I suggest that anyone who decides to choose a defensive handgun for primary carry try it out in circumstances as realistic as possible, reflective of self defense against unexpected, rapidly unfolding violent attack
If possible, try it in a defensive pistol training class that requires drawing the firearm quickly while moving, and firing effectively with a balance of speed and precision.
Think in terms of reacting to an unplanned emerging threat from any direction, drawing and firing in less than two seconds, and hitting a target the size of a small pie plate at, say, ten feet, three to five times in a second or two.
That's a lot different from facing a target that one has been planning to shoot that is seven yards away, and squeezing off shots with what one may think to constitute rapidity, and looking at group size.
Why? (1) the incident will come s a surprise; the attacker will not pose for us as a target; it will likely take more than one shot to have any reasonable likelihood of hitting something critical; and the defender will have very little time.
That exercise will make one take into account the size of the grip; barrel length; trigger pull; whether there is a safety to be disengaged with a separate movement; and recoil.
The "best" gun for those realistic scenarios will likely not be the best for defensive carry. It will likely be too big and too heavy for every day carry.
So, it becomes a matter of compromise, I carry a single column polymer 9 with four inch barrel. I can easily carry it all day, indoors and out; I can draw in quickly from OWB; and I can get by in a tough training class.
Am I confident that it will suffice? Not really. Watching Tueller exercises makes clear just how well one must detect trouble timely, and how very quickly one must react.
A gun is a tool, Marian, and the toolset comes third in priority after mindset and skillset when it comes to self-preservation.
), but I think that I would draw the line there regarding a regular carry caliber.
