Weapons Of Opportunity For Counter-Terrorism

***Gabriel Suarez*** · 11-30-2006, 12:36 PM

Copied over from Fighting Terrorism. Let's get some discussion on this going. A free man is NEVER Unarmed.

1) Every man should buy a Blackhawk or Wilderness Tactical belt to fly with.

No. Two of them. One to hold your pants up and the other to carry doubled over as a spare....and as an inprovised skull crushing sap. Yes, you will have to take it off so the nice men at TSA won't get rattled when you go through the metal detector.

Small inconevience when you are swinging it while running up the aisle at hadji the hijacker screaming like Braveheart.

2). A Carabiner. never know when you might want to rapple off the mountain.

Mine has been hanging off my carry on for years. Its been to Arica, Europe, Central and South America and just about every place in the USA.

A little imagination and killer instinct will give you an idea of its dual use.

3). A nice hard pocket flashlight. Not the teenie-weenie ones, but one that sticks out on both sides of your fist.

No, you won't be able to carry so easily in your 5.11 pants, but it will be much more useful in illumimnating the path to the virgins for the poor bastards that want to hijack your plane.

4). Nice rugged hard boots that lace up and are good for stomping the excrement out of someone. Steel toes are even better.

Yes, grasshopper, you will need to take them off so the TSA people will not be upset. That is a small inconvenience when you consider how well a send off they will give hadji on his way to unconsciuosness.

Just step aside and let Abdullah and Mohammed pass you in the security line while you untie you ass stompers.

Simple gear and a dark ill-intentioned heart will save the day.

**Vinnie Moscaritolo** · 11-30-2006, 12:46 PM

Nice rugged hard boots that lace up and are good for stomping the excrement out of someone.

funny, this morning I see this guy wearing pink plastic clogs, (I don't remember what they are called). I told my wife this was the typical pickle boy that Ashland is full of, that this guy was useless. She says how come the shoes bother you, I retored, "they have no tactical value"..

nothing like a good pair of boots when you have a need to stick them up haji's ass.

**Avenger2616** · 05-21-2007, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by vinnie

funny, this morning I see this guy wearing pink plastic clogs, (I don't remember what they are called). I told my wife this was the typical pickle boy that Ashland is full of, that this guy was useless. She says how come the shoes bother you, I retored, "they have no tactical value"..

nothing like a good pair of boots when you have a need to stick them up haji's ass.

I'm in love with my Gall's sidezip safety toes- they lace up in the normal fashion plus they have the handy dandy side zip for rapid on/off.
Just before Christmas, the S/O and I were flying and I chose them-mostly because I can literally stand for days in them (at least that's what I told my hoplophobe other half...)
IIRC they're curently on sale at Gall's website, for what I originally paid for them with my corporate discount

-A-

**Don Geiser** · 05-21-2007, 02:43 PM

Hair brush the kind with the curved handle and pointed end I just heep it in my back pocket when walking, when I sit down it sets on top of my pack at my feet whith the beaners ect.

**LordPhoenix** · 09-25-2008, 02:22 AM

Originally Posted by vinnie

funny, this morning I see this guy wearing pink plastic clogs, (I don't remember what they are called). I told my wife this was the typical pickle boy that Ashland is full of, that this guy was useless. She says how come the shoes bother you, I retored, "they have no tactical value"..

nothing like a good pair of boots when you have a need to stick them up haji's ass.

I believe what he had were Crocs. They are great house shoes (very comfortable) but I don't like being out in them much. I don't necessarily think of the kicking aspect of my footwear but the movement aspect of it. Could a football player comfortably run his obstacle course in them? I don't want to go down because my foot slipped *inside* my footwear or the designated foot protector came off unbidden and at a horribly unopportune time. (I lost a wrestling match in HS because my shoes were about two sizes too big and thats bad enough for me. I don't want to get beat up, stabbed, or dead for a similar stupid reason.) Its the same reason I stopped wearing my crocs on watch (bridge watch on an offshore tug). When we are rolling around I don't want to be slipping around in or completely out of my footwear.

I usually carry a piece of 550 cord in my back pocket, about 3 or 4 feet long with the ends melted. A big knot tied in one end and a bowline tied in the other (a type of loop). Makes a good garrote or emergency hand-tying device.

**eight_88888888** · 09-25-2008, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by LordPhoenix

I usually carry a piece of 550 cord in my back pocket, about 3 or 4 feet long with the ends melted. A big knot tied in one end and a bowline tied in the other (a type of loop). Makes a good garrote or emergency hand-tying device.

I don't see myself doing much hand-tying in the event of a hijacking. An unruly passenger maybe, but not a hijacking.

If I can tied his hands with cord, I can choke him out with it faster. If I don't have cord, stomping the neck and spine should well suffice.

**LordPhoenix** · 09-25-2008, 01:25 PM

Who said hijackers were the only scenario? It is useful for many various purposes, which is why I like it. Also, if you have the 550 cord and a carabiner or two it would take less than 30 seconds for me to hook carabiners to the cord and have a decent weapon. (Though I usually wear a good belt, either my spec ops better bdu belt or my blackhawk rigger belt.)

caleqs · 10-12-2008, 05:30 AM

This does not need a response and all questions are rhetorical.

Curious to know how many folks here actually train with the type of weapons they're talking about. Sure, its cool to think you can articulate a weighted, flexible weapon, but are you actually working with it on a regular basis to ensure you can deploy it effectively when the time comes? If so, great. If not, why not? Flexible weapons are tricky to manipulate without whacking yourself in the head or leg. Better understand how it moves before you actually need to make it move!

Non-flexible weapons are certainly more straight-forward than flexible weapons, but are you training with them regularly?

In both cases, I'd recommend actually HITTING something in your training. Its a very different feeling when you actually have your weapon bounce off something or stop suddenly on impact vs. swinging it around hitting the air.

I'm no expert in any of this, but I do know all the prep work is worthless if you don't have experience USING what you've prepared. If you don't, those who HAVE prepared will simply take it from you and use it against you.

Be safe,
Jeff

**Mickey Rourke** · 10-12-2008, 05:35 AM

This past Sunday night's episode (10/05/2008) of "The Unit" showed improvised weapons pretty well.

Three members of the team were on an airliner that was hijacked. They used seatbelts and buckles, a can of soda in a towel, a broken CD, etc., to overcome the hijackers and take their weapons. Fictional, sure, but some good ideas brought into play.

**michael** · 10-12-2008, 06:03 AM

Originally Posted by smince

This past Sunday night's episode (10/05/2008) of "The Unit" showed improvised weapons pretty well.

Three members of the team were on an airliner that was hijacked. They used seatbelts and buckles, a can of soda in a towel, a broken CD, etc., to overcome the hijackers and take their weapons. Fictional, sure, but some good ideas brought into play.

I recorded it, but unfortunately the DVR only got part of it due to something running over before it came on.