Brad Johnson
Member
Something I've been refining in my spare time. It's getting close to final draft stage. Tell me what you think.....
- Brad
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I will preface this by saying that this is for the novice shooter buying a gun for self-protection. You know, the person who's never picked up a gun before, but through curiosity or necessity has decided to dip their toe in the proverbial pond. Everyone else can go eat lunch, play tennis, shop for new tires, whatever.
If you are familiar with guns and decide to read on, be advised that I will step on a few toes. I'm not trying to be nice and cater to everyone. I am trying to educate new shooters in a factual, safe, and tactically sound manner, and I will not hesitate to point out myth and lore that many shooters hail as golden, infallible fact.
Read on...
SAFETY FIRST.
I cannot stress forcefully enough that the single most important aspect of gun ownership is that you are SAFE!! Don't even consider buying a gun - ANY gun - unless you have, or will take the trouble to acquire, a basic understanding of how to safely and responsibly handle firearms.
At the very least take an Introduction to Firearms class. It's NOT recommended that you take your "introduction" to firearms from a spouse or parent. There is often a factor of intimidation and pressure to perform that can severely undermine the teaching process, so it's best to learn under the watchful eye of a qualified instructor. If you do choose to allow a family member or friend to introduce you to firearms, remember that you are not there to learn to shoot fast and accurate. Worry about that later. Learn safe gun handling first, then concentrate on sight picture and trigger control. Speed and accuracy will gradually increase as you gain skill and confidence. If ANY firearms instruction becomes uncomfortable, or you feel that the environment is unsafe, excuse yourself and go elsewhere.
Above all, remember the four basic firearms safety rules:
1) Treat all guns as if they are loaded
2) Never point the muzzle of a gun at anything you don't want to kill
3) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire
4) Be absolutely sure of your target and what's behind it.
I will stress again that there is no such thing as an unloaded gun. Period. Like Rule #1 says, treat all guns as if they are loaded and ready to fire no matter how "unloaded" you think it is. Even if you are absolutely, positively sure the gun is clear, you still treat it as a loaded weapon. No exceptions. Ever. This goes double when around other who are handling firearms. Never accept a gun from another person, or hand another person a gun, without checking the condition first. If someone is not handling their weapon in a safe manner, ask them to be more careful. If they refuse, leave.
MY UNCLE JOE SAID...
Firearms Constant #1 - Everyone has an opinion on which manufacturer, model, and caliber is the best.
Short of insulting someone's immediate family, there isn't a much better way on the planet to start a spirited .. uhhh .. "discussion" among gun enthusiasts than to ask about which gun to buy. To say it can be a lively topic is a laughable understatement. I have yet to meet a shooter, novice or otherwise, that doesn't have some pretty unshakable opinions about firearms. Your concern should be to find a gun that fits your needs, your price range, and your experience level.
"My Uncle Joe said I should get a ..." I know, I know, your Uncle Joe said that you should get this caliber or that gun, and that all other guns are crap. Hey, everyone has their favorite, and Uncle Joe is no exception. Ever heard of Ford vs. Chevy? Same thing. Uncle Joe has his favorite gun and caliber, and he expects it to be your favorite too. With all due respect to Uncle Joe and his "Colt .45 Forever" bumper sticker, there are many options for you to explore and not all of them are right for you. Take your time and make an informed decision. If Uncle Joe will loan you his gun, all the better. You will have just that much more information on which to make your final decision.
Perception is reality. Unfortunately, perception is subjective and therefore uniquely defined by each individual. Perception is where you find comments about how guns "feel" or "point" or "shoot". A number of positive comments on a particular brand or model of gun means that the gun is probably one you should look at more closely, but do not base your entire decision making process on these comments alone. To do so would be like buying an expensive designer shirt in size 15 based solely on someone's comment about how it fit(them)and felt good (to them)and looked good (on them). Great, except you wear a size 17, so the shirt ends up being a costly shop cloth. Get the picture? Just because a gun feels right and points well for Uncle Joe does not mean it will do the same for you.
