crebralfix
member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2004
- Messages
- 1,356
45 ACP, 9mm, 40 S&W, 44 Magnum, 357 Magnum, 38 Special...and so on are all adequate for defense. But...they're still handgun rounds...which means they suck (compared to a rifle).
All the Internet arguments (used to be mostly in the gun rags) are fun, but just that. If you buy quality self-defense ammo (and no, not FMJ ammunition unless you're broke, desperate or both), then you're covered.
Therefore, it really comes down to what you want to do. Many guys like a variety of calibers because they're into the shooting sports.
***
I'm listening to the May 6, 2009 episode of Down Range Radio. Bane is interviewing Paul Gomez. Gomez stated (paraphrase): capacity determines the time the gun is in the fight. It simply means the amount of time you can continue to fire without having to stop. These pauses are significant because they give your attacker an opportunity to attack from a distance without immediate retaliation. Given that you can DIE immediately, this is something to consider. Gomez teaches in his rifle courses varying rates of fire: one per second, two per second, three per second and four per second. One to three per second is attainable in training without adrenaline; four is reserved for the extremely well trained and those experiencing an adrenaline dump. So, at three per second...a thirty round magazine lasts only 10 seconds. A revolver will be emptied in two seconds (good luck reloading on the move and under pressure).
Adrenaline does weird things to us.
We can go back and forth all day long about the "true number of rounds needed for The Gunfight". Well...it's all BS because we cannot predict the future. Stats are just a mathematical description of events and are used to understand what's going on. They certainly don't predict the future, though many gun writers and trainers seem to believe in "precognitive statistics". We could go with the FBI stats of something like 2.x rounds per fight...or use the example of a beat cop fighting in a parking lot for so long that he had to go back to his squad car for more ammunition. So, I think rather than considering the extremes, we should consider what is likely and prepare for "likely +1" or "likely +2".
If the average number of rounds fired is three (just rounding up) and the average number of attackers is 2 (rounding up), then six rounds should be enough. If we go with three attackers, then nine rounds should be enough. The problem with this thinking is that we never know what's going to happen. Additional factors, such as adrenaline and training, will also skew things a bit. If you're a point shooter...you'd better have bigger magazines. What happens if the guy is wearing body armor and you just dumped five of your six rounds into him? That's not a good situation to be in. At least with a 1911 with 8+1 capacity, the gun still has four rounds left.
Remember, this is a TWO WAY range, so a two second pause could mean 2-8 incoming rounds per attacker...they get adrenaline dumps too. Some bad guys even go to the range and practice.
This is not to say "don't use a revolver", "9mm rules" or "use only 18 round magazines". Far from it. AMERICAN culture is one of "bestest-mostest". Face it...we tend to think in these terms. We want the badest gun, with the most firepower and have to be the fastest shooter. Rather than going for all that, perhaps we should strive to be the "bestest" tacticians who have the skills and attitude to prevail with the guns and gear we have. If that means all 45 ACP handguns for you, then so be it. Know and carry those guns and forget about all the hype.
All the Internet arguments (used to be mostly in the gun rags) are fun, but just that. If you buy quality self-defense ammo (and no, not FMJ ammunition unless you're broke, desperate or both), then you're covered.
Therefore, it really comes down to what you want to do. Many guys like a variety of calibers because they're into the shooting sports.
***
I'm listening to the May 6, 2009 episode of Down Range Radio. Bane is interviewing Paul Gomez. Gomez stated (paraphrase): capacity determines the time the gun is in the fight. It simply means the amount of time you can continue to fire without having to stop. These pauses are significant because they give your attacker an opportunity to attack from a distance without immediate retaliation. Given that you can DIE immediately, this is something to consider. Gomez teaches in his rifle courses varying rates of fire: one per second, two per second, three per second and four per second. One to three per second is attainable in training without adrenaline; four is reserved for the extremely well trained and those experiencing an adrenaline dump. So, at three per second...a thirty round magazine lasts only 10 seconds. A revolver will be emptied in two seconds (good luck reloading on the move and under pressure).
Adrenaline does weird things to us.
We can go back and forth all day long about the "true number of rounds needed for The Gunfight". Well...it's all BS because we cannot predict the future. Stats are just a mathematical description of events and are used to understand what's going on. They certainly don't predict the future, though many gun writers and trainers seem to believe in "precognitive statistics". We could go with the FBI stats of something like 2.x rounds per fight...or use the example of a beat cop fighting in a parking lot for so long that he had to go back to his squad car for more ammunition. So, I think rather than considering the extremes, we should consider what is likely and prepare for "likely +1" or "likely +2".
If the average number of rounds fired is three (just rounding up) and the average number of attackers is 2 (rounding up), then six rounds should be enough. If we go with three attackers, then nine rounds should be enough. The problem with this thinking is that we never know what's going to happen. Additional factors, such as adrenaline and training, will also skew things a bit. If you're a point shooter...you'd better have bigger magazines. What happens if the guy is wearing body armor and you just dumped five of your six rounds into him? That's not a good situation to be in. At least with a 1911 with 8+1 capacity, the gun still has four rounds left.
Remember, this is a TWO WAY range, so a two second pause could mean 2-8 incoming rounds per attacker...they get adrenaline dumps too. Some bad guys even go to the range and practice.
This is not to say "don't use a revolver", "9mm rules" or "use only 18 round magazines". Far from it. AMERICAN culture is one of "bestest-mostest". Face it...we tend to think in these terms. We want the badest gun, with the most firepower and have to be the fastest shooter. Rather than going for all that, perhaps we should strive to be the "bestest" tacticians who have the skills and attitude to prevail with the guns and gear we have. If that means all 45 ACP handguns for you, then so be it. Know and carry those guns and forget about all the hype.
