From the darkest mists of time, man has had to devise the best means at hand to protect himself and his family. Today, our police forces do what they can, but they’re encumbered by innumerable laws and ordinances that at a glance would seem to protect the criminal rather than his victim. Everyone knows or should know, that an officer of the law can’t do anything to help a victim until after a crime has been committed. This is particularly true for the person who is accosted at night getting into or out of his or her vehicle, an actual intrusion into a victim’s place of residence or hotel room.
A great many persons keep a firearm in the home. In most states, they can only carry them in a vehicle if under lock and key with the ammunition locked safely in another location. If a person does keep a firearm in the home, there comes a question of safety. Believe us, if a firearm is in the house and not under lock and key, that kid’s going to find it. It’s that simple. However, if the firearm is kept in the safe or other safe place and must be unlocked and loaded, it’s not reasonable to ask an intruder to wait while the gun is loaded.
Some, in an emergency, rely on knives. While in most areas switchblades are illegal, many very dangerous lock-blade knives are on the market. And in the home knives are always to be found, but a knife is a close-up weapon and not only messy but often can be turned on the homeowner. Not a good option But there’s a simple, practical solution, and you may already have it right in your home, A good old baseball bat. But you might still ask yourself a baseball bat as a Self-Defense Weapon? It is a Yes, but according to baseball bat users, a bat must be modified by sawing off the end of the barrel, which will give you better leverage, power and control.
If you don’t have a bat, they’re easily found in sporting goods stores, are relatively inexpensive and just about anyone can carry one. Many years ago, President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt is quoted as having said his motto was: “Walk softly and carry a big stick”. That makes pretty good sense. When you go out at night in quiet areas there’s no law against carrying a baseball bat. Most of your strength is in your upper body and with that solid bat in hand, you can give somebody a very good whack. A whack to remember.
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So What’s the Best Baseball Bat for Self-Defense?
There are bats with shorter handles that might work better for you, and then if a wooden bat seems too heavy to wield properly, there are aluminum bats that can do the job. One that I highly recommend can be found on Amazon. Check it out here.
Top 8 Types of Bats
Baseball players know already that for pros, a wooden bat is mandatory. But for us amateurs, we have plenty of different bats and styles to choose from, You can go down to Dick’s or Big 5 or other sporting good outlets in your area and check out many different bats to see which would be best suited to your needs. Some are considerably heavier than others and you aren’t confined to wooden bats. You can buy any bat you like. In no particular order, here’s a list of common wooden bats and some of their characteristics:
- A bat made of ash has some flexibility, but over time it may have a tendency to chip and flake.
- A bat of birchwood is flexible as well as durable. Still, being softer, it can dent more easily. You want to put the dent on the aggressor rather than the bat!
- We like a bamboo bat. Bamboo has great strength and is not only light and flexible as well as durable. As an added perk, bamboo is a renewable resource.
- There are alloy bats. These are blends of aluminum other meals. This one is durable but a bit on the heavy side.
- All-Aluminum. This is an excellent choice in that it’s light, durable and easier to swing hard.
- There are also composite bats. These are more expensive but even lighter than aluminum. These are a combination of chemical materials. They aren’t noted for durability.
- Many prefer a bat made of sturdy maple. This wood is dense and heavy. There is also a downside in that it doesn’t always hold up well in moist climates.
- Another old standby is hickory along with some other woods but you’re unlikely to find any near you, so we didn’t include that one.
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Styles
Alongside the consideration of material, there is a style to consider. A bat made of one single piece. It will be strong and rather inflexible. There are hybrids available as well. These use different materials for the handle and the barrel. These are more flexible and when striking something, they bat doesn’t vibrate in you4 and. If you intend to keep a bat in the house, the short bat might be your better choice. In close quarters, a long bat might be hard to use properly.
The best advice for that is to find a style that suits you. Once you have that, give some thought to just how and where you’re going to keep it. If you need it you need it now and if you can’t remember just where you left it, you know you’re in trouble.
