tactical bat?

[colt.45]

my friend has one of those little ball game souviner bats that he made "tactical". he bored the end of it out and glued tightly fitting lead balls down in the hole, painted it jet black and put some grippy tape on the handle of it. so far we've only used it for konking out the catfish we catch, but im sure it would be useful in a fight.

after my cousin had his car stereo installed, they had some seriously thick electrical wire left over that they gave to him (about 1/2 inch thick). it was braided stainless with a thick neon blue insulation around it (looks kinda cool too) it stays in his glove box waiting for the day.


these got me thinking... what else could you easily make or find that would make a good blunt force weapon. so far i have

t-ball bat
piece of rebar
batteries taped together
lead rod that has electrical tape all over it

would you guys please continue my list

 

[real_name]

I'm not sure how any of this would stand up in court but back in England people used to improvise with two Pool/Snooker balls in a sock.

Also a tightly rolled newspaper or magazine can be a formidable replacement for a baton in an emergency. This helps me relax while flying, knowing the in-flight magazine will help me if the guy behind me stands up screaming in Arabic.

 

[Preacherman]

You mean this?

 

[hso]

Awww, Peter you were such a cute baby!


Is the picture from when you were cutting teeth?

 

[tellner]

4- or 5-cell maglite
Shovel
Walking stick
Stock cane
Leather bookweight
...

You can defend the use of an everyday object picked up in extremis. It's a little harder to claim "I was taken by surprise and grabbed whatever I could to defend myself" if you went to all that trouble.

But the picture of the vampire bat was awfully cute. Who could resist that soft silky fur, those delicate ears, the adorable upturned nose. Besides, the one that photo was taken from probably weighed, what, an ounce in real life.

 

[sm]

Plankowner Bandana on

I hate the word Tactical in the context it used today, but let us forget about the definitions of Strategy and Tactics as the dictionary does.

I want to address :
THR Mission Statement and Responsible Firearm Ownership- these are found upper right hand corner of this page.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. Hey now, that usually means arrest, jail, bail, lawyers, trial, judge and someone's butt is being raked over the coals.

Every been on a jury? Ever observed a jury trial. Ever had to have a lawyer, and face a judge and know 12 of your peers are listening, making notes, watching every move you make...?

So you are in a courtroom having used this "tactical" bat. I mean the thing is tagged with a evidence number, held up in view, Judge handles it, and so does the jury.

Jury is going to hear "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" explained, by Judge and Both Attorneys.

Both attorneys are going to represent respective views, both are going to address this bat being drilled, lead balls and taped.

Sweat, fidget, dry mouth...and the Jury may be listening - for sure they are going to be reading the non-verbal language. The person that used this "tactical bat" and the person(s) used upon, be they be in the courtroom, video taped, or photos of injuries before they died.

Hands shake reaching for that water...jury is going to see that. Oh they will listen to Judges instructions - they are human, and "is person nervous" or "guilty" by all that fidgeting, shaking, using chapstick, sloshing water...?

"Your honor and members of the jury - this bat was altered from original form, therefore beyond a reasonable doubt this bat was designed to MULTIPLY serious injuries to another party". <gulp>

Kinda hard to sell the jury this bat was enhanced to get better hits by a 7 year old niece playing T ball...

Now folks read the Internet doing searches, THR, TFL are in essence Global Libraries, so for us, some against us, some not sure. What did your post on the forum reflect today.

I have been on Jury duty, I have been the foreman.

The lady in total fear of her life and her child, used a old cracked baseball bat left in the closet of the house she rented. She stopped an immediate threat. She went home.

The doped out boys coming to get even, had filled a pc of pipe with sand, put on endcaps his fellow doper had driven nails into a 2X4..."enhanced to inflict serious injury or death".

These boys got 3 hots and a cot for a bit.

I'm practical not tactical - I hope whomever reads this post understands my take - and why.

Steve

 

[Matt_W]

Personally I would be more comfortable explaining a weapon per se over an improvised and modified object any day.

I would stick to either ad hoc weapons that you 'happened' to grab in the heat of the moment or the types of weapons that the general public are happy with the Police using on a daily basis. ie carry a maglite or a baton but not batteries in a sock.

To make a bat more effective implies a mean or a vindictive streak in ones personality that a Jury may well find distasteful or it suggests that you were planning of ditching the object after the assault in the manner of a guilty party.

 

[dev_null]

Leaving aside the question of "assault with a deadly weapon" in regard to using something deliberately manufactured or altered by you to be "tactical" (as opposed to strategic?), you could find a power company crew and ask for about an 18" section of 500 mcm secondary (cable or wire), which is a piece of heavyduty service wire usually used for feeding commercial establishments and has an OD of about 1". You then cover it in tape -- duct tape would work well -- and stash it under the seat.

