[PaloVivo]

Past Friday at around 10:00pm I was talking with my neighbor, my sister and her friend when I suddenly heard a gunshot. I rapidly got them in, and as a every Boricua, I went down the street(actually it was just 4 houses down) and saw a car shooting 5 times more. The body fell and everybody came out, all my streets 'gatilleros' got in a van to follow the car. Police came and he was already dead. Everybody watched the procedure and how they got him out and the such. Minutes after everybody gets inside and the police gone, 27 gunshots are heard. They killed the 4 guys in the car. On Saturday, they killed another guy on the first section of my urbanization at about 11:00am. Yesterday there was a massacre where they got 2 guys more and accidentally killed an old woman. The sad part is that this is only counting what happens on my street. This weekend was considered to be historic for Puerto Rico. Between Friday and yesterday morning there was a total of 28 registered murders. The news today reported there has been a total of 54 deaths in the war between US and Iraq/Afghanistan this past 3 months; 32 deaths in Puerto Rico as of this morning. Basically that is how we live everyday.

I bring this up because I want to start preparing for this type of situation aside from nature disasters, like the current situation. Firearms are not a possibility since there are no such things as permits or a Walmart that sells them. The only way to get it would be on the street and every weapon they sell has killed a minimum of 10 people, which I won't get myself into.

I need to come up with something fast. I'm the only guy on the immediate family. Just on my town I have over 50 family members with 15 in the same house and 97% are women, mostly on their 45-55's and all are Christians who disbelief me entirely.

What would be the best weapon to get in this case?

 

[MidWestDisappearance]

When looking for a defensive weapon in an environment(and wanting to stay legal) you have to look at simplicity and availability. you aren't screwed, but it is definitely more difficult.

Bows and such are the first option. you are limited by size and practice needed to become proficient with such things, but they will work at somewhat longer ranges.

Next come items and devices that we can't talk about on here due to the fact that they would get the federal government breathing down your neck just as quickly there as here, but if you are interested, there are resources out there.

Finally there is the weapon that is available to pretty much everyone- the machete. they don't do much for people firing at range, but in a close up encounter they give you a better chance than flailing your hands.

knives work great for every day as well and fall into the same category. the biggest knife you can legally carry, backed up by a machete that can be explained away as a garden tool.

Obviously situational awareness is your first defense, but it never hurts to have a little insurance.

-MWD

 

[luckyfasteddie]

Where do you live ?

 

[MikeK]

I don't really know any other weapon to suggest to defend against gunfire other than guns. Perhaps you might look into hardening your home against gunfire and getting machetes and baseball bats to use against intruders?

It this a sudden increase in violence or a normal every day occurance? What is causing it?

Where do you live ?

Surely you jest? It says Puerto Rico in the title of the thread, in his "location" and more than once in the post itself!

 

[talon115]

slingshot.

 

[PaloVivo]

When looking for a defensive weapon in an environment(and wanting to stay legal) you have to look at simplicity and availability. you aren't screwed, but it is definitely more difficult.

Bows and such are the first option. you are limited by size and practice needed to become proficient with such things, but they will work at somewhat longer ranges.

Next come items and devices that we can't talk about on here due to the fact that they would get the federal government breathing down your neck just as quickly there as here, but if you are interested, there are resources out there.

Finally there is the weapon that is available to pretty much everyone- the machete. they don't do much for people firing at range, but in a close up encounter they give you a better chance than flailing your hands.

knives work great for every day as well and fall into the same category. the biggest knife you can legally carry, backed up by a machete that can be explained away as a garden tool.

Obviously situational awareness is your first defense, but it never hurts to have a little insurance.

-MWD

Maybe walking around with a bow and arrows would get the attention of everyone and people pointing at me recalling I'm crazy or the such, but I have been looking for good overall bow that is durable and under the 150$ mark; maybe less.

I do have a Gator Machete (Gerber) and just ordered this knife. Over the years carrying a machete with you has become very rare, but in 2000 and earlier years my grandfather and men his age always carried one; they resolved everything with their machete like men, no guns. So I guess I could carry one myself.

So, if you know about any good bow for that price range and ships to PR, let me know!

Where do you live ?

Bayamon, Puerto Rico!

I don't really know any other weapon to suggest to defend against gunfire other than guns. Perhaps you might look into hardening your home against gunfire and getting machetes and baseball bats to use against intruders?

It this a sudden increase in violence or a normal every day occurance? What is causing it?



Surely you jest? It says Puerto Rico in the title of the thread, in his "location" and more than once in the post itself!

I've been thinking on reinforcing my home, but do not know where to start. It already has iron bars on every window and doors but nothing else. Sadly it is an every day thing, just that every time is closer to my house. I put a bat under my mom's car seat and bought her and my sister a full tang knife which they are scared to use.\

slingshot.

I doubt I can get a slingshot to be lethal.

 

[Gavbar]

There is one projectile weapon that can be effective and does not need the same degree of prectice and proficiency as a bow.. the Crossbow.