You will be privy to an unending litany of "I heard this... or "Somebody said that...". You will find that firearms have a rich history, a great deal of which is based on second-hand information, myth, supposition, and conjecture. Add in the misinformation of the general media and you have all the makings of a complete and total mess. Use common sense and patience, and brush the mental cobwebs off some of those high school science classes. Inappropriate or incorrect gun myth will usually not stand up under basic scientific scrutiny. Common sense will take care of most of the rest. Just remember to ask a lot of questions, apply a large dose of common sense, and remember that pretty much everything you see in the movies and on TV is bunk. Which brings us to....
Indisputable facts and data (which someone, somewhere, will always try to dispute). Facts are always good, even if they may be dry and boring. Most of the time it will be readily apparent when a recommendation or tactic is based in fact. The author or person will go to great lengths to back up their position with data and studies that are easily verified or can through simple means be shown to be correct. This new data is often met with scorn because a lot of it flies in the face of tradition and usually bruises a few egos. Shooters tend to be a proud, traditional bunch, so you can see where a change, any change, is not something that is easily accomplished. Don't let it dissuade you if a group of shooters are using myth and speculation trying to discount something you know to be true. They will finally capitulate to fact, and eventually the disagreement will be put to rest.
An unknown author was pretty much on the money when he said "90 percent of gun stories are total crap, 5 percent are mostly crap, 3 percent are sprinkled with a little crap, and the 2 percent that are true are discounted by so-called experts because the facts don't support their personal opinions." Exactly.
CRITERIA
This is the easy part - just ask yourself "Why am I buying this gun?" Will this be a concealed-carry gun, or is it just something to plink with on the weekends? Who will be shooting the gun? What is your skill level and how often are you willing to practice with your gun? How often are you willing to clean your gun? How much do you want to pay?
TYPE OF HANDGUN
"Do I need a revolver or a semi-auto, and what caliber should I get?" Excellent question - glad you asked!
If you are a novice shooter and are not willing to practice at least 2 times a month, then get a name-brand 3- or 4-inch double-action revolver. Don't argue, just do it. And get it chambered in .357 Magnum. The 357 Magnum cartridge is still at the top of the heap when it comes to proven stopping power, and there are dozens of very effective personal defense loads to choose from. It will also fire .38 Special cartridges if you want something more sedate and less expensive to practice with.
Why a double action revolver and nothing else? Simple. A double action revolver is the most straightforward and reliable multiple round handgun you can buy. There are no controls to manipulate and few operational problems to contend with. In fact, if you will just keep it clean and use factory ammunition, the probability of a malfunction in a decent revolver is almost zero. Just point it and pull the trigger. Revolvers are also available in an almost infinite combination of size and caliber. This is the ONLY gun you should consider if you are not willing to learn any more than just basic firearm skills. Period.
Don't consider a semi-auto until you have a solid grasp on basic safety and gun handling skills. Some die-hards will state unequivocally that you should "learn what you are going to shoot". Apologies for having to be blunt about it, but they are wrong. Starting an novice shooter on a semi-auto is liking teaching Driver's Education in a Viper. Too many distractions, too much going on at once, and too little time spent concentrating on the task at hand. Build one skill at a time. Develop your shooting proficiency, then start learning new weaponry. A good instructor will start you on a .22 revolver and progress you into more powerful, more complex handguns as your proficiency grows. If they don't start you out this way, or refuse to honor your request to do so, find another instructor.
Once you've decided on a particular style of gun, go to your local gun shop and try several different models to see which fits you best. If you're lucky, the shop will also have a range where you can try different combinations of guns and calibers. You should also find a local range and see if they have rental guns you can try. Keep trying out guns until you find the one you feel is right for you.
