Another question I see asked on internet forums dedicated to concealed carry and self-defense, is regarding those individuals who are not yet of legal age to buy or carry a firearm.
Truth be told, you are limited on what you can do if you are under the age of legally being able to carry a gun. That said, there are some options if you’re desirous of following the laws your state puts forth.
The below are a few things you can do, but if you want to stay within the law I urge you to check the laws regarding some of what I talk about below, to make sure you’re in compliance.
Don’t be a Potato —
This one is legal everywhere in the world, and it involves being physically able to defend yourself. “Don’t be a potato” is just hyperbole for being able to defend yourself against an attacker with nothing but your hands, feet, and head.
The first, and most important step to being able to effectively defend yourself is to be in some kind of shape other than round. This doesn’t just apply to people under the legal age to buy a firearm in your state, but to everyone.
The reasons why are hopefully obvious, but in case they’re not, the main reason is because a fight can get physical. They either start that way or they end that way. Your ability to quickly end a fight is imperative to your survival, even if you can carry a gun.
I know, personally, that I can physically fight for a specific amount of time before I get to the point where I’m unable to due to physical ailments. Also, most people grossly overestimate their abilities. 30 seconds is a long time time during a physical fight where you’re defending your life.
The longer the fight lasts, the greater your chances are of losing. Ending it quickly by being in good shape with solid abilities is your best bet.
You can kill two birds with one stone by looking into a solid defensive martial art like the Brazilian ones.
Even the most basic of abilities in those styles of fighting are better than the average street-raised criminal.
Avoidance is Always Best —
The best policy is always to avoid the conflict to begin with. This involves actively trying to not argue with people who may become aggressive, practicing proper situational awareness, and then taking action to remove yourself from potentially hazardous situations.
The idea here is that you won’t have to defend yourself if you don’t need to defend yourself. Don’t go looking for a fight, and sometimes you just need to be the bigger person and let them win.
That guy driving like a jerk may just be waiting for someone to flip him a bird so he can take his aggressions out on some poor soul. The person who violently bumped into you on the sidewalk may be looking for a fight.
The point is that you never know the status of someone’s mind, and people are nuts.
If you have nothing to prove then the situation may dissolve itself without any need for you to physically defend yourself.
This isn’t always possible, and sometimes you’re just going to be facing a stronger opponent. For that, we come to the final point, which is also a tool that you can buy to protect yourself.
Pepper Spray —
You’ll still need to be an adult to buy pepper spray as far as I know.
The least regulated tool for self-defense, at least that I’m aware of, comes in the form of pepper spray. While it is far outside of my intention for this blog post to lay out all of the laws across the entire United States regarding the legality of pepper spray, suffice it to say that many states are favorable to its use.
Sometimes there are rules about how much you can carry at once or a specific age one must be. Then again, some states may disallow its use entirely. Some pepper spray manufacturers won’t ship to certain addresses.
Always check to make sure you are in compliance.
Not all pepper spray is equal:
It’s important to note here that not all pepper sprays are created equal, and some downright suck. The one I trust for my family members is POM Pepper Spray (Amazon link).
While I haven’t personally been sprayed with it, a friend of mine has and after seeing the pain, can tell you that it works well and should stop an attack with relative ease.
I have been hit with OC spray before and it dropped me like a ton of bricks.
Stay away from the fake products and those that are essentially just chemicals. There are some CS gas products that are effective, but I’m specifically looking for something with OC (oleoresin capsicum) in it.
Conclusion:
The right to self-defense is a necessity. Having the ability to do so will a lot of the time be based on your own skill, fitness level, and willingness to think outside the box
