Somehow, from a fairly early age, I grasped that for a Revolver bullet to actually 'stop' someone instantly, or reliably, it needed to strike the Spine or Brain.
If to stop someone fairly quickly, it needed to perforate the Heart or Aorta or a Major interior Thoractic Artery.
I had heard parts of conversations occuring among WWI and also WWII vets, how a man could be shot, and not even notice, or, he felt merely something chilly or odd or heavy, and his mind was focused elsewhere anyway...or, he noticed wetness or frank Blood, or that his Leg or Arm or Eye was not working right while trying to run or walk...things like that.
So in my imagination, I would elect to shoot for the Spine as my actual Target, regardless of the angle or attitude an assailant's posture may present.
Or, if having a full frontal position, then, the option of aiming for the area of the Heart...knowing there may be a delay of even a minute or more before the effect would be complete.
Or, if having a full frontal view, the option of aiming for the Eye Socket, which would likely succeed in an instantaneous cessation of activity, if the Bullet finds it's mark.
Of course some people can and will drop and remain still and passive, or unconscious, even if hit in a non lethal area.
One can never know what to expect...and, in exigency, one's shot placement may not be ideal.
Bullets can and do deflect from Skulls if not striking at a proper tangent.
The Brain only occupies the upper areas of the Skull anyway, and, a shot hitting/entering too low of the mid line, will not likely cause an instantaneous 'stop'.
My primary interest, has always been to 'scent the winds', and, however subtle, elect choices, routes or destination sequences or options, for not being anywhere where trouble may arrive or await.
We all have a kind of 'Radar'...and it is much more elegent to rely on, than to ignore it, or to rationalize one's self out of respecting it, and to then find one's self countinancing messy and unpleasant situations.
My own 'Radar' is not especially keen, but, I have found out to my satisfaction, how ignoring it will reliably inspire regret, and or present challenges I would rather not have had to manage.
If you carry a .38 Special Revolver, consider to also carry a charged Speed Loader.
I have muddled through a few bad situations where four or five or six seeming Gang Members were getting a little aggressive in a 7-11, and, this established for me, the sobering prospect of a J-frame or even a K Frame, having only so-many-rounds to offer.
Being able to reload promptly, could be valuable.
