Posted on 03/04/2010 9:31:50 AM PST by Erik Latranyi
Surviving a gunfight isn't what you think it is. Don’t let conventional wisdom get you killed. A well place round to "center mass" in your attacker may not take him out of the fight. Lots of people stay in the fight after "center mass" hits, and some even win it. If you expect to win your gunfight, you have to make sure that you have effectively ended the threat of your attacker. One, two or even several well placed "center mass" shots may not do what you think it will, and learning to recognize this before you gunfight may save your life.
There is a self styled self defense “expert” under every rock, and perhaps two behind every bush, these days. If you have a pet theory on what might work on the street then you can probably find a champion for that idea who actually charges people to teach them that skill. But few of the experts out there have ever been in gunfights, and even fewer have studied real gunfights to see how things really work out when the bullets really fly for blood.
There are more misconceptions out there than I can cover in one article but the one that probably gets to me the most, even over all the caliber wars that rage interminably in the print and cyber media, is the nearly universal acceptance that shooting a miscreant “center mass” with ________(fill in your favorite make, model and caliber) shooting _________ (fill in your favorite ammunition) hyper speed truck killer is practically guaranteed to get the job done.
(Excerpt) Read more at forums.gunsamerica.com ...
What is commonly taught these days is if 2 to the chest doesnt immediately end the fight, shoot for the head. Not too many failures to stop after head shots.
Frangible ammo.
Quite possibly the closest thing to a Hollywood movie where bits of the bad guy come flying off.
Nasty stuff...
Frangible for the top two rounds of the clip, then the rest of the clip loaded with standard penetrating stuff (hollow points)
Bang.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang (reach for next clip)
bang
drop clip insert fresh clip.
rinse lather repeat.
But be careful not to hit the groin area as most liberals have no balls!
The exception to the above is “24”. Jack Bauer rarely fails to aim a shot right between the eyes after he subdues his attacker.
There are no rules except to hit until he can't hit you. Avoiding the fight altogether is a great idea.
“corpse man” ping.
Anyone training that is ignorant. In most gunfights, there is no time to shoot for the head.
If 2 to the center of mass have not stopped the fight, giving the perpetrator time to attack while you are aiming for the head on a moving target is asinine.
Head shots are nearly impossible to achieve, given (1) heads move faster and more erratically than CoM (ask any real martial arts expert), and (2) your adreneline level will make fine motor skills go down the toilet. Read “On Killing” by David Grossman. He and the folks he interviewed have far more personal experience in this realm than I ever want to have.
CoM is the surest way to interrupt the central nervous system and cause bloodloss-induced incapacity.
Everything else is either pure dumb luck or Hollywood.
The article clearly demonstrates that your preferred choice of ammo is irrelevant to ending the fight.
I once saw Antonio Banderas with two guns, thats right two. One in each hand and both held sideways, diving over a bar with both guns blazing and he got the guys he was shooting at. That was the best darn shooting I'd ever seen.............
Only fools go for head shots. In a gunfight, fools die.
Good article - thank you for sharing. I carry a .45 for the same reason the author does, but I’m reminded sometimes that I need to practice mobile and tactical skills much more than I actually do.
Did they name the Redman suit after you? Some folks possess know-it-all-ass.
BTW, CoM does not mean one shot. The author of the original aritcle is entirely correct regarding the need for multiple shots until you have confirmed that the threat has been neutralized and you and your family are safe.
Only fools make hard and fast statements like that. You shoot for what’s available.
It's nice to see someone who has not been brainwashed by Hollywood.
“You obviously have never taken a self-defense class and learned the realities of surviving a gunfight...”
Please enlighten everyone instead of just criticizing....
If that cavity happens to include a major vessel, exsanguination occurs very quickly.
-however, when some "expert" tries to tell us that it took 55 purportedly coroner-assessed "lethal hits" to stop the perp , I apply my byline--
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