Thursday, April 17, 2014

A smokescreen as home security device?


I'm sure many readers have heard about smoke generators used as anti-theft devices in some stores.  Here are a couple of video clips to illustrate the concept.  First, a demonstration of a device in England.





Next, an actual armed robbery in South Africa, foiled by the smoke generator.





Of course, both videos were provided by suppliers of these devices, so there may be failures that they prefer not to publicize.

I've had a couple of people ask me whether I thought it was a good idea to install something like this in one's home, to drive burglars or home invaders out without their being able to steal anything.  I'm not sure it is.  If there's a need to evacuate the home (for example, if a fire starts, or the intruders begin shooting wildly) the smoke might prevent one finding one's own way out of the danger zone.  However, if you know your home well, you can probably navigate around the corridors and to the front or back door by touch if necessary.  Intruders presumably won't have that same level of knowledge, so you might be able to get away from them.  (On the other hand, if they're fumbling around blindly and you walk into them, who knows what might happen?)

What say you, readers?  Good idea, or a complicating factor?

Peter

9 comments:

Inconsiderate Bastard said...

First, there is the place Where Great Britain Used To Be. They used to own guns, they allowed their government to take their guns away and make "guns" socially unacceptable. Then they allowed their government to take knives away and make "knives" socially unacceptable. Why would they think their government would allow them to keep "smoke"?

As for the SA robbery video, does any sane individual believe "smoke" is superior to 00 buckshot or 230 grain 45 caliber projectiles?

When you've allowed your government to declare you toast. just STFU and accept it.

Knucklehead said...

I've only seen this as part of an overall home security system that included a safe room capable of overpressure (compressed air). Retreat to the safe room and set off the smoke on the bad guys. As they choke their way out perhaps you could then deliver unto them some of IB's 00 or .45 from a safer perch. Would that be kosher?

Tewshooz said...

The smoke from my .410 shotgun would be a good deterrent

tweell said...

I'm not interested in having to replace all my furniture or smell the smoke for months afterwards. Cordite smoke, OTOH, is pleasant to the nose.

Bart Noir said...

Such a device might cause your insurance company to refuse to pay out if anybody is injured. Just a thought...

Will this smoke set off the smoke detectors?

This smoke may not cause real choking. I've used "artificial" smoke during aircraft smoke detector testing at high altitude, which I could breathe but which I could not see through. Very strange!

Old NFO said...

It would set of any smoke alarm and depending on the building, the sprinklers... sigh

Redneck said...

Good option IF firearms aren't allowed.

Anonymous said...

I'd rather not do a "surprise wrestling match" with armed thugs.... first because while tugs are generally poor shots at distance, at contact range, it's hard to miss..... second because I'm not that good at wrestling.

I'll keep my pistola, thankyouso very much.... the idea of cowering, blind and hoping the thugs don't just empty their guns in my general direction (how is this different from most thugs' modus operandi?) is just foreign to me.

In places where the government denies individuals the means of effective defensive tools ..... either change the government, or move to greener pastures.

-jimbob86

Yukon said...

Anything that might be as big a problem for me as it is for them seems counterproductive. We end up at the same disadvantage, and if they are in my house they are already one up on me.