These can be made at home and have the advantage of sufficient power, relatively silent and at close range require little skill. They have the great added advantage that they can remain loaded and ready to fire and do not need the same levels of physical strength as a bow.

Look at the "goatsfoot" spanning ones, quick to recock and powerful enough. The stronger windlass cocked ones take too much time to reload and are somewhat clumsy.

 

[TxHills]

Firearms are not a possibility since there are no such things as permits or a Walmart that sells them. The only way to get it would be on the street and every weapon they sell has killed a minimum of 10 people, which I won't get myself into.

You say no permits...is it illegal to own a firearm there? If you can...get one, why does it make a difference if it killed someone? The gun doesn't know what it did. And if you need to arm yourself....isn't there the possibility you may have to do the same with whatever weapon you decide on to protect yourself if things are that bad?

Was wondering....do you own, or have access to a boat? I'd set sail!:

 

[PaloVivo]

There is one projectile weapon that can be effective and does not need the same degree of prectice and proficiency as a bow.. the Crossbow.

These can be made at home and have the advantage of sufficient power, relatively silent and at close range require little skill. They have the great added advantage that they can remain loaded and ready to fire and do not need the same levels of physical strength as a bow.

Look at the "goatsfoot" spanning ones, quick to recock and powerful enough. The stronger windlass cocked ones take too much time to reload and are somewhat clumsy.

Crossbows are a good weapon, but It would be to be decent size and weight to act as a portable weapon and leave space for more items. Specific one?

You say no permits...is it illegal to own a firearm there? If you can...get one, why does it make a difference if it killed someone? The gun doesn't know what it did. And if you need to arm yourself....isn't there the possibility you may have to do the same with whatever weapon you decide on to protect yourself if things are that bad?

Was wondering....do you own, or have access to a boat? I'd set sail!:

It's 100% illegal to own a firearm in Puerto Rico. It is restricted to U.S. Invaders and the men they dragged, Police, Coast Guard, etc..the only civilian that could get a weapon legally but very rarely after a dozen struggles would be a Guard; not included mall, events or civilian guards.

The difference between a new weapon and one on the streets is obvious. Say I bought a 9mm. The police stops me on the road and decides to check me and my car(they do it even w/o legal permission), their mission is to fog you up and they will not let you go until they find something to incriminate you in any way even if it's a 10$ ticket. IF they find the weapon and a fail to show permits they immediately open a case, investigation, 2$k or more of initial infraction and if they don't find any written permit you automatically go to jail for a minimum of 6 months. It doesn't stop there. EVERY weapon on the streets has a story since only about 50 guns enter the island per year. Say it is relatively new and has only been in PR since February. The gun already had 2 owners if not 3 or 4. 75% of the owners killed a guy or two(maybe 10) and one of them ended being killed by the same weapon. None of them gets caught with the gun and it ends up in my hands. I never kill someone but I'm the one who has it. I pay for the 10 deaths

 

[Gavbar]

The crossbows we made were from filed down landrover leaf springs. The stock was metal to reduce the size but retain enough strength to hold the cord. As a rough guide they had between 120 to 175 lbs draw weight and needed a lever to span them. They were about 18" wide and the stock about 3' long. The prod could be detached from the stock by a threaded nut and bolt, if I remember were found a U bolt best for securing. The trigger mechanism was a simple solid cylinder with a raised portion to catch the cord. The trigger rotated the cylinder and TWANG!!

Hope this helps.

 

[PaloVivo]

The crossbows we made were from filed down landrover leaf springs. The stock was metal to reduce the size but retain enough strength to hold the cord. As a rough guide they had between 120 to 175 lbs draw weight and needed a lever to span them. They were about 18" wide and the stock about 3' long. The prod could be detached from the stock by a threaded nut and bolt, if I remember were found a U bolt best for securing. The trigger mechanism was a simple solid cylinder with a raised portion to catch the cord. The trigger rotated the cylinder and TWANG!!

Hope this helps.

Just by reading 3' stock makes it impossible. How am I supposed to carry that beast? I was thinking around 1.5' long and 1' wide with possible dissemblance. Darn...

 

[sandline]

It is restricted to U.S. Invaders and the men they dragged..............

Puerto Rico is a beautiful place with a lot of wonderful people. It's also full of trash like the ones you mentioned in your first post. Too bad it had to devolve into the kind of criminal havens we have in big mainland cities.

Question: could you clarify the statement quoted above. Not sure I fully understand what you're saying there. What "U.S. invaders" do you refer to? Who are the "men they dragged"?

 

[PaloVivo]

Puerto Rico is a beautiful place with a lot of wonderful people. It's also full of trash like the ones you mentioned in your first post. Too bad it had to devolve into the kind of criminal havens we have in big mainland cities.

Question: could you clarify the statement quoted above. Not sure I fully understand what you're saying there. What "U.S. invaders" do you refer to? Who are the "men they dragged"?

That would be a longggg talk. Long story short, that is the label they fully earned among Puertoricans when they put their American foot full of poo in our faces since the very first time. Specifically, the U.S. Army, the 4 bases that take miles of our territory and the men they take from us to go die in their infantile wars. Period.