collapsable batons

[paintballdude902]

i keep a collapsable baton in in the drivers side dor compartment in my truck

does anyone know if that is legal here in NC?

should i replace it with a 4d maglight instead?

 

[Rexster]

Go to packing.org, and look for links to your state's weapon laws. There will almost certainly not be a law specifically addressing collapsible batons, but look for words like club, billy, baton, mace, nightstick, and such. ("Mace" is a brand name for a chemical weapon mixture, not a legal term for any type of weapon! Medieval knights carried maces, clubs with weighted ends.) In any event, find the laws for your state, and educate yourself. Or, find a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney to advise you. Your fellow forum members can provide comments, but it will be you who must deal with any legal consequences. I would tell you the same thing if you asked about Texas, where I enforce the law, as there is much gray area in the law regarding impact weapons, and different district attorneys may interpret the same law differently. In Harris and surrounding counties in Texas, a collapsible baton is illegal. YMMV 700 miles away in El Paso. I will say this: a collapsible baton is LESS effective than a solid stick, and a sturdy walking stick or cane is MUCH more likely to be legal just about anywhere than an implement sold as a impact weapon.

 

[Rexster]

Unless you have huge hands, a C-cell Maglite might be better. I used a 6-C-cell Maglite back in the day. Now, I use smaller Surefires, a 21" ASP, and still have my 21" hardwood baton.

 

[hso]

If you're carrying it in your car there's not much point to having a collapsible baton in the first place.

A collapsible baton has only one advantage over any other type of club - portability. Lightweight and compact, they can be easily carried, but they lack length and mass that a fixed club can provide. If you're not carrying it on your person then they're a poor compromise for a "real" club. Considering that you should have a flashlight in your vehicle anyway a good multicell flashlight that can serve as a handy club would be a better choice. Toss in a good loooonggg socket wrench with a head for your wheel lug nuts and you've got perfectly legal "clubs" that won't raise anyone's eyebrow.

 

[Biker]

Be damned if hso didn't nail it.

Biker

 

[Rexster]

hso is absolutely correct about the long socket wrench; I have one of those, with the socket for my lug nuts on it, in the passenger compartment of my Jeep. It's legal for me to have real clubs, within my home state, because I am a peace officer, but there's nothing wrong with a little extra, and of course sometimes my road trips go out of state.

 

[1 old 0311]

I have a friend who keeps a 14 inch heavy screwdriver, and a framing hammer in his truck. Hell of a combo, and legal anywhere.

 

[Dravur]

I ordered one of these...

http://www.rangerknives.com/TomaHawks/index.html

Ill keep this in the truck... for those times when you positively, definitly want something screwed up, big time.

Oh, and i can use it to pry open a stuck bottle cap too.

The Entry Tool, not the Tomahawk

 

[Joe Demko]

Even better yet, the socket wrench can actually be used as a wrench when needed; whereas the collabsible baton is pretty much of a single-purpose item.

 

[Coronach]

"What have I become, my Swedish friend? Everyone I know goes away, even Sven." Jöhnny Cåsh

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!

 

[LAK]

In addition to keeping good tools handy to fix those problems that crop up on the road; a quality spray bottle filled with household ammonia and distilled water - adjusted to stream more than spray - is great for removing dirt and other aberrations that appear at your windows. Don't forget to keep some clean rags around; and use it once in awhile - keep those windows clean!

 

[eolian]

I like a good long handled sheetrock hammer, almost as good as a tomahawk after a little sharpening.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Collapsable batons are considered a prohibited weapon in North Carolina. Carrying one is going to get you into jail for a nice long stay. In some counties around here its likely to get you shot by the authorities like in Davidson county and Lexington.

 

[W.E.G.]

If you ever have any notion of carrying a collapsible baton - even where they are "legal," you better get some formal training on how to use it. Then only ever use it in the manner prescribed by he training. If you haul off and cold-cock somebody with it, and they are injured due to you not using it in the manner prescribed by the manufacturer, you're gonna find yourself in a world of trouble in civil suit for sure.