Handcuffs for the home

[atlctyslkr]

Anyone on here own handcuffs (I'm speaking to the private citizen crowd)? I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to purchase a set to use in the event of detaining a burglar.

[Thefabulousfink]

I am sure that people with more authority will chime in here pretty quick, but this topic has been debated before and the general consensus is that it is a bad idea. Most people (LEOs included) said it is way too dangerous to try and cuff a BG if you haven't been trained to do it and have backup. The safest thing to do is to keep the BG covered, have him assume a safe position facing away from you, and watch him from a distance until help arrives.

Handcuffs in the home should be for recreational use only.:evil:

[Manedwolf]

Agreed. Search for other threads about this. Unless you want to give the BG a metal object to thrash you with as soon as you get it on one wrist and he promptly goes freakout on you, leave handcuffing to the police that train a lot on technique...and stilll hate it.

[Zero_DgZ]

Duct tape's cheaper, and will get you in less hot water when the police arrive.

Either way, trying to restrain anybody by yourself without training is dangerous and difficult. I'd hold them at gunpoint, face to the wall, arms out. If they have any problem with that, bang.

[AJAX22]

I keep a pair of S&W around, but the one use zip tie cuffs are cheap effective and anyone can use them.

Just have the BG kneal on the ground with his hands behind his back, use your knee to lean them forward keeping them slightly off balance, only use one hand to apply restraints, and keep your gun hand close to you, but covering them. do not make contact between gun and head.

practice on a budy with a waterpistol a few times.

[hso]

Yep, we had this discussion before. I fell into the, "Interesting idea, but why do I want to get close enough for this guy to kill me range?", group. I think it's suicidal to try to detain someone that you have to cuff when you have a gun on them.

Please hold a gun on me and then come close enough to cuff me and see if I don't take it from you and kill you with it.

Nope, not me. I don't want to get close to the SOB.

I'll just "toss them to him and "make" him you stay". BS! He's a criminal! He thinks you just got lucky instead of thinking that you beat him. He says NO and what do you do?

Cuffs are for cops, not civilians.

[mp510]

Ajax wrote
I keep a pair of S&W around, but the one use zip tie cuffs are cheap effective and anyone can use them.
The other nice thing about the flex cuffs is that they are not a heavy blunt object for the perp to use as a weapon against you. I have never handled a pair. Would it be possible to have the intruder cuff himself with them effectively. Otherwise, you still risk getting close to the BG and having him batterize you.

Personally, I own a pair of hinged double lockers howver I doubt ever actually using them. I don't have any intentions of going within close enough proximity to a BG to cuff him, so that he can slug kick, or otherwise assault/ batterize me. There could also be the risk of my weapon being used against me by a BG if I start wrestling with him to cuff him. Also, even after he's been hooked up, he could still kick or grabbed (I'm a male, need I say more?).
I' wouldn't hand a pair of metal cuffs to a BG, since he could use them as knuckles and work me over.

[the naked prophet]

There's only one purpose for handcuffs in the home. And it's not for the criminals.

[real_name]

IIRC, the opinion of LEOs last time was that cuffing is the single most dangerous thing you can do, particularly alone.

Leave the cuffs on the bedpost, for whatever gets you through the night.

Cover the BG, and call 911. They can cuff him.

[johnnytang24]

I think it's a fantasy that any robber would sit and let one cuff them or hold them until the police arrive. I'm guessing they would either flee or fight until injured beyond the need of restraint.

Thanks.

[MadMercS55]

I own many pairs of handcuffs from being in the LE field many years ago. I also currently work part time in bail enforcement. I do have training in their use, etc. And I'll say the last thing I'd want to do is try to cuff a robber in my house all by myself. I'd rather have him proned out and well covered by my Benelli while waiting for the Police. This is if he is unarmed. If he were armed, then I'd still be covering his body while waiting for Police and Medics.

[evan price]

I have a large package of zip-ties that are about 1/2" wide and 4FEET long! Stick two together and you just loop them over the head and shoulders and zip tie arms to sides....