 

[colt.45]

sm, this post was mostly supposed to be a joke. i didnt realize how bad this is for the forum, in a legal sense.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Why, yes, I do have a tactical bat!

I was bored and had a lot of lead one lazy summer's afternoon, so I took an old aluminum bat I had lying around (out of several) that was all dinged up and scuffed. I sanded it smooth again and lopped off the top, filling it to the brim with #7 lead shot. Then I melted the top layer of shot with a propane torch so it'd stay put in there.

All told, the sucker weighs about 18 pounds (IIRC, it's been a while since I stuck it on the bathroom scale) and swinging that thing around for a couple minutes would put some hair on your chest.

I used it for strength training and not for combat, but I imagine if you managed to wind up and wallop somebody with that thing the paramedics would find the guy somewhere in the next county.

I also have a thirty six inch long chunk of 3/4" rebar for similar purposes, and I'm pretty quick with using it. It weighs much less, obviously, but it's still a big eff-off chunk of metal that most assailants probably wouldn't want to meet at high velocity.

 

[TMM]

I agree that it's best to use somthing that isn't modded but can still inflict damage. a baseball bat, cane, etc. you could hang a "decorative" sword on the mantlepiece of your fireplace, then use that (maybe... could take too long to retrieve). a standard piece of 3/4" steel pipe about 20" long would work great. perhaps an axe or maul(splitting axe) handle...

~tmm

 

[Sharpdogs]

Here you go http://www.coldsteel.com/92bs.html It even comes in the tactical color, black.

 

[tellner]

I just got CS's "African Walking Stick". It's made of the same polypropylene as their "Brooklyn Smasher". A little more flexible than I'm used to in a walking stick, and somehow it arrived full of water, but it's still a great walking stick in every sense of the word. The crutch tip fits it perfectly. It's the right height for me, and it will bring the ones that don't usually come.

Zero-DgZ, if you want to learn to swing that thing in a way that will give you serious functional strength you might want to check out Scott Sonnon's material on clubbells. Great stuff. It won't give you bodybuilder definition, but it will make you stronger and more coordinated.

 

[Sunray]

Preacherman, that's not a tactical bat. It's not black, has no velcro and isn't plastic.
"...painted it jet black..." Doesn't count unless it's flat black.
Why would anybody need to enhance a hunk of wood or aluminium? Smack a puke with a regular Louisville Slugger and he stops bothering you. Add anything and when you get sued(or possibly charged with murder), the lawyer will say you did it to cause more harm to his innocent client.

 

[c_yeager]

In highschool I had a really short little-league sized wood bat with tape on the handle to provide a grip. I also kept a mit and ball along with it for "plausibility". If you actually modufy the thing into a weapon it will be identified as exactly that. You should check local ordinances because you may be suprised at just how illegal some "weapons" are. I have a permit in Washington and can carry any firearm that i choose. But if I carry the wrong pocket knife into the wrong city I can be looking at criminal charges. God help me if I get caught with the wrong kind if impact weapon or a balisong, that could mean actual jail time. The laws on improvised and melee weapons are pretty absurd all around the country.

 

[RyanM]

PA's laws on stuff are weird.

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree if, except as authorized by law, he makes repairs, sells, or otherwise deals in, uses, or possesses any offensive weapon.

(b) Exceptions.--

1. It is a defense under this section for the defendant to prove by a preponderance of evidence that he possessed or dealt with the weapon solely as a curio or in a dramatic performance, or that, with the exception of a bomb, grenade or incendiary device, he complied with the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.), or that he possessed it briefly in consequence of having found it or taken it from an aggressor, or under circumstances similarly negativing any intent or likelihood that the weapon would be used unlawfully.
2. This section does not apply to police forensic firearms experts or police forensic firearms laboratories. Also exempt from this section are forensic firearms experts or forensic firearms laboratories operating in the ordinary course of business and engaged in lawful operation who notify in writing, on an annual basis, the chief or head of any police force or police department of a city, and, elsewhere, the sheriff of a county in which they are located, of the possession, type and use of offensive weapons.
3. This section shall not apply to any person who makes, repairs, sells or otherwise deals in, uses or possesses any firearm for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.

(c) Definition.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:

"Firearm."
Any weapon which is designed to or may readily be converted to expel any projectile by the action of an explosive or the frame or receiver of any such weapon.
"Offensive weapons."
Any bomb, grenade, machine gun, sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches, firearm specially made or specially adapted for concealment or silent discharge, any blackjack, sandbag, metal knuckles, dagger, knife, razor or cutting instrument, the blade of which is exposed in an automatic way by switch, push-button, spring mechanism, or otherwise, or other implement for the infliction of serious bodily injury which serves no common lawful purpose.



