. Dang. I could throw crap for 5 minutes and that's without stepping out into the outer office.

In one drawer, several chopsticks. Now there's an under-appreciated stabbing weapon. and when you're done with your opponent, you can eat him (or hopefully, her) if you have to.
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Old February 4, 2010, 09:11 PM   #18
old bear
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Improvised weapons

Thankfully I have never had to use either of these but a set of keys can be used to put out an eye or rupture a larynx. The nib of any pen shoved with force into the torso just above the stomach and below the ribcage or in the ear canal will take the fight out of most folks.
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Old February 4, 2010, 09:22 PM   #19
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not certain where this is from:

Quote:
1-1/2" Guardrail nut looped on 550 paracord. Not whiz-bang tactical, but one smack in the grape and it's coloring books for Christmas
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Last edited by Rampant_Colt; February 4, 2010 at 09:26 PM. Reason: it's 550 paracord, not 440! LoL
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Old February 4, 2010, 10:45 PM   #20
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Way back when there were things like full service gas stations, I pumped gas at night. My partner was having issues with a guy. So he sprayed him with gasoline. I have had a drop or two of gas in my eyes, this guy had his washed with the stuff. He was screaming "It ain't over". My pard was trying to get loose from me. I was holding his hands so he could not strike the match. The gas man had no idea how close it was to being over.
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Last edited by youp; February 4, 2010 at 10:45 PM. Reason: speeling
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Old February 4, 2010, 10:51 PM   #21
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I was once hit over the head with a record player. Brought me to my knees.
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Old February 4, 2010, 11:13 PM   #22
Deaf Smith
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Sharp plastic credit card. Used to cut throats.

Got that from Jack Bauer.
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Old February 5, 2010, 07:23 AM   #23
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Was witness to one helluva whuppin one day when one of my buddy's was jumped after school by 2-3 other guys. I was walking a good distance behind them when it started in a neighbors yard. Before I could get up to help, my buddy had grabbed the extension cord that was being used for christmas decorations and proceeded to whip the fight right out of them. That male end of the extension cord did some quite nasty things to their faces, they still have the scars to remember the experience by to this day.
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Old February 5, 2010, 07:52 AM   #24
rattletrap1970
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Soda can in a sock.
Or a rock in a sock.
Or a lock in a sock.
Bar of soap in a sock.
Etc.
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Old February 5, 2010, 07:58 AM   #25
To3T@g
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ok ill bite to! this is a story that happened to my dad when he was in collage at the Citadel military collage of south carolina. when my dad was a junior he and some of his friends would asault each other with pen's. Dad says they allways made sure the cap was on. Anyway they would catch a buddy off guard or not paying attention while walking the hall from one class to another and stick him in the ribs with a pen. it became a game of ambush and trying to do it while the person was off guard or indisposed lol. My dad got a buddy of his one day real good while he was joging. Dad said it droped him to his knees instantly and the guy shreeked in pain holding his ribs. This guy swore to my dad that he was going to get him back for it,but dad luaghed and didnt pay the threat much mind. So about a week later me dad was in his dorm room cooking up some popcor(with his illegal popcorn maker that he kept hidden since they werent allowed in the dorms) and all of a sudden the door to his room swings open and there stands his friend who he had ambushed the week befor with a cap'd pen in his hand and a smile on his face lol. the guy waisted no time and turned the lights out(it was at night)and charged my father with every intention of exacting revenge that my dad probably diserved. since dad was maken popcorn befor this guy came in he was just about to shake some salt on it and still had the shaker in his hand. dad said as soon as the lights went out he filled his palm with salt and when the guy was 3or4ft away he took a deep breath and blew the salt as hard as he could at head hight! there was a loud scream and the attacker droped to his knees once again in agonising pain holding his hands over his salt filled eyes lol. im sure it burned like fire
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