CONCEALED-CARRY
It is often said that when carrying a handgun it cannot be small or light enough, but if you have to use it that it cannot be big or powerful enough. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. This has resulted in a new generation of ultra-light, ultra-small handguns made from exotic things like space-age plastics, carbon fiber, and titanium. As an example, an average 6-shot .357 Magnum revolver will tip the scales at around 32 oz (that's two pounds for the conversionally challenged) while the new crop of svelte 5-shot revolvers weigh in at less than a pound. There are even some polymer-frame semi-autos at less than 10 oz. (about the weight of a typical cell phone). With full power ammunition these tiny terrors can be a handful, so they are not something you would use for everyday plinking.
Again, go to your local gun shop or range and look, look, look. Keep in mind that a gun that is light and easy to conceal will probably not be very pleasant to shoot for extended periods. Getting used to these little cannons is often intimidating, even for seasoned shooters. Don't worry, just keep practicing.
HOME PROTECTION
Home protection is pretty much wide open as to selection of guns. Unlike concealed carry, size is not an issue with a home-protection gun. Use the guidelines discussed earlier to select the type of gun.
You also have the option of a shotgun. It's not something recommended for novice shooters, as even the most basic pump shotguns still have controls that must be manipulated. Also, most shotguns are simply too long to be suitable for home defense purposes (unless you get a special short version often referred to as a "riot gun"). A double-barrel shotgun may be simpler to use, but has limited ammunition capacity and is still too long for adequate maneuverability. Again, if you are a novice shooter, stick with a double action revolver.
CALIBER
Caliber is always an issue when it comes to defense guns, and discussions about it can be pretty intense. As a general rule, bigger is usually better when it comes to caliber. However, the single most important aspect of caliber selection is being able to hit the target. More on that later.
Most experts agree that the smallest you should use for dedicated personal protection is .32 ACP, and even it is deemed marginal. Cartridges smaller than .32 ACP should be considered insufficient for personal protection. Although something is better than nothing at all, without perfect shot placement (which only happens in the movies) these small calibers lack the punch to do much more than just annoy the heck out of your attacker. Save them for last-ditch backup guns to be used when there is no other option.
There is absolutely no question about the effectiveness of most modern defense ammunition. In every cartridge from .380 ACP to .44 Magnum most manufacturers have at least one, and usually several, good self-defense load to choose from. As you begin shooting, you will find that everyone has an opinion about bullet weight vs velocity. Lighter & Faster vs Bigger & Slower always has, and probably always will, be a point of contention for many shooters. Don't worry, any good self-defense round make a mess of the Bad Guy's day. You should try several different brands and bullet weights to see which is the most accurate and controllable in your gun. Stick with that.
If you still want to know which one is tops, take your pick..357 Magnum, .45 ACP, .357 Sig, and .40 S&W are virtually shoulder-to-shoulder when it comes to documented stopping power. .38 Special and 9mm are not far behind, and ammunition technology is quickly closing the gap.
Do NOT use plain round nose ("ball") or flat-nosed ("wadcutter") ammunition unless there is no other choice. The technical reason for doing so is long-winded and dry. Suffice it to say that ball and wadcutter ammunition is only rated about half as good at stopping the bad guy as comparable hollow-point personal defense ammunition. Check with local law enforcement first, as hollow-point ammunition is restricted for personal defense in some areas.
SHOT PLACEMENT
As said before, the single most critical factor in using a gun for self-defense is SHOT PLACEMENT. Okay, so you bought the best gun in the most powerful caliber. Great. It's nothing more than an expensive noisemaker unless you hit the bad guy.
Don't just buy a gun and then run home and stick it in the dresser. Hey, you bought this thing to protect your life, remember? At least take it to the range and make sure that you can really hit what you are aiming at. You don't have to be an expert marksman, but you should be able to keep all your shots on an 8" paper plate at any distance less than 7 yards. Don't worry about rapid-fire drills either. Slow down and work on sight picture and trigger control. Like they say in competition, "You can't miss fast enough to win."
