Why would i own a Handgun?

As we know hand guns are great for personal protection.

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Wish I'd said that.

how often does one get mugged? thats like says car crashes are rare so don't wear your seatbelt.

If your target if less than 25 yards out, I think you would have to blind not to hit it.

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That statement makes it obvious you don't own a handgun....It usually takes a good amount of practice to build up the skills to hit a target smaller than a breadbox with a handgun.

If your target if less than 25 yards out, I think you would have to blind not to hit it.

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I think this is a common misconception, certainly one I have seen in a lot of people, shooters and non-shooters alike, when first using a handgun. They figure you just point your hand at something and boom, you hit it. It is always amazing how difficult it is to hit targets!

I enjoy pistol shooting. So, why would I want to shoot a rifle? I'll probably never need to shoot anything past 25 yards anyway. And with such a long barrel, hitting your target must be a piece of cake.

Just try pistol shooting and see if you like it. Maybe you will, maybe you won't.

If your target if less than 25 yards out, I think you would have to blind not to hit it.

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You're probably right! Assuredly, one would not miss a target at less than 25 yards, in theory.

But it might be worth your time to come out to some type of pistol-oriented competition and see how it works, in practice. Could be it's harder than it sounds.

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In all seriousness, there are several different kinds of handgun competition. The one closest to the kinds of shooting you're used to doing would probably be IHMSA which is long range (out to 200 meters) slow-fire steel silhouette shooting.

You might also be comfortable shooting "bullseye" style matches, which also reward marksmanship over all else.

The "action" or "practical" shooting sports introduce the element of speed into the mix. They are more reflective of the kinds of skills needed to employ sidearms in the role they were invented to fill: fast, close, defensive uses primarily. Practical shooting pushes you to develop your gunhandling skills much more so than your mechanical accuracy skills. So instead of being tested on the fundamentals of marksmanship, you're being tested on your ability to draw and acquire a sight picture quickly, shoot while moving, (in some cases) shoot around cover or obstacles and in positions that are not conducive to perfect form/stance, reload quickly, engage and transition smoothly between multiple targets, engage moving targets, engage targets that only present themselves for a second or two, and so forth. You may find that hitting some targets -- at 5-7 yards, let alone 25 -- is quite a bit more of a challenge than you thought. Or that hitting them is easy, but hitting them accurately, multiple times, in under a second (as you might need to do to be at all competitive) is not easy in the least.

I'm sure if you really want to try out handguns for sport, there is a discipline that would appeal to you.

In other words what is it about handgun shooting that you like?

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Shooting a handgun is really different than shooting a rifle. For many, many years I had no interest in shooting a handgun; they really didn't excite me because they 'are not accurate'. I was discussing this with a friend of mine a couple of years ago. He asked me what I carry for protection; I responded that I keep a pistol in my truck. He just smiled at me and I knew that I was screwing up by not learning to properly use it. So I decided that I would learn to properly use a pistol and I quickly discoved that I really enjoyed the challenge. I also learned that a good pistol IS accurate when used properly. I'm far from any 'top shot', but I've learned to use one well enough to enjoy it.

Three words. Line of sight.

Then take a pistol with a 7inch line of sight and hit a 100 yd target... with a Weaver stance.
Don't be so quick to expel derision coming from a narrow perspective.

I'll admit that shooting a pistol is way harder than I thought. Granted if you have never shot a pistol before you could still probably hit a man sized target at 25 feet, but doing it accurately is a different story. I see some guys at the range rapid firing into a target at 25 feet and putting it in inch groupings with any gun they pick up. I'm very jealous of them.

Why do you need a handgun or rifle when you can call in an airstrike or a few rounds of HE? Then there are drones which can take care of a mugger too.

On the farm most days I am carrying my Walther P99 and a have my 94 on my ATV. Predators, snakes, and rabid animals etc are all issues. Also I may have a sheep that is injured or ill that needs to put down. Every once in a great while I have a rogue sheep that goes after my dogs and me for no reason. Both the Walther and 94 come in handy. If things get more serious
out comes my SCAR17 or Model 70. We have been hearing a mountain lion(s) at night if the LGDs can't take off of this and they did last time I will if losses become serious.

Now if things really go to hell I call a buddy down at NAS Oceana.

The only rifles I own, are a stainless/syntheic Ruger 10/22; and 2x "black
rifles", a Colt 16" barrel H-BAR and a Rock River Arms Operator Elite both
chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge~! Guess U could say, "I'm a Hand-
Gunner".

Every once in a great while I have a rogue sheep that goes after my dogs and me for no reason

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You may need a larger dog. My dog got a wild hair yesterday evening and barrel rolled a 200lb goat!

Why don't you go to the range with somebody who actually shoots a handgun, borrow his and show him how easy it is?

As we know hand guns are great for personal protection. But really how often are you going to get mugged? And if you were held up most people say let them take what they want. So you can get away with your life. If you do your best to stay away from trouble more than likely it will not find you.

