There is no doubt that the increasing crime rates as well as the escalating global conflicts make our world relatively dangerous. Since you have no way to predict the random acts of violence and you cannot always count on the police force to protect you 24/7, carrying a self-defense weapon might just confer you a fighting chance.
However, the more or less inconspicuous gadgets that fall under this category are not safe to use. Some of the weapons that will be presented in the following top 10 list are so badly designed and dangerous for the carrier that we cannot help but wonder why authorities allowed them on the market in the first place. Others are, well, simply laughable by default.
1. The flashlight that doubles as shotgun
Incapacitating assaulters is just so old fashioned, not to mention impractical when you simply want to blow a hole through their chest area. They’ll never see it coming if, instead of your hunting rifle, you use an unnecessarily large flashlight for the job. On one end you have the light bulb, while on the other you have the .410 barrel of the shotgun. However, providing that you will ever use the flashlight end, the barrel will be pointed directly at your chest. You stand a better chance of avoiding a gun wound if you beat your attacker senseless with this overgrown lantern.
2. The knife concealed as a harmless lipstick
The blade of the lipstick self-defense weapon in question is too small to actually do any damage to a potential attacker. However, it is just large enough to cause a painful mouth stab if you accidentally mistake it for your lipstick. Keep in mind that for most women the application of lipstick is a reflex gesture, so lipstick-knife related injuries are probably not infrequent. This weapon might just be the self-defense industry’s way to apply the Darwinian principles of natural selection.
3. The electrified jackets
What could make you feel safer than a jacket expelling 80,000 Volts whenever someone touches its external surface while your body is “safely” snuggled inside? In other words, what could possibly go wrong in a struggle, like you inadvertently brushing your palm or your face against the sleeves and getting a taste of your own electrical medicine? Now, let’s also take into account the fact that mass production of these clothing pieces would allow every more or less sociopathic practical joker to pull “shocking” stunts on the expense of others.
4. The shielding briefcase
As you are casually strolling along the sidewalk carrying your bulletproof briefcase, you notice that you are trapped in the crossfire between the police and a bunch of no good bank robbers. Thank goodness you have your personal 3-foot shield cleverly disguised as a briefcase to divert the trajectory of the bullets in real time, just like the pros you see in horrible action movies. Not only do the dimensions of this thing force you to choose which side of the body you want to protect from the stray bullets, but you also provide comic relief for the shooters in the process. Maybe the heavy metal plating inside could also help you knock them out with a James Bond signature move!
5. The vending machine, all situation camouflage
The only potential sources of inspiration for this self protection device – if you can call it that anyway – constitute the cartoons of the 60s. How you could possibly drape the frame and the curtains of this camouflage over yourself fast enough to trick the assailants or why they wouldn’t be able to discern between a metal/plastic vending machine and a piece of fabric is not explained in the users’ manual. But if you can think of a clever way to pull this stunt off, then by all means, get one!
This 62-ton American warhorse sits in the top with its 120mm smoothbore cannon, classified Chobham armor and a 1500hp engine giving it a top speed of 40mph. Equipped with advanced fire-control computer and damage control systems, it is surely the most hi-tech. Never defeated in a conventional tank battle but it has suffered in the hit-and-run tactics in Iraq.
The Russians managed to built the perfectly balanced tank with firepower, mobility and easy to produce. More than 84,000 of them were built. Its sloping 65mm armour and the 76.2mm gun was capable of challenging most of the axis tanks. The massed charges of these tanks across the plains of Eastern Europe is one of the famous scenes of the war.
The rightly feared Tiger tank was the German answer to the allied tank superiority. Its famous 88mm could outshoot any other tank and the 100mm armour was virtually impenetrable. But it was difficult to manufacture and could not be fielded in large numbers.
World’s first combat tank was introduced in 1916. Though a tin can in the modern era, it was a revolutionary idea back then. The tank was the answer to the stagnant trench warfare in Europe. It was the reason for the allied victories and the father of the modern tanks to come.
This post-war tank saw action nevertheless around the world. It served with the Israelis and the Indians. Its 150mm armour and 105mm gun was a very powerful combination. It performed well against all the other tanks of its generation.
The SOF Combat Assault Rifle or SCAR-L of US and Belgium parentage was made primarily for the US Special Forces and fires a 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. It has a rate of fire between 600-650 rounds per minute and an effective range of 500-600—meters.
The Steyr AUG is designed by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG of Austria. The rifle features a two stage trigger and is fed from double column box magazines with a 30 round capacity It fires a 5.56x 45mm NATO cartridge, has a rate of fire of 680-850 rounds per minute, an effective range of 300m and is fed by a 30 or 42 round box magazine.
The M-16 is the standard rifle for the US armed forces. The M-16 is a 5.56 calibers lightweight, air cooled, magazine fed, gas operated rifle with a rotating bolt driven by a direct impingement gas operation. The M-16 is effective within a range of 550m and a rate of fire of 700-950 rounds a minute.
The M-4 5.56mm assault is of US origin, it is produced by Colt Defense. It fires a 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, has a gas operated rotating bolt action and has a rate of fire of 700-950 rounds per minute. It has an effective range of 300m.
The Colt single action army or the Peacemaker is the most famous handgun in history as it is the gun that won the west. It was built by the Colt Manufacturing Company of America and was in service with the US government from 1873 to 1892. . It fires a .45 Colt cartridge and has a six shot cylinder.
The Webley revolver is of British origin and is manufactured by the Webley & Scott Company and RSAF Enfield.
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is of American parentage and was manufactured by the Smith & Wesson Company. It fires a rimmed centerfired cartridge (the .38 Special) .and weighs approximately 10 ounces , has an overall length of 8 inches and a capacity for 6 rounds.
This revolver is of American origin and fires the .44 Magnum cartridges made famous by Clint Eastwood in his Dirty Harry films. . It has a double action and a six round cylinder and has a 3 dot adjustable rear sight.