But anyway, a good enough lawyer could bail you out of anything. Defending yourself with a typical handgun is about as bad as a modified whatever. Most handguns suitable for CCW really have no practical purpose other than self defense. Same for hollowpoint ammo. Same with a tactical bat or whatever. Okay, uh huh, target shooting. Well, you can still hit a ball with a weighted bat, right? Even the required modification to the bat isn't much of a difference. Who here carries a 100% bone stock gun? Not me.

 

[Okiecruffler]

My walking stick is a 5 1/2 foot length of thick bamboo. I drilled a hole in each end, filled those end segments with some #9 lead shot I had laying around, then filled the holes back in with hot glue. Made the whole staff weigh around 7 pounds. I did this to increase resistance while walking, but it's come in handy twice against dogs that wanted to taste my dog. I'm sure it would be pretty persuasive against a 2 legged dog who wanted to taste my wallet too. Of course I walk with a 45, so I doubt I'll ever find out.

 

[Scottso]

As an electrician in NY I found keeping a piece of 500mcm cable would work well in knocking a noggin if need be, however once tape was applied it was a weapon and illegal. so screw the cable idea, had friends who carried short batlike device called tire thumper no problem with them. Once you start altering ie filling bat with lead, you become the agressor in juries mind. I believe Cold steel or other Co. caame out with fiberglass bat that well its a bat thats fiberglass lol, I'll stick to my Impact Kerambit and my Blade ty.

 

[pete f]

just get a kids bat, or go to a sporting goods store and geta Easton swing stick, solid i inch diameter aluminum practice bat made like the old stick ball bat.... sold in different lenghts for different ages, No one get up from a solid hit from that.

no reason to go to great lengths modifying if you dont have to, I also recommend just carrying a riggers axe or a long handle framers hammer.

I really do not worry about what a jury will say. I just want to make sure that if I NEED to excercise deadly force, I will be around to hear what a jury says. (I have been on a jury a few times, every time I have felt it was good people making the right decision,)

 

[carebear]

Preacherman, that's not a tactical bat. It's not black, has no velcro and isn't plastic.
"...painted it jet black..." Doesn't count unless it's flat black.

I believe Pat Rogers himself is on record that "Coyote Brown" is the new black. That bat does need some velcro and polymer though.

 

[FSCJedi]

I've got a friend (and no, I am not this friend) who had a "tactical" bat envisioned in his head for many years, and it finally came into fruition about 2 or 3 years ago. He and another buddy of mine took a rusty railroad spike and drove it through an old Louisville Slugger, then placed 2 steel bands around the bat, 2 above and 2 below the spike, to re-enforce it. I think he might have put some grip tape on the handle, too. The way he figured, if he hit someone with it, and they actually managed to survive, they'd probably have to get a tetanus shot. LOL

Not saying this was a good or bad idea, but it sure makes for one MEAN lookin' weapon.

 

[tellner]

A good friend of mine went to a knife-fighting seminar run by a Very Famous Name. They said "Bring your favorite fighting knife and fighting stick". He showed up with a side-splitter from his time working in a slaughterhouse and a baseball bat wrapped in two yards of barbed wire. Gave everyone the creeping horrors.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

FSCJedi: Friend of mine also envisioned an unholy conglomeration. It started out as a large hammer/hatchet handle, which then mutated into a handle with an eight inch long section of 3/4" pipe with two perpendicular screws securing it with a good overlap on the wood. The cavity in the end of the pipe (four inches or so) got filled with lead - I was the one drafted to pour while he held it. Later He used lock nuts and extra long bolts, which he cut and sharped on all for tips.

Similar reasoning. If the bashin' doesn't do 'em in, the pointy metal bit will probably give them something to think about.

He called it the "triple A stick." Three guesses on what all three A's stood for.

 

[Biker]

I have some very effective impact weapons, but I keep a bat and glove in my truck and the same setup just inside my door. The fact that their primary use is *not* for defensive purposes looks much better in the eyes of the cops and a civil jury.
It worked for me.

I havent played ball in many years.

Biker

 

[loose cannon]

me and my wife are ccw holders and are virtualy never without a firearm or 3.

but virtualy never came about a week ago when we wanted to visit a military museum on a army post i called them 1st and was told no guns no"combat folders"so what to do??

after alittle thought i went to my tool shed and got my estwing 24oz claw hammer and a freshly sharpened walmart camping hatchet.theyre just tools.

the mps searched my vehicle(as well as others)and didnt bat a eye,but if we had to"hammer out"some problems i belive we'd been okay.