I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately, and the thread regarding 9mm pocket guns (I don't think there is such a thing, but that's a different topic) really got me going. Many forum members have posted pictures of the gear they carry to leave the home, and that gear in some cases approaches that of a line law enforcement officer. Reloads (spare ammo in various forms and/or a second gun) are a frequent topic. A couple weeks ago, I began searching the web for information about citizens reloading during a self defense situation. My null hypothesis was that it was rare, to the point of never happening.
I found this:
The Thinking Gunfighter
The author presents an analysis of five years of incidents reported in the "Armed Citizen" column of the NRA magazine (not a member, so I don't know which one, and the article doesn't say). In any event, out of 482 incidents, the citizen reloaded during 3, including one in which a .32 revolver was used to dispatch an escaped lion with 13 rounds. Over half of the incidents occurred in the home, and the defense firearm was carried on the body in only 20% of the total incidents. In the other 80%, the firearm was retrieved from a place of storage, frequently in another room.
Unfortunately, the analysis is from 1997 to 2001, even though the article bears a 2012 date. I am continuing to search for a newer analysis of these incidents.
Everyone will have their own opinion about the meaning of these results, and will draw their own conclusions. For me, it means that I'm making an appropriate risk management decision by carrying a firearm consistently, but not loading myself down with ammunition I likely won't need.
I found this:
The Thinking Gunfighter
The author presents an analysis of five years of incidents reported in the "Armed Citizen" column of the NRA magazine (not a member, so I don't know which one, and the article doesn't say). In any event, out of 482 incidents, the citizen reloaded during 3, including one in which a .32 revolver was used to dispatch an escaped lion with 13 rounds. Over half of the incidents occurred in the home, and the defense firearm was carried on the body in only 20% of the total incidents. In the other 80%, the firearm was retrieved from a place of storage, frequently in another room.
Unfortunately, the analysis is from 1997 to 2001, even though the article bears a 2012 date. I am continuing to search for a newer analysis of these incidents.
Everyone will have their own opinion about the meaning of these results, and will draw their own conclusions. For me, it means that I'm making an appropriate risk management decision by carrying a firearm consistently, but not loading myself down with ammunition I likely won't need.
