Is 6 Shots Really Enough?

OP,
For decades, most six-shot "shooters" carried two reloads and called it a day. That's eighteen rounds total.
Are you saying "six-shot" or "six shots". If I only had six shots of X, I'd sure choose a smooth K or L frame six shot. and even then

I think it's been said, though I have no references but memory.. if you're able to trade your life with another on the battlefield (and how I read battlefield is you are essentially both prepared to trade), you've done good/average.

I'm not trading my life with a hostile adversary in an armed encounter. My life is worth more than his because I am a good guy.

Certaindeaf said:

I think it's been said, though I have no references but memory.. if you're able to trade your life with another on the battlefield (and how I read battlefield is you are essentially both prepared to trade), you've done good/average.

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I dunno - where I come from we call that a losing draw.

Sounds wonderfully romantic in a Hemingway-esque sorta way but on a battlefield it's a wash and in a criminal environment it's even worse.

What I like about a six shot revolver is that it makes you concentrate on making your shots counts. You can't afford to waste even one round. With a semi-auto with 15 rounds some feel they have enough ammo that the amount is all they need. Quantity does not always equal quality.

I thought 25 rounds would be enough until I got a compact with bigger mags.
Yes, a revolver had better be enough to get you out of range or barricaded.
It's those gangstas that worry me.

Hear of a New York reload? If 12 good enough for NYPD, good for me. If the bad guy is a good shot, you'll probably not even need a backup.

Bill4282 said:

Hear of a New York reload? If 12 good enough for NYPD, good for me. If the bad guy is a good shot, you'll probably not even need a backup.

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Don't NYPD carry Glocks with well over 12 rounds, and at least two spare mags for WAY more than 12 rounds total?

You will fight with whatever you bring to the table. Although you might worry about capacity now, you'll only replace it with worry about reliability, later.

Try to focus more on your willingness to fight.

Carry any gun you want. Fight with the gun, a reload, a knife, your fists, your teeth.

If you really want something important to think about, focus on the speed you'll probably need to draw and fire the first two rounds in.

I think worrying about the sixth round might be overly optimistic, based on the speed of the average gun fight.

based on the speed of the average gun fight.

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3 shots in 3 seconds at 3 feet.

MicroTecniqs said:

3 shots in 3 seconds at 3 feet.

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Source?

SharpsDressedMan said:

I'm not trading my life with a hostile adversary in an armed encounter. My life is worth more than his because I am a good guy.

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I hear you and they'll all say/think that but the truth is true. You're either going to trade or not, hence historical numbers. You almost don't have a choice if you go on the field.

Someone once said words to the effect that if you need more than 6-7 rounds you don't need more ammo...you need more friends

This is like the 9mm vs 40 vs 45 vs...

I feel adequate with 6 in a Colt D or S&W 10, snub noses are my choice the majority of days. No reload, just 6 rounds of 158gr +P.

I admit, I vary my carry with sub compact high capacity tuperware and various 1911's... more so on Sat / Sun than durring the week.

If you have already decided you are going to come up even in a gunfight, it's better that you decline to participate. Stay home. To allow any thoughts other than victory is to sabotage your own mindset. Don't do it.

What Asia331 said has much truth in it.. individuals are much more easily picked off than pairs or groups.

A handgun is for defense, if 4 are not enough then hope that your records are in order!
Seriously, the odds of multiple attackers are low and you had be well practiced enough to make all 5 count!Most people don't carry a gun so you are already ahead in the fight.
I trust my little Chief's Special.
ZVP

A New York reload was two .38s, one in each back pocket.

asia331 said:

Someone once said words to the effect that if you need more than 6-7 rounds you don't need more ammo...you need more friends

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Probably good advice. For the government to tell me that 6,7,10 or 15 is enough is an absolute NO. The choice should of what I depend on is mine and a "right" under the constitution, so it is not dependent on what someone else thinks is good for me.
The how many is enough many times comes down to "revolver" or "semi-automatic". I know that a revolver can be as accurate and as powerfull (maybe more so) than an automatice, however I have observed that the people that go to my range with revolvers (a minority of shooters) do not seem to hit as well. One of the things that my CCW instructor said in gun and ammo selection was to see what the local police carried and use that as a starting point. Mainly so that you had a good answer as to why you carried that "evil black Glock" with hollow point ammo. I see almost no LEO using revolvers these days, that should tell us something about what works best. If you look at the math, probably an empty gun is enough most of the time.

ZVP said:

!
Seriously, the odds of multiple attackers are low

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Over 40% of the time, there are multiple attackers. You're calling 40% low odds?

you had be well practiced enough to make all 5 count!

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Yup!

I trust my little Chief's Special.

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Curious, do you carry a reload for it?

"3 shots in 3 seconds at 3 feet"
That'll most likely get you injured if not killed. Only takes me 1 second to cover 3 feet of distance.

David E said:

MicroTecniqs said:

3 shots in 3 seconds at 3 feet.

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Source?

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Supposedly from FBI statistics.

Godsgunman said:

"3 shots in 3 seconds at 3 feet"
That'll most likely get you injured if not killed. Only takes me 1 second to cover 3 feet of distance.

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That assumes the fight starts with you at 3 feet rather than ends with you at 3 feet.

Also letting the threat within 3' (basically arms reach) in the first place generally shows a huge lack of situational awareness and you aren't drawing your gun in time before you are sucker punched from that distance.