Honestly, though I have these items, I would never attempt to restrain a BG myself, it's better to wait for the popos to do it for me.

[DevLcL]

One time, at band camp, a man burst in and tried to rob the place. Good sumeritan with handcuffs and 1911 sticks 1911 barrel up bad guys arse hole and has no problem putting on cuffs.

:D

Seriously though, who's gonna resist with a 12ga pressed up against the back of their head. If the guy tries any funny business... well... bad guy soup, comin up! You might end up in jail but at least your alive. Thats the most critical chapter in my book.

On a different note: How would the average Joe get a pair of real handcuffs? When I got mine they wanted to see a badge. :confused:

-Dev

[doggscube]

http://files.newklear.org/quagmire.png

[Srigs]

They have mutiple uses! :what:

[HankB]

Handcuff a burglar in my house? Why would I want to get close enough to cuff a bad guy in my house who's already bleeding out, if not DRT? In the first case, there are bloodborne pathogens to worry about. In the second case, there's no need. :rolleyes:

[1911 guy]

Besides, they have a red velvet lining and are easy to slip out of.

DevLcL said:
Seriously though, who's gonna resist with a 12ga pressed up against the back of their head.

If you're at contact distance with me, you'd better be having a very good day. Otherwise, your 12 guage is going to find a new owner/operator. If you're well enough trained to retain your weapon from me, you're well enough trained to know that contact distances are ugly. There are two immutable rules of a gunfight. 1) Bring a gun. 2) Distance is your friend.

[Hooligan]

Handcuffs in the home should be for recreational use only. :evil:

Haha yep. I definitely wouldn't want to move in close enough to cuff a BG.

Although I do have a set of cuffs, they are only for "recreational" uses. :D

[Amish_Bill]

Yeah - recreational home use is your friend on these.... Contact distance with Bad Guy = Bad Juju.

For the guy who "got carded".... Handcuff Warehouse (http://handcuffwarehouse.com/) is your friend. Ain't this INtarWeb thing great!

[Coronach]

Seriously though, who's gonna resist with a 12ga pressed up against the back of their head. If the guy tries any funny business... well... bad guy soup, comin up!Try it sometime, preferably with a training partner who knows what he is doing and an unloaded (or, better yet, fake) shotgun.

The likelihood of you staring down the barrel of your own gun goes up exponentially as distance between you and the BG closes. Is it a pump shotgun? That's even worse, since all he has to do is get it off-axis for the first blast, and then just prevent you from racking it before he strips you of it. Besides, how are you going to juggle hancuffs, the BG's wrists AND a two-handed weapon, all at once? Did you have a second pair of arms installed?

Leave the handcuffs for the cops, or for, ahem, recreational purposes. And, as uncomfortable as real cuffs are, they're probably not good for the latter use, either. ;)

Mike

[ball3006]

many years ago, we were taught how to take a gun away from someone. No way will someone I capture get within reach of me, or, they will be shot. You are risking it all to try to hadcuff someone by yourself. Leave the handcuffs for home recreational duty..........chris3

[Carl N. Brown]

Self defense cases I know about personally:
- one burglar held at gunpoint in place until police arrived,
- home invader, estranged husband, abusive boyfriend, etc.
given the option of leaving premises or getting shot.

In no case would it have been practical or safe to try
to handcuff the perp.

If done under the wrong circumstances wrongly, handcuffing
could be a form of unlawful imprisonment.

Handcuffs for home defense belong with the flashbang
grenade and Claymore mine: the bad idea list.

[JJpdxpinkpistols]

For those places (like work) that I *can't* carry, I carry handcuffs.

If I ain't got a gun, I will at least have *something* that might be of use (even if only a swinging weapon). The one time someone saw them in their case, and recognized them as such, they just assumed that I was...ahem...not "normal". She was actually rather embarrassed.

Work has rules against firearms, but they don't have rules against other "tools". Leatherman gets used at work, Medic's shears get used for wires, etc. no one asks to look at the bottom of my medics case on my belt.

As for home...12g pointed, spreadeagle face down until the cops arrive (average in PDX is 5 mins 16 seconds). Cuffs will stay in the case.

