Home Defense Without a Gun… What Are Your Options?

I wanted to share a few of my favorite alternatives for home defense in places where guns aren’t allowed or for those who don’t want to own one. From top left to bottom right: Huben GK1 (.25 cal), AEA HP Max (.50 cal), AEA HP Max (.357 cal), and AEA Harpoon (.50 & .72 cal).

I’m not legally banned from owning a firearm, but I use medical cannabis, which means I can’t have one. Had to pick between pain relief and my 2A rights, and honestly, the choice was easy. Airguns have come a long way—they’re powerful, reliable, and effective for defense. Just putting this out there since a lot of people don’t realize how far airguns have advanced.

This is actually really good info. Appreciate the post!

Totally respect your reasoning here.

Cedar said:
Totally respect your reasoning here.

It’s messed up that people have to choose between their health and their rights. Vote Libertarian.

Kase said:

Cedar said:
Totally respect your reasoning here.

It’s messed up that people have to choose between their health and their rights. Vote Libertarian.

Who’s even running this year?

@Sam
No clue, but they’re getting my vote.

Kase said:

Cedar said:
Totally respect your reasoning here.

It’s messed up that people have to choose between their health and their rights. Vote Libertarian.

It’s supposed to be Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, not or the pursuit of happiness. This is messed up.

OP, you might not know this, but the 5th Circuit ruled that medical marijuana users can legally own guns. Some judges even said the ban is unconstitutional.

Case said:
OP, you might not know this, but the 5th Circuit ruled that medical marijuana users can legally own guns. Some judges even said the ban is unconstitutional.

That’s actually great news. Still love my airguns, but if I can legally own a firearm again, I’ll take it.

Case said:
OP, you might not know this, but the 5th Circuit ruled that medical marijuana users can legally own guns. Some judges even said the ban is unconstitutional.

Isn’t it still illegal at the federal level?

@Pip
Yeah, but the court ruling is a step toward overturning that ban completely. Still a long way to go, though.

Didn’t even know this was a thing. That’s really interesting.

You might want to check out cap-and-ball pistols. Something like a Ruger Old Army can send a .454 lead ball at 1000 fps with black powder and still be accurate. Depending on your state, it could be an option.

@Blair
That’s actually really cool. You can get those shipped to your house, right?

Blane said:
@Blair
That’s actually really cool. You can get those shipped to your house, right?

Yep, at the federal level, black powder firearms aren’t considered actual firearms, so no background check or FFL needed. But some states have extra restrictions.

Excuse my ignorance, but how strong are airguns? Are they just for scaring someone off, or can they actually cause damage?

Shane said:
Excuse my ignorance, but how strong are airguns? Are they just for scaring someone off, or can they actually cause damage?

Back in the day, airguns were just pellet guns—good for taking out rats, maybe. Now, they come in big calibers, some powerful enough to hunt medium-sized game. They’re not as effective as traditional firearms, but they can reach near Mach 1 speeds and hit like a handgun.

Shane said:
Excuse my ignorance, but how strong are airguns? Are they just for scaring someone off, or can they actually cause damage?

They shoot slugs ranging from .177 cal all the way up to .72 cal. You can get hollow points, shotshells, even arrows. It’s basically like a regular bullet but powered by high-pressure air instead of gunpowder. The ones I use run on 4500-5000 psi and need special compressors.

@Blane
Can you store them pressurized and ready to go? Just wondering how ‘ready’ they are compared to a regular firearm.

Brady said:
@Blane
Can you store them pressurized and ready to go? Just wondering how ‘ready’ they are compared to a regular firearm.

I check mine every few weeks, and they hold pressure just fine. Longest I’ve stored one fully pressurized was two months, and it was still at 4500 psi.