I'm not sure what to make of this...

dont open the link has a virus

I'm not gonna open the link due to Bubba's warning. Since I wasn't there, I won't pass judgement on the gun's failure, as it could also be related to the shooter's grip, technique, ammunition selection, or any combination of two or all three of those possibilities.

Logan, please check your link.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Bad-day-at-Black-Rock-for-robbers-4256367.php

No warning lights popped for me on this one.

Short version: Corner store owner defends himself from armed robbery with his gun. As stated, it jammed. He fired 7 shots, none of which struck the robbers.

It's impossible to say, but my best guess is that he's a "hands-off" type gun owner who may not practice or maintain his self defense weapon very actively. Of course he could also be someone who shoots regularly but whose marksmanship or grip suffered in the confrontation.

He and his sister credit the gun for saving his life.

Other than practice and maintain your gun to minimize the chances of this happening, there isn't much in the way of ST&T lessons to extrapolate from this. That, and luck gets a vote. And when he got robbed, she voted for him.

Yay him for surviving, but somebody give that man some lessons.

And I agree with this...

psyopspec
It's impossible to say, but my best guess is that he's a "hands-off" type gun owner who may not practice or maintain his self defense weapon very actively.

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...having worked with a few such folks.

Revolver.

Revolver.

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So that he can miss with 6 shots and then run out of ammunition, instead of missing with 7 shots before having a malfunction? Using hardware to address a software problem wouldn't improve the overall results.

I am willing to bet that the perps began retreating once the store owner produced a handgun, and only ran over each other all the faster once they heard firing.

Do you think they waited until the seventh round to start running? Maybe the firing ceased, so they thought about heading back in??

A revolver in this situation would have been just fine. produce weapon, commence firing, bad people run away, problem solved.

I own and have carried semi-autos. For the price of a new semiauto nowadays the store owner can buy two or three used, high-quality S&W revolvers, and have 12 or 18 shots on hand.

And he doesn't have to worry about bullet profile for feed reliability, spring wear, limp wristing, bad mags., etc.

1. I am surprised that there was no mention of recent events in the article.
2. I am surprised by the lack of Taurus Haters chiming in.
3. I would keep an 870 or similar under the counter if I owned a 7-11, in addition to a big bore revolver in the cash drawer and safe.

870 is rather useless at most gas stations, especially in rural areas. I worked at a stop and rob gas station during high school and there was not much space behind the counter for an 870 or similar sized item. The owner did put a Glock behind the counter after they were robbed at gun point and the clerk was shot (not killed) during a robbery. Before that it was a strict "give them the money, no lip" store policy.

A revolver in this situation would have been just fine. produce weapon, commence firing, bad people run away, problem solved.

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At the risk of repeating myself, I'm not poo-pooing revolvers. Rather, when I assert that hardware will not solve a software problem, I'm saying the toolset is < mindset and skillset. Give a person a sharp stick, karate legs, or a Howitzer, but withhold the KSAs for effective use and the results will be the same, or worse for bystanders as Mr. Ettin pointed out.

Get that man some range time! STAT!

And it's nice to see a self defense with a gun story on a CT news outlet.

using hardware to address a software problem wouldn't improve the overall results.

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With more than a decade of experience in large IT departments I'll say that throwing hardware at software problems can hide or mask a lot of the symptoms. In this man's case having better hardware could very well have been a benefit. But I'd whole-heartedly agree that skill-set and mindset training would be far more beneficial than different hardware.

What was that thing about magical thinking and using a gun as a talisman to keep away trouble by its very presence? Seems I recall someone saying something about that... and seems this guy didn't get the word.

Boyd is still relevant...

In my neck of the woods, you don't have to show it to scare them off. I work a counter at a equipment rental store. A rough looking guy came in asking for a job, I told him we were not hiring. He kept coming. I took my right hand off the mouse and laid it on my 45 under the counter. He saw me move, turned, said I guess I picked the wrong day to come here, and left. I never showed my gun. Called the cops, it took them ten minuted to respond.

With out knowing the condition of the weapon or ammo for that matter, it`s hard to come up with an intelligent reason for the jam. But stuff does happen .

Could have just been bad upkeep of the weapon. Sitting in a drawer collecting dust and moisture and grime for years before use. Careful not to project a bias against semi-autos onto a situation we know so little about. Revolvers are just as susceptible to failure if not taken care of as revolvers.

And there's also the fact that he got 7 shots off. That's still 1-2 rounds better than a revolver even in perfect condition.