Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave T
The above is absolutely correct except that it isn't just a "risk" but a real probability. Under the stress of being shot at people do not "rise to the occasion", rather their fine motor skills deteriorate significantly. If you shoot nice 3" groups @ 7 yards on the range, in the mean streets you will be lucky to keep most of your shots on a silhouette.
Many years ago Jeff Cooper preached a balance of accuracy, power, and speed, other wise known as DVC (for the Latin translation). An accurate shot that lacks sufficient power or comes too late will fail. A powerful shot that misses or comes too late will fail. A lightning fast shot that is not powerful enough or misses will fail. And what will they fail at...saving your life.
For 10 years after I retired from law enforcement I trained civilians to qualify for concealed carry permits. I was constantly saddened and dismayed at the lack of seriousness the students brought to the subjects of concealed carry and self defense. Threads like this one remind me of those days.
Dave
|
Again, my thought was a revolver that was significantly smaller and lighter than a J frame, but was not hindered by a slow reload with the swing out cylinder, so top break immediately came to my mind. I figured a .22 or .32 or shorter .38 would be best for keeping recoil down to not strain the revolver.
For all the focus you put on insufficient power when a bullet hits the target, what's worse is bullets that miss the target or don't get fired at all because someone said, "Meh, that gun's too much trouble to bring with me."
I think your comment demonstrates a problem in the gun community where we all become such "experts" in things that we forget those who aren't experts, aren't concerned about ballistic data, and are looking for what works best for their needs. For some that's a .22 or a .32 that's as light as an LCP but simpler to operate.