Real sword

[VERITAS]

This is an interesting question...

I would point out that by the time even the best trained swordsman identified a threat in his house, found his trusty rapier, removed it from its scabbard and accosted the interloper he would get shot or the bad guy would escape.

Not to mention the lethality of a sword and its unambigous purpose - which legally may get you into trouble...

For serious self-defense, why not consider a sturdy stick? Fencing techniques apply nicely, even if you splurge on the very nicest walking stick or staff you can find it will still be cheaper than a rapier or a smallsword, and you can even bring it with you to airports for use against jihadiis!

If you are interested in learning fencing for self-defense I highly recommend finding a teacher who can help you, as rapier and smallsword are rather different from the sporting epee.
The footwork is not confined to a linear piste, the bladework may be aided with the offhand in parries, preparations, binds, disarms, seizures, etc.
The length and heft of the weapon changes.
And the objective changes too - from scoring points to saving your hide!

Also as WhipLash pointed out if you must have a sharp sword, you could just get a sturdy practice epee and grind the end down to a nice point.

If you do get a rapier do not bother with a pistol grip - it will be a waste of time & money. That is not how the rapiers are designed and it will be frustrating to reinvent the wheel.

[Feraud]

Speaking of using swords for self defense, here’s a story found on the web. The sword in questions wasn’t even “real” (i.e. well made) but a cheap stainless blade. The fight took place in a small bedroom of an apartment.

DALLAS -- An Irving man said he was forced to defend himself against two men who broke into his apartment Tuesday.

The man told police when the attackers pulled a gun, he pulled out his Samurai sword.

Investigators said a visitor to an apartment was on the terrace when he was approached by two men.

One of the men pulled out a handgun and forced the man into the apartment and attempted a robbery, police said. When they didn't get any money, they allegedly pistol whiped the man an knocked him to the ground.

The apartment's tenant heard the noise and ran in from a back room.

Officers said the tenant used a Samurai sword and 10-inch knives as weapons, while one of the suspects fired several gunshots.

Police said all four men were injured from fighting with deadly weapons.

One of the suspects, a 20-year-old Dallas man, suffered severe lacerations and stab wounds to his neck and upper body, and is clinging to life, police said.

[Inquartata]

1) A pistol grip on a true rapier is going to be more of a liability than an advantage. But your average home invader isn't going to be much of a challenge anyway. All you need to do is put the point in line and thrust; maybe disengage if he grabs or swipes at the blade with his hand. That's as easily done with the grips rapiers come with. Do some practice with a French grip epee if it's still of concern.

2) Someone also mentioned the smallsword. That would be much better for a pistol grip; some smallswords are not much heavier than an epee.

3) A philosophical or moral opposition to guns is a poor reason to die. If you were a starving vegetarian and all that was available was some meat, would you choose death rather than practical necessity? Get a shotgun. The sound alone of a pump action being worked is often enough to make seasoned criminals run like deer.

4) OTOH, the idea that a blade is useless against a gun is incorrect. Within 15 feet, which is where most gunfights occur, a man with a knife can reach you within the average human reaction time, if he moves first. A sword puts you that much closer. Though you may well still be shot; unlike bullets blades impart little or no impact trauma to put an assailant off his game.

5) Whatever you use, be it an assault rifle or a frying pan, if you kill someone you must resign yourself to spending a lot of money and a lot of time in the resulting lawsuits, even if you are not prosecuted criminally. Choosing a weapon for its innocuous appearance probably will not help much in this regard, so you might as well go for efficiency. Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6, as the saying goes.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

why not sharpen the tip of one of those ultra stiff BF whites? That'll kill him quite well!

[RebelFencer]

ahh, but what would you do if the bullets were sharp?

[Feraud]

"Never bring a knife to a gun fight"
- Sean Connery in "The Untouchables"

[Inquartata]

But a gun to a knife fight is perfectly reasonable.

[Beeblebrox]

Originally Posted by ReverseLunge

I know that but the thing is I don't use guns. I am for gun control.

I find it very interesting that anyone can be against guns but not against killing. What difference does it make what weapon you use to kill someone? You obviously don't object to using deadly force to defend yourself, so why not use the best weapon for the job.