BUT THIS PERSON SAID....
Don't worry about what everyone says. Like we talked about before, firearms are swimming in a sea of myth, conjecture, and supposition. Here are just a few of the things you will hear....
MYTH - Hollow point bullets explode when they hit.
FACT - Hollow point bullets expand when they hit to as much as twice their original diameter. This causes massive tissue and nervous system trauma. That's what you want. You will hear the term phrase "one shot stop" bandied about a lot. This is the holy grail of personal defense - One shot, one bad guy neutralized.
MYTH - You should rack the slide on a shotgun to scare off an intruder.
FACT - Your greatest asset in an intruder situation is your knowledge of your surroundings and the intruder's lack of knowledge about your position. Racking the slide on a shotgun will do several things, not the least of which is to give away your position and negate that bit of your tactical advantage. It will also either a) shuck a perfectly good round out of the chamber and onto the floor, or b) shuck a round into what was an empty chamber. In either instance, you're going into battle with one less round than you could have had. Considering that most shotguns only have a 4+1 maximum capacity, you have just handed yourself an instant 20% disadvantage. If you feel the need to make noice, just say "I have a shotgun and I've called the police."
MYTH - Wadcutter and ball ammo are just as effective as hollow points.
FACT - Wadcutter and ball ammo often do not expand when they hit a target, and expend little energy on tissue and nervous system trauma. Also, they often penetrate completely throught the target to hit something on the other side (like a child or innocent bystander). Little hole in, little hole out. Hollow point personal defense ammunition is designed to expend all it's energy on the target, leaving little or no energy for over-penetration. Little hole in, no hole out.
MYTH - This (fill in caliber) is better than (fill in caliber)
FACT - While some calibers may produce more energy than others, modern personal defence ammunition has dramatically narrowed the gap between the stopping ability of different calibers. Shot placement is much more critical than caliber. You must hit the target in order to neutralize it, regardless of what gun or caliber you shoot. After all, you'd rather be missed with a .44 Magnum than shot with a .22, right?
MYTH - A revolver is better than a semi-auto (or vice-versa).
FACT - Although there are specific applications where one configuration might be more suited for the intended task, neither type of handgun is necessarily "better" than the other. Different? Yes. But not better.
MYTH - This (fill in the gun brand) will last a million rounds. Those others will die after a couple hundred.
FACT - No gun will last a million rounds in a totally original configuration. All guns require regular cleaning and maintenance, and will eventually require parts replacement. Springs lose tension, surfaces rub until tolerances open up, rifling wears down, etc. Anything mechanical eventually wears out. Claims of "million round guns" usually leave out the extensive trail of replaced parts. Grandpa may have put new handles and new heads on his axe over the years, but it's still the same axe. Or is it? Suffice it to say that any good name brand gun, properly maintained, will be something that you can pass on to your grandchildren.
MYTH - This (fill in the blank) shooting stance it better than any other
FACT - The best shooting stance for you depends on what you are doing, your body type, the type of firearm, etc. Don't let anyone tell you that one, and only one, shooting stance is all that you should ever use.
MYTH - Don't worry about cleaning your gun. Just shoot till it stops working, then clean it.
FACT - You can't go wrong cleaning your gun. Must guns are designed to function with some amount of carbon and powder residue build-up. That doesn't mean you should let it happen. Keeping a gun clean lessens the chance of a malfunction and inhibits rust and corrosion. It's also a sign of pride, just like a clean car. Oh, and remember that just a few drops of oil are all that is needed on your nice, clean gun. Over-lubricating a gun is almost as bad as not lubricating it at all.
IN CONCLUSION
Actually, there is no conclusion. Unless you buy a gun, stick it in a drawer, and never let it see the light of day again, shooting skills and taste in firearms are an ever-evolving personal quest. Enjoy your time learning to master your new tool, and always remember that it's something to be respected.
