Saturday, November 29, 2008

[singlepic id=1 w=320 h=240 mode=web20 float=left]In part I of this series I went over a few issues that gun owners wrestle with when they choose to bring a firearm into their life.   I will re-state that this is not a second amendment argument piece, it is a post of considerations some people might consider if they so choose to employ a firearm in their defense.  If you choose differently, that is your right.

We have discussed the need for storing a firearm responsibly, issues of carriage, and the type of training necessary to safely employ a firearm responsibly and effectively.

I wanted to cover a few more items in this ongoing blog series, including choosing the right weapon, and terminal ballistics.

These are only my opinions, and in the gun world, opinions are like bellybuttons; everybody has one.  I will share my opinion, and why I have it.  I do not endorse a brand, a caliber, or a particular manufacturer.  I simply ask you to be honest with your needs, your abilities, and take into account some basic considerations.  Other writers on this topic can pound the details.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WEAPON    

What are you going to use this weapon for?  Home defense and personal carry are the two common uses for a defensive weapon.  Each poses its own basic needs.  If you are only going to have a firearm for home defense, you have a wider array of choices you can make.  I prefer any weapon I will use for a defensive situation to pass a few basic priorities.  First, it must be simple to operate.  Second, it must have enough stopping power to affect the bad guys intent to continue his attack.  Third, it must be lightweight enough to be part of my wardrobe.  If it is too heavy, too hard to conceal, or too hard to get to and employ, I will not wear it……and thus it is of no use to me.

Simplicity…

Trying to find a safety, a tricky magazine release, or complicated (something I have to search for) sighting equipment disqualifies a weapon for me for personal carry.  If I am going to use a weapon in self defense, adrenaline will be high, light and conditions may be adverse, and I will not have time to divert my attention to working a slide, actuating a laser, or trying to switch on a tactical flashlight.  This is not to say that these things dont work, but I most likely wont be able to work them under a high pressure gun fight.  In the picture above is a small revolver that I carry on occasion.  It is simple, lightweight, and it works every single time I pull the trigger, period.  I like the semi autos as well, but I prefer the simplicity of the revolver for the horrific possibility of the up close and personal nature of a gun-fight.  I have done the homework, and fully understand what can go wrong with a semi-automatic in a gun-fight.  Stovepiping, feed jams, and the badguy getting his hand on top of your weapon are the beginning of the problem.

I know the semi-auto guys are jumping up and down and screaming about limited range and capacity of the snub nose revolver.  I understand the concern, and I ask this.  How many legal self defense uses of the gun do you see yourself in outside of 10ft?  Now, how many reloading events do you see going on in a self defense situation (still legal)?  While I would prefer to have a 30 round magazine for the highly unlikely event that I end up in the “HEAT” style shootout in front of the bank with badguys, most attacks and self defense situations, that will not end with you being on trial for excessive force, happen inside the space of a phone booth, and under a few seconds.  You need something that works, works quickly, and doesnt take complex movements.  Adrenaline will not suffer this.

How big a gun do I need?

Only as big as you can handle.  Again, the .45 caliber fans are jumping up and down.  “You need all the firepower you can get, the more lead the better” is undoubtedly what many are screaming at me right now.  I ask you this; What is more important, firing great big bullets at a poor rate and accuracy, or driving nails with a smaller caliber, but hitting home on every shot?  I tell people to get as big a caliber weapon that they can shoot accurately, smoothly, and quickly.  Time on target is key in my opinion.  If you can get 4 shots out of a .38 and hit home on all of them in short succession, I will bet on that over a poorly placed .45 shot that hits off of center of mass because the recoil was too much for the shooter to get back on target quickly.  Start with what you can handle, then work your way up.

TERMINAL BALLISTICS

Terminal ballistics is simply defined as what the bullet does after it leaves the gun until it expends its energy in the target.   While many would think I would be discussing where to shoot the bad guy, this is not really what my intent of this segment is.  If you can imagine where to punch someone, you can imagine where a bullet will need to go to stop an attack.   My biggest concern once again for people learning about guns stems from the illusion that Hollywood puts on terminal ballistics.

Where will your bullet go once it leaves your gun?  What if you miss?  Where will your children be in the house?  How many walls will bullets go through?  Good things to know before you pull the trigger.   While in the movies its all the rage to duck behind a small table, a barrel, an interior sheetrock wall, or even a car door; there is one fact that has been proven at the range, and on the street.  These things do not stop bullets.  Know this before you pull the trigger in your home, or in a crowded place.

The basic safety rules for firearms basically all sound like this.  1. Always assume every firearm is loaded.  2.  Do not point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot.  3.  Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.  4. KNOW WHAT IS BEHIND YOUR TARGET.  Most bullets will go through a common house wall.  They may even penetrate block walls depending on the energy of the weapon.  It would be good to think a little about where the people in your house are, are there people behind a bad guy, where  the people in the office across the way might be before pulling the trigger.  Establish a safe zone in your common areas in the event that you have to defend yourself.  Don’t find out after you have sent lead downrange at the speed of sound that the wall between you and your child was not thick enough to stop a miss.

Also, it is probably not a good idea to use high powered rifles to defend your home.  The terminal ballistics of some of the common assault weapons and hunting rifles are such that most of your neighbors will be receiving your misses.

I know this is very basic, but it is a good overview for considering the purchase of a firearm.  Think about where you will keep it, get yourself some defensive handgun training, get the right weapon for you, and before you consider using it, do the homework and figure out how to employ your weapon safely for your defense.

I focus heavily on the home in this piece, because most attacks and successful defenses happen at the home.  Keep yourself and your family safe by doing your homework before bringing a gun into your home.

More on guns in part III