Originally Posted by ReverseLune

I think Epee would translate well to the real world and besides that I don't use guns so what choice do i have?

Flee or Die!

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by Beeblebrox

I find it very interesting that anyone can be against guns but not against killing. What difference does it make what weapon you use to kill someone? You obviously don't object to using deadly force to defend yourself, so why not use the best weapon for the job.

Oh! Well I have absolutely no problem with killing. I just find guns to be unmanly.

[VERITAS]

Hmmm...interesting position.

How 'bout a crossbow? or throwing knives, or Pepper spray?

Or duking it out hand-to-hand with the weapons God endowed us all with...

[telkanuru]

Best Option

[KD5MDK]

Aim for the kneecaps.

Terrible idea.

1) You'll probably miss.
2) If you weren't in fear of your life, why did you shoot them? If you were, why did you inflict this devastating injury on the poor fellow. You've scarred the rest of his life. You'll pay for it.

The only proper target to ever shoot at a person is center mass. (snipers, body armor, and other specialist situations excepted)

[WhipLash]

oh yeah...that's my wpn of choice too and we used it in singapore. very accurate and good balance. too bad we have strict gun control here.

well if you don't want to use guns you could always do the home-alone style defense with bowling balls and tar...

[LUDICROUS]

Shotgun! You won't destroy your house from the spread because you'll be so close that his torso will turn into a red mess

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by VERITAS

Hmmm...interesting position.

How 'bout a crossbow? or throwing knives, or Pepper spray?

Or duking it out hand-to-hand with the weapons God endowed us all with...

Crossbow and throwing knives are ok since you can dodge those and even catch them in your hand if you are real good. Pepper spray is for women and homosexuals.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Get a shotgun. The sound alone of a pump action being worked is often enough to make seasoned criminals run like deer.

So what if I took my shotgun to your house and pumped it in front of you? would you start running like a free range chicken?

[S. Hunter]

If the home invader has a gun and knows how to use it, you are already dead unless you can counter that. There is no way that any bladed weapon can come close to the efficiency or raw stopping power of a high velocity round fired close in. There are *many* comparatively safe and cheap firearms available, although I'd suggest investing in a Glock as a handgun or a nice pump shotgun. (Like a previous poster said, the pump action will most likely indimidate, and it wont come to shooting). You arent going to be killing or even touching an armed assailant with a pointed metal stick of they are packing anything more advanced than a muzzle loading musket, although, this being a fencing forum you can only expect people having pipe dreams about historical weapons being effective.

(And if you MUST use something other than a firearm, a taser or a nightstick can be very effective if they arent skilled or determined to shoot)

[telkanuru]

Originally Posted by S. Hunter

If the home invader has a gun and knows how to use it, you are already dead unless you can counter that. There is no way that any bladed weapon can come close to the efficiency or raw stopping power of a high velocity round fired close in. There are *many* comparatively safe and cheap firearms available, although I'd suggest investing in a Glock as a handgun or a nice pump shotgun.

So a gun protects you from a gun? Not to start a gun debate, but how many presidents have been shot while protected by the best armed guards in the history of the world?

[S. Hunter]

So a gun protects you from a gun? Not to start a gun debate, but how many presidents have been shot while protected by the best armed guards in the history of the world?

Your point of view is logically flawed. I never said a gun 'protects' you from another gun. A gun allows you to successfully counter the effect of another gun equally with training and proper use, and allows superior stopping power. Also, by the very nature of an assassination, it is a sneak attack that would have succeeded if the presidenant had a million guards armed with toothpics or M-16s. What a firearm offers is nothing more than the ability to stand toe to toe with someone wielding the same. If the aggressors goal is to kill you in your sleep, a 10 pound bass is going to do you as much good as a weapon as a thermonuclear device, but if you happen to encounter them, a gun will level the playing field, so to speak.

[LUDICROUS]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

So a gun protects you from a gun? Not to start a gun debate, but how many presidents have been shot while protected by the best armed guards in the history of the world?

Yeah, but giving them swords wouldn't change anything.

It's all about intent in this home invasion situation, isnt it?