Posted on 08/07/2009 12:47:37 PM PDT by JohnPierce
Where gun rights are concerned, a “Road to Damascus” moment occurs when a formerly anti-gun or gun-shy person decides to become a gun owner. I was lucky enough to spend most of my free time last week introducing a once gun-shy family to their rights and responsibilities as new gun owners.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
I'm in the Amen Corner here (lifelong shooter) but just wondering, why a semi-auto for a first handgun? If he's going to take this up as a hobby and practice regularly, sure, but isn't it a lot of fuss for a novice to learn clearing drill, etc., and will he practice enough to get it into his motor memory?
I let friends try everything I've got before buying, from the S&W .22 target pistol to the .45 autos and the .41 Mag, but I generally recommend a large frame revolver in .357/.38 or .44 Special, maybe .45 LC for a big guy. I'm a big fan of the 1911A1, myself, but it's not for everyone.
Given his stated purpose of home defense, one of the guns we had him look at was the Taurus Judge. :)
But he plans on shooting regularly and was set on getting a quality semi that he could “grow” with.
He also felt that a revolver offered too few rounds for an “adrenalined” new shooter in a self-defense situation and was convinced that he would be completely unable to reload in such a situation.
Of course, you get six rounds +1 in the 1911, and six rounds in a large frame revolver (assuming you have a hammer block), and you can't really get six in a P245 until you've beat the magazine spring down a bit . . . .
Sometimes I think that the extra rounds in the staggered-magazine semi-autos just encourage "spray and pray" panic shooting. Friend of mine who is a police officer told me about two (admittedly relatively new) patrolmen who cornered an armed robber in the back of an office park. Shootout ensued at fairly close range, the officers emptied their Glocks and two spare magazines each, the robber emptied whatever piece of trash he was carrying, and nobody hit anything. Only casualty was a dumpster at the end of the parking lot, which sustained two bullet wounds.
I shot combat pistol B.C. (Before Children) and got fairly good, but now I'm shooting Cowboy Action. It's amazing how quickly you learn to unload a massive amount of lead downrange in a very short time, even with SA revolvers, a lever rifle and a double barrel shotgun -- and even hit what you're aiming at. Being on the clock gives you some pressure (although not the amount of pressure that a burglar in the house will give you - I know, I encountered one once at age 12 and I ran like blazes. My dad had the 16 ga. Parker double, however, and he did not run. Burglar did though. Turned what could have been a tragedy into low comedy - two charges of No. 7 in the seat of his pants sped him on his way.)
I have heard tales of police and self-defense shooting where dozens of rounds were expended at close range with no one being hit. The adrenaline and shock of the moment must be incredible.
PS. I do cowboy mounted shooting.
I would love to do mounted shooting, but haven't got a horse. My TBred hunter mare is retired with a gimpy knee, plus she's losing weight and the vet can't figure out what's wrong. She may just be OLD - she's 27.
Anyhow, even in her younger days she would have been totally unsuited for mounted cowboy. I can see from the Chronicle that the courses are tight and twisty, and it looks like everybody's riding barrel horses. She would get her long legs crossed up and fall over! It did give me a laugh to see one course with a little jump that my mare would have trotted over in her stride, and all the horses jibbing, rolling their eyes, and propping like it was Becher's at the Grand National.
There is also the point that thugs are starting to come in packs when they pull home invasions, so there is something to be said for large magazine capacity.
I love John Ringo’s books! The Posleen series is great! I also like the Looking Glass books.
i agree with you here’s link,
http://www.johnringo.com/Books/IntotheLookingGlassSeries/tabid/1841/Default.aspx
Thanks for the link. I didn’t realize there were more than the first two. I am going to buy the other two today!
your welcome, one fan to another :-)
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