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You are assuming a lot here. You assume that the only possible SD scenario is a mugging, where the perp will simply want your money or stuff and then let you go on your merry way, unharmed. You assume that this has to happen to you "often" to be worth trying to prevent. No, its not worth shooting someone to protect your wallet, but if someone wants to rape your wife, will you "give him what he wants to get away with your life"?

Handguns fill a very important void for places where you can't walk around with a rifle slung over your back, but still need some protection.

Plus, they can be just as fun as rifles. Some short range, rapid fire pistol practice is great stress relief. Long range rifle can be enjoyable too, but sometimes its a little too slow paced and thought intensive for me. After a week of calculus and other homework, I need to do something a little more physical and less mental for a change.

With Freedom Arms 83 in .454 and quality electro-optical sight one can take game at roughly same range as another hunter with specialty slug shotgun. There is bigger stuff out there but for me anything larger means rifle.

liberals

like all good liberals I use my handguns for duck hunting.

It is not just a "give me your wallet" situation you may need to defend against. There are many potential reasons you may need to defend yourself or your family.

It can be quite easy to hit a poster sized target at 25 yards, the challenge and fun lies in landing a quick succession of shots in an acceptable grouping. Practice presenting and firing your weapon, reloading and misfire drills, firing while moving, firing from behind cover, maybe add a few more targets: Things can get interesting.

Do I ever imagine actually using these skills? Most likely not. Still it is fun to develop and comforting to know it's an option.

I usually get the OP's view when I'm firing my M-1 carbine. However, I'm jolted back to reality every time I stop late at night picking up a few things at the local "shop & rob" store....I really am in Condition Orange at any Wally World parking lot late in the evening... Handguns have their place.....

Why would i own a Handgun?

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If you don't think they're fun, and figure you'll either never need a firearm for SD or defense of family, or you'll always have your rifle with you if you do...

Then no reason.

Next topic: I have a garden hose. Why would I own a fire extinguisher? Shouldn't I just give the fire what it wants?

One reason is that I can ALWAYS have a handgun on me. Can't say that for a rifle or shotgun. There are lots of reasons why it's important for me to always have a firearm on me, but just limiting it to work outside - that would be enough of a reason to own and train with handguns.

When all I had was a shotgun and a couple of rifles, I'd always have to run back to the house to get a gun whenever I was mowing and came across an aggressive poisonous snakes. Having kids around, I wanted to kill every poisonous snake I could find. Thing is, no snake ever hung around long enough for me to run back to the house and grab a shotgun. Now that I have a handgun on me at all times - that's not a problem. I don't even have to leave my riding mower. I just pull out my handgun (filled with .410 rounds) and end the snake without even having to stand up.

I was also menaced by a pack of aggressive wild dawgs. If I had even tried to turn around and head to the house, they could/would have been on me before I'd taken three steps. But I had a snub nose revolver filled with plus p .38 ammo and a laser sight. I just sighted in on the leader of the pack as it was heading toward me and, with one shot, I took care of the leader. The rest of the pack practically vaporised they left so fast. I haven't seen 'em back in two years.

I could go on but, hopefully, you've got a bit of a picture why I now own more handguns than rifles and shotguns.

I own handguns because i'd look funny wearin britches with pockets big enough to stick my shotgun in it.

SifuGun,

I am not sure if you intended your post to read as if you are taking the position that the only reason one would need a gun is for sports shooting. I am sorry but it reads like an "anti-handgun" position.

I will take this unusual position on the matter. I don't like shooting pistols at all. I don't like the costs of ammunition. I don't like cleaning the firearm. I don't like range fees.

I own handguns because I believe it is included in my Constitutional rights and if I do not exercise those rights then I might lose them.

Another position on the matter is that handgun shooting is the best sporting event ever. More fun then America's most favorite past time of watching T.V. What would make it even more fun? 100 round mags. Silencers. Competitions in the dark with lasers, lights, infrared, and night vision. It would be even more fun if the guns could be made smaller and without warning labels, locks, or safety mechanisms.

I am not picking on you, I am just afraid that if the only reason to own one is sports shooting then it is the road to eliminating the sport. I lived in Europe for a while and the country I was in allowed for one hunting rifle, but no hand guns. Why? Because the use was for sporting applications only. I do not want that to happen here.

Seriously? Are you trying to start an argument, or are you asking a serious question?

SifuGun said:

If you do your best to stay away from trouble more than likely it will not find you.

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That's simply an ignorant, naive statement. And for a whole lot of victims of crime, it also pretty damn insensitive.

So, how would someone like me find enjoyment in shooting a hand gun.

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You like shooting rifles from 100 yds. Try shooting a big bore revolver from the same distance. It's a little more challenging.
I wasn't always into hand guns. Didn't have anything against them, I just didn't see the need for one. I had my hunting rifles and a pump shotty for home defense. But in the last couple of years, that's all I've wanted to shoot. I'm not sure why. I'm just on a hand gun kick right now.
But if you're just into rifles and not so much pistols, that's okay too. I used to be there.