[Pickpocket]

Truthfully, I'm a little disappointed -

When I read "Handcuffs in the Home" this is NOT what I thought I was gonna get... :)


Seriously, I think the only real legal implications of using handcuffs would be exposure to the whole "unlawful imprisonment" thing - as Carl suggested - but I'm no law expert. To me, it's more of a personal decision about risk management... I'm not so sure I would advocate the everyday citizen placing him/herself within kissing distance of a BG just to put on cuffs when a 12G from across the room would work just as well.

Besides - I can just imagine me trying to explain to the responding officers just why there's a guy in a ski mask being held at gunpoint wearing pink fluffy handcuffs.... :)

[Old Dog]

Yay, another handcuffs-for-Joe-Sixpack thread ...
Seriously, I think the only real legal implications of using handcuffs would be exposure to the whole "unlawful imprisonment" thing Then again, I'm thinkin' if you caught someone in your own home, having broken in uninvited, this wouldn't be an issue. Might also appear a little friendlier having the authorities arrived with your guest on the kitchen floor in restraints rather than having them arrive with you holding guest at the point of your 870 or 1911 ... Personally, I might prefer to have my guns stowed when the cops arrive so as to prevent any misunderstandings ...

Then again, I've extensive training in combative 'cuffing and live out in the woods (20 minutes minimum response time from the SO or WSP) and would rather not have to hold someone at gunpoint for a long time. Plus, I trust my wife not to accidently shoot me while I'm cuffing Joe Badguy. Did I mention the two well-trained, 100-pound German Shepherd Dogs also?

[AJAX22]

The only reason I even consider handcuffing the BG is the chance that there may be more than one and I might want to shift my attention in case his buddies out in the car decide to check up on there pal.

If I was absolutly certain there was only one, I wouldn't try it.

but engaging two guys from different directions while calling the cops and opperating a shotgun is a bit much for two hands.

[Coronach]

I'd be much more concerned about his buddy appearing while I was in the process of handcuffing BG #2.

Cops don't handcuff badguys in situations like that* until there are multiple officers present. They've been trained not to do so. There is a lesson here.

* Meaning: felony, compliant suspect, ambiguity about presence and intentions of other suspects. Situational concerns will dictate actions. Check local listings. See store for details. Closed course with professional driver, do not attempt. Some restrictions apply. Offer not valid at all locations. Your mileage may vary.

Mike

[Diamondback6]

Contact distance? Remember Tueller? 21-foot rule?

Keep a nice distance and Mr. Shotgun between you and the perp, preferably with you and Mr. Shotgun behind, where he can't see to track you, with face in the carpet while waiting for the police. Handcuffs are best left to those who are "into" that kind of thing.

[ready4shtf]

I can only imagine the looks you will receive from the police when they show up and see you in your underwear, with the 12, standing over the BG cuffed in pink furry handcuffs :)

[chopinbloc]

tasers double as electronic leashes:evil:

seriously, in most any circumstance i can think of, handcuffing a perp is a bad idea on your own and not particularly bright with just one partner. i'm sure it could be done and i'm sure you could come up with a scenario where it might be useful but in real world, just hold the gun on 'em, tell 'em not to move and make darn sure the cops know the good guy is armed and VERY nervous. if he gets up and takes off, so be it.

[AJ Dual]

I say instead of handcuffs, just pull out a ball gag and "gimp mask" and show it to the proned-out perp.

He'll call the police on himself if you don't. :D

[CSA 357]

no hand cuffs for me, if some one breaks in my house there is a good chance i wont need them, he will wait quitly for the law and the morge folks to get here, :D *csa*

[DRZinn]

Provided you have him well covered with your trusty 870/1911/whatever, you could throw the handcuffs to him and make him cuff himself. But who wants to grab cuffs as well as a weapon from the nightstand at oh-dark-thirty when something goes bump in the night? Not me.