Safe Shooting....
- Brad
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I will preface this by saying that this is for the novice shooter buying a gun for self-protection. You know, the person who's never picked up a gun before, but through curiosity or necessity has decided to dip their toe in the proverbial pond. Everyone else can go eat lunch, play tennis, shop for new tires, whatever.
If you are familiar with guns and decide to read on, be advised that I will step on a few toes. I'm not trying to be nice and cater to everyone. I am trying to educate new shooters in a factual, safe, and tactically sound manner, and I will not hesitate to point out myth and lore that many shooters hail as golden, infallible fact.
Read on...
SAFETY FIRST.
I cannot stress forcefully enough that the single most important aspect of gun ownership is that you are SAFE!! Don't even consider buying a gun - ANY gun - unless you have, or will take the trouble to acquire, a basic understanding of how to safely and responsibly handle firearms.
At the very least take an Introduction to Firearms class. It's NOT recommended that you take your "introduction" to firearms from a spouse or parent. There is often a factor of intimidation and pressure to perform that can severely undermine the teaching process, so it's best to learn under the watchful eye of a qualified instructor. If you do choose to allow a family member or friend to introduce you to firearms, remember that you are not there to learn to shoot fast and accurate. Worry about that later. Learn safe gun handling first, then concentrate on sight picture and trigger control. Speed and accuracy will gradually increase as you gain skill and confidence. If ANY firearms instruction becomes uncomfortable, or you feel that the environment is unsafe, excuse yourself and go elsewhere.
Above all, remember the four basic firearms safety rules:
1) Treat all guns as if they are loaded
2) Never point the muzzle of a gun at anything you don't want to kill
3) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire
4) Be absolutely sure of your target and what's behind it.
I will stress again that there is no such thing as an unloaded gun. Period. Like Rule #1 says, treat all guns as if they are loaded and ready to fire no matter how "unloaded" you think it is. Even if you are absolutely, positively sure the gun is clear, you still treat it as a loaded weapon. No exceptions. Ever. This goes double when around other who are handling firearms. Never accept a gun from another person, or hand another person a gun, without checking the condition first. If someone is not handling their weapon in a safe manner, ask them to be more careful. If they refuse, leave.
MY UNCLE JOE SAID...
Firearms Constant #1 - Everyone has an opinion on which manufacturer, model, and caliber is the best.
Short of insulting someone's immediate family, there isn't a much better way on the planet to start a spirited .. uhhh .. "discussion" among gun enthusiasts than to ask about which gun to buy. To say it can be a lively topic is a laughable understatement. I have yet to meet a shooter, novice or otherwise, that doesn't have some pretty unshakable opinions about firearms. Your concern should be to find a gun that fits your needs, your price range, and your experience level.
"My Uncle Joe said I should get a ..." I know, I know, your Uncle Joe said that you should get this caliber or that gun, and that all other guns are crap. Hey, everyone has their favorite, and Uncle Joe is no exception. Ever heard of Ford vs. Chevy? Same thing. Uncle Joe has his favorite gun and caliber, and he expects it to be your favorite too. With all due respect to Uncle Joe and his "Colt .45 Forever" bumper sticker, there are many options for you to explore and not all of them are right for you. Take your time and make an informed decision. If Uncle Joe will loan you his gun, all the better. You will have just that much more information on which to make your final decision.
Perception is reality. Unfortunately, perception is subjective and therefore uniquely defined by each individual. Perception is where you find comments about how guns "feel" or "point" or "shoot". A number of positive comments on a particular brand or model of gun means that the gun is probably one you should look at more closely, but do not base your entire decision making process on these comments alone. To do so would be like buying an expensive designer shirt in size 15 based solely on someone's comment about how it fit(them)and felt good (to them)and looked good (on them). Great, except you wear a size 17, so the shirt ends up being a costly shop cloth. Get the picture? Just because a gun feels right and points well for Uncle Joe does not mean it will do the same for you.
