David Yamane

Home Defense in “Your Mobile Castle”

The National Rifle Association (NRA) annual meeting and exhibits begin today in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since I began my research on American gun culture, I have attended three times (2013 in Houston, 2016 in Louisville, and 2019 in Indianapolis). In my 3 year rotation, I was due to attend again in 2022, but the timing and location were bad, so I was especially looking forward to this year. Indianapolis was the site of my “How a Liberal Professor Became an Amered American” talk, which was really influential in shaping my work in the years since.

In addition to being able to catch up with an increasing number of friends and acquaintances, and make new ones, I also learn something new about American gun culture every time I walk the exhibit floor or attend seminars. My collected posts on the NRA annual meeting and exhibits highlight this.

Sometimes I learn about gun culture generally, and sometimes I look for products and services that affect me more directly. Last year, my wife and I bought a travel trailer, “Joy,” a vacation home on wheels that we’re looking forward to traveling in far and wide. That means I must address the challenge of securely storing/staging firearms in the trailer. Are there RV-specific products to address this challenge? I was hoping to find out at the NRAAM.

Our new travel trailer, “Joy,” outside Boone, NC. Photo by David Yamane

One thing about attending a giant exhibition of products and services — regardless of type — is that it not only helps you find things you know you need, but it also tries to sell you things you didn’t know you needed. This is also true of advertising generally.

Case in point: Prior to taking delivery of our travel trailer in August 2022, I was reading back issues of RV Magazine online. The advertisement below caught my eye: Byrna SD Launcher. “The UN-GUN” (trademarked). “It’s a no-brainer for RVers.”

Is this a product I need that I didn’t know I needed to protect my “mobile castle”?

The idea that something is a “no-brainer” is always interesting to me. It is meant to suggest that even a person with no brains should be able to understand the value proposition. But sometimes I wonder if it really means that only a person with no brains would buy it.

Is it a good idea to have non-lethal defensive options? Absolutely.

I’ve written about this often in my travels through the civilian gun training world. These include the Shivworks Collective on open-handed, entangled fighting skills, The Complete Combatant (Brian and Shelley Hill) on flashlights and phones, FPF Training (John Murphy) and Agile Training (Chuck Haggard) on pepper spray, Craig Douglas on verbal agility, and even Combat Shooting and Tactics/CSAT (Paul Howe) on having the right mindset for fighting.

Is having a non-lethal defensive option that is indistinguishable from a firearm a no-brainer? Absolutely.

But only in the second sense I note above.

6 comments

  1. “I must address the challenge of securely storing/staging firearms in the trailer.”
    You could always install a dorsal turret.

    But seriously, if you’re towing with a pick-up, consider a drawer safe in the bed.

    A camper trailer is a great way to travel! My sister and brother-in-law (and cats) cross the country each year with their teardrop, staying economically at national parks and Harvest Hosts™.

    Our friend, John Correia, has discussed the pitfalls of using a Byrna:

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    • Thanks for commenting and sharing this ASP video. John puts out so much content I can’t even begin to keep up.

      We are pulling our trailer with a pickup. My concern is less with securing firearms while we’re hooked up as when we are unhooked and camping. So, something inside the trailer is needed. I can certainly use the same safes I use at home, but the configuration of the trailer is so much different, especially more compact.

      We’re looking forward to seeing the country more!

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  2. Byrna is marketed as Non Lethal, yet one of their ‘kinetic balls’ can cause grievous bodily injury especially if shot into the eyes. Looking so much like a gun (they come in all black as well as the orange and black shown), any opponent or responding police officer could reasonably perceive it as a real firearm and respond accordingly with deadly force. Not a fan of them for most situations involving normal earth people, but I can also see their potential advantages in some limited circumstances (and think police could make good use of them as well). And like John, I’m a big fan of other less lethal tools , especially OC.

    It may be best that the homeowner in this video did not have a real pistol since after the person left, the homeowner dangled the ‘gun’ at the end of his arm with his finger on the trigger, and pointed it at both his feet and his wife’s feet. At least he appears to have done so. John’s other comments are spot on.

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