Posted on 11/11/2003 9:48:00 PM PST by Theodore R.
Choose The Right Gun
If you saw the recent video of "Old Mr. Grump" shooting the "Lucky Lawyer" in Los Angeles, you can learn a valuable lesson about which firearm to choose for self-defense.
The press rarely reports what kinds of guns are used in crimes, and usually gets it wrong when it tries. Nevertheless, I have concluded Mr. Grump used a .22-caliber pistol. Otherwise, the Lucky Lawyer would not have remained on his feet for so long.
Now, a .22, a .25 and a .32 will kill you, provided the bullet strikes a vital organ. Sometimes the person will bleed to death if the wounds are not treated promptly. But in a self-defense situation, you will not be comforted by the fact that your assailant bled to death an hour after he cut your throat or blew your brains out. And, as Mr. Grump demonstrated on camera, hitting a vital organ is not that easy for an untrained pistolero.
By the way, the numbers used to describe bullets refer to the diameter of the bullet. We use the English system, the Europeans use the metric system, but the diameters are the same.
Most people who know anything about guns recommend as a minimum the .38 special, preferably the .38 Plus P with hollow-point bullets, for self-defense. I have always personally favored the .45, either the .45 ACP or the .45 Long Colt. Of course, the .40, the .357 Magnum, the .41 Magnum, the .44 special and .44 Magnum will also more than do the job, but there are disadvantages to those weapons.
Firing a .44 Magnum in a close room is likely to make your ears ring for weeks. There is also the danger that the bullet will pass through the assailant, through a wall and into some innocent person. After all, most of us no longer live in stone castles, but in places built with cheap wood and plasterboard.
I am not recommending that you run out and buy a hog leg for self-defense. That's too important a decision to be made on the basis of a newspaper column. If you are, however, thinking about it and you are not familiar with firearms, you must first do three things.
One, you have to prepare yourself psychologically to take a human life. It's one thing that can't be undone. As my father said repeatedly when he was teaching me to shoot, "After you kill somebody, it's too late to be sorry." And so it is. In a life-and-death confrontation, you can't afford to conduct a debate on whether to pull the trigger or not. So, if you can't visualize yourself killing a human being and then living with it, you're better off buying a can of pepper spray.
Two, you must learn the laws in your state regarding self-defense. They are both easy and tricky. It's easy in that the law states that if you, as a reasonable person, believe that you and/or another person are in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, you can use whatever force is necessary to defend yourself. If you are inside your own home, you do not have to retreat.
Now the tricky part. Outside your home or place of business, if there is an escape route, you must take it. Even if someone walks up to you and spits in your face, slaps you or even punches you, you cannot whip out your gun and shoot the person. Killing for the sake of honor is no longer allowed in our decadent society — more's the pity, as it would greatly improve manners. Nor can you claim self-defense if you initiate the confrontation. For example, if you start a fistfight and your opponent whips out a knife or gun and you shoot him, that's not self-defense. Even in your own home or business, if the assailant turns tail, you cannot shoot him in the back and claim self-defense. If you plan to use a firearm for self-defense, you had better know the law, or you'll see the inside of a prison.
Third, you have to buy your gun and then practice diligently to become really proficient in its use, so proficient that you can use it in the dark when you're scared and caught by surprise.
And finally, a politically incorrect word of advice passed along to me years ago by a veteran cop: If you have to shoot somebody, make sure the judge will hear only your version of what happened. In other words, kill; otherwise, your assailant will probably sue you.
© 2003 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
LOL, try climbing into my car at an intersection in North Philly (yeah, it's happened to me) and see if I can! Seriously, as I said in my original post, I am talking about close encounters of the mugging/carjacking kind. I can hit somebody in the face, guaranteed.
Anyways, I certainly appreciate your advice. Thanks.
I agree. Caught it last night. Most excellent. I was spellbound.
For home defense...I like my 12 ga. Winchester defender pump. It's short, and I don't have to concern myself with things like aiming or geting off a second shot for one intruder. But I don't have kids in the house.
For carry, I have an old ruger blackhawk in .357 mag. I like the "going to work everytime no matter what" reliability more than having a couple of extra shots.
Ah, yes, Philly. Drove thru West Philly for years to get to/from work. Only had to draw once (crackhead needed discouraging from trying to get me out of my car at a stoplight)
A .38 snubby is a great pocket gun, but I would recommend a good inside-the-pants holster. A good holster from Galco or one of the other top makers is a needed investment no matter which type of gun. An inside-the-pants holster with an untucked polo-shirt over it makes the gun disappear, and is a hell of a lot faster draw than fishing in your pocket. Also, more than one guy has gotten into an "accident" from having an object in the pocket along with the gun, and the object coming into contact with the trigger. 'nuff said.
In winter, pocket carry in (otherwise empty) coat pocket is good. You can be walking along, and nobody thinks twice of a guy keeping his hands warm in his coat pocket. And the fastest draw is already having it in your hand
I have walked down many a block exactly that way.
Thanks for your kind advice.
That's because federal law requires an 18" barrel, unless you want to (and can get the required local LEO signoff) pay the National Firearms Act tax. It has since 1934, IIRC. A short barrelled, < 18", shotgun is what that horrible Miller Supreme Court decsion in 1939 was all about. Too bad the SoB didn't have a Thompson!, which by then were military issue. Even old Justice James McReynolds would have had a hard time believeing the government when they argued that one of those couldn't contribute to the common defense. :)
Stay Safe Possenti
Good shootin', Brother!
It's a great story of a humble (and once obscure) Saint isn't it?
I'm not yet an official member of the society, but I plan on joining once my piggy bank is full : )
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