You will be privy to an unending litany of "I heard this... or "Somebody said that...". You will find that firearms have a rich history, a great deal of which is based on second-hand information, myth, supposition, and conjecture. Add in the misinformation of the general media and you have all the makings of a complete and total mess. Use common sense and patience, and brush the mental cobwebs off some of those high school science classes. Inappropriate or incorrect gun myth will usually not stand up under basic scientific scrutiny. Common sense will take care of most of the rest. Just remember to ask a lot of questions, apply a large dose of common sense, and remember that pretty much everything you see in the movies and on TV is bunk. Which brings us to....
Indisputable facts and data (which someone, somewhere, will always try to dispute). Facts are always good, even if they may be dry and boring. Most of the time it will be readily apparent when a recommendation or tactic is based in fact. The author or person will go to great lengths to back up their position with data and studies that are easily verified or can through simple means be shown to be correct. This new data is often met with scorn because a lot of it flies in the face of tradition and usually bruises a few egos. Shooters tend to be a proud, traditional bunch, so you can see where a change, any change, is not something that is easily accomplished. Don't let it dissuade you if a group of shooters are using myth and speculation trying to discount something you know to be true. They will finally capitulate to fact, and eventually the disagreement will be put to rest.
An unknown author was pretty much on the money when he said "90 percent of gun stories are total crap, 5 percent are mostly crap, 3 percent are sprinkled with a little crap, and the 2 percent that are true are discounted by so-called experts because the facts don't support their personal opinions." Exactly.
CRITERIA
This is the easy part - just ask yourself "Why am I buying this gun?" Will this be a concealed-carry gun, or is it just something to plink with on the weekends? Who will be shooting the gun? What is your skill level and how often are you willing to practice with your gun? How often are you willing to clean your gun? How much do you want to pay?
TYPE OF HANDGUN
"Do I need a revolver or a semi-auto, and what caliber should I get?" Excellent question - glad you asked!
If you are a novice shooter and are not willing to practice at least 2 times a month, then get a name-brand 3- or 4-inch double-action revolver. Don't argue, just do it. And get it chambered in .357 Magnum. The 357 Magnum cartridge is still at the top of the heap when it comes to proven stopping power, and there are dozens of very effective personal defense loads to choose from. It will also fire .38 Special cartridges if you want something more sedate and less expensive to practice with.
Why a double action revolver and nothing else? Simple. A double action revolver is the most straightforward and reliable multiple round handgun you can buy. There are no controls to manipulate and few operational problems to contend with. In fact, if you will just keep it clean and use factory ammunition, the probability of a malfunction in a decent revolver is almost zero. Just point it and pull the trigger. Revolvers are also available in an almost infinite combination of size and caliber. This is the ONLY gun you should consider if you are not willing to learn any more than just basic firearm skills. Period.
Don't consider a semi-auto until you have a solid grasp on basic safety and gun handling skills. Some die-hards will state unequivocally that you should "learn what you are going to shoot". Apologies for having to be blunt about it, but they are wrong. Starting an novice shooter on a semi-auto is liking teaching Driver's Education in a Viper. Too many distractions, too much going on at once, and too little time spent concentrating on the task at hand. Build one skill at a time. Develop your shooting proficiency, then start learning new weaponry. A good instructor will start you on a .22 revolver and progress you into more powerful, more complex handguns as your proficiency grows. If they don't start you out this way, or refuse to honor your request to do so, find another instructor.
Once you've decided on a particular style of gun, go to your local gun shop and try several different models to see which fits you best. If you're lucky, the shop will also have a range where you can try different combinations of guns and calibers. You should also find a local range and see if they have rental guns you can try. Keep trying out guns until you find the one you feel is right for you.