[Boom-stick]

I have two pairs of hand cuffs are they are now redundent as we now have a new bed and they don't fit around the posts anymore:evil:

In all seriousness, handcuffs aren't even remotely close to my chain of thought subject to something going bump in the night, besides, why hand cuff someone after you've broken both their legs:)

[03hemi]

On a different note: How would the average Joe get a pair of real handcuffs? When I got mine they wanted to see a badge.

EBAY!

[Frandy]

And speaking of cuffs... What was this cop thinking????

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2006/06/05/young.611.citizen.arrest.wsb

[bogie]

"Okay - now that I've got your attention, you will see that I just tossed a 3' long ziptie in front of your head. I want you to slowly, very slowly, roll over, sit up, and tie your left wrist to your right ankle - Oh, dispatcher, I wasn't talking to you - I was just talking to this fellow on my living room floor who I'm gonna shoot in a minute if he doesn't tie himself up with the zip tie. You've got officers coming? Good. I'm the one standing. He'll either be tied up, or bleeding."

[leadcounsel]

While I think it's generally a bad idea to detain suspects, one never knows various circumstances. Maybe there was an assault and the suspect NEEDS to be restrained. Who knows.

Anyway, zip ties are cheap, light and useful.

[lee n. field]

I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to purchase a set

Only if you're into that stuff. :rolleyes:

Seriously -- do you want to get within arms reach of someone?

[Jenrick]

So you'd shoot someone for not 'cuffing or zip tying themselves? Man the prosecutors got an easy case, same thing with the civil suite.

-Jenrick

[LawDog]

What is the purpose of handcuffing a critter in your living room?

Think about it. Why would you want to handcuff an intruder?

No matter what people say, or what excuse they give, handcuffing the badguy is to allow you to relax, even if only a little bit.

So. Do you really want to relax with a two-time loser (who has every reason to do you harm) at living room distances?

Okay, you have decided that it would be a good idea to relax with a potential murderer/rapist/burglar in your house.

Not my first choice, but I'm not you. How do we accomplish this? Several people have suggested tossing the handcuffs to the critter and having him apply them to himself.

We will ignore the distinct possibility of the critter fast-pitching the cuffs back into your face -- thus causing a flinch -- which means you miss the on-rushing critter -- oh, well.

We will also ignore what we would do, if a critter with a shotgun broke into our house, held us at gun-point, then commanded us to handcuff ourselves, is immediately fear for our lives and attack, and we will pretend that a critter would not react the same, reasonable, way.

You have tossed the handcuffs to the critter, with the command for him to handcuff himself. You hear the click of the ratchet.

Now, are the cuffs really on? You sure? Want to bet your life, or do you want to close with the (possibly) un-restrained critter and check?

If we just assume the handcuffs are properly worn, do you (unconsciously) relax? After all, isn't the critter restrained? And when you relax, do you give the critter an opening? Yes, you do.

Okay, that's not such a good idea. So, we close with the critter and we check to see if the handcuffs are properly engaged.

Oh, they aren't. And you within grappling distance of a desperate critter. Oh, dear.

Peace Officers train and re-train extensively on handcuffing procedures. And Peace Officer still get hurt/killed every year while handcuffing critters.

Up to you.

LawDog

[Lupinus]

Handcuffs sure I have four pair the gf lov....wait wrong message board :o

Ok back to in all seriousness lol. It is something I thought about for awhile but no longer. To put handcuffs on you have to get about as close as one can get to another person to put them on, this is a bad place to be with a criminal when you have no training or back up. The better thing to do is to order him to lay face down on the floor hands on his head while you wait for the police. As far as 911 goes I advise having someone else be on the phone with them if possible for two reasons. One, is holding a phone requires the use of a hand unless you have a headset, and even if you have a headset while you are dealing with a criminal isn't the best time to be fumbling with it to get it on. Secondly, it allows you to keep your full attention on the BG should he try to seize an opportunity where he feels you are distracted to get the upper edge on you. Also make 100% sure that the police have fair warning that you have the criminal held at gunpoint. Cops bust into a house where a burglary in progress has been reported and see one guy with a gun and the other without they don't know who the homeowner is and you just might get shot. This is why it is extremely important the police know you are the one armed and the guy being held at gunpoint is the criminal, not the other way around.