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Making your bat an obvious danger
It is possible to take extra steps to make your bat an even greater weapon. You can saw off part of the bat, making it easier to swing in a tight spot. Some even core out part of the interior and fill it with lead or some other metal. This creates a must more formidable weapon.
As to carrying it about in the street, everyone will immediately see that you’re aren’t returning from a baseball game and a modified bat on the street is guaranteed to create attention. And then you’ve undoubtedly seen bats wrapped in barbed or razor wire on TV. This looks great on TV but it’s really not a good choice for most people.
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Carrying a bat instead of a firearm
States differ greatly with respect to firearms. Some permit open carry while most do not. Concealed carry varies too. In some states, concealed carry permits are easy to obtain, while in others, a need must be shown. In some, it’s very difficult (unless you’re on friendly terms with the mayor or sheriff). And too, a firearm requires a certain amount of training if you intend to carry one around. Many individuals have been injured or even killed while playing around with a firearm. And as mentioned earlier, with children in the home, firearms are just not a good choice.
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Legal Considerations
When it comes to an actual event, there are legal issues. The legality of how and why you may have used a bat to defend yourself can be a thorny question if you’re required to appear before a judge. The best advice here is that any time such an issue should arise, you’re going to need a lawyer. The best you can afford.
Right or wrong, a good lawyer can juggle precedence, the situation and other factors, such as having friendly relations with the judge. So if you’re ever required to appear in court because you used a bat or any other device in self-defense, you’re going to need that good lawyer.
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Using Common Sense
Unless you’re the team coach, carrying a bat around is going to attract attention, and not the kind most people want. People will consider you a weirdo and probably avoid you.
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It’s Better to be Safe then Sorry
A piece of good advice is to inform yourself about the laws in your area. When it comes to an event in which you actually use it to defend yourself, there’s a dividing point in which you strike the attacker hard enough to cause him/her to fall to the ground, perhaps you’ve seriously injured or broken an arm or leg. That’s self-defense. If you incapacitate your attacker and then continue beating him, perhaps even killing him, then you’re going to have a difficult time justifying self-defense. For those who now see the need to get a bat for self defense, click here to find the latest pricing for a min-bat I highly recommend.
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A Few Final Thoughts
A bat is a useful addition to any household. In nearly every state a bat is perfectly legal to own and to keep a bat in your car.
Even if you’re a gun owner, a baseball bat is still a good alternative choice to keep around the house. And just as with firearms, it’s a good idea to go down in the basement or back yard and practice with the bat, deciding just how it would work best in case of the need arising for self-defense.
Just to show good intentions, you might want to buy a baseball mitt and a couple of baseballs to keep with your bat to shoe any interested parties that you didn’t have the bat in the house simple as a weapon.
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Frequent questions
- Is a Bat Really Going to be Effective?
The answer is both yes and no. Going up against an armed intruder it may not be of much help. But on the other hand, you can do a lot of damage with your bat, damage as in broken bones or even cause death.
- How About Mini-Bat… Are They Legal?
Most sporting equipment is legal to own or carry in a car, or on the street (in some cases). These bats are usually considered as decorative items. They can be quite effective in some cases. However, if you use a bat or any other device offensively, then you may find yourself in a heap of trouble when standing before a judge.
- Well, what weapons are legal to carry for self-defense?
As already discussed, the problem most weapons for self-defense is owning one, where to keep it, and how not to look like a man on a mission carrying a baseball bat to the mall for a shopping trip. Any sort of knife, sword, firearm and even such items as brass knuckles fall under different laws in different regions of the country. There are other means for self-defense that may be considered unintentional weapons. A short but heavy chain or even a tree branch might be used as long as it appears that you “just happened to have one at the time”
One final little weapon that goes unnoticed in airports, government buildings and wherever you go without attracting attention is a ballpoint pen. Stabbing someone with a pen can do a lot of damage. In the worst case scenario, you might stab an attacker in the eye. That should at least give you time to step away from the immediate danger.