CONCEALED-CARRY
It is often said that when carrying a handgun it cannot be small or light enough, but if you have to use it that it cannot be big or powerful enough. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. This has resulted in a new generation of ultra-light, ultra-small handguns made from exotic things like space-age plastics, carbon fiber, and titanium. As an example, an average 6-shot .357 Magnum revolver will tip the scales at around 32 oz (that's two pounds for the conversionally challenged) while the new crop of svelte 5-shot revolvers weigh in at less than a pound. There are even some polymer-frame semi-autos at less than 10 oz. (about the weight of a typical cell phone). With full power ammunition these tiny terrors can be a handful, so they are not something you would use for everyday plinking.
Again, go to your local gun shop or range and look, look, look. Keep in mind that a gun that is light and easy to conceal will probably not be very pleasant to shoot for extended periods. Getting used to these little cannons is often intimidating, even for seasoned shooters. Don't worry, just keep practicing.
HOME PROTECTION
Home protection is pretty much wide open as to selection of guns. Unlike concealed carry, size is not an issue with a home-protection gun. Use the guidelines discussed earlier to select the type of gun.
You also have the option of a shotgun. It's not something recommended for novice shooters, as even the most basic pump shotguns still have controls that must be manipulated. Also, most shotguns are simply too long to be suitable for home defense purposes (unless you get a special short version often referred to as a "riot gun"). A double-barrel shotgun may be simpler to use, but has limited ammunition capacity and is still too long for adequate maneuverability. Again, if you are a novice shooter, stick with a double action revolver.
CALIBER
Caliber is always an issue when it comes to defense guns, and discussions about it can be pretty intense. As a general rule, bigger is usually better when it comes to caliber. However, the single most important aspect of caliber selection is being able to hit the target. More on that later.
Most experts agree that the smallest you should use for dedicated personal protection is .32 ACP, and even it is deemed marginal. Cartridges smaller than .32 ACP should be considered insufficient for personal protection. Although something is better than nothing at all, without perfect shot placement (which only happens in the movies) these small calibers lack the punch to do much more than just annoy the heck out of your attacker. Save them for last-ditch backup guns to be used when there is no other option.
There is absolutely no question about the effectiveness of most modern defense ammunition. In every cartridge from .380 ACP to .44 Magnum most manufacturers have at least one, and usually several, good self-defense load to choose from. As you begin shooting, you will find that everyone has an opinion about bullet weight vs velocity. Lighter & Faster vs Bigger & Slower always has, and probably always will, be a point of contention for many shooters. Don't worry, any good self-defense round make a mess of the Bad Guy's day. You should try several different brands and bullet weights to see which is the most accurate and controllable in your gun. Stick with that.
If you still want to know which one is tops, take your pick..357 Magnum, .45 ACP, .357 Sig, and .40 S&W are virtually shoulder-to-shoulder when it comes to documented stopping power. .38 Special and 9mm are not far behind, and ammunition technology is quickly closing the gap.
Do NOT use plain round nose ("ball") or flat-nosed ("wadcutter") ammunition unless there is no other choice. The technical reason for doing so is long-winded and dry. Suffice it to say that ball and wadcutter ammunition is only rated about half as good at stopping the bad guy as comparable hollow-point personal defense ammunition. Check with local law enforcement first, as hollow-point ammunition is restricted for personal defense in some areas.
SHOT PLACEMENT
As said before, the single most critical factor in using a gun for self-defense is SHOT PLACEMENT. Okay, so you bought the best gun in the most powerful caliber. Great. It's nothing more than an expensive noisemaker unless you hit the bad guy.
Don't just buy a gun and then run home and stick it in the dresser. Hey, you bought this thing to protect your life, remember? At least take it to the range and make sure that you can really hit what you are aiming at. You don't have to be an expert marksman, but you should be able to keep all your shots on an 8" paper plate at any distance less than 7 yards. Don't worry about rapid-fire drills either. Slow down and work on sight picture and trigger control. Like they say in competition, "You can't miss fast enough to win."