[DRZinn]

Several people have suggested tossing the handcuffs to the critter and having him apply them to himself.

We will ignore the distinct possibility of the critter fast-pitching the cuffs back into your face -- thus causing a flinch -- which means you miss the on-rushing critter -- oh, well.Note: I did not advicate actually doing this, I was just mentioning that if you simply must handcuff the guy, making him do it himself would be the best way.

[Hemicuda]

I got a set of cuffs... I use them in certain "intimate" moments... but they're not for use on real life bad guys... the 870 Marine Magnum is for them...

the cuffs are for fun!

[bogie]

Guys, it's been answered...

WWLDD?

"There I was with the critter in the middle of the living room, and I had no idea what to do with him, since his Auntie Mary had runn-oft with the radio while I was wrestling him to the edge of the coffee table... Well, the former coffee table... So I had to make a quick decision. Do I wait until backup might show in the morning, or do I try to cuff him?"

"Or do I go for Plan B?" That's when I saw the gallon jug of molasses, and the torn feather pillow."

[gezzer]

My handcuff classes had the instructors 14 r old son and 12 yr old daughter as acting perps. No one could cuff these kids! :cuss:

In fact most of the handcuffers got hurt trying to cuff them including observing duty police. These kids were unbelievable. It took at least 6 guys to cuff them!!

Cuff a perp I am holding without back up ain't no way I am getting that close.

I still have scars from the time I tried to cuff my wife. Latter on I found she does like silk scarves .:what: :what:

[CGofMP]

I've played a bit...

20 years later I still have scars on my knuckles from legitimate arrest and control classes... every scar is a damned ratchet scar.

Thankfully we live where police wont be more than a few away...

Clear commands and a suspect proned out palms up ankles crossed seems to me to be a damn-sight better than me and him in a pretzel configuration even if he wants to be cooperative.... which is doubtful.

The idea of a homeowner applying cuffs presupposes that some form of control has already been obtained - perhaps at gunpoint... why give back ANY of that control to someone who is looking for a way to leave your humble home and not have to spend the night in a 'hotel room' with stainless fixtures..

You two wont be riding downtown with him in the backseat while you drive... No transport, no bracelets --- no need.

[Spreadfire Arms]

i think it would be cheaper to just get some industrial zip ties, which double as disposable flex-cuffs.

law enforcement stores sell them for like 79 cents. granted they are one-time use, but heck, how many bad guys are you planning on handcuffing as a private citizen? it sure beats the cost of a $20+ pair of handcuffs.

also, your friends wont accuse you of being a mall ninja. :D you can also use the zip ties to secure other things, or jerry rig your GI sling on your AR15 so it can be carried like a standard two-point sling instead of a hunting-style carry.

personally i dont recommend private citizens get close enough to a bad guy to restrain him unless there are more than one of you. then, one can apply the restraint while the other one holds them at bay with a firearm, etc. or both parties can restrain the bad guy simultaneously.

i dont think a private citizen zip-tying or handcuffing a bad guy is any worse than holding him at bay with a firearm for an extended amount of time. if anything, i think it would remove the will for the bad guy to run or fight. with a citizen keeping a bad guy at bay for an extended period of time, a bad guy will probably run. granted, some people will argue a citizen is safer when holding the firearm, we haven't taken into consideration weapon retention. but that's another thread i suppose.

[pete f]

handcuffs? you mean Louisiana Prom Braclets?

I went to a garage sale once and got several pair of peerless and S&W's for next to nothing....asked the guy if he was cop, thinking they might have some firearms for sale and he had really short cop hair and mustache, Nope he said they were "left over from the "latht" boyfriend". Those things sat in the parts cleaner for a LONG time...

[kikr]

You have to get way to close to use handcuffs. Since most criminals are repeat offenders you stand a very good chance that the punk in your house has been to Crim U, uh I mean prison, where they teach each other how to disarm cops much less Joe Homeowner. It's not worth the risk.

[justashooter]

"There's only one purpose for handcuffs in the home. And it's not for the criminals."

we prefer the japanese style silk bondage rope sets.