BUT THIS PERSON SAID....
Don't worry about what everyone says. Like we talked about before, firearms are swimming in a sea of myth, conjecture, and supposition. Here are just a few of the things you will hear....
MYTH - Hollow point bullets explode when they hit.
FACT - Hollow point bullets expand when they hit to as much as twice their original diameter. This causes massive tissue and nervous system trauma. That's what you want. You will hear the term phrase "one shot stop" bandied about a lot. This is the holy grail of personal defense - One shot, one bad guy neutralized.
MYTH - You should rack the slide on a shotgun to scare off an intruder.
FACT - Your greatest asset in an intruder situation is your knowledge of your surroundings and the intruder's lack of knowledge about your position. Racking the slide on a shotgun will do several things, not the least of which is to give away your position and negate that bit of your tactical advantage. It will also either a) shuck a perfectly good round out of the chamber and onto the floor, or b) shuck a round into what was an empty chamber. In either instance, you're going into battle with one less round than you could have had. Considering that most shotguns only have a 4+1 maximum capacity, you have just handed yourself an instant 20% disadvantage. If you feel the need to make noice, just say "I have a shotgun and I've called the police."
MYTH - Wadcutter and ball ammo are just as effective as hollow points.
FACT - Wadcutter and ball ammo often do not expand when they hit a target, and expend little energy on tissue and nervous system trauma. Also, they often penetrate completely throught the target to hit something on the other side (like a child or innocent bystander). Little hole in, little hole out. Hollow point personal defense ammunition is designed to expend all it's energy on the target, leaving little or no energy for over-penetration. Little hole in, no hole out.
MYTH - This (fill in caliber) is better than (fill in caliber)
FACT - While some calibers may produce more energy than others, modern personal defence ammunition has dramatically narrowed the gap between the stopping ability of different calibers. Shot placement is much more critical than caliber. You must hit the target in order to neutralize it, regardless of what gun or caliber you shoot. After all, you'd rather be missed with a .44 Magnum than shot with a .22, right?
MYTH - A revolver is better than a semi-auto (or vice-versa).
FACT - Although there are specific applications where one configuration might be more suited for the intended task, neither type of handgun is necessarily "better" than the other. Different? Yes. But not better.
MYTH - This (fill in the gun brand) will last a million rounds. Those others will die after a couple hundred.
FACT - No gun will last a million rounds in a totally original configuration. All guns require regular cleaning and maintenance, and will eventually require parts replacement. Springs lose tension, surfaces rub until tolerances open up, rifling wears down, etc. Anything mechanical eventually wears out. Claims of "million round guns" usually leave out the extensive trail of replaced parts. Grandpa may have put new handles and new heads on his axe over the years, but it's still the same axe. Or is it? Suffice it to say that any good name brand gun, properly maintained, will be something that you can pass on to your grandchildren.
MYTH - This (fill in the blank) shooting stance it better than any other
FACT - The best shooting stance for you depends on what you are doing, your body type, the type of firearm, etc. Don't let anyone tell you that one, and only one, shooting stance is all that you should ever use.
MYTH - Don't worry about cleaning your gun. Just shoot till it stops working, then clean it.
FACT - You can't go wrong cleaning your gun. Must guns are designed to function with some amount of carbon and powder residue build-up. That doesn't mean you should let it happen. Keeping a gun clean lessens the chance of a malfunction and inhibits rust and corrosion. It's also a sign of pride, just like a clean car. Oh, and remember that just a few drops of oil are all that is needed on your nice, clean gun. Over-lubricating a gun is almost as bad as not lubricating it at all.
IN CONCLUSION
Actually, there is no conclusion. Unless you buy a gun, stick it in a drawer, and never let it see the light of day again, shooting skills and taste in firearms are an ever-evolving personal quest. Enjoy your time learning to master your new tool, and always remember that it's something to be respected.
Safe Shooting....
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